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MESMERICO

RIO/Avant-Prog • Italy


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Mesmerico biography
A Neapolitan hardcore / experimental project MESMERICO, that had got started as a trio in 2001, essentially had been playing as a duotone unit with Fabrizio PICCOLO (guitar) and Luca BOTTIGLIERO (drums). They'd gigged actively inside and outside of Italy, with lots of combos or projects all around the world, especially with ZU (they played together several times from 2001 until 2008).

Via Octopus Records MESMERICO released their debut creation titled "Magnete" in February 2009, that was their only one official album sadly. They were split up in the same year.

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2.51 | 3 ratings
Magnete
2009

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MESMERICO Reviews


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 Magnete by MESMERICO album cover Studio Album, 2009
2.51 | 3 ratings

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Magnete
Mesmerico RIO/Avant-Prog

Review by Windhawk
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

3 stars Italian duo MESMERICO was formed in 2001, and was an active live unit until they broke up sometime around 2010, frequently collaborating with other artists. "Magnete" is the sole legacy of their activities, and was released by Octopus Records in 2009.

In a spell of albums that have thrown me a number of items difficult to describe in an accurate manner, Mesmerico is something of an exceptional case I guess. This is a band that fits the experimental description to a T, and within a progressive rock context I imagine that avant-garde will do the trick quite nicely. But beyond that I do find myself in fairly unknown and strange territories.

At the heart of this bands compositions I guess you might argue that we're dealing with a hardcore band. Pacefilled, simplistic and aggressive excursions with shouted vocals, banging brutal rhythms and loud frantic guitar riffs of a kind that doesn't really demand any finesse as such. But the additional elements this band adds to their stew are the ones that makes descriptions somewhat more challenging.

Gentle psychedelic details by way of guitars, electronics and effects is another common and recurring feature, as well as darker, doom-laden varieties of these. In addition a fair few noisescapes are thrown in, some of them with a basis in the aforementioned hardcore-oriented sequences and others with just as a firm a base in the psychedelic oriented movements. Frequently alternating between all of these. Vocal effects is another feature thrown into the mix, from psychedelic dripping layered nonverbal ones to spoken and whispered utterances. Not an extensive part of the proceedings, but a feature still.

The 10 compositions featured on this album are by and large all lo-fi constructions of the kind where you'll have to expect the unexpected. A wide taste in music and a soft spot for challenging, demanding and especially aggressive music is needed to enjoy this album. Those who fits this description will get an unusual sonic experience to explore. Perhaps not always brilliant or stylistically innovative, but then again you can't really describe any of these compositions as uninteresting either. An unusual album suited to a very select audience I imagine.

 Magnete by MESMERICO album cover Studio Album, 2009
2.51 | 3 ratings

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Magnete
Mesmerico RIO/Avant-Prog

Review by aapatsos
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

2 stars A relatively short-lived duet (were only a trio for a few months when formed around 2001), Mesmerico managed to release Magnete through Octopus Records in 2009, before splitting up shortly afterwards. Can a guitar/drums duet only create progressive rock? The answer listening to this album is certainly yes, although the expected shortcomings are there.

The final result is fairly interesting and pretty complicated, keeping in mind that this comes out from only two musicians (Fabrizio Piccolo on guitars and Luca Bottigliero on drums). They are not short of ideas, which they execute in a very dynamic way, with the album sounding as if being recorded live in studio, in full jamming mode. The first words that come in mind after listening to Magnete are 'punk', 'hardcore', 'heavy' and 'avant'. Certainly this is not your typical (if there is one!) RIO/Avant album as the focus is mainly on creating heavy/hardcore music played in the most abstract ways. The likes of Sleepytime Gorilla Museum have been definitely consulted in the composition process.

The duo at times freely experiments with jazz patterns (Superponte Verde) that interchange with high-speed punk/post-hardcore passages. Other moments find them drowning in electronic/drone soundscapes with a hint of King Crimson (Lagher) or creating dark/brooding atmospheres by using odd sequences of musical notes at lethargic tempos (We Live in a Paradise). The majority of music though appears to be driven by anger and that comes out more successfully in the short tracks (Silos, Rasoterra) where the duo uses abrupt breaks and noisy vocals to produce a rather unconventional package.

If you are looking for structures and themed music, it is unlikely that you are going to find it here. In addition, there are several moments of "dead space" on the album that are just filled with blunt atmospheres, not in any way contributing to the music. If you are looking for dynamic, "in-your-face" avant/hardcore riffs and improvisation, then there is plenty of that here.

Fans of "unorthodox" and "anarchistic" avant/hardcore should give this a go. Highlights: Superponte Verde, Palazzi

Thanks to Fabricio Di Vicino of Psych Up Records for making this available for review.

Originally compiled for www.justincaseradio.com

Thanks to DamoXt7942 for the artist addition.

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