The name may be new to most but such the impressive voice and mighty of their album Ars Medioheavy, it is hard to imagine Italian folk metallers Diabula Rasa will be a secret for much longer. The ten track release is stunning; a scintillating multi-flavoured expanse of traditional and modern essences honed into an encounter which lights up the senses and leaves an eagerly potent depth of pleasure in its creative wake. The album is the best the genre has offered over the past year and it will take something special to replace its status across the rest of 2013.
Formed in 2000 as Tabula Rasa by Luca Veroli (guitarist, vocalist, bagpipe, songwriter/producer), the Lugo based band played traditional folk music which took its ideas and heart from medieval and traditional music. Their debut album, the acoustically instrumental Techno Gothica was released in 2005 before the band two years later changed its name to Diabula Rasa and re-invented its sound. Still seeded by their medieval and traditional experimentation the sextet brought in stirring metal elements as they continued to look to revive ancient music through instruments and sound seeded in the time whilst blending it with the presence of more modern ones. 2010 saw their second and self-titled album containing versions of tracks from their debut re-invented with the new metal intent released. It set the band to the fore of folk metal in their homeland which Ars Medioheavy will surely replicate across the world given the opportunity. Out on Moonlight Records, it is an irresistible instigator to fun, adventure, and expertly crafted excellence, sounds with a nostalgic breath from before our time and the energy and aggression of today.
The album has the passions secured by the opening instrumental Ghirondo alone, the vocal sweeps of harmonies which open up 
song and senses simply delicious whilst the compelling bass lure of Samantha Bevoni skirted by the teasing touch of keys from Daniela Taglioni fire up intrigue and temptation another clutch of degrees. With the beats and concussive percussion of Moreno Boscherini adding a firm and appealing frame for the stringed skills of Stefano Clo and Sonia Nardelli to invigorate the already persuasive call with their melodic flames, submission to its lure is complete and cemented beyond doubt with the dance of traditional sounds and instruments making the final seduction.
Tsanich takes its lead from the incredible introduction, feeding off of its stance to raise bars and temperature to new raging pinnacles of invention and craft. A stirring and eagerly pressing charge of riffs locked in the arms of atmospheric keys lay out a potent temptation before the striking female vocals of either Taglioni or Bevoni, both contributing vocals upon the album but without any indication whose voice is whose, stand astride the sounds with teasing adventure and expressive quality. The excellent grouchy growls of Veroli add their additional roar behind the lead call before both girls combine for another warm caress of harmonies. With a chorus as anthemic and infectious as the body of the track, and the Italian delivered lyrics easy to join in with at that moment, the song has a swagger and mischief that is irresistible and a poise that takes it elegantly through the ear to energise thoughts and emotions, let alone limbs and voice.
The track gives the following songs a tall order to replicate with its stunning presence but both Cataclism and Congaudentes make light work of the challenge, the first flexing formidable sinews around another sun of vocal glory and evolving into a blaze of evocative aural expression and descriptive melodic colour whilst its successor is a boisterous and captivating play of metallic endeavour and folk festivity. The male and female vocals are scintillating within the walls of earnest keys and around the carousel of seductive strings, acoustic and electric, whilst the latter sirenesque call of the female vocal swoons is heavenly in its touch and presence. It is another feast of imagination and skilled craft which only lights further lustful ardour.
Through the passion exploiting heights of Madre de Deus, with its opening celestial wash of strings and soaring vocals a virulent temptress and evolving rapacious metal seeded hunger, the ambrosial Astarte, and the mouthwatering In Taberna, the album stirs up every corner of the senses and appetite whilst the glorious Vermell is manna from the melodic gods complete with expressive shadows, emotive atmospheres, and ravishing vocal beauty sending extra tingles down the spine of passion.
Stepping out clad in medieval suasion the sensational Maledicantur takes the listener back to simpler but openly energetic and passionate times with again a chorus which is impossibly contagious and enchanting in its simplicity. It is an exhilarative escapade to leave the listener on a high for the closing Ahi Amour and its emotional spellbinding and smouldering red skied sunset. It is an engrossing conclusion to an ingenious triumph from Diabula Rasa. Ars Medioheavy is an album which will feed all your needs and desires in a folk metal release and then some, an offering all should and will embrace with greed.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/DIABULA-RASA/240832555948820
10/10
RingMaster 07/06/2013
Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright
Listen to the best independent music and artists on The RingMaster Review Radio Show and The Bone Orchard from
initial beckoning an atmosphere mist where from within bold beats from Alessandro Ludwig Agati begin to build a frame for the mesmeric whistle tempting of Mia Spattini to wrap around, both soon joined by the resonating throat of the bass of Enrico Bertoni. Once Cucciniello unveils her vocal beauty the song lifts its head further to stretch melodic smiles and temptation to new heights, though it is when the track fully slips into its eager stride and the guitar of La Torre, as well as his growls add their predatory touch that the full union seduces emotions and limbs. Continually switches its gait from gentle and inviting to charged and infectious whilst the folk and progressive wash led by the excellent and fizzing key sounds of Giovanni Grandi hones all its aural colour into a compelling narrative, the song is an absorbing and deeply pleasing start immediately continued by the next treats.
once the drums unleash their muscle and the bass begins its constant growl. With vocals spilling passionate bear like quarrel from every syllable to add further texture and expression to the encounter, and the guitars sending shards of sonic craft and temptation across the southern infused sounds, the contagion of the start is irresistible and sets up a real appetite for what is to follow.
corrosiveness and equally scorching energy still within a crawling gait and oppressive breath, the album flows seamlessly from one track to another, a sonic link hooking the listener immediately leaving no chance to take a breath. The following Canker takes up the attack with striding rhythms and scarring riffs whilst the vocals of Desharnais tease and taunt words with raw and direct brashness to match the sounds.
an avalanche of destructive rhythms and equally ravenous riffs. As the intimidating guttural squalls of Accuser stare eye to eye with the listener and unleash their propaganda of malevolence, devious grooves strike out to seduce the senses whilst being still ravished by the vocal and lyrical grazing. It is a weapon the band and album uses frequently and persistently it persuades defences to relax allowing the annihilatory breath and intent of tracks to win their cause. Across its expansive length there is never time to catch breath before the next shift and evolution in direction and persuasion is ridden, that relentlessness only adding to the epic feel of the sound. As intriguing and eventful as it is barbaric, with blast beats pummelling the senses throughout and the excellently varied vocals holding a satanic compulsion in whatever guise they use, it is a striking and scintillating start.
atmosphere of the release through its loneliness and unobtrusive presence. Opening song also called Oberohe, is easy evidence of that influence and inspiration, its near haunting and desolate approaching atmosphere and dark emotive ambience an enveloping heavy embrace, the rich texture of the breath of the song as compelling and intensive as the following sonic tempest of doom laded oppressiveness. Sucked into its heady embrace the track then grips the element of surprise and rips a fissure in the settled depths with a carnivorous assault and senses chewing shot of adrenaline though still within the intense weight of the exhausting atmosphere.
track grips the ear within seconds, carving flaming designs through the air with its psychotic rhythmic invention and rapaciously sculpted riffing. Every second and ounce of breath within the track dances with the devil’s alchemy upon thoughts and passions, its irresistible hooks and lures intrusive and addictive, not to mention at times bewildering, whilst the toxic melodic enterprise licks at the senses with delicious salaciousness. It is a staggering start which for most releases would also mark a following dip but not so Idolize.
infectious entrapment which is impossible to escape. As with the opener, the song revels in its capture by spreading its invention into a journey of ingenious and inspiring invention, the guitars of Hidle and Gyri Losnegaard sculpting a presence which meshes metal, punk, and post punk into one gothic feast whilst the keys of Einar Moen stroke thoughts and feeling with an evocative warm coaxing. It is a delicious piece of enterprise which nips at the listener throughout before handing over its prisoner to the equally impressive and commanding Himmelfal. Once more riffs from the guitars wonderfully niggle with the bass of Ole Vistnes prowling their work with rapacious beauty. It is a mid-paced encounter which feels much more barbaric across its exhaustingly intense length than it is whilst equally has a weave of melodic sun musically and vocally which soaks the evocative shadows into a dance of warm fascination.
