Gu Destinati Alla Matanza 12″
Mentioning Italian hardcore over dinner will always get my attention away from the food, as I have been a sucker for the genre since I grabbed a homemade tape of WRETCHED’s discography sometime in the early ’00s (how I remember this precise moment but not what I did yesterday always amazes me). The Italian language is undeniably a great language for furious hardcore punk, as it allows the singer to engage in that kind of fast-paced, rapid-fire lyrical flow while still keeping the anger level high and in-your-face. I was expecting GU to belong to that old school hardcore department, but they do not really, although at times I can find some delicious traces of classic Italian hardcore in their music. I would argue that GU is a hardcore band with lyrics in Italian (they are from Amsterdam, actually), rather than an Italian hardcore band (speaking in terms of genre, not nationality). Know what I mean? It is all a bit modern-sounding to me, I am afraid, with some metallic breakdowns and an overall clean production. I like some of the faster, more direct songs, but other numbers confuse me a little and I end up not understanding what they aim at achieving. It is well-executed enough, sincere, and has versatility, just not my thing—but I was able to listen to the whole of Destinati Alla Mattanza thanks to the strong female vocals, angry but clear with a snottiness to them.