Vanexa
Back From The Ruins

1988. A true annus mirabilis for our local metal: indeed, "...In Death of Steve Sylvester" by Death SS, "Rock'N'Roll Prisoners" by Strana Officina, "Neurodeliri" by the Milanese thrashers Bulldozer, and this "Back From The Ruins" by Vanexa from Savona were released. The album itself is a great surprise: in a period, the late '80s, when NWOBHM could be considered dead, supplanted by the violence of Thrash or more Glam sounds full of synthesizers, the Savona quartet delivers this convincing work of pure and captivating classic Heavy Metal.

The album opens with the extremely violent "Midnight Wolves", almost speed metal, introduced by bizarre "space" sounds, quickly swept away by an aggressive guitar riff, as will be the entire track, characterized by fast and furious guitar phrasings: speed, power, and fierceness, a true anthem to Metal, and when Marco Spinelli tells us "Tonight is for the music/ tonight is for the gear", it really makes you want to crank the volume up and headbang until exhaustion. The next track, "Blood-Money", in a vaguely Saxon style, is less fast but always keeps the level high, thanks also to a slow section towards the middle of the track, which keeps the attention alive and highlights the performance of drummer Silvano "Syl" Bottari. Next comes my favorite, "Creation": introduced by a wonderful acoustic arpeggio by guitarist Roberto Merlone, supported by Sergio Pagnacco's bass, one of the album's highlights starts; the arpeggio then flows into a vigorous electric guitar riff, decisive but not fast, which makes the song a pleasant almost epic mid-tempo in certain passages. But while anyone would expect a fading end to the song, Vanexa surprises the listener with a sudden change of tempo, at the shout of "Rock'n'Roll!!" from the singer, who engages in an increasingly intense dialogue with Merlone's guitar, launching into a fast and almost cathartic solo, where the peak of pleasure is reached with the vocalist's high note, which once again kicks off the guitarist for an even faster conclusion that unfolds in the listener's ecstatic ears, now indeed, fading as the guitar inexorably crescendos. One of my all-time favorite tracks. Thank you, Vanexa!

After this masterpiece song, which some may find a bit too classic but I, on the contrary, consider a bit too excellent, the violence of "It's Over" assaults the still-dreaming listener, with lightning-fast riffs and powerful, precise drumming, a violent and compact piece, metallic in every sense, interrupted by a slower section but with very fierce tones, with a final solo that's highly engaging. Next is "Hanged Man", square and decisive, but with a somewhat melancholic edge (it had to be, given the title), which also transmits to Merlone's solo and flows into a gripping acoustic interlude, sad yet engaging, where the electric guitar makes its way in, in a final solo that you wish would never end and that paradoxically leaves you with a sense of melancholy you never want to free yourself from, my word! At this point, while you're still caught up in the previous piece, follows the heart-wrenching ballad of the album: "Night Rain On The Ruins", introduced by a delicate acoustic arpeggio, where Spinelli's voice fits in, and the drums gradually make their presence known: about five minutes of absolute delight, crowned dulcis in fundo by the arrival of the electric guitar which, despite its sonic power, retains the atmosphere created, not launching into solos or virtuosity that would be unnecessary here, but in its composure and solemnity, it provides another high moment. The subsequent "We All Will Die" lowers the level a bit in my opinion, but it would have been a real undertaking to keep it high throughout the album. Nevertheless, the piece is notable for the excellent work of guitar craftsmanship. The album closes with "Hiroshima", combining the teachings of the great Judas Priest with the speed of Iron Maiden, a cheerful and fast song that doesn't stand out particularly, but is nonetheless very pleasant.

This, like many others from our local scene, is an album to discover, and I will say no more. Maybe it didn't make history, maybe it didn't say anything new, maybe it wasn't even avant-garde, but this is a fantastic work, recommended to anyone who wants to listen to something well-crafted and heartfelt. I'll conclude with two things: 1) I apologize if I got a little carried away, especially when talking about "Creation", but that particular song really conveys true emotions to me that I can never completely express; 2) THANK YOU VANEXA!!!