SPIRITUAL FRONT: The Queen Is Not Dead Release year: 2023Label: Prophecy/Auerbach Tonträger Italian “nihilist suicide pop” artist Spiritual Front (let’s just call them neofolk for the sake of brevity and ignore their musical ill fit into the genre) have already … Continue reading Is the queen dead?
MAURIZIO BIANCHI: Geni-Z Release year: 2023Label: Steinklang Industries Italian Maurizio Bianchi is right there at the genesis of the industrial music scene. He released his first tapes already in the 70’s, had releases out on Come Org. and Sterile Records, … Continue reading Maurizio Bianchi and the DNA of industrial music
DIVISION S: Something To Fuck And Lose Release year: 2023Label: Steinklang Industries “Weird and alcoholic music since 2004”, proclaims a text on the covers of this album. And that’s pretty much a perfect description of the weirdness that is Division … Continue reading Fuck and lose with Division S
ZUGZWANG: Under The Shade Of The Leaves Release year: 2022Label: Lichterklang It’s a rather modern phenomenon that upcoming bands make themselves a name and gather a following on YouTube by posting videos of them doing covers of other popular songs. … Continue reading Under Zugzwang’s leaves
It’s been a while since we did one of these. In fact, looks like in all of Only Death Is Real’s history, we’ve only done one year round-up. High time for a second one, don’t you think? So, here are … Continue reading A year in summation: 2022
ADRIANO VINCENTI & PAOLO BANDERA: Ossido Di Cromo (Anamnesi Mediatica Ricostruttiva) Release year: 2022Label: Steinklang Industries As the liner notes of the thick booklet that accompanies this CD highlights, the cassette tape was a revolutionary musical format. On one hand … Continue reading A love letter to cassette culture
CAVERNA DELLE ROSE: Elysian Chants Release year: 2022Label: Slaughter In Art Consisting of musicians involved in projects such as Allerseelen and Camerata Mediolanense, and released by cult label Slaughter In Art – in fact the label’s first release in years … Continue reading Elysian chants in the cavern of roses
KANNONAU: Kannonau Release year: 2006/2022Label: Misty Circles/Steinklang Industries Not long ago, I touched upon the subject of Italian neofolk in my review of Rose Rovine E Amanti’s album Sogni Visioni E Premonizioni (reviewed here): one of the few local scenes, … Continue reading Kannonau’s past and present
ROSE ROVINE E AMANTI: Sogni Visioni E Premonizioni Release year: 2022Label: Corvus Records Italy has a long tradition of neofolk, with the earliest bands having been active since the late 80’s or early 90’s. Despite this, relatively few of them … Continue reading Roses, ruins, lovers, dreams, visions and premonitions
TOURDEFORCE: Six In The Key Of Death Release year: 2022Label: SPQR It’s no secret that for me, neofolk originators Death In June is where it’s at: that’s the one artist, that stands up high above everything else, in an exclusive … Continue reading TourdeForce in the key of death
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