Bloody Mary are the negative of the photograph of a classic Italian band: the ideas at the songwriting stage are few, but the sound is so perfect it could give the heavyweights of the international scene a run for their money. The production, by singer Aldebran and Danilo "Stonehenge" Di Lorenzo, is largely responsible for what is good in 'Blood'n'Roll', a record that, despite its title, fits perfectly into the gothic rock vein — with apologies to anyone looking for rock'n'roll. The guitar sound is curiously close to that of Greg Mackintosh and Aaron Aedy in the 'Draconian Times'-era Paradise Lost, but what Bloody Mary offer is decidedly lighter, starting with Aldebran's clean singing. Not perfectly at ease on the lowest notes, which he strains to reach too often, the singer nonetheless turns in a good performance, with a timbre perfect for the genre.
The problem, as said, lies in the songwriting. In particular, even after repeated listens little stays in your head, although what they play is anything but complex. If they wrote catchier choruses, Bloody Mary would work wonders: beyond the production, in fact, the music breathes a truly enviable balance, a perfectly balanced sound. This becomes all the more significant when you consider that 'Blood'n'Roll' is a debut.
After the good start, 'Drops' is the first song that sticks, though the real bang comes with the following 'I Won't Be Unfeeling', built on a climax that opens into a chorus of enviable fluency. Another highlight of the album is without doubt the syncopated 'Judas Spite', and the following 'The 2nd Chance' is just as irresistible: it too unfolds according to what seems to be Bloody Mary's winning formula, lingering on slowed-down rhythms in the verse and then exploding into fast, intriguing choruses. There is room too for the ballad 'Learning To Fly', in which Aldebran strains a little too hard to reach the lowest notes, though the sweetness and taste of the guitar accompaniment are of undoubted quality. 'Little Sister' is again very good, while 'Before The Rain' could have been a better choice to close.
'Blood'n'Roll' is an effective album that works superbly for atmosphere, without, however, having those easily assimilated melodies that could make Bloody Mary take a considerable leap in the direction they seem to have taken. Be that as it may, in terms of professionalism we are light years ahead of the average Italian production, and in a genre decidedly atypical for Italian bands. Welcome!
First published in Italian; in English here. Where it appeared ↗