Creative compositions, imaginative, and both melodic and intense – a style unconfined by genre, with instrumental intentions creating an atmospheric and enchanting lane somewhere between rock and ambient. Nicola Giacobbe has released two full-length albums in recent months, and the music is as eclectic as it is distinct and bold.
From Tutti in Attesa, we begin with the highlight track Incontro sul ponte, a progressive metal arrangement that evolves from spoken fragments and riffs towards a more adlib and distorted latter half, while maintaining an organic, honest groove and set-up along the way. We get layers of dreamy reverb and those that cut through with weight and power in equal parts, and that dynamic plays a huge role in introducing the unique escapism of Nicola Giacobbe’s music.
From the same album, Tutti in Attesa adopts something of an atmospheric rock style – distant and reverb-drenched guitars presenting a more mellow arena of sound, emotive and ethereal in a way that quickly gets the mind wandering. This one is a beautiful favourite, and is followed by the rather stark juxtaposition of Al manicomio – something like a joyful celebration tinted with a battlefield fullness and rising tempo as things roll along.
Nicola Giacobbe manages to carefully intertwine the freedom of playing, with the essential structure and foundation of a lasting soundscape and mood, and that quality resounds throughout the album.
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Also newly released this year, Oltre II Confine displays a completely different kind of vibe, and one that seems to perfectly suit the coolness and imaginative beauty of its blue artwork.
Rapimento is the opener, and the Nicola Giacobbe style is still recognisable, only now the production is less muggy – more clear and clean, the melodies and chords optimistic and calming; a gentle backdrop with a free-flowing, unpredictable guitar solo meandering on the top.
To contrast that opener intensely is of course the explosive pop-punk tempo and power of Le Ciminiere Di Pollbeg. Versatility is unrivalled for this project, Giacobbe’s playing and imaginative sound-design portraying a series of new moods both delicate and demanding, and this track in particular expresses a certain unrelenting drumline and guitar combination that’s impossible to ignore.
Finally, from two eclectic collections of original compositions, all of which are easy to lose yourself within for a while, Tamerice marks one more highlight, and a lasting example of the intriguing fusion of emotion and skill that Nicola Giacobbe brings to the stage.
Tamerice is a gentle sway of a soft-rock track, ambient layers presenting fullness alongside this simple guitar riff, and cascading details helping present a sense of being lifted out of the darkness and into the light. The track is almost 6.5 minutes in full, and despite an ever-shifting structure, it maintains this powerful degree of possibility and warmth from start to finish. Another favourite, and a beautifully hypnotic, immersive listen in and of itself.
Nicola Giacobbe creates with a clear sense of artistic identity and a passion for music and rock that’s unconfined by expectation. For all of these reasons, both albums are a pleasure to dive into.