GRADINATA NORD : Valtellina boyz

The northern Italian band you thought you would never see again is back after 8 years since its first album with 9 pieces (Valtellina boyz, La frangia dei cattivi, Una birra al nait, Ancora al braccio, Gradinata Rock, Valley sleazy girls, Palla al centro, Sciatera Beach nightmare and R.S. Army) – all written in 2002-03, but recently re-recorded – for a total of around 40 minutes of Hard/Street/Oi!/Rock.

The first track in the album had a headbanging riff throughout, heavy vocals, and just the perfect match of bass and beats. I was actually expecting the kind of variation they did towards the end.

The next one started off at a low volume, showcasing good use of dynamics in the intro, followed by a nice lick on the guitar. The backing vocals were awesome in this one. The guitar parts in between were well balanced with the overall rhythm. What I loved most was an exclusive bass solo with the drums in the later part of this track. Great piece!

The intro of the third track reminded me of the Scorpions! The drums did a great job throughout, at a constant, fast tempo. I loved the sweep and tap guitar solos in this one.

The riff in the fourth track was awesome! The vocal section was also done well. I was actually looking for something different now, and that's what I got in the next track, which had a great beginning. The distortion was reduced, and the vocals stressed more. I pretty much loved this track ! The synth joined in too at the end. A well balanced, much needed track at the right time !

Again a cool intro in the next track made me stand up and bang my head as hard as I could. This was so full of energy. The next one had a similar intro, though I wanted them to have done something without distortion too. The composition wasn't bad at all though, but a clean track would have done wonders! When I reached the tiny guitar solo towards the end, that lightened me up. I liked the effect used.

I was so happy when I reached the last track! It seemed all my wishes came true. It began beautifully on the piano, with a vocal narration Then came in the distorted guitars and beats out with a bang ! An awesome composition folks ! The chorus vocals were also great. This track was my favorite! I was left hitting the rewind button on this one several times ! The recording, the rhythm, the beats, the vocals; all were just too good. I couldn't have asked for a better ending, though, the guitar licks in the end were quite amateurish and could have been avoided.

For all fans of Gradinata Nord, this album is worth it guys ! Check out their website : http://www.gradinatanord.eu/