Zeroìn
The Death Of A Man Called Icarus

Strange debut this one from our own Zeroìn, with the evocative title "The Death Of A Man Called Icarus". I say strange from my humble point of view, from which I can only categorize this album among the half disappointments. I had heard about it for some time, both the more specialized press and various websites had given it great publicity, comparing the band to sacred monsters like Nine Inch Nails or Tool. Driven by so many flattering comments and especially intrigued by the comparisons, I rushed to order the album as soon as it was available, but after various listens in different situations (car, home stereo, headphones), my interest gradually turned into the feeling that something definitely does not work as it should. Situations like this, where a thirteen-track album praised by many results in at least seven tracks being judged as merely sufficient (at best), make you think. Is it me who is now so distant from Tool and NIN-leaning styles that I can't recognize the qualities of this group, or do I indeed have a product so composite that I can't find the interpretative thread? Indeed, by listening to the album, I certainly perceive the extreme accuracy of the sounds, along with the undeniable technical skills of the musicians (especially the singer), but it still feels as if I’m lost in an intricate sonic labyrinth from which it's very difficult to untangle myself.

The interpretative tracks, the references to the mentioned famous groups, are indeed there: Manuel Ciccarelli's vocal lines sometimes come very close to a certain interpretative style used by Reznor (at least the latest Reznor). A voice that is gritty, sometimes supplicating, other times more powerful, capable of moving at certain moments, combined with a massive use of electronics and industrial bases are the elements most akin to NIN. On the other hand, we also have very complex and whirling guitar scores, labyrinthine and rationally chaotic, a trademark of Tool. If we add to all of this a dark tint in the lyrics and keyboard arrangements, we have fairly faithfully reconstructed the role of the musical influences of Zeroìn within the album.

And yet, of the tracks above sufficiency, few are more impactful.

The pulsing "Introspectshow" immediately marks the territory explored by the Emilians: Tool become quite recognizable here, the "à la Trent" voice makes its immediate appearance, and the general mood is quite leaden and angry.

"Allure" is profoundly different, more emotional and calm, with a resigned singing that fits well with the initial soft guitar chords. The versatility is certainly not lacking in these guys, yet the track flows by leaving little or nothing.

"It Concerns You" quite undisguisedly recalls the guitar lines of Nine Inch Nails. With a martial stride, based on a corrosive singing in which multiple vocal lines intertwine with different styles, the track is perhaps the first peak of the album, as angry and adrenaline-fueled as necessary to stand out from the flatness.

"2cerebrate" starts slowly, animated by light arpeggios that grow gradually, then explode into a thunderous melodic climax with a clear industrial matrix, with a very similar structure to what is the second-best track of the album, "Uncatchable". By far the most intimate track, appreciable from every point of view and with more melancholic and cold traits, this tenth track perhaps represents the greatest ability of these Zeroìn, to know how to move emotionally when they abandon the confusion of their ideas and references to follow a well-defined plot.

Based on this reasoning, I feel I can identify another good track, the title track (actually even "Newropathy" wouldn't be bad, except for its refrain that feels a little too familiar, even within the same album). The last song that also gives the album its title is a hazy instrumental track, a desert wind that lifts the sand and makes it swirl creating dense curtains between which one feels lost and alone. The impact with this piece is really very good, emotional and alluring enough to be elected as the best track of the album.

I don’t feel like giving a complete failure to these guys, if only because such daring experiments are not found in Italy. Hats off to Subsound, a record label that, after the Aquefrigide, really shows foresight in the musical field. A six of encouragement instead to the group, whose work, perhaps too weighted down by the quantity of ideas at play, results occasionally confused and syncopated, very often lacking a cohesive thread. The potential is undoubtedly there, I look forward to their next album.