Pentesilea Road: Modern metal at its best!

The countries of the Mediterranean are often thought not to have the heavy music industry that countries like England, America, or the countries of the Scandinavian peninsula have. All the better, I'd say! Better to catch them off guard! This is where the equation is joined by Pentesilea Road. The band from our neighbour Italy presented their first self-titled album, a record with exceptional elements. After some demos and EPs, this year they're taking their big step into recording. Their self-titled debut is here, bringing surprises along with it!

First taste: Extremely successful

The first indication of what we should expect was given to us by the album's first single. 'Stains' was an excellent track for getting to know the band and seeing their dynamic. The journey of Pentesilea so far is marked by great faith and determination. They operate in the post-progressive rock / metal style and were originally created as a personal project of Italian guitarist Vito F. Mainolfi in 2014. Until 2019, the band released many demos, mostly instrumental, via SoundCloud and BandCamp.

6 years later, in July 2020, Vito F. Mainolfi recorded a complete 11-song demo at home and started bringing in several musicians to record his first self-titled album. By the end of October 2020, the band's lineup was complete, including guests Ray Alder (Fates Warning, Engine, Redemption) and Mark Zonder (Ex-Fates Warning, Warlord). Recording of the first album was completed by the end of 2020, and the first single, "Shades of the Night", was released on January 29, 2021.

The first complete album "Pentesilea Road" was released on February 26, 2021.

A name pulled from a book

The band's name is quite distinctive. It refers to Pentesilea, the allegorical city described in the book by Italo Calvino "Invisible Cities". The name itself is clearly meant as a metaphor for the sense of displacement in the postmodern era (the album was originally advertised as a post-progressive journey through the streets of invisible cities. A tale of dissent; a disrespectful act of protest against the modern world).

Getting to know Pentesilea is very interesting right from this first EP of theirs. The musical style is a mix of several genres, including clear influences from the paths of progressive, post-rock and metal. However, the allegory, the metaphors and the back stories referencing literature create an excellent backdrop for the music. On the plus side, we should note that the album released is self-released. The band is independent, without the signature and seal of any record label. The EP was initially released only in digital format, with the first physical batch ready on the release date.

Melodicism as the music's key element

The pandemic put extra obstacles in the way of the members of Pentesilea Road. The album was recorded as a remote collaboration among several musicians. Each recorded in their own country of residence, due to the COVID-19 pandemic (guitars/bass recorded in the Netherlands, vocals in Italy and Spain, keys in Italy, drums in Italy and the US). This is how a record with many different influences came into our hands.

The band's music creates a genuine artistic expression, with technical entanglements, beautiful classic-style riffs and melodies. With post elements, but mainly prog rock and metal directions, the bar is raised by the imagery created through these long and labyrinthine compositions of theirs. The paths the record follows are clear (though sometimes fairly predictable), yet mature at the same time, which doesn't leave us bored, with solo climaxes that actually make us forget any imperfections.

A wide range of influences

The record shows its wide range of influences also through the fact that it mixes instrumental tracks with songs that have lyrics. The main element characterizing the band's music is melodicism. Atmospheric sound, which also stems from the keyboards, and melodic vocal lines with a lot of epic characteristics. Since the whole aura of the record leans toward fantasy, I could see this record being part of the soundtrack of a fantasy film, like 'The Lord of the Rings'!

Specifically regarding the band's frontman Lorenzo Nocerino, his voice has incredible clarity and reminds me a bit of the tone of Bruce Dickinson's voice (mainly when Bruce was younger)! A key example here is 'Shades Of The Night'. Finally, the guest appearances of Ray Alder and Mark Zonder intensify the band's love for Fates Warning, while Michele Guaitoli adds a bit of his country's flavour, uniting America and the Mediterranean.

Hidden meanings behind the record

With allegories, symbolism and deep meanings, the Italians take us on a musical journey based on the literary work of Italo Calvino. Although the album isn't a concept album, the philosophy behind the main idea repeats constantly in the lyrics ("Stuck in a dream of a steady decline/ while dancing the cosmopolitan pantomime", "this Cybercircus/a neo-feudal constitutional/architecture camouflage”, “the media mouth has all the answers for those who have no questions"). The back stories present show that 'Pentesilea Road' is a record with a great deal of background, both musical and thematic.

Editor's Choice: 'Stranded' and 'Genius Loci'

Every track on the record has its own distinct story. Fuzzy Hound singles out 'Stranded' and 'Genius Loci' as the highlights. The former, with its dynamic character and 'sticky' riff, is one of the strongest tracks on the record. The track is full of shifts, while its clean sections are very reminiscent of Pink Floyd!

'To shake the daily balance
And dissociate yourself from the opinion less
Behold
How loud the sound of aphasia can be
On a journey with no destination'

'Genius Loci' remains dynamic on its own part, with the main riff having something of Iron Maiden about it. Here too the dynamics are godly, and the shifts are constant. The highlight of the track is the vocals, which constantly follow the path from whispers to dynamic leads with a voice pushed to its limits.

'Wrong. Each face of this coin is wrong
In this land of the duplicitous eulogy with its overturned foolish justice
This worldwide jail of coexistence, reflection of our cattle-like existence
Pentesilea is all around
Hell is on the ground'

Pentesilea Road rightfully land on our radar

The band's first complete record is characterized as an absolute success. The effort has only good and positive elements to show for the band, since the ideas are beautiful, and they're also flawlessly executed by open and free-spirited minds. Throughout the music, the members aim to take us by the hand and carry us off into modern rock and metal. At no point, however, do they lose touch with the roots of classic rock. They do evolve it though, by adding a lot of progressive, atmospheric and metal elements. After listening to the record, there's one thought we're sure of. This is what the rock of our future looks like, and it deserves a response.

Tracks and Credits:

PENTESILEA ROAD

 1 Memory Corners (Feat. Mark Zonder)

 2 Stranded

 3 Genius Loci

 4 Spectral Regrowth (Feat. Mark Zonder)

 5 Stains (Feat. Michele Guaitoli)

 6 Give them Space (Feat. Mark Zonder)

 7 Shades of the Night

 8 The Psychopathology of Everyday Things

 9 Noble Art (feat. Ray Alder)

 10 Pentesilea Road

 11 A Tale of Dissidence

 12 Shades of the Night (Feat. Ray Alder)

Pentesilea Road is:

Vito F. Mainolfi – Guitars, Bass, Backing Vocals, Programming & whatever else

Ezio di Ieso – Pianoforte & Keyboards

Alfonso Mocerino – Drums

Lorenzo Nocerino – Vox

Special Guests:

Ray Alder – Vox on Shades of the Night, Noble Art

Mark Zonder – Drums on Memory Corners, Spectral Regrowth, Give Them Space Michele Guaitoli – Vox on Stains

Paul Prins – First solo on Give Them Space