Release
Date: 03.10.2025
Format: Digital, Physical
Genre: Post-Black Metal/Post-Hardcore/Avantgarde
Country: Italy
Lucynine was founded in 2013 by Italian
multi-instrumentalist, singer, and producer Sergio Bertani as a personal studio
project. The first release, the EP “Chronicles From Leri”, mixed trip hop,
psychedelia, and death metal, gaining notable attention thanks to contributions
from John Baggott (Massive
Attack, Robert Plant) and Gigi Giugno (Braindamage).
After a long silence, Lucynine returned in
2020 with the full-length “Amor Venenat”, released via Inverse
Records. The album included theatrical elements and guest appearances
from renowned Italian actors and dubbers such as Dario
Penne, the Italian voice of Anthony Hopkins.
That same year, a tribute EP to Italian punk band Titor
followed. Five years later, Lucynine presents
its second full-length, “Melena”, released through Talheim
Records.
“Melena” is an uncompromising work. Across just over half an hour, Sergio Bertani channels raw despair through an intense sound that merges post-black metal with post-hardcore and avantgarde touches. Unlike the layered collaborations of “Amor Venenat”, this album is entirely his own vision: composed, performed, and produced in solitude.
The vocals
remain intentionally buried under an aggressive wall of sound, as if struggling
to emerge from suffocation. This choice amplifies the oppressive character of
the album, where production choices mirror the psychological pressure at its
core. The tracklist progresses through compact assaults and longer
compositions. Songs like “Uomo In Mare” and “Narciso Non Muore” hit with direct
urgency, while “Melena” and “Oltre La Soglia” expand the palette with more
dynamic movements. The closing “Opera Al Nero”, lasting over fifteen minutes,
is a monumental conclusion where all the tension, noise, and exhaustion reach
an extreme, dragging the listener into a vortex of bleakness.
The album’s concept ties closely to its medical title. “Melena” refers to internal bleeding and decay, and that imagery translates directly into sound and atmosphere. The claustrophobic production, suffocated vocals, and crushing compression give the impression of something damaged from within, unable to heal.
“Melena” is
not an easy listen, nor does it aim to be. It is deliberately harsh, a mirror
of the personal anguish from which it was created. Rather than offering
comfort, it drags the listener into darkness and demands endurance. For those
seeking music that challenges, unsettles, and reflects pure human anguish, this
album succeeds with haunting precision.
Score: 5.5
https://www.facebook.com/lucynine
https://www.facebook.com/TalheimRecordsGermany
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