In August 2021, we delved into the hearts and minds of VOTTO, an Italian emotional post-hardcore / screamo quartet that had just released a compelling album that left us in awe. Fast forward to today, and the band has returned with a new offering, “Gli ultimi istanti delle nostre vite precedenti” ([The Last Moments of Our Previous Lives]), a record that not only surpasses expectations but also solidifies VOTTO’s place in the emotional hardcore pantheon.
Drawing from a rich palette of influences, from the fervent energy of State Faults and Raein to the haunting ambiance of Amenra and Deafheaven, VOTTO ventures deeper into the essence of human experience.
This album is a departure from the band’s previous works, embodying a more aggressive tone and forsaking any pop sensibilities for a raw, unfiltered emotional outpouring.
Yet, amidst this ferocity, moments of atmospheric tranquility emerge, showcasing the band’s dexterity in navigating between intensity and fragility.
“It opens with a harsh scream and ends with a quiet drone.” – says the band.
The artwork, a detail from Karl Bryullov’s “The Last Day of Pompeii,” mirrors the album’s exploration of drama and demise, though the band humbly sidesteps any deeper art historical analysis, preferring the image to speak for itself.
Each track on the album is a narrative arc in itself, commencing with “Fune di fuga” ([Escape Rope]), a meditation on self-destruction’s allure and inevitability, setting the tone for an album steeped in introspection and existential pondering.
“Processi d’adattamento, atti d’immaginazione” ([Adaptive processes, acts of imagination]) confronts the fragility of existence through the visceral imagery of a corpse dissection, inviting listeners to find beauty and redemption in the grotesque.
In “Il nastro di Möbius” ([Möbius Strip]), VOTTO articulates the duality of pain and fear, exploring the schism between the physical self and its intangible anxieties, culminating in an externalized dialogue with one’s own fears.
“L’avversario” ([The Opponent]) and “Altro da me” ([Other than Me]) traverse the landscapes of nightmares and parasitic takeover, respectively, challenging notions of identity and self-preservation through vivid, often harrowing storytelling.
“La conquista dell’inutile” ([The Conquest of the Futile]) and “Fuoco autoalimentato” ([Self-Fueled Fire]), the latter featuring a collaboration with the noise/drone project Rosapolvere, delve into the realms of memory, trauma, and the cyclic nature of self-destruction, closing the album on a note that is both reflective and resonant.
VOTTO’s journey through “Gli ultimi istanti delle nostre vite precedenti” marks a profound engagement with the themes of corporality, otherness, and the existential dread that pervades our being.
“It provides us with dreadful pictures of invisible entities embedded in our bodies usurping our agency, of deadly beasts feeding on our once-shining corpses, of feeling breath resonate in our guts for the last time.” – comments the band.
“Such a gruesome journey, however, is not entirely brutal, nor overly dwells in inconsolable despair. It offers us a cathartic experience that aims to shed light on the essential bodily dimension of ourselves. Our purpose is thus to reshape – and not mourn over – our insights into the self.”
The band’s dedication to exploring these complex narratives, coupled with their raw, unbridled musical expression, offers listeners a cathartic experience that seeks to enlighten rather than despair.
In “Gli ultimi istanti delle nostre vite precedenti,” VOTTO not only revisits the final moments of our past lives but invites us to confront the specters within, offering a musical odyssey that is as harrowing as it is beautiful.
