Vanadium
Born To Fight

BORN TO FIGHT (1986, DURIUM)

There are LPs that, almost magically, end up embodying an era in a far deeper and more authentic way than many texts or documents, where those emotions that characterized certain years risk being lost over time. Often a completely unique alchemy is created among the individual members of a band, a status that places every musician on the same wavelength and allows the collective to capture the reality of the period with such sensitivity and sincerity that it manages to crystallize everything. Certain feelings are destined to be preserved over time, safeguarded within the grooves of vinyl and ready to involve new generations and incurable nostalgics in their universe suspended in time.

More than fifteen years have passed since the release of “Born To Fight,” considered by many to be the best work ever produced by Vanadium, yet this record continues to radiate, now as then, an incredible feeling and warmth. Every note of this album encapsulates precise sensations linked to those years, a period that, due to age reasons, I can relive only by filtering through my childhood memories, but which, in a rather idealized vision, represents the days when reality still appeared to me as something to discover day by day. The mid-80s represented the advent of certain musical trends such as glam rock and thrash metal, but also the definitive affirmation of this type of music in our country, where time had stopped in the early '70s and the prevailing genre was popular songs by various artists like Pupo and Morandi. The passion and dedication to the cause of rock'n’roll, always characteristic of Vanadium, ensured that during that period it was they who demonstrated that in Italy, life was not just about ditties and songs, but that even in the peninsula, it was possible to create important works in this genre.

Already with “A Race With The Devil” and “Game Over,” the Milanese band had amply demonstrated its abilities, achieving unimaginable success inside and outside our borders, but it is thanks to this “Born To Fight” that Pino and companions definitely enter the legend. Recorded under the aegis of producer Lou Austin, responsible for the explosive sound of albums by Deep Purple, Queen, Thin Lizzy, Judas Priest, and MSG, at Ridge Farm Studios in London, the work was then mixed at Regson Studios in Milan. The Milanese quintet carries out, for the first time in its long and glorious career, an album in British soil, the homeland of all the bands that have always influenced its sound, that is, besides the already mentioned Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Pink Fairies, and many others.

Already from the first notes of the opener “Run too fast”, characterized by a solemn organ intro, capable of merging futuristic atmospheres and epic suggestions, it becomes clear that “Born To Fight” is an out-of-the-ordinary album. Pino's voice bites deeply, supported by the aggressiveness of the song and driven by a deadly guitar drive, accompanied by an excellent keyboard play. The following “Still got time” manages to paint an urban picture typical of the '80s, impeccably frescoed by the riffs of Stefano Tessarin, protagonist of a chilling central guitar solo. “Before it’ s too late” is a fast-paced song, with a frenzied rhythm section and a superb Zanolini at the keyboards. This piece represents an anthem to the desire to live and the courage to face one's choices to the end. We arrive at the wonderful power ballad “Easy way to love,” especially known for being used as the theme song for the television program Discoring and extremely significant, as, along with “You Can’ t Stop The Music” (unpublished contained in the previous live album “Live On Streets Of Danger”), will represent for many years the only example of a music video shot by an Italian heavy rock band. The video shooting took place at the historical Marquee in London, a venue that represents the ideal destination for every rocker. A divine arpeggio and a wonderful keyboard prelude at the opening once again send warm shivers down the listener's spine, while the timbre of Pino Scotto's voice softens to better lay itself over Tessarin's deliberate riffs, which at the end seem to tenderly dialogue with the singer's vocals. Never pandering, but always cloaked in an unparalleled feeling and dynamism, which maximally expand its intensity, “Easy way to love” estranges itself from every characteristic cliché of rock ballads.
Following (or, if you prefer, flipping the record…) we find “I was born to rock,” a track that represents the manifesto of the album itself and will become one of Vanadium's iconic songs. Wild in the chorus and sharp in its riffing, it is an evident declaration of love for rock'n’roll. It continues with the cover of Deep Purple’s “Never Before,” a fabulous electric-boogie that skillfully combines classic '50s rock with effective Beatle choirs, setting everything on the theme of the femme fatale. The next “Ridge farm” is an entirely instrumental piece, a rhythmic gallop with continuous tempo changes, glorifying keyboards and the rhythm section once and for all. “Arms in the air,” instead, presents a carnal guitar-keyboards union that introduces an all-out assault of Lio Mascheroni’s drums: the lyrics are simply a great tribute to music played with heart, already abundantly honored by the five in the rest of the album.

Years later, this album continues to amaze for the power and energy contained within and represents, to this day, one of the highlights of Italian hard rock. The general level of the compositions settles on dizzying heights, also supported by the solid and impeccable old-style production of Lou Austin, making this record an authentic masterpiece.

“Born To Fight” is the symbol of Vanadium's attitude and class, but above all, it is an album that gives a complete meaning to the two words rock and Italy, until the time of its publication seemingly incongruous concepts. Simply wonderful.

(Enrico Rosticci)