(Jesús Fernández) Just a bit more than a year after the extraordinary “Materia” comes “The Blue”, a new opus that will consolidate this italian trio as one of the greatest acts of the genre and that, as its predecessor, aspires to become a doom-metal classic.
There’s no doubt at all: Novembre is, actually, at a peak of creativity. This release means, not only the establishment of all the virtues that could be found in the previous one (likewise coming from a long distance walk begun with “Wish I could dream it again”), but their best possible evolution. “The blue” is richer and more powerful than its former. Regarding song structure, C.Pagliuso and the Orlando brothers carry on with their experimentation process, which makes, as it happened with “Materia”, this album to be listened several times in order to begin enjoying it completely. Technically, more rhythm changes, more grunts, again progressive influences and even contemporary piano sounds can be found. Emotionally, atmospheres become colder and bleaker than in “Materia”, which helps outstanding Carmelo Orlando’s stirring voice, that seems to break them like a thin and fragile layer of ice. At a compositive level, aside the well-known “two acts” of each track, it’s also very common a short “pre-verse” at someones’ beginning. The whole cd imprints a strong feeling of conceptual unity.
The four opening songs are crushing in all senses and reach their highest point in “Bluecracy”, that is simply perfect. ”Triesteitaliana” keeps a very interesting death-metal blink that, anyway, at no moment breaks the melancholic atmosphere. All melodies in this quartet are totally soul-breaking. Warmer and more progressive, someway like if we mixed the latest Anathema with the more quiet passages of Opeth, arises “Nascence”. “Sound oddysey”, the nearly-instrumental “Zenith” and the brilliant tune of “Argentic” must be also mentioned. But, maybe, above all the forementioned highlights stands out an absolute compositive freedom which is revealed throughout the compact. This wisely managed quality makes “The Blue” one of the greatest emotional metal works, not only in this style, but in the field of melodic, deep and virtuous sounds.
(09-12-2007) |
