Tempo Scaduto
Quo Usque Tandem...

Reviewing an album that is in some ways controversial is always a challenging task. One tries to describe the album as neutrally as possible, and, especially in this venue, focusing the spotlight mainly on the music. The preamble is essential to start this review of an album produced by a group that undoubtedly belongs to the Italian alternative music scene, politically aligned to the right alongside groups like Compagnia dell'Anello, Hobbit, 270bis, Hyperborea, etc.

However, the group in question was a true meteor: they released the album and subsequently vanished from the scene; strange for a group that, qualitatively speaking, was not bad in terms of technical and compositional skills and would certainly have stood out in their genre if only they hadn't disbanded. As for "commercial" fame, like many other groups in the area, there is nothing to hope for. But we don’t fret: as true music lovers, we judge the content purely musically and even I will try to make as few political considerations as possible.

The group, formed by chance in the late '90s during a hobbit camp (a series of cultural events, meetings, and debates among representatives of the Italian far right), has a clearly blues/hard rock imprint, the singer has a catchy and very easy voice, the guitarist has a somewhat sloppy touch (also due to the somewhat poor production), but all in all, he manages. Blues rides, melancholic ballads, evocative lyrics, and chapters of pure hard rock make this album a valuable product, well-crafted (in both lyrics and music) and well-made.

The album starts with the title-track, having as a title a Latin idiom pronounced by Cicero during a meeting in the senate. The attitude of taking Latin idioms as song titles is also found in an album by Gesta Bellica ("ITEM RVDIT LEO") of which it appears Tempo Scaduto are admirers, and in a song by 270bis dedicated to the Templars ("NON NOBIS DOMINE"). A hard rock song, with a simple repeated riff, and the lyrics certainly foreshadow that this is an alternative music album; I don’t agree with it. However, I must mention a praiseworthy passage: "and the knight arrives, with billions in hand, forza Italia, forza Milan, brute force of money..."

But certainly, it is one of the weaker songs on the album, rather if we want let's skip and move to track n°2: the "Trilussa Blues" which clearly, as the title suggests, is really a very energetic blues with excellent harmony to which the singer's voice really adds a lot, with certain verses in a playful accent whose origin I cannot determine.

"Federico Barbarossa" is a beautiful slow song, with an unusual text especially when compared to the other lyrics on the album. It's a fairy tale description about the current abode of Frederick Barbarossa, on an enchanted mountain. Unusual text, but it fits well within the record, adding a fantastic touch, in perfect Celtic style. It is based on a legend created over the centuries.

"Non importa" is another well-made song, a verse with, I would say, a compelling riff with a good use of keyboards that add a melancholic touch to it, as well as the lyrics which speak of distance and perhaps, detachment from the beloved, demonstrating the true love the protagonist feels for the girl.

"Roma, 19 luglio 1943" could be a better song, but, ignoring the text and the music, the pathetic character especially of the singer makes it the least interesting song on the album.

"Fratelli" is a really fun song, and it follows the same line as "Spara sulle posse" by 270bis, but this one is even more fun. It's practically a response song to the left-wing chaos present on the market even today, especially towards the most targeted group, the 99 Posse (although they also mention Vasco Rossi and Jovanotti). A great arrangement and also a good text.

"La rosa di sangue" is a true masterpiece, an acoustic ballad with a rock-ending flourish. To give an idea, like Ligabue's "leggero". Musically sublime, also the text (especially!) is noteworthy: it is a revision of an Oscar Wilde short story (The Nightingale and the Rose); the plot is somewhat modified but certainly not inferior to the original, indeed here the mocking and brazen character of the girl towards the infatuated boy is more noticeable, not present in the original.

"Steppa" is the cover of the eponymous song by Intolleranza, with an intro that is out of place, I would say. Personally, I prefer the original, but still, this is an excellent cover, redone in the style of the group.

"Capirai" is another love song this time with more pathos; I would say a perfect song for Sanremo.

"Presente senza eroi" is the perfect fascist song of the album. It is the representative fascist song of the group, hard rock, with a very groovy riff. The song, especially the catchy chorus, is not bad, and the lyrics, always of the chorus, reprise the famous Mussolini motto "Believe, obey, fight", with the addition of the D'Annunzio motto "Win!".

The album closes with the long "l'ultimo viaggio", with lyrics in the style of "Werwolf" by Intolleranza but still a ballad that ends with an excellent jam between guitar and keyboard solos.

I repeat, this is truly an excellent album and I am honestly sorry that the group disbanded, although I read on Facebook the singer making hints about a very likely reunion. In the meantime, we savor the only album that this group has produced which, in my opinion, along with 270bis is the best in the entire Italian alternative scene.