Album Review: Stormo – Sogni Che Invadono il Cielo
Reviewed by Rob Barker
Stormo are back already with their latest release Sogni Che Invadono il Cielo. It seems like only weeks ago that they unleashed Tagli/Talee and I almost spat my tea out when I checked and realised it was March 2025! Their powerful brand of high-energy aggression is always welcome here, and it’s impressive for them to have made such a fast turnaround in getting SCIIC recorded and released, really showcasing the bands commitment and work ethic to their craft. A really noteworthy aspect of SCIIC is the evolution in sound and musicianship that is showcased. I’ll talk more about it as I breakdown the songs, but overall, the album displays a lot of progression and evolution in Stormo’s direction musically.
Gesti starts off as a very powerful intro track; an excellent way to introduce the new work to old fans and the band itself to new ones. Immediately it’s noticeable that Stormo have developed upon their sound, not straying from their path too much, but keeping innovative and fresh. Maree is next with another really cool window into Stormo going forward, maturing and growing as songwriters, almost approaching a post-metal sound. Fantastic guitar work is especially noted in this one. Estuari kicks in slower and stranger, but is successful in keeping up the desperate aggression from vocals, succeeding in a short epic of a track, again, heading towards the more post-metal sound that has been worked on heavily throughout SCIIC so far, early 90’s-sounding guitar tones and clever, thoughtful progression.
Indaco shows off an almost black metal guitar style whilst staying true to the overall sound of the album, this is a recall to Storm’s prior comparisons to bands such as Deafheaven and Lowen. This isn’t a step backwards though, their developed sound continues to cut through true proud, with a resurfacing of the guitar tones in Estuari, reminiscent of Kayo Dot. The track finishes by seamlessly blending into Costellazioni; both a powerful second part and a quality stand-alone track. More experimentation going ahead with vocals to its benefit, accompanied by a drowning fog of distortion almost verging on My Bloody Valentine levels of dirty noise. The final track, Isole, displays a more relaxed side to the band. A fractured representation of the album itself and the grown sound of Stormo going forward.
Overall, the frantic desperation of Stormo releases in the past seems to be stepping aside somewhat for a more mature, developed, artistic and unique sound. Stormo have never disappointed with anything they’ve put out so far, and SSCIIC goes on to prove that they are a progressive, evolving unit; not just simply a band that can do one thing well, but can craft relevant, changing music and keep it consistently high-quality.
