Italy’s SuperNaughty, Filippo Del Bimbo (guitar), Alessio Franceschi (drums), Angelo Fagni (vocals), and Luca Raffoni (bass), may not be the heaviest or most original band out there, but they do have a knack for crafting memorable riffs and melodies. While “accessible” is an often frowned-upon term in the world of “underground” rock, it perfectly describes SuperNaughty. Despite their crunching riffs and hard-driven rhythms Supernaughty deliver an undeniable array of toe-tapping tunes, tunes that can be found aplenty on the bands new album, “Apocalypso” (Ripple Music).
SuperNaughty’s third album opens its account with “Poseidon” a song that perfectly highlights the “accessible” qualities of SuperNaughty’s sonic attack, riffs here are more fizzyand fuzzy than they are crunchy, the songs groove is industrious and tight but also bouncy and the songs vocal melodies are pitched clean and punkishly melodic, the sort of song that you could imagine gracing a rock radio playlist but also being the catalyst for stage diving and circular pits in a live environment. The following “Black Witch Mountain” does boast a little more grit and growl when compared to its predecessor, especially in rhythmic department, but again is graced with vocals that possess an easy on the ear fluidity, albeit with a bit more added grittiness this time out. The superbly titled “Amsterdamned” is an excellent blend of desert and hard rock featuring a great vocal melody underscored by booming bass lines and busy on point drumming over and around which absolutely delicious lead guitar work is layered. Next two tracks “Weird Science” and “Queen of Babylon” are faultless examples of SuperNaughty’s ability to combine musical muscle with melody, the former featuring chugging refrains and thundering rhythmic patterns supporting a gritty upbeat vocal, the latter a blues tinted groove machine overlaid with vocals in possession of a slightly more relaxed dynamic. “In(O)culation” combines gritty circular refrains and recurring motifs and searing guitar solos with hell for leather drumming beneath a dynamically forceful vocal while penultimate number “King Again” finds the band layering wearied vocal tones over a mid tempo throbbing groove that also incorporates a slightly faster middle-section decorated in searing eastern flavoured guitar texturing. SuperNaughty sign out with title track “Apocalypso” a powerhouse groove monster that pulses, throbs and gallops in equal measure beneath yet another clean and flowing vocal, a raucous and rocking finale to a highly enjoyable album.
There will be those who will think that Desert Psychlist describing SuperNaughty’s music as “accessible” in the first part of this review is our way of saying that the bands music has a mainstream or commercial leaning but that is just not accurate. By calling SuperNaughty’s “Apocalypso” “accessible” what we are really trying to say is that it is an album which will appeal not just to a select few of fuzz loving devotees but also to those from all walks of the rock and metal spectrum.
Check it out …..
