± Arcimago ± is a one man electronica project inspired by the soundtracks of Italian horror films. Under the name of composer Ugo Negroni, this Italian native performs this music live, hidden by a mask under the ± Arcimago ± banner. Influences and possible reference points include The Haxan Cloak, Umberto, Perturbator, and Goblin. Uccisora is his first full length album under this guise. It is presented as the score to an Italian horror film that never actually existed - "so bleak it was banned before it was made", so the legend goes...
In addition to conjuring imagery from Dario Argento films and the like, there were a number of other groups and particular albums that seem to be kindred spirits with Uccisora. Some tracks are reminiscent of more experimental tracks from Skinny Puppy and its offshoots cEvin Key, Doubting Thomas, and Ohgr. Others reminded me of Trent Reznor's more recent work on the Nine Inch Nails instrumental album Ghosts or with Atticus Ross on The Social Network OST. For me, these comparisons are high praise for the work of Arcimago. I don't bother with a ton of purely electronic music, so when something like this stands out, I have to sing it's praises.
Considering favorite tracks, I adore "Il Giardino di Pietra." This moody, beat-heavy track sounds like it could be playing in some upscale vampire club like in the first Blade movie. There is a lot of research on the link between sex and violence, and the sensuality oozing from this ominous-sounding song seems to perfectly capture that connection. I also enjoy the tension-building of "Il Valzer della Vedova" and insanely catchy, headbob-inducing backtracking of "Sotto Malocchio." These all perform well in isolation, but I highly recommend getting the full soundtrack experience at least a few times from start to finish.
So while Uccisora is another album that doesn't quite qualify as "metal," it carries it's heavier influences on its sleeve. Furthermore, if you have never seen an Italian horror film from one of the masters, I assure you there are few things as metal as them. For some highlights, just watch the video for Skinny Puppy's "Warlock," which is mostly the gore scenes that were censored for being too extreme. In any case, Arcimago is putting out some fine music with a keen ear for composition and atmosphere. I would love to catch his live show someday, but in the meantime I am content to develop my own mental movie to this debut LP. Full album releases on Friday.
