MESMERICO - Magnete

Mesmerico are one of the most interesting emerging acts on the Neapolitan music scene. This formidable duo for electric guitar and drums arrived at their recording debut in early 2009 with "Magnete", released by Octopus Records and recorded by Giulio Favero (Teatro degli Orrori). The band's coordinates are by now well established: this is a violent sonic bulldozer split between scorching power (hardcore, metal) and avant-garde impulses, with Mike Patton as its main reference point.

It's a thoroughly muscular music – as that unhinged splinter "Rasoterra" demonstrates – but one that very rarely settles for mere detonation. The title track, for instance, is a ripped-open anthem, deliberately crooked and stumbling, distorted by electronic contamination. This is certainly not a linear record: its volcanic heart lends itself to continuous shifts in rhythm and movement, perhaps at times excessive, not entirely focused and/or not especially distinctive ("Superponte verde", "Palazzi").

The brain doesn't yet fully control the body's spasms, but Mesmerico make up for it on the emotional front. "We Live In The Paradise" is an angelic choir invaded by electronic disturbances that turn it demonic, complete with a heavy-footed guitar stride. "Lagher" is six engaging minutes of celebration for organ, electronics and drum hits.

It's the emotional side, even in its wildest form – the epilepsy of "Silos" – that represents the added value of a record which, although it doesn't fully bring out the band's worth, offers a good picture of its strengths.

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17/03/2009