Alessandro Mattedi

Please do not contact me requesting reviews of your own demos, promos, etc., or those of artists you represent.My ratings in reviews try to align, where possible, with those already given by the site in general. I make no claim to absolute objectivity or to holding the one and only Truth™. If they seem low to you, it's because I don't think it's professional to hand out 8s and 9s to almost every release the way some webzines do, so please don't take it personally. An abundance of very high scores given to lots of artists would devalue the recognition ("everyone special, no one special").I am generally opposed to absolutes in judging criteria and to dichotomous oppositions. I support the idea that an album can be reassessed over time, and that listeners are free to change their minds.Beyond what's said above, I share many of the arguments made by other authors in these two interesting articles here and here regarding评 criteria. I'm happy to accept different opinions or reports of mistakes to correct, but not flame wars, polemical rants, or claims that one's subjective opinion holds objective, universal value. I really don't like it when someone takes the stance that "the genre I listen to is superior to the genre you listen to" or "I get it and you don't." In every genre you can find artists worth your time as well as less convincing ones; personal sensibility and taste are legitimate as long as they aren't imposed on others. My own quotes:- I don't share your taste in music, but I will fight to the death (of the bores who have nothing better to do than argue online about other people's tastes) for your right to listen to it.- Musicological corollary to Godwin's law: as an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Piero Scaruffi approaches 1.- Listen to whatever you like and don't bust my chops.You may often come across a piece of mine written in a vocabulary rich with peculiar, if not unusual, expressive content. Sometimes I wonder whether, however much such vocabulary may enrich the text, it might nonetheless also alienate the reader in some way, for instance by making the message expressed cryptic and hermetic (i.e., incomprehensible). Below, then, is a glossary of the terms recurring in my reviews — click the "hide" button: "Pulsating/intermittent bass!" The sound produced by the bass is not a continuous wave but is split into distinct notes due to the strings being plucked sequentially by the fingers."Drum charge!"The drummer entered the recording studio on horseback. "Tentacular drummer!"Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn."Keyboard carpets!"The recording studio's parquet flooring is avant-garde."Innovative!"It doesn't seem to be copied from anyone in particular."Inspired by/Influenced by/that references/is a tribute to"It's copied from someone in particular."Explosive!"The stereo exploded, releasing thermal and mechanical energy. Four injured in the editorial office."Like gun cotton!"The record is coated in nitrocellulose and will catch fire as soon as it's put in the CD player."Earth-shaking!"5.6 on the Richter scale, the room collapsed during listening."Shields up!"In the recording studio, Leonidas's dialogue from his first encounter with the Persians in 300 was re-enacted ("earn the shield boys!")"Folk elements!"There's an acoustic guitar."Jazz elements!"There's a trumpet."Free jazz!"There's a slightly lively trumpet."John Coltrane!"There's a saxophone."Effervescent!" The stereo popped open, spilling Prosecco foam all around."Modern sound!"Anno Domini 2020, the record has the production of an alternative rock album released in 1994."Electronic experimentation!"There are a few synthesizers or a drum machine, whatever."A mature record!"The record secretes ethylene; it is advisable to store it together with unripe fruit to speed up its ripening process."Deep lyrics!"The album is a concept about Jacques Cousteau."Caustic atmospheres! Corrosive riffs!" DANGER GHS05 - the record secretes substances or preparations that may cause skin burns, serious eye damage, and may corrode metals. Use skin and eye protection to avoid serious injury to skin or eyes."Mesmerizing!"I want you to know that I like Dead Can Dance and I learned a new word from the dictionary thanks to the title of one of their songs."Virtuosic!"It's an album for show-offs."Eighties-ish!"There are sounds reminiscent of '80s new wave bands or their production, and I want to sum it up in review-speak."Delicate sounds!"If you turn the volume up too much, you'll break the CD and the stereo."Intimate!"The record's promo came with a complimentary bottle of Chilly."Dreamlike!"I fell asleep while listening."Meticulous care!"The artist is a veterinarian specializing in cats.A guide to understanding the terms used in these reviews"Pulsating bass!"The bassist is a cardiologist."Intermittent bass!"The bassist is a jerk and plays every other note."Drum charge!"The drummer entered the recording studio on horseback."Tentacular drummer!"Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn."Keyboard carpets!"The recording studio's parquet flooring is avant-garde."Innovative!"It doesn't seem to me to be copied from anyone in particular."Inspired by/Influenced by/that references/is a tribute to"It's copied from someone in particular."Explosive!"The stereo exploded, releasing thermal and mechanical energy. Four injured in the editorial office."Like gun cotton!"The record is coated in nitrocellulose and will catch fire as soon as it's put in the CD player."Earth-shaking!"5.6 on the Richter scale, the recording studio collapsed."Shields up!"In the recording studio, Leonidas's dialogue from his first encounter with the Persians in 300 was re-enacted ("earn the shield boys!")"Folk elements!"There's an acoustic guitar."Jazz elements!"There's a trumpet."Free jazz!"There's a slightly lively trumpet."John Coltrane!"There's a saxophone."Effervescent!"The stereo popped open, spilling sparkling wine foam all around."Modern sound!"Anno Domini 2018, the record has the production of an alternative rock album released in 1991."Electronic experimentation!"There are keyboards reminiscent of the '80s."A mature record!"The record secretes ethylene; it is advisable to store it together with unripe fruit to speed up its ripening process."Deep lyrics!"The album is a concept about Jacques Cousteau."Caustic atmospheres! Corrosive riffs!" DANGER GHS05 - the record secretes substances or preparations that may cause skin burns, serious eye damage, and may corrode metals. Use skin and eye protection to avoid serious injury to skin or eyes."Mesmerizing!"I want you to know that I like Dead Can Dance."Virtuosic!"There's a solo I can't replicate on guitar or keyboard."Eighties-ish!"The musicians are ready for the geriatric ward."Delicate sounds!"If you turn the volume up too much, you'll break the CD and the stereo."Intimate!"The record's promo came with a complimentary bottle of Chilly."Dreamlike!"I fell asleep while listening."Meticulous care!"The artist is a veterinarian specializing in cats."Vintage sound!"The production is terrible.