MaterDea – “Satyricon” (2011)

Label: Midsummer’s Eve

Review by Luisa Mercier

The Italian prog/pagan-folk metal band MaterDea has released their second full-length last year and it is inspired by Latin literature. “Satyricon” is a novel by Petronius, late Empire Age author, which we got incomplete. The title-track is the opener and it is a brilliant song: electronics mingles with hard rock and Simon‘s beautiful soft voice is mixed with female vocals. Not to mention the traditional instruments that cannot miss in a folk-tinged record. The following “Lady of Inverness” has a beautiful piano intro, but guitar riffs are present in a very good quantity. The strings, the percussion, the arrangement, everything is very well crafted. In “The Green Man” other special instruments appear such as pipes and help to see another aapect of Materdea musicality. I love the fact that they never lose their rock edge. 

A Medieval chanting opens “Benandantes, Malandantes” and it has a neoclassical flavor which cannot be hidden by the guitars. Listen to the ending of the song; the final arrangement will blow your mind. “Awareness” is a beautiful power ballad, piano driven with lot of emotion. It is a nice contrast with the following “Bromoon” which is full of energy, it is positive and lively, the perfect folk song. “Castle of Baux” is quite mid-tempo and it has a catchy Italian chorus. “Children of The Gods” is quite epic and it evokes the images of Viking ships, battles and stormy seas as traditional folk metal requires. Even more complex is “The Little Diviner” which has interesting vocal lines to be listened to while the last song “Between The Temple’s Walls” is dreamy, ethereal, it represents the core of MaterDea perfectly. If you are a lover of folk and pagan metal, you cannot miss this release. The quality is very high and it is a pleasant listening.

Rating – 75/100

 

Tracklist

1. Satyricon
2. Lady of Inverness
3. The Green Man
4. Benandantes, Malandantes
5. Awareness
6. Broomoon
7. Castle of Braux
8. Children of the Gods
9. The Little Diviner
10. Between the Temple’s Walls

 

Line Up

• Simon Papa – Vocals, percussion
• Marco Strega- Guitars, vocals
• Elena Crolle – Piano, keyboards, vocals
• Morgan Devirgilis – Bass
• Elisabetta Bosio – Fiddle, viola
• Max Gordiani – Drums

 

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