Artist: Adramelch
Label: Metal Master
Release: 1988
Rating: 4/5
“Irae Melanox” is still considered one of the best heavy metal albums that Italian heavy metal bands produced in the eighties. It came out at the tail end of the decade, when heavy metal was at its peak and bands were already reaching an incredible level of technical polish. If you count from Iron Maiden’s debut in 1980 to 1988, the leap was huge, and you could really feel it: by the late eighties, bands were already writing songs that demanded blistering playing speed, plus precision and tight control of their instruments. On top of that, they spiced it all up with multi-themed arrangements stitched together with complex transitions and the thing was ready for hot delivery.
Yes. You may have thought of the first heavy metal precursors to what followed, the expansion known as progressive metal, kicked off by Dream Theater at the end of the eighties. Adramelch are definitely loyal to the ossified, original form of heavy metal. Right from their debut, they show off outstanding technical chops, with fresh inspiration for venomously cocky riffs, a superb knack for complex yet very listenable melodies loaded with an enviable dose of epic bombast, and, this time, a dark atmosphere that’s less typical for Italians but unbelievably convincing. In the old school heavy metal department, Irae Melanox is an excellently armed album. From head to toe.
Back then, the guys leaned on the vampiric yet musically perfect old-school bands from across the pond, like early Queensryche and Fates Warning, and added that typical European “Walls Of Jericho” Helloween charm. With “Irae Melanox,” picture the Italian heavy metallers Sabotage of that era, but upgraded by a few steps of technical finesse and complexity. Singer Vittorio Ballerio’s voice is high, operatic and convincingly commanding in every register. He brings a huge amount of melody, yet that dark, dramatic aftertaste that heavy metal needs in order to come alive is never missing from his vocals. The two guitars are on equal footing, and the basic riffs are mostly sharp and “picked” at extreme speed in harmonized thirds that add bombast and an epic feel. The guys storm through dizzying passages that are technically more complex in design, with superb communication between the rhythm section and the guitars in the transitions. That makes the songs highly dynamic and gives them a distinct element of unpredictability. The songs are layered in theme and rhythm, yet they never lose the red thread or the punch that the band packs into them at an extremely high level.
The production is very filtered. Well, it’s the eighties. But you can feel what’s missing, mainly the low end, especially firmer, thicker bass lines, which in their playing do work in proportion with the other elements of Adramelch, in a coherent and equal dialogue.
Sadly, “Irae Melanox” is where the success story ended for Adramelch, because shortly after the album came out, the band fell apart due to a lack of media recognition and other troubles within the group. They only got back together in 2004 and returned in 2005 with another excellent album, “Broken History,” which confirmed that even after more than 15 years, Adramelch haven’t forgotten how to serve the stuff up. “Irae Melanox” remains an album lost in time and space. It’s one of those albums you never get tired of. It has an incredible synergy between its individual parts and a brilliant, dynamic chemistry that drives the legacy of heavy metal so boldly and so effectively. It’s a masterpiece.
Lineup
Vittorio Ballerio – vocals
Gianluca Corona – guitar
Sandro Fremiot – guitar
Franco Avalli – bass
Luca Moretti – drums
Tracklist
1. Fearful Visions
2. Zephirus
3. Irae Melanox
4. Lamento
5. Decay (Saver Comes)
6. Was Called Empire
7. Eyes of Alabaster
8. Dreams of a Jester
Album length: 48.21
