The Pitch: Black/post-black from Veneto Italy. "The fear is there looking at me, He rubs his hands and observes the first smile and whispers, that sooner or later it will end." FFO Au-Dessus
What I Like: This straddles the line nicely between the different subgenres of BM. It's still murky, grim, and ugly enough to be considered along with the classics, but takes enough modern and melodic approaches to sit alongside some of the heavier post-black bands as well. Even sticking to harsh vocals, there are some great crevasses that Affronto manage to traverse between these alternatively dark and beautiful worlds. I also really dig some of the hooky riffing, especially on "Semitam," and I just think in general that black metal in languages other than English sounds so much more interesting and powerful.
What I Don't Like: It's still a little rough around the edges, which is good and bad. I think the songwriting could be tightened up a bit and future releases might benefit from a little more vocal variation (not necessarily cleans, but at least more highs and lows).
The Verdict: A strong, tightrope-walking black metal release from a country we don't always hear represented in this genre. I'm, looking forward to hearing how this project matures.
Flight's Fav's: Semitam, Nel Tormento
