On September 26, the Italian singer-songwriter and guitarist Nero Kane released his fourth long-play album, “For The Love, the Death and the Poetry,” through Subsound Records — a gorgeous, mystical performance divided into 9 parts. All music performed by Nero Kane, accompanied by mellotron and vocals by the longtime collaborator and multifaceted avant-garde artist Samantha Stella, and Matt Bordin, who also did all the sound work at Outside Inside Studio in Italy.
For the past decade, the Italian artist has created exceptional works that consistently explore esotericism and the universal psychological introspection of life’s most profound questions: death, religion, love, mysticism, and the spontaneous ‘texts’ of the soul, the poetry, and I also discovered these words in the new album’s press kit that caught my attention:
“echoes of a romantic past, crossing gloomy stretches of skeletal American deserts in a dilated, haunting ritual.”
Live at Fekete Zaj Fesztivál
The music of Nero Kane encompasses several fundamental elements: ‘unusual’ lyrics (like chants), sounds inspired by the desert, and a quest for life’s unsolvable questions. This is often layered with a subtle yet distinct religious undertone that both conceals and uncovers a different charm—a deeper truth concerning humanity and the eternal questions on the passions and agonies of the soul.
The opening track of the album “As an Angel’s Voice” features an official video directed and edited by Samantha Stella. In this setting, there is a distinctly ‘gothic’ atmosphere. Rather than expecting a sermon delivered by a preacher adorned with leather hats and chains, you’ll find a pure song of the desert as it unfolds a 9-minute stealthy musical journey that embodies absolute calm and harmony with the essence of the fact it describes.
An album like “For the Love, the Death and the Poetry “ doesn’t lend itself to having many singles because it requires focused attention to truly appreciate it in its entirety without interruptions. While it might give off the impression of being a concept album, it really isn’t—unless we consider the soul itself as a timeless concept that is eternally sought after.
Musically, the new album touches (and sometimes vanishes) in the fields of the American gothic blues music, in the dark folk streams, in the desert music, in the western religious chants (but not the gospel music), and in the very carefully hidden darkwave. It is an exciting ‘offering’ album that features a captivating ‘central chapter’ consisting of 9 prototype pieces, along with a variety of intriguing components. I believe that this album will be especially appreciated by the fans of the dark alternative front, as well as by those who enjoy folk music in general. It will also resonate with guitarists and singers who appreciate authentic sound, as well as anyone who views music as a whole and loves discovering hidden gems in new releases. WL//WH is definitely in this ‘special’ group of people- you know us.
So, pour some red wine in your glasses and enjoy the new album, “For the Love, the Death and the Poetry”, by Nero Kane!!!
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Written By Mike D.
