Review Summary: An astounding mix of blackened goth-doom
It’s easy to compare Ponte Del Diavolo to Messa. The marketing for their second full-length sure encourages it, both groups being from Italy and specializing in especially ornate gothic doom. However, Ponte set themselves apart by highlighting the sort of blistering guitars and extreme rhythms more aligned with black metal and deathrock. It makes for a more abrasive experience that’s about as comparable to groups like GGGOLDDD and Scimitar.
Having established the template, De Venom Natura is intent on tinkering with it even further. Songs like the opening one-two of “Every Tongue Has Its Thorns” and “Lunga Vita Alla Necrosi” seem to have a harsher tinge to their blackened doom runs as the tempos feel more furious while the soaring alto lead vocals are bolstered with backing shrieks. Other tracks get some neat quirks thrown in with “Spirit, Blood, Poison, Ferment!” including some periodic trombone while “Silence Walk With Me” features a duet with Nubivagant’s Gionata Potenti.
The band also finds time to exercise their goth rock side, especially during the second half. “Il Veleno Della Natura” is another upbeat number that stands out for its prominent synth while “Delta-9 (161)” is a drastic outlier whose grinding riffs, spoken vocals, ominous bass clarinet, and almost industrial overcast channel Killing Joke. It’s also cool to see the closing cover of a genre classic starting to become a pattern as the rendition of “In The Flat Field” makes the Bauhaus staple come off even more intense while honoring the original spirit.
Ponte Del Diavolo may be scratching some of the same itches as Messa’s best outings for me, but De Venom Natura comes out to be its own sort of astounding. Their blend of blackened goth-doom is incredibly seamless as the songwriting is memorable without feeling forced. The musicianship is also exemplary throughout with the core lineup showing off strong chemistry and the guest musicians are extravagant without feeling overstuffed. Between this and 2024’s Fire Blades From The Tomb, this band is set to be something truly special.
