ROSSOMETILE hailing from Salerno, Italy were formed in 1996. The symphonic Metal outfit release their seventh full-length album. “Gehenna” was mixed and mastered by Simone Mularoni (DEATHLESS LEGACY; ELVENKING; MOONLIGHT HAZE) at the Domination Studio in San Marino. The album has a length of about 53 minutes, and it is an independent release. The album has a strong start with the fast title track “Gehenna”. The riffing is heavy and thunderous, and it is accompanied by orchestral arrangements in the background with the strings being the main contributor. The vocals and the very prominent choir are leading the track, with the main female vocals covering the medium to higher end of the vocal range. “Gehenna” was released as video, and the YouTube link is provided below. “Voci Dal Deserto” is an acoustic inter-lude, leading into “Magdalena”, which is a bit in contrast to the fast “Gehenna” as it is a slow track at a measured tempo. It is a powerful ballad, driven by the guitar riffing, the strings, and especially the vocals. Ilaria Hela Bernadini grabs the opportunity to shine as her vocal range and versatility perfectly suits the song. She uses many higher notes and, more importantly, she can transport emotions to the listener. Another highlight is the contributing lead guitar solo. “Pasionaria (Frida)” switches back to mid-tempo. The verse parts are led by the riffing and the piano. The vocals are slightly lower compared to the previous track with a few tonal shifts towards the higher end of the vocal range. The orchestral arrangements are mainly in the background and only prominent at times. One feature of the track is another contributing lead guitar solo.

“Sangue E Seduzione” is a track at a measured tempo. After a quiet opening, the track transitions into a mixture of crushing riffs introducing the verse parts, keyboards with electronic effects and a few industrial vibes running the verse parts, and melodic chorus parts, releasing the tension that was built up during the verse parts. It all starts with an intro leading into the first verse part. The vocals are two-parted with deeper notes during the verse parts and higher notes following the melody during the chorus part. The main melody has a certain catchiness, but also darkness and slight melancholic features. “La Rosa D’inverno” starts with the strings, the piano, and the vocals, which are operatic and use many higher notes. It is another ballad and mainly driven by the orchestral arrangements, the vocals, while drums and bass are in the background. The guitars are eventually released during epic-esque finale of the song. “La Rosa D’inverno” is another opportunity for vocalist Ilaria Hela Bernadini to show her huge skillset as a singer, and there is no doubt, she is the star of the track. As if this were not enough vocal praise, “Pat Maelti Min Modir” is a short vocal solo, leading into “Valhalla”, which is a traditional Folk song. Driven by the vocals and traditional instruments, “Pat Maelti Min Modir” is alongside “La Rosa D’inverno” a huge change in sound. “Valhalla” shows once again the huge talent of vocalist Ilaria Hela Bernadini as she has another excellence performance in terms of both, vocal skillset and transporting emotions. The track is one of the album highlights.

“Stella Del Mattino” goes back to the symphonic Metal sound of the album. It is a mid-tempo with thunderous riffing and crunching basslines. The vocals use mainly deeper notes during the verse parts and higher notes during the chorus parts. The chorus parts have catchy melodies and almost anthemic features. The orchestral arrangements are not overly prominent, just sufficient to support the main melodies. The lead guitar solos is short but very contributing. “Geminus” starts with the keyboards and with crushing riffs, transitioning into a verse part at measured tempo. It is a dark song with melancholy in the melodies. The vocals are supported once again by the choir during the verse parts. The break is driven by an extended keyboard solo. The orchestral arrangements are at times prominent with the strings leading the charge. “Duet With Satan” has a tension-building beginning transitioning into an intro with operatic vocals and the orchestral arrangements. The build-up of the track is finished when the main riffing starts leading into a verse part at a measured tempo. While the title suggests a song with English lyrics, it is not, the lyrics are in Italian. The song has a complex structure with many twists and turns in tempo and rhythm as well in melodic themes switching from crushing and heavy parts to operatic parts with neo-classical melodies. “Duet With Satan” is in fact an opera with a few distinct stages where each member of the band has the opportunity to shine. It is with almost 11 minutes the longest album track and the album highlight. After a track like “Duet With Satan”, it is difficult to find a good way to end the album with another highlight. However, “The Dying Mermaid” utilizes the biggest strength of the band once more, and Ilaria Hela Bernadini performs another ballad-esque Folk inspired song, which is accompanied with the orchestral arrangements. It is an excellent way to finish the album.

ROSSOMETILE deliver a very good symphonic Metal album. “Gehanna” is a multi-layered album, that includes elements from traditional symphonic Metal, operatic elements, a few industrial vibes, and traditional Folk elements. While the traditional symphonic Metal tracks have certainly their moments in terms of melodies, arrangements, and catchiness, the real highlights are those Folk inspired tracks and the ballads. The star performer on the album is vocalist Ilaria Hela Bernadini, who raises the album to a higher level. She adds an extra dimension to most of the tracks and the songwriting is tailored towards her vocal strengths. The album is well produced. “Gehenna” is a symphonic Metal album to remember and fans of symphonic Metal, who are open to different genres and elements will love the new album of ROSSOMETILE.