Corporain – Purge // Purity
Volcano Records
Release Date: 26/02/2021
Running Time: 52:44
Review by Simon Black
8/10
It’s my own fault, as I keep saying ‘yes’ to them, but most of the music emanating from Italy that lands in my direction to review tends to be of the Symphonic / Power / Progressive bent, is more often than not some great conceptual piece with strong operatic overtones and either directly a part of or at least influenced by the Rhapsody family of acts. So when something like this arrives that doesn’t fit that mould in the slightest, then it makes an incredibly refreshing change. Which is odd, because Progressive and Symphonic are definitely a part of Corporain’s DNA, but they don’t sound like anything else I’ve heard recently from Italy’s fine Metal stables recently.
And bloody good with it they are too…
Unlike much from those more overtly operatic corners of the country, this is highly accessible craftsmanship and a far more modern sounding record than I expected from this Tuscany-based four piece. That said, the classical motes are in there, particularly in the quite frankly outstanding keyboard work from Edoardo Giacomelli, who most of the time sticks to a classical piano sound lending the whole album a distinctive and consistently mature sound. I can’t praise his musical contribution enough and he’s the beating soulful heart of this record. The three instrumentalists all share the vocal duties, running the gamut of styles from Heavy and Hard, to Rock ’n’ Roll, to clean Power, to Nu-Metal, to heart-achingly soulful and so many shades in between. I know this contradicts what I said about a distinctive and consistent sound, but despite the range of vocal sounds they somehow achieve this.
They do exactly the same thing with the songs, which bounce round a whole range of styles whilst still sounding like it’s the same band at heart. It’s incredibly disconcerting, but works a treat and the inherent contradiction that the more progressive elements throw at the ear, such as seamlessly flicking between a burst of brutal heaviness and some beautiful melodic sections without jarring in the same track is quite exceptional. These songs betray a musical skill and song-writing excellence way beyond their years, not to mention no small amount of restraint and focus, meaning the songs are not sacrificed on the altar of overt technical wizardry, but instead just accentuates that structure. It also has incredible depth, with each listen like peeling an onion layer by layer to reveal something I missed the previous time round. This is a highly impressive debut of the calibre that doesn’t come round often, with a well-rafted record that’s like the gift that keeps on giving. This is clearly an act to watch.
‘Rage’ (Lyric Video)
TRACKLISTING:
01. Millenium
02. Inception
03. The Purge
04. Apocalypse
05. Hollow
06. Pitch Black
07. Never Forget
08. Rage
09. Whispering The Wind
LINE-UP:
Edoardo Giacomelli – Keyboards & Vocals
Andrea Singulti – Guitar & Vocals
Iacopo Campinoti – Bass & Vocals
Marco Visconti – Drums
LINKS:
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Simon Black and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.