It is a curious experiment when exceedingly old-school, classic Italian metal titans decide to appropriate a gothic-horror narrative.
The result is a cheeky, Tim Burton-esque album, an understated theatrical voyage that is loaded with more cheese than the Hamburglar’s secret stash.
Opening track ‘Revived’ is a fitting introduction for the band’s first studio album in seven years, characterised by industrial, electronica percussion, well-executed but predictable riffs, and guitarist Al De Noble’s succinct solos.
‘The Crimson Shine’ is a far more accommodating beast to showcase De Noble’s eloquent intuition. De Noble elicits the emotive power of the electric guitar and commands the instrument like an artist crafts the strokes of a paint brush, illustrated again on the dynamic, punchy ‘Santa Muerte’.
There’s no denying the piercing seduction that underpins vocalist Steve Sylvester’s growls, screams and occasionally soothing melodies. ‘Ogre’s Lullaby’ is an especially haunting, and aptly titled, demonstration.
The middle track is like a delightfully cursed mash-up of Rob Zombie’s vocal stylistics, the understated power-riffs of Alice Cooper and the theatrics of Dimmu Borgir. Sylvester’s Italian accent produces a clean, idiosyncratic sound, especially on brooding tracks ‘The Darkest Night’ and ‘Dionysus’.
The prominent electronic presence can be attributed to keyboardist Freddy Delirio, signalling a departure from the classic metal sound and widening the appeal to those with an appetite for more industrial flavours.
Resurrection is a resoundingly solid effort, but the absence of characteristic heaviness in favour of crowded percussion debases the album in the eyes of metal fans closely acquainted with their earlier material.
