The Lombard band does take its time! After 8 years of hiatus, some disappointing events and a few line-up changes, here comes its Streetpunk/Oi!/Hard rock back split in 9 tracks, which are not so new, as they were written in 2002 and 2003 and they were already presented live.
Once again the themes deal with hardcore football supporters, Valtellina sleazy girls, nightclub nights, Popeye, and similar light topics expressed with their typical parodistical style, but it can't pass unnoticed the fact that some refrains are influenced by several Sundays spent leading Morbegno Football club's supporters on the curved sector by the singer, who also owns the physique-du-role to face a stage as well as a roaring rival football team's assault.
Recorded with masterly skill in 5 different studios, the debut album displays all the combo's good shape and the lack of rust in their performance. The songs are in Italian and English, and there's also a translation to English for the foreign audience, while the artwork is a proof of honesty by paying respect to everyone who contributed to this comeback, even if minimally.
The most successful refrains are contained in "Valtellina Boyz", "Gradinata Nord" (which includes a cool Hammond solo), and "La Frangia dei Cattivi", whereas some back-up vocals have margines of improvement. The biggest surprise is the stunning closing track, "R.S. Army", an easy lively song, enriched by a long axe solo, a Carlo Lucarelli-like intro and outro with cool piano lines. The 5-piece has decidedly learned how to turn a good composition to an astonishing sonic orgasm!
There are plenty of skeptics there may be interesting Oi! bands from Italy, and many others who'll go to Gradinata Nord's opening live shows just for the main act, but I'll rely on what I've heard now and in the previous split; the result is that the Sondrio artists have made a believer out of me.
I'm not a football supporter and I don't have a large Oi! discography, so you can take notice of my unbiassed opinion and think you'd not waste time by evaluating the 9 tracks. You might find more than one ground for positive surprise.