Sux!
Contattocuorestomaco

In the realm of alternative rock, 1990s Italy produced substantial yield, from heavyweight names such as Marlene Kuntz, Afterhours, and C.S.I., to respectable second lines like Ritmo Tribale and Bluvertigo. But, digging deep, there also existed now-forgotten bands that never achieved even a modicum of success, garnering only some acclaim from industry journalists.

The Milan-based Sux! are one such example. Relatively praised by critics (deservedly) but unnoticed by the general public, despite releasing four albums over eight years, thereby demonstrating a capacity for intense yet unfruitful activity.

This “Contattocuorestomaco” is their debut, but it's also the result of years of struggles and experiences with other names (such as the Sundowner of “Heliotrope”).

The driving force and beating heart of the project is Giorgio Ciccarelli, a future member of Afterhours, here as guitarist, singer, and songwriter of each track, surrounded on this occasion by musicians who, after the band's dissolution (2005), would fade into anonymity.

The sound material is highly derivative, often close to the Seattle sound, other times akin to the mastery of Sonic Youth, inevitably drawing comparisons to the more “sonic” Marlene Kuntz. All often spiced with stoner inflections that would be amplified in subsequent albums.

But what works in their favor is the instrumental dynamism enriched with aggression and successful, frequent changes in atmosphere even within a single piece, making it hard to get bored along the tracklist journey.

This despite some flaws. Ciccarelli, as much as he tries, is not a true singer, and it shows.

Moreover, in the long run (see much of the second side), the record stumbles with some fillers, like the overly simplistic “Circa il tempo”, a rehash of a previously (and better) played script, and the nearly pop “Me”, a sort of leftover from Diaframma.

Not to mention “Contatto cuore-stomaco”, where Marlene Kuntz once again resurface, but lacking the incisiveness expected of a title track.

The best highlights are elsewhere when the ghost of Kurt Cobain appears in the chorus of “Via da qui”, or in more atmospheric moments like “Vedova Nera”, where we find (unintentional?) hints of what Afterhours had already done at the time with “Hai paura del buio?”.

More generally, it's pleasant to often feel very close to Seattle, with guitar lines evoking, in turn, Pearl Jam and Stone Temple Pilots, while the voice seeks different expressive paths close to Alice In Chains (“Nella notte (la mia!)”).

An imperfect work that Sux! still carried out with dignity, and of which the central “Blu” is the emblem and at the same time the path to follow: at first unconvincing due to the whining voice, then it rises and turns into a slow semi-acoustic tribal ritual, rich in sonic flashes (again Marlene!), culminating in a finale that sees them unleash in an ancestral dance that lingers in the mind. Give it a listen if you can find it...

P.S.: In the album's liner notes, it is revealed that “Via da qui” was inspired by “Stay Away” by Nirvana.