LUCYNINE was born in 2013 as a studio project of the multi-instrumentalist, singer and producer Sergio Bertani. The debut "Chronicles from Leri,” a five-track EP between trip hop, psychedelia and death metal, received a good visibility. They are back after a five-year absence since their last effort, titled "Amor Venenat,” a 13 tracks, 67 minutes, a concept album that examines the darkest and most negative sides of love. A journey between feelings, lust, suffering, anger and death; a fairy tale with no happy ending. The album has five songs, and “Uomo in mare” is first. Out of the gate, the sound is horrifying, sounding like something out of a slasher movie. A thick, black goo covers everything from head to toe, and it makes the listener feel absolutely filthy. However, there are also tender moments, with piano notes, and they make the impact of the aggressive sound that much more magnanimous.

“Narciso non muore” begins with steady bass notes and drums holding down the bottom end, and the contentious sound that follows is deadly. The title track has an innocuous opening sequence, almost as if you are strolling through the park without a care in the world, and too unaware to see the murderer waiting for you. He strikes without warning, and you are dead before you were even aware he was there. “Oltre la saglia” does not hide, rather it makes its full, disgusting form for everyone to see. A thick bed of keyboards and electronic fill the background, while the whispered vocals create a sense of tension. Then, the assault is unleashed. “Opera al nero” is the album’s 15 minute closer. The first sign of sonority is the yelled phrase “God is dead!” An aggressive riff follows, with some very nifty bass runs, and the band lets out some Progressive elements. The number of shifts that the band makes can’t even be counted, yet for all of the circuitous paths they travel, the core of the song is still there. You attempt an escape from it all, yet every turn you take puts you deeper into the madness. Sometimes they are little warning signs, and others, you can see people being mutilated. The experience is completely unnerving.

If you aren’t aware, the genre boundaries for Black Metal are very wide these days. Each song on “Melena” feels like a journey into the unknown, unpredictable and unnerving, yet always purposeful. Dissonant chords stab through moments of haunting calm, blast beats erupt like storms, and subtle progressive flourishes twist the path further, ensuring the listener never feels safe. It’s rare to hear a Black Metal album this frightening that also demonstrates such compositional control. The band proves they are not just conjurers of atmosphere, but master songwriters who can bend structure and complexity to their will without sacrificing raw intensity.