MOTHER AUGUSTA’s second full length album, “Low Lights,” was released on April 27th, 2023, via Black Blood Records. The act was formed in Parma, Italy, back in 2012 as a one-man-band by singer, guitarist, and composer Matteo Cordani, but it eventually developed into a full lineup, which has been stable since 2020 and sees, in addition, Matteo Carretta on lead guitar, Tomaso Fontanini on drums, and Alessandro Coletta on bass. The band’s name takes inspiration from Ed Gein’s mother, whose strict attitude deeply affected her son’s development. As probably many of you know, Ed was a serial killer whose merciless modus operandi in murdering people and using body parts as trophies works as a perfect source of inspiration for many metal bands, as well as film directors. Paying homage, so to speak, to his mother perhaps explains the band’s intention to explore a metaphorical “mother” of all the darkest sides of human behavior.
MOTHER AUGUSTA’s most recent offering combines some features of that subgenre often labeled as “depressive suicidal black metal,” paired with a heavy metal-oriented approach, but for both music and lyrics, MOTHER AUGUSTA tend to stand out of any trend, as their main topics are not the usual ones, and the outcome ends up being richer and more complex on many levels. “Low Lights” deals with the many faces of being alone, as a conscious decision, as opposed to loneliness, which is more related to a condition of sadness and abandonment. It is worth pointing out that in the band’s native language, there is just one word to say “lonely” and “alone,” hence the concept itself takes different shades and shapes if seen from this angle.
The singer’s vocal style can be summarized as the meeting point of a growl and a scream, resulting a powerful and gut-wrenching sound that works perfectly in the whole narrative; moreover, most of the lyrics deal with social themes, depicted from a personal yet open perspective.
The title track, as an opener, with its strong melodic features, gives a clear idea of what the album is about: urban decay is, in fact one of their main sources of inspiration, here depicted as a peaceful environment where one can enjoy silence and darkness, as much as vampires do when the sun goes down. The fairly slow pace gets slightly faster at some point, providing a more black metal -oriented vibe, and the overall bittersweet atmosphere does make this tune easy to grasp, while staying rich and flavorful at the same time.
Homelessness and social marginalization are the topics “Clochard Avenue” deals with; the tune has a very catchy chorus that immediately stuck in my head, along with a classy lead guitar sound and a solo that, as much as the other solos on this album, is a clear homage to the ‘80s. This is probably one of the most evident unconventional features in MOTHER AUGUSTA’s sound, as their ability to combine heavy metal and DSBM elements in their songwriting is a successful choice, along with an undisputed pop attitude that comes from Cordani’s love for DEPECHE MODE. Speaking of “Clochard Avenue,” such a powerful and controversial topic – homelessness, is described without any filter, as brutal as it can be, but also seen from a deep and personal perspective, as a metaphor of craving for love in a cold and heartless society that often leaves fragile people behind.
“Hikikomori”’s self-explanatory title tells a story about an extreme form of social isolation made known in Japan, where individuals choose to spend most of their time in their room, avoiding any face-to-face interaction. As tragic as it can be, the phenomenon is here depicted as something that brings peace and makes the person feel safe and free: “no one can watch me suffer, no one can scratch my scars,” as an inner journey whose ultimate consequence is healing. Musically speaking, “Hikikomori” is one of the most representative tracks on the album, and the closing solo does really give an extra kick thanks to its shamelessly nostalgic flavor.
“Pills” is a clear reference to tranquilizers and their effects: clean guitars in the intro brilliantly summarize a dream-like feeling of gently falling asleep where the narrator feels completely comfortable and safe. The song is slightly reminiscent of some atmospheres usually detected in HARAKIRI FOR THE SKY’s recent releases (on a side note: MOTHER AUGUSTA went on tour with the Austrian band in 2022, so their affinity is pretty evident). The following tune, “On Earth They Crawl,” is the fastest one on the album and a full-fledged hymn to misanthropy, where humans are seen as worms with “no light in their eyes and no words in their mouth.” Its structure and overall atmosphere is strongly reminiscent of fellow countrymen’s FORGOTTEN TOMB latest works, as their unique touch in delivering straightforward yet flavorful pieces of music got under the composer’s skin over the years; in this regard, in my opinion, MOTHER AUGUSTA are likely to be considered as FORGOTTEN TOMB’s only legitimate heirs, as their integrity and determination to follow their own path in spite of trends and labels is a fact.
There is also a cover version of “Coma White” by MARILYN MANSON, a quite iconic tune to which everyone who was a teenager in the ‘90s is familiar. MOTHER AUGUSTA managed to blend their own sound and the original vibe perfectly, giving an angry yet crystal-clear reinterpretation as a result. The rhythm section and guitars do really enhance the aggressive side of the song, as if this cover version was meant to be. The second-to-last track is an instrumental song called “Sundays,” openly inspired by that intolerable yet subtle feeling of sadness one gets overwhelmed by on a Sunday afternoon, when the weekend is almost over, and that stillness which can make you think about your personal failures.
The closing tune is a 7-minute-long hymn to urban decay in a summer-like context, where the unbearable heat and the desolated city streets do reflect an inner void that even turns into physical pain. It is quite interesting to see how heat and excessively warm weather end up being a source of inspiration in a subgenre where cold winters usually cover that role. The obsessive drum pace enhances that suffocating feeling, along with a sharp yet melancholic guitar solo.
“With Eyes Lost in Nothingness” is indeed a great conclusion for an album that, I am sure, will not remain unnoticed, and proves that MOTHER AUGUSTA do really know their stuff: there is no need to resort to weird experiments or unusual combinations of extreme metal subgenres to stand out, as genuine passion, good songwriting skills, and radical honesty are all it takes, which however are quite uncommon. As for me, I am already waiting for their next chapter to be released, hoping to see them on stage someday soon.
Written by Licia Mapelli
Tracklist
- Low Lights
- Clochard Avenue
- Hikikomori
- Pills
- On Earth They Crawl
- Coma White (Marilyn Manson cover)
- Sundays
- With Eyes Lost in Nothingness
Lineup
Matteo Cordani – vocals, guitars
Matteo Carretta – lead guitar
Alessandro Coletta – bass
Tomaso Fontanini – drums
Label
Black Blood Records
