Concerto For The Undead is Stigma’s second commercial release, since the Italian death metal 4 piece formed in 2000. The relentless, ear splitting 10 track record is a nonstop mass of heavy metal guitar riffs, relentless, skin splitting drumming and horrific barking, shouting and screaming. Give that man a throat sweet.
Andrea Bailo, on guitar plays huge, awesome riffs throughout each track and massive metal solos, which are nothing short of brilliant, in technical terms anyway. Stefano Ghigliano bashes his drum kit into submission with nonstop, high tempo drumming, he is definitely a very accomplished drummer and very suited to this style of death metal music, Flavio Magnaldi, the bands bass player, somehow manages to keep tempo with the drums and prove his ability also. And then there is the vocals, Stefano “Vlad” Ghersi squawks, barks, chants and screams, it is horrendous, I do not have a clue what lyrics he is delivering, but it is its horrendousness that is its merit. He sounds like some horror film monster, been stabbed in the foot and that’s the whole point really.
The album is, “so I’m told” is a tribute to horror films and comic books and the lyrics loosely based around the comic book series “Tales From The Crypt” Spooky. There are ten tracks titled Chop His Head Off, Prove You Are A Man, ....And They Died Happily Ever After!, A Monstrous Feeling, The Undertaker, What About A Terror Ride, 3000 Years And Still Keeping It Real, A Grave Situation, Beat Me Maestro, Eight To The Dead! And Doctor Skeleton. All scary, horror infused, gruesome stuff. Just like the album.
I’m not for one minute going to say that I like this album, but I am not supposed to, this album is not for people like me to enjoy and I appreciate that. I also appreciate how technically capable the musicians are and how brilliant the drumming and guitar riffs are, I can also appreciate how difficult it must be to scream and shout through the tracks.
So to sum up, it’s horrendous, massive, disturbing and if I played it in the dark, I’d be scared. A tribute indeed for an album based on horror, performing an art known as death metal.
Well done guys, I detest this gross, horrific album, but I think that is the biggest compliment I can possibly give you.
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