2003 is a particularly important year for Milan's Bloody Mary. Having distributed last January a promotional CD of 6 songs, with room too for the Twins cover "Face To Face", the time has now come for "Rosemadder", a more compact and direct demo CD that certainly has no intention of going unnoticed.
What they offer is still the same: a gothic rock with dark wave veins, fascinating above all for the engaging voice of frontman Aldebran, who is perfectly at ease on the darkest notes and seems so expressive that he makes the compositions sensual and full of vitality. The singer's work in the studio rewards the damned atmospheres the songs give off, and the care of the vocal arrangements can be appreciated.
The content of this "Rosemadder" is satisfying, although I think the first two songs are a cut above the others. "Icy Blue" forcefully introduces us to the world of Bloody Mary with a truly captivating gait, a delicately dark verse that sees the light only when the chorus arrives and brings freshness to the composition. "It's Too Late" continues on the same wavelength, with the difference that its 193 seconds make it a potential single.
A pity that the following "Learning To Fly" and "Before The Rain" are not up to the others. The first is a mid/slow tempo that after a few listens leaves you cold (it is probably too long, too), while the second, despite its biting rhythms, fails to make its mark. For this reason I would like to hear them on a full-length, to find out whether they can give a whole work the drive and determination of the first songs.
In conclusion, this record leaves me with a very good impression of a band that could well carve out the space it deserves.
First published in Italian; in English here. Where it appeared ↗