ALBUM REVIEW: Tagli/Talee – Stormo
Italian post-hardcore outfit, STORMO, are back with their fifth record Tagli/Talee. Over the years, the quartet have become well-known in their homeland and across Europe for their groundbreaking sounds that, whilst punk and hardcore at heart, bring in elements ranging from screamo and black metal all the way to the more melodic elements of rock and electronic music. They’re a band who aren’t afraid to break barriers and experiment, only further adding to their already impressive reputation when it comes to their sound and live performances.
Things start out, relatively, calm when open with intro track Tagli where the tone is, at first, set with a moody alternative sound with the focus being on guitar. Over the next minute we begin to hear feedback creep into the track that then comes to a head when it blends into Sabbia and we hear a noisy conclusion when the alternative sound is now accompanied by loud rock elements from a variety of genres that can be akin to theatrical post-rock. It’s fair to state that the focus is more so on the instrumentals than the vocals given how they are much lower in volume and have a less polished production, although the production across the album wasn’t that polished to begin with, giving it that raw, old-school feel that you get from earlier recordings of punk tracks.
The vocals of Luca Rocco are relatively in the same tone and volume throughout; rough in the style one could expect on heavier hardcore and metal tracks. Yet they manage to compliment each song on the record regardless of the genre or sounds that brought into the mix of already existing hardcore and punk. If they had to be compared to another vocalist, singers like Oli Sykes come to mind with the raspiness and (mostly) unpolished quality, yet at the same time it feels like STORMO are in a league of their own given it’s very rare where you can find yourself comparing them to anyone else.
Throughout the record we hear a range of sounds from different parts of the rock umbrella; from the heavy industrial beats in tracks like Sabbia Pt.2 Ghiaccio and Bordi that also bring in electronic static that just makes everything feel bigger and better; all the way to the more melodic side of things in Rami and Kallitype that, whilst heavy rock meets punk in nature, have a smooth composition that ties everything together.
Perhaps the main highlights of the record would be the final two tracks, Alte Mura and Come Fauce Che Divora, where it feels like they’re two parts of one story. The songs themselves can be boiled down to a blend of industrial, garage, and punk that then brings in different elements that act as sound effects for the event taking place. Alte Mura is like that of an establishing track for a dystopian anime where we are set in a long abandoned, derelict city following a grim event with the instruments and vocals setting up a dark, hopeless narrative.
Whilst Come Fauce Che Divora acts as the conclusion where our characters fight a giant creature, with the industrial noises acting as the monster, and everything kicks off into a chaotic battle. We then hear silence, only narrated via strumming alternative guitar like in the opening song, it’s ambiguous as to what may have happened, on who may have won…And then we get a sudden explosion of noise, bringing both the fight and the album to a screeching end. STORMO are in their own league and this record only goes to prove as to why.
Rating: 8/10
Tagli/Talee is out now via Prosthetic Records.
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