Novembre - Arte Novecento (1996)^{Release ID: 6284}

Novembre is an Italian progressive/gothic/doom metal band formed by brothers Giuseppe and Carmelo Orlando, and their second album Arte Novecento is totally worth experiencing something from the band! It was made between their underground debut Wish I Could Dream It Again and their 3rd-time charm breakthrough Classica, blending the melancholic doomy guitar of Katatonia and Anathema at the time with more upbeat aspects.

Although there's not much soloing to expect here, Novembre have their own creative ways of layering their structure. The immense production really lets the instruments shine, not just for the Orlando brothers but also the guitar reverb of Massimiliano Pagliuso and masterful bass of Fabio Vignati (RIP).

"Pioggia... January Tunes" starts the album with a rainstorm as slow clean guitar slowly rises then sets up the rough heavy melody. There's some more of this beauty in "Homecoming". Then "Remorse" will make you shed tears with a climatic guitar buildup. They also made a cover of "Stripped" by Depeche Mode, and while there's nothing wrong with that cover, it's not really my favorite here, though the rest of the album is still perfect.

"Worn Carrilon" has more upbeat rhythms and leads, and great singing by Carmelo. "A Memory" has more of the heartful vocals where the emotion fits greatly with the powerful lyrics. My favorite song in this album is "Nursery Rhyme". It's a dark epic of perfect harmony and well-placed acoustics, all for some gothic fun.

"Photograph" is an instrumental, but the music has some 80s The Cure vibes. I like that! Carmelo reaches his height with his vocals in "Will", alongside a glorious blend of electric and acoustic guitar from the soul. His vocals of dynamic emotion flow through the atmospheric darkness. "Carnival" is the closing 10-minute epic, and although it's enjoyable in every minute, it can't beat the other long tracks.

All in all, Arte Novecento has strong structure to flow through the atmosphere. Carmelo's vocals might not be for every metalhead due to his occasional soft pop tone, but I still enjoy his vocals and everything else. A gem worth discovering!

Favorites: "Pioggia... January Tunes", "Remorse", "A Memory", "Nursery Rhyme", "Will"