Contropotere=Hidden Epic Anarcho Doom GEM!

[MechaBarbarian]

I was going to just post this in the lesser known Doom Metal-thread OR my Epic Metal-thread but I think this deserves to be properly highlighted on it's own.
Contropotere's‎ "Nessuna Speranza Nessuna Paura" from 1988 is a cult classic of the Italian anarcho punk scene. Often talked about as an Avant-garde crust act, their later 90s material is most often likened to mid-era Neurosis...I am however overjoyed to tell you that the band's debut LP is actually an absolutely essential specimen of Epic Heavy/Doom Metal!


Now plenty of Crust go into Epic Metal territory thanks to Sacrilege & Amebix who both had an Epic Metal component through Candlemass and Manowar respectively. Contropotere goes waaay beyond that IMO. We're talking proper obscure Italian Epic Metal vibes like in Dark Quarterer, Adramelech or Crystal Phoenix. Same "classical touch" and cavernous production. I also detect a big influence from Paul Chain-era Death SS, so expect church bells, cryptic chanting and spooky operatic vocals. The band breaks into moments of more typical blasting crusty HC at times of course, but never for more than a minute. The epic/doom riffing couldn't be more on point and vocalist Lucia pushes her vocals to the absolute brink!

There's not really any good interviews with the band that shed light on their influences at the time. Sacrilege and Amebix are probably a given (their demo has a track called Ameboa even). But there's gotta be something more direct to it than that. They had begun playing with these themes and riffs on their 1986 demo already, meaning it predates both British band's 1987 releases in which the epic direction became more dominant. While not really sounding anything like each other you can think of this album as a companion to Bloodstar's S/T debut which similarly takes Amebix into Epic proto-Viking Metal territory on the slower tracks. In fact the two albums share a clear visual language in the packaging.

Hopefully this is an equally interesting discovery for you all as it was me. As far as I can tell the band has never been brought up on the forum before and isn't on Metal Archives (never even been submitted) so I think it's qualities has been truly slept on by obscure metal freaks.
It is a bit funny to read through online punk blogs praising this avant-garde masterpiece of Anarcho Punk...well congrats if you loved this you're primed to pick up a Scald or Lordian Guard record next!

[Nonseinormale65]

Well....you will like their 1986 demo too!!!

[MechaBarbarian]

Well....you will like their 1986 demo too!!!

I do! I Mention it above!