Reborn is the debut EP from Italian guitarist Gianluca Magri; five tracks of instrumental rock which courts and runs with the imagination. Never showing off but proudly sharing the craft and enterprise of its creator, it is a record which just dances on the ear.
Teaching himself guitar at the age of 17, Magri subsequently studied at Cortina d’Ampezzo music school and at the MMI in San Biagio di Callalta. The years since has seen him as well as teach at the Music Area Academy in Belluno and at the Music and Soul school of Venas di Cadore play live with his solo band and with a couple of covers bands and from 2011 to 2016 play in metal outfit Phaith who released the well-received album Redrumorder. The autumn of 2017 saw Magri record Reborn, uniting since with Red Cat Records Inst Fringe for its recent release.
With its songs inspired by the likes of Gary Moore, Joe Satriani, Leslie West, Led Zeppelin, and Whitesnake, Reborn begins with its title track. Instantly its boisterous gait and infectious invitation had feet tapping and ears attentive, Magri entwining the latter with spicy grooves and tenacious melodies brought with a deft touch on his strings. Across the songs on the release, Magri is joined by bassist Diego Maioni and drummer Raffaele Fiori, their rhythms skilfully grounding the adventure of the guitar and egging on the listener’s physical participation with the growling tone of the bass adding a nice dark contrast to further grip attention. Just as Magri never over indulges his swiftly obvious ability, his songs never dally or linger, the opener just stirring up the senses and appetite, feeding both, and leaving with as enterprising punch.
The following Cloudbreaker brings a calmer climate though soon shows a lining of volatility which never quite erupts but adds drama and colour to the imagination nurturing encounter. Magri again weaves a magnet picture of sound, hips eagerly swaying to his composition as the imagination plays with rhythms adding earthier texture to his lofty and often fiery but always composed enterprise.
Snowballed is next up, the piece a fresh and boisterous affair with mischief in its smile and energy in its stroll while A.D.R. has a thicker body and touch but still one with a spirit warming brightness to its melody and air. Both songs spark ears and thoughts, thoughts easily conjuring alongside the sonic intimations as enjoyment of Reborn only thickened.
The EP closes with acoustic track Atlas Bound, Magri’s fingers gliding over his ‘canvas’ with suggestive craft and firm magnetism. It is a captivating end to a fine debut encounter with the guitarist. It is fair to say that we are quite fussy in our enjoyment of instrumental music and maybe have not yet defined what it is that lights our personal fires. We thoroughly enjoyed Reborn though across its every note and second so maybe the answer lies within; certainly pleasure does.
Reborn is out now via Red Cat Records Inst Fringe and available @ https://gianlucamagri.bandcamp.com/releases
https://www.facebook.com/gianlucamagriguitar
Pete RingMaster 29/03/2018
Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright
From opener Somnum Sempiternum the senses are taken on a turbulent sonic flight; a buffeting of winds around perpetual rallies of rhythmic antipathy the initial engagement. Bargnatt’s vocal currents are just as harsh within the intensive but controlled cyclone, rasping breath on sonic causticity and melody flirting with discord and dissonance. As invasive and toxic as it is an infectious hue merges within the emotional and aural trespass adding to the imagination sparking incitement that has already brewed. The track continues to grate and tempt across it’s almost nine minutes, never giving enough to mercilessly seduce but never coming close to leaving ears searching for alternative calms. Though a one man project, the album features the sax borne craft of Val Dorr; it too an almost schizophrenic, to use the press release’s description, protagonist in the midst of the blackened ambient storm.
Three tracks in and it is fair to say that Against The Odds had us hooked and even more so as the atmospheric opening of Perseverance glides over the imagination. Its progressively hued suggestiveness subsequently parts way for a harsher climate to surround the senses but Crisix continue to experiment and weave an imaginative adventure as metalcore and other varied metallic hues entangle. Arguably the boldest track on the album for stretching their thrash instincts it is a wholly magnetic affair suggesting exciting new exploits ahead with the band.
The album’s title track is next, a sense charring blaze of rock ‘n’ roll with sonic lava in its breath and inescapable virulence in its rhythms. Hess is simply superb, stirring the track’s intent with ravenous dexterity allowing the calm in its midst to challenge before stirring up a confrontation as violent as it is invigorating. From pure infection the track leaves as a toxic raping of ears and wow did it excite. From start to finish, there are compelling suggestions of best track on the album, and maybe that from Coilguns in general, this one of the most persuasive.
Post-God Metaphysics opens up with Love Is Superficial and immediately Gray is teasing ears with sonic intrigue, coaxing them and the imagination with infectious rhythms in close quarters. As swiftly the richly enticing tones of Martins flirt and dance on the blossoming landscape of the song, it all as infectious as it is musically and emotionally predacious. The track is superb and just the beginning of one exhilarating creative emprise.
The excellent start only continues as The Project follows, its electronically hued entrance easily stirring keen attention before opening up into a rapacious almost carnivorous prowl. Metalcore meets groove metal as things intensify, many more strains of sound adding to the menace and imagination seizing trespass. Something akin to a fusion of Poison The Well, As I Lay Dying and Devildriver, the track gnaws and increasingly pleasures the senses, a success only escalating as the funkier throes of In My Jail tease and invade next. A beguiling web of styles and flavours, the track alone reveals the bold invention at the heart of Hampered and the expansive hunger in their sound which does not always get the chance to blossom as it might across the release. Here it is in full bloom, plaintive vocals and hungry sounds uniting in a ravenous assault of irritable yet severely infectious and predatory enterprise.
Best track honours are seized by Splitter next, the rhythmic entrapment of Gumpoldsberger and Stirner inescapable from its opening strains and only intensified by the rolling attacks and belligerent grumble of drums and bass thereon in. Spice loaded grooves and a general rock ‘n’ roll swing only add to the track’s might with only the clean vocals for some reason and for once not quite connecting. Nevertheless it is a storming encounter which alone could have sparked an appetite for the band’s sound but is more than backed by the likes of Aurora and Phoenix. The first is an atmospheric tempting with alluringly portentous shadows around a rhythmic resonance, a union beguiling ears and imagination before its dark side rises up in invasive riffs and sonic trespass. That also brings a melodic and electronic enterprise which suggestive mystique setting up the adventurous rock ‘n’ roll of the second with the added attraction of female vocals and melody encased endeavours.