NERO DI MARTE – Derivae
- Posted on 19-12-2014
Progressive metal is no longer a genre that is solely intricate and predicated on exemplary technical showmanship. Sometimes it’s about painting musical portraits in different shades of light – as Italy’s Nero Di Marte demonstrate to the hilt on their second full length "Derivae". Often post-metal lurks beneath the poly-rhythmic tempos and juggernaut bass/ guitar volley match, while guitarist Sean Worrell creeps up vocally in an alternative Jane’s Addiction meets measured scream montage.
The songs are long – and yet the ideas focus on four-five key elements and let the feel of the arrangements dictate directionally where to go. Be it the ringing guitar notes against the doomy platform for the 8:27 "L’Eclisse" (that features around the 6:30 mark some intense double bass fury from Marco Bolognini), the Tool-oriented dive bomb bass against cascading guitar aural waterfalls for "Dite" or the 10:30 "Those Who Leave" which climbs from serene to bombast to cinematic, the quartet just excel at taking what you know and mesmerizing your listening experience.
What you choose to concentrate on each pass is your choice- "Derivae" has multi-level appeal because you can isolate on specific parts or songs, taking in the totality at hand or individual performances. Feel the torment as single words like ‘Shards’ churn in the psyche for "Clouded Allure", or opposition in whispered and tortuous tones for the somber "Simulacra", where the guitarists use sparse effects and repetition to get their mood and texture across.
Rarely do I take in an hour long release twenty plus times before writing out my thoughts – Nero Di Marte make my exception list purely based on the quality output. Sure to make many a year end favorite list, do not allow this Italian act to become a footnote in the history of heavy metal. Fans of post-metal, doom, and progressive genres, seek this out immediately.