Illnulla - Illnulla

Illnulla's debut is introduction to a two man Black Metal group from Italy. They don't quite perform to the lo-fi fuzzy standards of classic groups like Darkthrone or go haphazardly all over the place with experimentation like avant-garde groups like Dodecahedron, but take the safe route and create mid paced, enjoyably produced Black Metal. While all the lyrics are in Italian, it makes the overall atmosphere sound even darker and more sinister so those who don't understand the lyrics can still enjoy the music. Much of it is fast- the usual tremolo picking formula and machine gun style drums is quite prevalent with some raw rhythmic guitar sections that are actually quite enjoyable to hear; they have groove, but not quite as repetitive as a band such as Khold. Tracks like "Nessun confine per la follia" waste no time in cutting to the chase with the brutal vocals which sound a bit like Legion era Marduk or Devian- throaty but not too raspy. Near the middle of the song is where listeners get their reptitive interlude, but it serves as a nice break from the vocals.

Ilnulla may begin to wear on listeners a bit despite its rather modern and crisp approach as the tracks start to blend together with their similar formulas of starting fast and slowing down a bit before picking up again- although some may argue the album never truly does 'slow down.' When one hits "Non credo nel tuo dio" though it feels like everything changes. There are industrial elements here that suddnly make Illnulla a very different band and listeners will wonder if for the first thirty seconds they are hearing the same group, and then the guitars and vocals come back in along with the drums and it is original Illnulla all over again. However, this helps makes the track stand out. Other funky moments include the looping blips and beeps on "Credimi!" where it just sounds perfect with only the vocals going along with the industrial elements, and then the guitars and drums come in and tends of overshadow everything. Still, it makes a lasting impact and may make listeners who at first thought Illnulla was a bit boring with their first half of the album gain interest again.

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  1. Lupo
  2. La Mia Miseria, La Mia Grandezza
  3. Nessun Confine Per La Follia
  4. Bandiere Bianche, Ginocchia Rosse
  5. L'era Dei Trenta Denari
  6. Non Credo Nel Tuo Dio
  7. Avvilenti
  8. Credimi!


Self released
Reviewer: Colin McNamara
Jan 12, 2013
Next review: Abysme - Strange Rites

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