PONTE DEL DIAVOLO - De Venom Natura

Turin's Ponte del Diavolo are a band born from the union of members of Feralia, Inchiuvatu, Abjura and Askesis, occupying a border territory between gothic, metal and punk. Italy's own Messa, perhaps the most fitting domestic comparison, lean more towards a darkly-inflected metal sound, whereas Ponte del Diavolo retain the unstable energy and shadowy restlessness of the punk gospel. They're marked by a curious five-piece lineup that adds not one but two basses to guitar and drums, along with the evocative, theatrical and versatile voice of Erba del Diavolo, stage name of Elena Camusso: it's easy to spot in her (among other things) echoes of the legendary Siouxsie Sioux.

The second album arrives almost exactly two years after its predecessor, “Fire Blades From The Tomb” (2024). “De Venom Natura” comes from a band that already has a recognizable identity in Europe, at least among fans of dark, gothic and esoteric sounds.

Opened by a shred of dungeon synth, “Every Tongue Has Its Thorns” immediately unleashes its black metal artillery, then moves through surges, thickenings and rarefactions that combine post-punk, black metal, doom metal and deafening screams with the magnificent vocals of Erba Del Diavolo, who alternates roars, seductive glides and mysterious vocalizations.

The martial spoken-word delivery of “Lunga vita alla necrosi,” reeled off like a CCCP anthem while the guitar glints venomously, reveals black-metal undercurrents, abyssal doom depths and yet another proof of the singer's remarkable ability to adapt to different styles and registers.

While drawing on similar ingredients, “Spirit, Blood, Poison, Ferment!” takes on a dark-cabaret shade when it adds a lively trumpet melody. The fascinating fusion of sixties echoes in the vocals with gothic-rock and thriller atmospheres on “Il veleno della natura” underlines how effectively the band can broaden its language, weaving a spectral melody into a black-metal assault.

“Delta-9 (161),” whose title nods to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), lingers in a psychedelic stoner-doom groove reminiscent of Electric Wizard: after more than five minutes, it's once again the towering vocal performance that lifts the track toward more creative territory, before it's driven into a thunderous coda, a step away from death metal. “Silence Walk With Me” opens with similar intensity, with something of certain Leprous records in the interplay between guitars and drums, before launching into black-metal surges topped by a melodic vocal line. This album, too, closes with a cover, “In The Flat Field” by Bauhaus.

Helped by a crisper production than in the past, one that lets the nuances of the arrangements shine through, “De Venom Natura” expands and refines the ideas laid out on “Fire Blades From The Tomb”. The songs are less prone to sprawling or repeating themselves as they unfold, with the notable exception of the nine minutes of “Delta-9 (161)”. The result is a compelling listen that draws heavily on the past but pulls it in very different directions: thriller and horror soundtracks, various incarnations of metal (stoner, doom, black), dark and gothic post-punk, even hints of progressive. It's the crowning achievement of a personal, timeless vision: a postmodern reinterpretation of the satanic, esoteric and dark imagery so dear to the city of Turin, one of the world's capitals of esotericism.

Ride the wave of great music

Add OndaRock to your favorite sources on Google Discover. Don't miss our reviews, milestones and latest news straight in your feed.

Follow on Google

24/03/2026