Album Review: A.M.E.N. - Argento
Reviewed by Matthew Williams
I was massively intrigued by the way that the genre of music on offer from A.M.E.M. was described as, because you don’t often see Jazz, Doomy and Dark, associated with each other, but something piqued my interest, and I had to delve in further to find out what lay beneath the title.
A.M.E.M. is the brainchild of musician Vittoria Sabelli, who has been around the Italian underground metal scene for a while now, and vocalist Erba del Diavolo. The passion for jazz music is clear throughout the 5 songs, and when stripped of the extreme metal, this offers up something evocative.
With a string of fellow musicians adding their own unique talents to the composition, the album begins with “Brindisi”, a place I fly to when I visit my mother who resides in Puglia, but it doesn’t stir memories of the area. Moreover, you assume that you are down a dark alley way, amid a smoky underground jazz club, where only the cool cats hang out. It’s very emotional as the piano dominates the song and you can imagine two long lost lovers being reunited and dancing closely in each other’s arms. And that’s before the breathtaking voice of del Diavolo takes over.
The whole album feels intimate, as if you are the only person in the audience watching, and as a tribute to Dario Argento, the Italian king of horror, the haunting melodies give a chilling ambience to the soundtrack that’s being played. “Magia” sees more of the same, yet more dramatic with the guitars and keyboards adding a more sinister overtone to the dynamism of the song.
“Mistero” is up next, and the deliciousness of the piano is on full display. The musicians seem to complement each other so well, each telling their own story like they are the main protagonist, but they are all stopped in their tracks when the stirring and poignant vocal performance takes over.
“Omicidio” begins with more wonderful piano playing from Luigi Genovesi and has more of an avant garde feel to the song. A bit of flamenco appears near the start, to add more depth to the music, but it follows a similar narrative, being both provocative and stirring, full of slow building emotion and passion, with a sumptuous bass line around the halfway mark. It really stirs up so many memories and is quite hypnotic.
Alas, the end is nigh, and with a big bang, “Cadaveri” swoops in like an evil killer about to seduce their next victim. You are then treated to such a sweet, simple sound, that you can’t help but smile at, as it’s a bit more upbeat, with doom undertones flowing beneath it. This is one hell of a track and although different, it fits in perfectly, and if you like jazz, then this will stir all sorts of emotions inside of you.
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