Quite hip ingredients AQUEFRIDGE present on their debut album Un Caso Isolato. Hailing from Rome, Italy, this trio sounds like a chaotic Hardcore version of Queens Of The Stone Age or like a Rock bastard of the Umeå-based Refused-style.
That this unconventional mix of musical “anti-cultures” works out well, Dutch band Circle and various American bands such as Vaux and The Bronx already proved. But I also have to admit that they are often dangerously close being clichés or cheesy copycats.
However, parts of this mix work in any case, as longs as they don’t use too many modern Metal elements as AQUEFRIDGE unfortunately do. Especially at points where the Italian gents fancy the Deftones-style, it isn’t atmospheric enough or doesn’t rock consequently enough. Also Noiserock leanings fail, since they don’t come off like a battering ram in an Unsane-style, which is a must-be, if you start like that.
Many good ideas appear but are not worked out consequently. Too many of these 15 tracks fall between two stools; no harmonic flow or recognition factor comes up. Italian monotone singing and screams don’t act brilliant as something “unique” too.
I actually don’t wanna pan Un Caso Isolato. With this debut AQUEFRIDGE have released a versatile album with highlights and downers. But it raises hope that the guys will work on their songwriting and polish up their style. They shouldn’t look too often to the right and left, getting distract from the band’s own musical goals. Fewer songs would have been more too.
What’s left is an average but not really bad record that probably won’t find permanent friends in the scene.