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Reviews album "Raw"

Last update: November 5th, 2006

Actual score is : 57 good reviews against  10 bad  

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Latest review:

Basement bar (Usa)

Italian metallers Merendine Atomiche formed eleven years ago. They released a couple of demos, including a tribute to Metallica disc in 1999. Their first official release was the e.p., The Holy Metal, in 2000. Three years later, their thrashing Walk Across Fire represented their full length debut. For the recording of Raw,

Merendine Atomiche and Mausoleum Records turned to guitarist Jack Frost (Seven Witches, ex-Savatage). I thought Walk Across Fire was a decent album, but I've never felt the urge to listen to it again, I definitely feel Raw is an improvement. From the start ("In the Cage"), Merendine Atomiche focus on groove. "Raw" and "Peace Means War" also revel in mid paced groove, though the latter's macho and repetitious vocals can get to you. I prefer songs like "Roads and Beers" and "We Didn't Know" which see Luca Zandarin singing instead of trying to sound tough, although he does the same on the lifeless ballad "Oceans Shadows."

Merendine Atomiche are finally starting to develop into a good and diverse metal band.

 Album Score: 7.5 out of 10

American core magazine (Usa)

Italian melodic metal clan Meredine Atomiche’s latest 11-track endeavor runs the gamut from thrash to progressive metal, citing everyone from System of a Down to Queensryche on RAW. Produced by metal guru Jack Frost, usually known more for his work on the frontlines, this quintet tread the commercial metal line very carefully, implementing unforgettable melodies inside of jackhammer grooves like the title cut and “Breathe the Big Apple” (a cut that could’ve come from Metallica’s ST. ANGER sessions) for maximum metal output. Understanding the dynamics of stripped-down visceral angst while building layers of metal a la Megadeth and Killing Joke in the process, RAW is an album title that gets it half right, as this offering’s stellar production emits the kind of unfettered feelings of buzzing metal with the pristine gloss of a band going into its second decade of metallic excellence.

Metal  core fanzine (Usa)

MERENDINE ATOMICHE/Raw (Mausoleum Records) This is another groove metal band, but it isn't so bad. The band mix in some thrash and the riffs I must say are big time meaty. The production is nice and meaty as well. The vocals are in the tough guy vein at times, but also remind me of Blitz from Overkill too. One of the better bands doing this style of music.

Moshpit radio (Usa)

Yet another band that I can’t really describe. I can say it’s not death, black, or any of that extreme stuff. It’s more of a hard rock meets just plain ol metal. It almost has that glam sound with some of the vocals, but the music is much more chugga chugga metal. It’s pretty catchy and heavy in spots which really keeps a person interested in hearing more. You may hear this on the Mosh Pit!

Truemetal (Italy)

Raw è il secondo full-length per i veneti Merendine Atomiche. Esce a distanza di tre anni dal debutto Walk Across Fire e a prima battuta ci si rende conto che si discosta dalle origini del primigenio riffing conformandosi al moderno: la miscellanea che ne deriva contiene cioè elementi che vanno dal post-thrash simil-Pantera ai chorus melodici nu-oriented. La varietà del songwriting è ben assortita, data la presenza di mid-tempo, brani melodici, sfuriate aggressive e anche ballad. Il cantato è dinamico e passa da parti pulite ad espressività intrinsecamente ruvide, che si articolano sapientemente e linearmente con scorrevolezza.

La produzione rende onore a questo lavoro: i suoni sono ben calibrati e la ruvidezza del riffing equilibra le parti melodiche. La sinergia che ne esce determina un mix altamente ricercato che oggettivamente può piacere o meno, ma che risulta senz’altro distinto rispetto al panorama attuale.

Scorrendo la tracklist ci si imbatte in rilevanti proposte come la title-track, una motrice lanciata da un’inerzia sibilante e tagliente di un post-thrash davvero ben composto ed accattivante, ma troppo appagato dai pregressi del genere. Ricercata la parte iniziale della successiva Peace Means War?, che si attesta nel complesso prepotente e strutturata da ritmiche avvolgenti e tecnicamente ben eseguite. Merita attenzione lo splendido assolo di I Want to be a Man, così come la merita Ocean’s Shadows, una ballad che nel genere spesso può trovare difficoltà ad emergere, ma che il combo invece riesce a dipingere di pathos ed energia interiore ricordando a tratti qualche sottile richiamo allo Jeff Waters-style. Interessante il songwriting rockeggiante di We didn’t Know, che non trova però molta integrazione nel trend generale dell’album configurandosi un po’ fuori dalle “aspettative”. Menzione finale per la devastante Shake for Me, che si attesta strutturalmente come una delle migliori canzoni thrash che possiate sentire in quest’anno, ma con la sistematica e purtroppo ricorrente pecca di non integrare bene il modus compositivo adottato: il cantato tende ad insistere su timbriche clean un po’ troppo deboli che lo fanno affondare pian piano dissipandone di fatto l’energia.

Punti deboli si riscontrano, quindi, nella poca personalità di un lavoro che a tratti assume connotati davvero potenti e “sfonda membrana”, ma alla lunga può risultare debole per la diluizione melodica cui è sottoposto. Troppo frequentemente il trasporto continuo che ci si può aspettare da alcuni esplosivi refrain sfuma; quasi ogni brano sembra essere sottoposto ad un affievolimento invece di marcare pure idee da stage-diving. Nel contempo è da appuntare che un songwriting di tale fattura si integra perfettamente a un cantato di pregevole caratura tecnico/espressiva. Essenzialmente la ripetitività alternata di questo approccio compositivo può alla lunga risultare insipido sebbene, e mi ripeto, il disco superi decisamente la sufficienza.

Un album denso di sostanza, ma che non identifica bene le idee. Il songwriting è vario, certo, ma non gode di personalità e l’idea è quella d’aver messo troppa carne al fuoco senza cuocerla per davvero. Un lavoro che corre il rischio di perdersi tra la massa e di diventare un’ombra.

Il consiglio conclusivo è quello di sentire l’album perché fornisce numerosi spunti interpretativi. Altrettanto mi sento di dover dire che dal punto di vista pratico, è quasi sempre meglio orientare un lavoro alla linearità per fare in modo che l’onda d’urto esprima la sua potenza nel lungo periodo. Effetto atomico che, per quel che sentirete, sembra davvero essere dietro l’angolo oramai...

Raw and wild (italy)

Ritornano all’attacco una delle band guida della scena thrash metal italiana. Mi riferisco alle Merendine Atomiche, un gruppo che a dispetto del nome è riuscito a esibirsi negli States grazie ad una ferrea volontà di farsi notare… Nonostante lo scarso apporto logistico della loro ex-casa discografica. Ora eccoli ritornare nuovamente fra di noi con un album davvero “raw” in tutti i sensi. “Raw” è un album senza peli sulla lingua. Un album essenziale. Senza fronzoli. Diretto. Fortissimo. Non aspettatevi reintepretazioni in chiave nu metal o melodiche del thrash. Con “Raw” si sente, eccome, solo thrash metal d’attacco come eravamo usi sentire negli anni ottanta. Ma attenzione le Merendine Atomiche non vivono di ricordi e suonano un thrash metal molto moderno e in linea con gli standard attuali. Ora i nostri thrasher si stanno concentrando sul loro imminente tour che li vedrà sicuramente primeggiare visto la grande esperienza accumulata in tutti i questi ultimi anni. Welcome again Merendine Atomiche!

Brave words (Usa) great!

Deadtime (Usa) awesome!

Modern thrash metal/hard rock from Italy with a hint of beer, stained shorts, drummer's socks, and something dank and herbal? Yeah, that's "Raw" in a nutsack. These guys have been around for eleven freaking years, and surprisingly this is the first I've heard of them. My ears are being punished for not being near enough to the underground as we speak. I'm actually quite impressed by this album. Production is pretty stellar (props to Mr. Jack Frost... good call to produce these guys, Jack!) and lets each musician shine. This is another album that knows how important bass and drums are to laying down a solid foundation for the vocals and guitar to climb all over. Luca (drums) and Drome (bass) work together like bricklayers with a serious case of the groove. That lets Zanda (vocals), Sigers and David (guitars) go nuts in a controlled and heavy way. Zanda's got a killer voice (see "Oceans Shadows", the mellow cut on the album) and he's at his best belting out songs like "Roads and Beers", or the title track. Okay, so to me, it sounds like he's saying "Row! Row!" instead of "Raw! Raw!", but hey... I'm also the guy who thought that when Lifeson said "Subdivisons!" it sounded like "Sub blub blub blah!" Sigers does the rhythm guitars, very thrashy at times, but with a modern edge. David's lead guitar work is quite good... melodic, punchy, but not overpowering, always playing within the song. "Zero Degree" is a good example of how well this band works together. A nice riff, groovy bass and drums, then it makes off just a bit while Zanda whispers something about zero degrees and snow before rearing back and letting loose his voice on top of some nice heavy riffing. The composition rarely goes where you would expect it to, which is pleasant in the extreme; when there's a slight breakdown before the (very nice) solo, it comes off as more thrash than metalcore. "Beneath the Big Apple" works over a big riff like Mike Tyson used to work over ring bums; if this is what's cooking in Italy, I'll have a double helping, please. Zanda sounds snarly, pissed, and in your face; there's even a bit of good metallic hardcore urgency to this song, expertly balanced by some angular riffing. "We Didn't Know" is pumping, strutting rock 'n roll, complete with breathy women's voices and nastylicious lyrics. What, they know about sex in Italy? Really? Gotta love Zanda's accent! "Shake For Me" is a classic smoking groove, full throttle that backs off only slightly here and there for greater effect.

Ok, so I dug this album. Good stuff, much more original than some of the other Italian metal I've reviewed recently. If I had in control over what plays on the radio, I'd add this to my playlist in a heartbeat. And Lordi won Eurosong this year... tsk.

About.com (Usa) 4.5 / 5

" NowOnTour" (Usa) awesome!

The Italian metal band Merendine Atomiche has been around for eleven years and somehow I've never heard anything about them. Where the fuck have I been?!? Normally I pick my own CD's to review, but one of NowOnTour lackeys handpicked this one for me. Fortunately, he knows his shit, and I ended up with a copy of the band's new sophomore release Raw. Now I can tell others just how much I - and maybe you the reader - have been missin' out.

"In The Cage" starts with a frustrated man as he panics and tells himself "I gotta get out!" The song then bursts into a solid groove, reminiscent of Prong. This song hits like a brick to the head in a riot. A great bottom-heavy bass sound from Dario Bianchi compliments gritty guitars and solid double bass licks.

"Roads And Beers" - a great title on it's own - is as heavy as the hangover you'd have after a two-day binge. Singer Luca Zandarin tells it like it is with "Roads and beers, we have no fears!" I feel that way damn-near everyday of my life. Drummer Luca Cerardi is explosive on this track and lead guitarist David Bisson provides a killer guitar solo.

While my musical analogies are flowing, let me make one more about the title track. My personal favorite on this album, this song is as heavy as a three-year-old fruitcake nobody wanted from a Christmas past. This could easily pass for a Sepultura song off the Chaos A.D. album. "I Want To Be A Man" reminds me of early 90's-era Anthrax with it's solid grooves from Luca Securo that keep this flowin' like old school thrash metal (and yep, three dudes named Luca in one band - if you were counting).

Now I come to what has to be, without a doubt, the song that stands out like a sore thumb. I've always been a believer that no matter how many heavy, skull splitting, bone crushing songs a metal band writes, nothin' shows how low their sacks hang like a puttin' a ballad on the record. "Ocean's Shadows" isn't a love song ballad, just a song of growin' up, defeating our fears and overcoming challenges in life. Musically this song is top-notch and Zandarin's vocal range is superb as his Italian accent adds so much to the flow of the song. Much respect to the band for putting this jewel on the album.

The last of the disc is where things really get versatile. With lyrics almost taken from any 80's glam metal song about strippers, "We Didn't Know" is fun and still remains heavy. Lyrics like, "She said to us, bang me like you bang your heads" pretty much sums up what any hetero male wants to hear from a fine lady. The song also describes the "two types of women" in the world, but you must buy the record to find out what they are. The closing song, "Shake For Me" follows-up with lyrics you don't want your momma to hear. Both are fun but still fit well within the album's context.

These guys put different styles of metal together to create their own style. While I don't know their status in the metal world abroad, I hope the band gets much deserved credibility in the US. If mainstream success doesn't happen, I firmly believe Merendine Atomiche will build a loyal following that will stay with them through the years. I'm proud to say I have now become part of that.

Hard rock Heaven (Usa) Great!

Italian thrash veterans Merendine Atomiche are back again, with their new release entitled Raw. The band sees this release as a new direction for fans of their musical style and a great place to start for people that are hearing them for the first time. Raw was produced by veteran lead guitarist Jack Frost (Savatage, Seven Witches), and represents them finally believing they have reached their full potential.

The first cut is “In the Cage” a raw tough and in your face metal cut that starts with a scene from a nightmare similar the movie Saw. It is straight forward and intense in its approach with hardcore riffs and solid vocals from Luca Zandarin. “In the Cage, In the Cage” Luca belts through and you can almost hear his pain with his every word.

Next up is “Roads and Beers” a life on the road as a metal band tribute. This song is straight up metal with traditional eerie vocals and slow heavy riffs and a long spirited guitar solo by David Bisson. The title track is harder and edgier with more death styled vocals. Power riffs give way to another sweet ass solo from Bisson before more death vocals blend into the thrash drums of Luca Cerardi as the track comes to an end.

A slower more traditional metal track “Peace Means War” is the next power ride on the Raw journey. The riffing of Luca Securo here meets the world of acoustic guitars and soft gentle singing before more power is introduced into the fray. Once again Bisson gets dirty and mach 3 nasty on a guitar solo to end the track. “I Want to Be a Man” joins the mix with solid vocals from Luca Z., top shelf drumming from Luca C. and more exceptional lead work display by Bisson. Both producers Stefanini and Frost play guest roles on guitar on the next track the beautiful “Oceans Shadows.” The clean pretty guitar work is second to only the great vocal display of Zandarin on this emotional cut.

Right back in your face is “Zero Degrees” a fast metal track with plenty of teeth. A thrash metal solo ala Rocky George of Suicidal Tendencies puts this song into even higher levels. “Breathe the Big Apple” is driving anything but Miss Daisy, as Luca tears through the vocals and the drums are the best of the album. This song is pure hardcore with heavy riffs and deliberate vicious vocals ripping through the track from start to finish. Up next is the crazy track that is more rock then metal in the mold of Jackyl. This track includes a melodious solo by Bisson and a ton of fun. Gears shift forward much faster for the next joint “Shake for Me.” This cut is a softer more bluesy rock cut then the rest. The last track is “0,4l” a one minute instrumental that shows the bands tremendous versatility and talent.

By anyway that albums are measured, this one is successful. It's available in the States and Canada on Aug. 21, 2006.

Shapeless (Italy) Great!

Alzi la mano chi non conosce le Merendine Atomiche, se non altro come nome! Penso siano ben pochi. Questi veterani della scena tricolore non avrebbero certo bisogno di presentazione. Se invece, stoltamente, non sapeste proprio nulla del gruppo veneto, beh, ecco qualche notizia biografica. Le Merendine Atomiche si sono formate nel 1995 e già nel 1997 hanno pubblicato un primo demo, contenente canzoni thrash/hardcore. A seguire, il gruppo ha cercato di guadagnare esperienza eseguendo cover dei Metallica, attività che gli ha fatto guadagnare un certo status. Nel 2000, il gruppo ha pubblicato il MCD "The Holy Metal". Dopo aver calcato parecchi palchi, sia in Italia che all'estero, nel 2003 le Merendine Atomiche hanno debuttato sul full-length con "Walk Across The Fire". Questo album ha ottenuto molti consensi, ed ha permesso al gruppo di intraprendere svariati tour in compagnia di gruppi molto famosi (negli USA, ad esempio, hanno condiviso il palco con Testament ed Obituary; ma non dimentichiamo le date in compagnia di Entombed o Agnostic Front).
"Raw" è il secondo full-length delle Merendine Atomiche. Non posso commentarne la copertina, nè il libretto, perchè la copia promozionale che ho tra le mani è un semplice CDr. Dal sito e dal foglietto promozionale, vedo che l'artwork ci mostra le terga di bovini vari.
Senza libretto, non ho potuto dare un'occhiata ai testi, ammesso che siano presenti. In tal caso, mi auguro comunque che siano un po' più curati rispetto a quelli di "Walk Across The Fire", a volte scritti in un inglese non proprio impeccabile, eheh!
L'album è aperto da un mid-tempo roccioso intitolato "In The Cage". Sin dalle prime battute è chiaro che il gruppo ha mantenuto intatto il suo gusto per un riffing preciso, d'impatto e sanguigno. La qualità di registrazione impeccabile, frutto del buon lavoro dei New Sin Studio di Loria (TV) e della produzione di Jack Frost, rende ancora più trascinanti le bordate delle chitarre e della sezione ritmica. La prova del cantante è sicura, grintosa, risultando molto convincente anche in occasione del ritornello melodico e di facile assimilazione. Una canzone cupa, tesa ma con un suo fascino da singolo potenziale.
Ben diversa è la successiva "Roads And Beers", che trasuda di spirito southern. O meglio, mi fa venire alla mente qualche soluzione sonora degli Alabama Thunderpussy. E' senz'altro un brano più veloce del precedente, sebbene sia lontano dalla sfuriate thrash alle quali le Merendine ci hanno abituati in passato. Il registro di Zanda è più acuto, e ben si adatta alla melodia. La seconda parte del brano è più cadenzata, a volte addirittura pesante, ed è impreziosita dai buoni assoli della chitarra.
Un riff panteroso apre la title-track, che risulta essere un mid-tempo incazzato. Il ritmo non è lineare, ma si presentano diverse accelerazioni e rallentamenti. La pesantezza della quale ho scritto prima è sempre presente, e nelle parti più veloci si riesce ad udire qualche richiamo al thrash. "Raw" è una violenta carica di rabbia che travolge l'ascoltatore.
La chitarra acustica che apre "Peace Means War?" stride abbastanza con le note di chiusura della title-track. Eppure anche questa canzone ha un suo piglio deciso, sorretta da un rifferama sanguigno. Il ritmo è ostinato. Hard rock "sentito" e di qualità. L'assolo e l'accelerazione finali sono entusiasmanti.
Le battute di apertura di "I Want To Be A Man" sono thrash, duro e puro. In realtà, la canzone si concede, a fianco di parti più arrembanti, parecchie sezioni melodiche. Alla fine, la canzone risulterà più tendente al hard rock che al thrash (si senta anche l'assolo di chitarra), caratteristica questa che potrà essere estesa comunque a tutto l'album.
"Ocean's Shadows" è una ballata. In questo caso, il cantante sale in cattedra con un'intepretazione ricca di pathos e di espressività. E' strano, e piacevole, sentire delle chitarre così delicate, ed una sezione ritmica capace di sussurrare. Questo brano non presenta particolari sorprese, e punta tutto sulla melodia. Da segnalare un aumento di grinta durante l'assolo, ma è un episodio isolato all'interno della composizione.
"Zero Degrees" è un brano deciso, introdotto da un riff lento, oscuro e dalla voce narrante. E' incredibile la quantità di "colori" che i nostri riescono a comunicare, grazie ad arrangiamenti intelligenti, frutto di esperienza e talento. "Zero Degrees" esplode con la doppia cassa in bella evidenza, per svilupparsi su terirtori melodici ma cattivi. Buona la prova di Zanda, anche quando distorce la voce. Già in passato, il cantante ha avuto modo di dimostrare la sua duttilità. In "Raw", le sue potenzialità sono espresse ai massimi livelli.
"Breathe The Big Apple" è costituita da riff secchi, veloci pause e da una precisione chirurgica d'esecuzione. Il ritmo è nuovamente pesante, deciso, lontano anni luce dal buon vecchio thrash che tanta gloria ha portato al quintetto. Eppure qualche indizio di questo stile è rimasto, e lo si può riscontrare nelle varie accelerazioni e rallentamenti.
Uno spirito schiettamente americano sembra aleggiare su "We Didn't Know", e le avvisaglie si avvertono già nei riff hard rock suonati dalla chitarra solista all'inizio. E tutto il brano è hard rock, di quello caldo, carico di feeling. La prova del cantante è piuttosto rozza, e dona una grinta praticamente street alla composizione.
Solido, sudatissimo hard rock anche per "Shake For Me", che comunque è molto più veloce del brano precedente. La sua partenza, ad esempio, è una cavalcata a metà strada tra il thrash e lo speed. Ogni singola nota comunque trasuda passione, e credo che le Merendine non potessero scegliere un modo migliore per concludere il CD. Sì, ho scritto concludere perchè "0,41" altro non è che una breve outro per chitarra acustica.
"Raw" si presenta immediatamente come un album solido, e gli ascolti reiterati non ne intaccano la consistenza. Le dieci canzoni qui presenti (esclusa l'ultima) sono formalmente ineccepibili, e si sente che il gruppo ha potuto dedicarci tutto il tempo necessario. Diciotto mesi di concentrazione, ed i risultati si sentono. Mai in precedenza le Merendine Atomiche hanno potuto concedersi lussi del genere, ed è forse questo il motivo per il quale album belli come "Walk Across The Fire" abbiano sofferto talvolta di alcune forzature nel songwriting. In "Raw", le canzoni sono molto naturali, filano lisce come l'olio dalla prima all'ultima nota e colpiscono nel segno.
Un'altra caratteristica notevole di "Raw" è la minima parte rivestita, al suo interno, dal thrash. Il quintetto sembra aver rivolto i suoi favori più ad un hard rock di stampo americano, naturalmente addizionato dalla potenza del metal più cattivo.
Sebbene "Raw" sia piuttosto diverso da "Walk Across The Fire", è probabile che i fan delle Merendine Atomiche possano apprezzare tantissimo anche questo nuovo lavoro, di caratura superiore (maggior equilibrio tra i brani, songwriting più maturo, ecc.). Per tutti gli altri, beh... ascoltate questo CD e, possibilmente, ascoltatelo! E' possibile mai che il sottoscritta debba ricevere una mail dal, nella quale è scritto, più o meno: "Ah, è bello sapere che c'è anche qualche italiano che ci apprezza!". Non cercate la qualità all'estero, quando ne abbiamo anche in Italia. Sostenete le Merendine Atomiche.

Blabbermouth (Usa) 7.5

This is not what I expected from Italy's MERENDINE ATOMICHE. Basing my expectations for "Raw" on the mostly straight-up thrash metal of 2003's "Walk Across Fire", a revamping of the band's sound to one that is more modern and accessible took me aback. Once the initial shock wore off it quickly became apparent that while the change is significant, it is not total abandonment of the sound and the boys manage to pull it off. One can debate the motivations for such a move, but with Jack Frost assisting on production, the band's mixture of traditional metal, thrash, and hard rock with a strong sense of melody is pleasing to the ears and still boasts copious amounts of head banging goodness.

Though heavy riffing, hot solos, and tough rhythms are the majority combination here, the album's song collection is varied and never devoid of melody. Songs like "In the Cage", "I Want to be a Man", "Breathe the Big Apple", and the title track are skillfully written to balance heavy guitar rock and big attitude with a strong sense of melody. The faster and thrashier material ("Roads and Beers" and "Shake For Me") are not exactly devoid of tunefulness either. The album's lightest moment comes in the form of "Ocean's Shadows". While guitar-based, it maintains a measure of pop melody and dreaminess without sounding ill fitting or cheesy. An '80s rock swagger is apparent on "We Didn't Know", while the hard rock of "Zero Degrees" rides a heavy chug and features a particularly effective compositional switch during the solo. MERENDINE ATOMICHE brings it all together on "Peace Means War?" The act effectively builds from acoustic airiness to a more muscular delivery, the song's melody is moving, and the overall arrangement very well done. Vocalist Luca Zandarin may have a strange way of pronouncing common English words, but his ability to combine toughness with soaring melodies is impressive. Topping it all off is a mix that is crisp, clear, and crunchy.

It will be interesting to see where MERENDINE ATOMICHE goes next, considering how tricky it is to maintain a central heaviness and expand commercial viability. For now, "Raw" offers the listener an enjoyable ride. Rock radio should pay attention to this album.

D-Day revenge (Usa) great

East coast romper (usa) ok!

 Strange but true fact- Merendine Atomiche were once voted the top Metallica tribute band in their native Italy.  That tidbit of seemingly useless information, gathered subsequently to my first listen to Raw actually explained my initial impression of their “black album” style riffing.  Merendine Atomiche have an early 90’s post thrash feel to their music that brings to mind the later, more commercially accessible elements of Metallica, Testament and Sacred Reich.  Crunchy, palm muted grooves with a solid rhythm section and some nice double kick work pretty much sums up their music.  The vocals vary in heaviness with the mood of each song but on the whole remain aggressive which was a plus.  Like their apparent influences, Meredine Atomiche decided to tone it down a bit on the track Ocean’s Shadows whose placement breaks up the flow of the album forcing it into the role of serving as an intermission.  While nothing ground breaking in the originality department takes place on Raw, it is a respectably heavy Cd with clean production and a purely American sound. 

Horrorwood blabbeon (usa) ok!

Hey, whatta ya know? Some refreshing new raw Italian power metal in the form of Merendine Atomiche. It's easy to hear some old school Pro Pain, Prong influence, as well as some Black Label Society and possibly Damageplan in the newest offering from these Italian veterans.

RAW drives home some powerful stuff with "Peace Means War," "I Want To Be A Man" and the all-out rage of opener "In The Cage." One thing is for sure, Merendine Atomiche doesn't mind slowing it down and showing a mellow and classical side with "Ocean's Shadows" allowing the band to show off it's more-than-capable talent.

Highly recommended stuff here... I have a feeling bigger horizon's are in store for these guys.

Sea of tranquillity (usa) ok!

Merendine Atomiche is an Italian 5 piece metal outfit which has been around for over 11 years, and RAW (Mausoleum Records) is the band’s 2nd full length release. RAW is a very solid and well rounded effort, full of thick chunky guitar riffs courtesy of the dual attack of David Bisson and Luca Securo. The band also possesses the super tight rhythm section of Dario Bianchi on bass and drummer Luca Cerardi. Vocalist Luca (I know that’s 3 Luca’s) Zandarin has a superb delivery and a great metal voice, albeit with a touch of an accent but nothing distracting. Merendine Atomiche can rock it super heavy, but also seem just as comfortable when they slow things down for example on a track like “Ocean’s Shadows”, a song which features some great melodic soloing from Bisson. The band has a great metal / hardcore vibe flowing throughout their heavier tracks but they never lose their sense of melody. RAW is a very impressive, solidly produced effort from this relatively new band, at least to North American ears. Even though I don’t know exactly what Merendine Atomiche means, I do know the music on RAW packs one hell of a sonic punch.

Metal Wave (Italy) ok!

Il combo padovano è divertente e non nego che avrei piacere di passare una serata a spritz e rock insieme a loro mentre mi raccontano dei loro successi musicali iniziati quasi per caso tra compagni di scuola e arrivati a una fama internazionale che premia la loro voglia di fare e la loro capacità di tenere un rapporto particolare coi propri fans.
Le Merendine Atomiche hanno fantasia e il nome che si son dati lo dimostra, credo infatti che sia difficile per una band emergente avere un monicker che si contraddistingua tanto quanto il loro e anche la cover del nuovo disco non è da meno, essa infatti rimane impressa per la sua stranezza dove io ci vedo molte letture e non ultima l‘assonanza di Cow con Raw.
Raw è un disco di buon thrash melodico, ma talmente variegato che ascoltarlo dà alle orecchie lo sesso effetto che avrebbe un palato se gustasse un intero banchetto. L'opener fa subito percepire che le Merendine Atomiche sono giunti a un livello di produzione vicinissimo al professionale grazie alla supervisione di Luigi Stefanini: In the Cage è immediata e potente ma anche melodica nei ritornelli e ciò la rende uno dei brani più catchy dell'album. Roads and Beer invece è la variazione di cui parlavo sopra, quella che rivela l'altra natura delle Merendine, il pezzo infatti è più vicino a un rock spensierato e scanzonato che a tratti ricorda gli Anthrax e a tratti i Motley Crue più truci.
Il thrash torna però prepotente con la title track Raw, il pezzo è ruvido con cantato growl e con tempi che cambiano repentinamente, è senza dubbio uno dei pezzi più interessanti del disco che farebbe senz’altro il piacere di chi ama le sonorità dei rimpianti Pantera. Molto piacevole Peace Means War, una midtempo anche questa con molte particolarità: cambi di tempo, chitarre pulite e distorte e ulteriori cambi di linee vocali.
Ocean's Shadow è una ballad che rivela le grandi capacità di Luca, il cantante riesce a dimostrare un’elasticità sulle linee pulite che per forza di cose rimane latente nei cantati più ruvidi, è impressionante come questo singer riesca a tenere la voce su tutte le parti dell’album andando dal growl al pulito senza mostrare alcuna difficoltà.
Per concludere Raw è un disco davvero piacevole, il gruppo ha fatto un notevole passo avanti rispetto al predecessore Walk Across Fire migliorando nettamente il livello di produzione e il songwriting, da ora le Merendine non sono più soltanto una validissima Tribute Band ai Metallica ma hanno iniziato un loro cammino indipendente finora molto convincente e promettente.

metalcore fanzine (Usa) ok

Detritus (Usa) awesome!

I love it when a promotional CD arrives in the mail that I know nothing about and yet still manages to completely knock me on my ass! Merendine Atomiche is a five-man thrash metal assault force from Italy that packs quite a wallop on RAW, their second full-length album. I have to admit that I didn't quite know what to think when I opened the envelope and RAW fell out. The band's name was weird (I still have no idea what it means, so please don't ask), the CD cover is even weirder (it's a photo of a bunch of bovine rear ends, with cartoonish microphones sketched in behind them) and song titles like "Roads And Beers" and "I Want To Be A Man" had me scratching my head and wondering "What the heck...?" However, when the first track "In The Cage" kicked in and damn near blew me across the room I was immediately cheering and saying "YYYYYES!" Merendine Atomiche obviously came of age during the golden age of metal and have combined such influences as classic Metallica, Anthrax, and Pantera with some touches of Sepultura and Prong and even some '80s hair metal (!) to create one heckuva heavy beast with a healthy dose of groove. Vocalist Luca Zandarin (one of three Luca's in this band, by the way) uses several impressive vocal styles throughout RAW, depending on the mood of the song. During major-ragin' thrash bashes like the title track and "In The Cage," he's a dead ringer for Max Cavalera circa Sepultura's CHAOS A.D. or ARISE, while he shows his soft side on the acoustic ballad (!) "Ocean's Shadows" and then drops
to a more "rock 'n' roll" (dare I call it "sleazy?") voice on the bluesy hard rocker "We Didn't Know." Judging from the naughty lyrics of the aforementioned "Roads And Beers" and "We Didn't Know" (a hard-life-on-the-road song and an ode to a groupie, respectively) it seems that Merendine Atomiche don't take themselves totally seriously either, which is always refreshing in this day and age of "angry all the time" thrashers. In short, RAW was a pleasant surprise that came out of nowhere, kicked my butt up and down the block and still has me coming back for more! Co-produced by the band with Seven Witches/Frost main man Jack Frost (who contributes guest solos on several songs as
well), RAW is the result of two years of hard work for Merendine Atomiche, and it shows that they are now quite ready to break out of Italy's underground and take on the rest of the world. RAW indeed, and very satisfying!

Rock is life (Usa) great!

What’s the 4-1-1?
The third release from this awesome band from Italy.

Genre
Heavy metal

The Good
This is the way metal should sound like in the 21st century! From the opening song through to the end, this band gives you the listener everything you want from a metal band! The first song "In the Cage" is the most masterfully written song of the decade thus far! Producer Jack Frost (Seven Witches, ex-Savatage) brings the absolute best out of these musicians in all aspects of creativity and performance. This CD has not left my player since it arrived in my mailbox and for me to have a CD that I enjoy that much is not something you as readers should take lightly! I know I'm the "new guy" here at Rock Is Life, but as you'll see I am VERY picky about what I like and don't like. And this album deserves to be heard globally!

The Bad
The only things I didn't care for were the senseless narrative at the beginning of "In the Cage" the weird ballad "Ocean's Shadows" and the instumental "O 4 1" the latter being more "noise" than music but good thing it's only a minute long.
And I really couldn't find much info on this band.

The Verdict
BUY THIS ALBUM!!! You will NOT be disappointed!!! I wish more bands like this could be heard.

Angelfire (Usa) Great!

Rating: 5 Stars!

Classic neo-metal-shred, Merendine Atomiche have developed an old-school style of metal that's very heavy, yet it has shredding guitar solo's & the vocals remind me of old Exodus! "In the Cage" kicks off the CD with a punch to the gut & it never really lets up the attack from beginning to end! "Raw" has this interesting guitar lick that sounds like it's trying to climb stairs & I really like it, but the vocals are the gutteral type that reminds me of Pro-Pain, which are kinda hard to understand, BUT, for a song this heavy, clean vocals would just sound wimpy! "Ocean's Shadow's" is actually the touching moment on the CD that is pretty much a power ballad, & don't hold it against the band, because it shows alot of depth & I enjoyed the variation in the music styles & vocal stylings on this record!

Metal Warrant (Usa) awesome!

Italian thrash metal veteran’s, Merendine Atomiche are proud to present their most visceral and accomplished work to date. With the help of producer Jack Frost (Savatage, Seven Witches), and almost two years in the works, you the listener are about to be amazed. I have not heard a quality album such as this in a very long time. Their sound is full of life and energy. There are several different roots to the music based on the members influences. To pinpoint this album into any certain sub-genre would be a crime, as they cover several with such precision that you never really even notice. Okay, maybe you can.

The first three tracks are some pretty raging thrash anthems and then the acoustic guitars come in and the rest of the album sort of roller coasters through some of the finest written material a band can write. This is my first encounter with Merendine Atomiche. And I’m very glad I’ve gotten the chance to review this release. My only hope is that a few of these words I type do the album some justice because it’s fuckin’ great! No other way to describe it.

Merendine Atomiche consists of Luca Zandarin - vocals, Luca Cerardi - drums, David Bisson - lead guitar, Luca Securo - rhythm guitars and Dario Bianchi - bass.

Bassist Dario Bianchi states, “For me, Raw is not an album but a tale. A story about Merendine Atomiche as friends and as a band. Our experiences, our dreams and a musical trip into the life of five guys who are living a great experience through music can be heard with this album.”

With that, they must be experiencing a great life. Fans from Pantera, Megadeth, Silent Civilian, Throwdown to Motley Crue, C.O.C. and Iced Earth are going to love this disc. A perfect blend of metal/hardcore with melodic acoustic guitars and percussion. Simply put, a perfect album.

The great nothing (Usa) cool!

Born in 1995 MERENDINE ATOMICHE was formed by five school friends in Cittadella (Pd) Italy. Eventually there would be a gambit of adventures, name changes, lineup changes, styles and more downs then ups, until finally stabilizing in 2001 and attacking the world with its first full length in 2002 entitled "Walk across fire".
The band would soon chart, receive European acclaim, and now has unleashed its second full-length entitled “Raw” do in the US this August.
The thrashers will love the sound of this album, power metal fans can add it to their edgy catalogue, and fans that seek melodic depth wont leave disappointed either. In other words despite the chaotic bio, the 11 years of veteran playing, riffing, and creativity bleeds outward in this album, and is extremely satisfying.
Peace means war is one of those songs where the music compliments the lyrics much in the way Metallica would do in the early days. Breathe the big apple also commanded my attention with a heavy intro that never let’s up. Look for melodic turns at every corner while feeding on hardcore thrash, and look for this group to now obtain US support this one is a keeper!
Key Tracks: In The Cage, Peace Means War?, Breathe The Big Apple

Heavy Metal resources (Usa) great!

Metal Maniacs 7.5

Con "Raw" tornano a farsi sentire le Merendine Atomiche, sicuramente la band con il nome piu' assurdo dell'intero creato metallico. Certo, l'abito non fa il monaco ed il nome non fa la band, però...se parliamo di musica però, c'è davvero poco da rimproverare alla band versonese, che non solo conferma l'ottimo debutto "Walk across fire", ma fa un ulteriore e netto passo avanti sotto ogni profilo. dalla produzione davvero impeccabile (e c'è lo zampino di Jack Frost), ad un sound che si è fatto più personale, abbinando il classico thrash metal moderno, Pantera su tutti, ma non solo, a passaggi più melodici e quasi rock n roll. la title track è un ottimo esempio del "classico" sound delle Merendine, "ROads and beers" ne rappresenta invece l'altro lato. Il bello è che non c'è contrasto tra questi due aspetti diversi, anzi l'impressione che se ne ricava è quella di una band matura e personale, capace di creare un proprio riconoscibile sound unendo elementi per nulla scontati. particolarmente interessante l'uso intelligente delle chitarre acustiche, e sopra le righe la prestazione vocale di Luca zandarin, ma tutta la band dà una grande prova di compattezza. ottima seconda prova per loro.

Metal Hammer 7

Secondo disco per uno dei nostri orgogli underground meglio esportabili; si tratta dei Merendine Atomiche, quel gruppo padovano che con tanta passione verso il thrash metal continua a far parlare di se. autori nel 2003 del debutto "Walk across fire", tornano oggi con il "bucolico" "Raw", disco intenso e bollente di coerenza. Niente allucinazioni moderniste per loro, qui si tratta di far scattare la melodia e metterla al servizio dell'energia, quindi via all'evocativa "Roads and beers", pezzo con un coro tutto da cantare. lavoce di luca zandarin si fa piu' grossa ed urlata per "Raw", brano in cui le chitarre di Sigers e David innalzano un muro scalato dalla sola batteria dell'altro Luca in formazione. Gli Exodus suonano al portone della fattoria su "I want to be a man", richiesta esplicita di ammissione che per certi versi ricorda anche I primi e mai dimenticati Extrema; ma I Nostri possono vantare anche una padronanza strumentale invidiabile (specialmente solista) nella delicata "Ocean's shadows". Il lezzo degli Slayer invece apre "Zero degrees", canzone che arriva ad avvicinarsi ai migliori Sacred reich, seguita da "Breathe the big apple", uno fra I pezzi più spinti in termini di versatilità, in cui da un riff melodico alla ultimi Metallica, esplode un brano teso e potente giocato a due velocità. fantastico l'approccio hard blues di "We didn't know", vero fiore all'occhiello del CD che lascia il passo alla tirata e speedy "Shake for me". Un passo avanti deciso (o indietro che è meglio), che chiede la sola conferma del palco per essere promosso fino in fondo; bel disco davvero, forse un pò demodè, ma denso di carica e tutto da ascoltare!

Negative.it

Ne è passata di acqua sotto i ponti da quanto gli “atomic snacks” erano noti come cover band ufficiale dei Metallica. 11 anni (a occhio e croce) da quanto la band veneta partì alla conquista del mondo. La strada è ancora lunga, ma passi avanti ne sono stati fatti tanti da quel “Holy Metal” che ne sancì il debutto discografico. Accantonate certe cavalcate maideniane dei primi tempi e ridimensionate le derivazioni Bay Area del primo album “Walk across fire” (in cui appariva come ospite Mr. Annihilator Jeff Waters) le Merendine approdano ad uno stile più moderno e particolare. Forti della produzione di Luigi Stefanini ai New Sin Studio e della supervisione di Jack Frost dei Seven Witches, i nostri hanno dato alle stampe un album ruvido e compatto, dal grande sound e dalle ottime potenzialità. Le intenzioni bellicose sono subito chiarite da brani come “In The Cage” e “Raw”, fortemente e sfacciatamente panteriani, mentre “Roads And Beers” scopre l’anima più rockeggiante della band. Le parti più pesanti rievocano i già citati Pantera e i primi Machine Head, mentre quelle più pulite strizzano gli occhi ai Black Label Society sforando fino a certi rimandi rock anni ’80 made in USA (ascoltatevi “We didn’t know”). Aggiungete al tutto certi stacchi di matrice Anthrax ed alcune bordate alla Testament e avrete un’idea di come suona “Raw” (un titolo un programma!). Croce e delizia di questo album è la varietà di ogni singolo brano, costruito su strutture molto articolate, che francamente potrebbero lasciare disorientati molti. Il passo avanti c’è stato e mi sembra indiscutibile, la qualità è tanta e le speranze per una band così energica sono molte. Non posso che augurare a questi ragazzi un futuro roseo e invitarvi ad ascoltarli. Ah, dimenticavo: l’idea dell’artwork è geniale... MUUU!!!   Michele Marinel    7

Behind the Veil (Greece) 8.5

Well, I have followed Merendine Atomiche almost since their very beginning, so I had the chance to listen to all their previous works. There's no doubt about it: "Raw" is their best work to date! Actually it's a very impressive album and I bet my head to the devil that many famous and respected bands out there would go wild to release such a professional work with such great songs! This is an album destined to be envied by all those who lack inspiration lately and at the same time this is an album that is going to be loved by the worldwide metalheads! Now musically Merendine Atomiche (I think it's "nuclear breakfast" in English if my Italian isn't so rusty) dwell mainly in the thrash/speed metal branch with references to bands like METALLICA, MEGADETH and ANNIHILATOR. However, the amazing thing with this band is the fact that they enrich their sound with an intense hard rock hue and many groovy tunes that set this release apart and take "Raw" to the next level. The vocals are marvelous, sounding as pissed off as they should and the rest of the members offer the perfect background and foundation for the compositions to flourish and grow. Some acoustic moments every now and then make the tracks more complex and varied and offer more depth to the band's sound. "Raw" is the soundtrack for everything that thrash music stands for, an epitome if you like... Merendine Atomiche have spent over 20 months composing, recording and mixing the album with the help of the highly experienced Jack Frost, so this is how they've managed to create a clear and voluminous production that helps the compositions elevate even more. Excellent! Enjoy it!

Blogcritics (Usa) good!

Now this is some cracking heavy metal from a band with an odd name. It's Raw metal at its best and most driving. It will remind you of old Metallica and some of the other Bay Area thrashers, well until you hit lovely acoustic intro to "Peace Means War." Lucas Zaderine has a John Bush of Anthrax/Armoured Saint tinge to his voice which is always a good thing.

Is this stuff original or bleeding edge? Well no, but that doesn't mean it will not put a goofy smile on the face of anyone who calls themselves a fan of metal and thrash. There is even a hint of Queensryche of old in the track "Zero Degree." These guys are definitely worth checking out and I look forward to their next release. Another good Italian metal band, which is always nice, I suspect they are rather good live as well.

Beowolf productions (Usa) good!

I don't know anything really about this band, but I do know that they are really good. They play a combination of Death Metal mixed with Hard Rock. The music has a strong Hard Rock feel with Death Metal elements all mixed with in. The one band that kept coming to mind was ENTOMBED. The music has a great grooving & rocking Death Rock vibe all through out. The guitars sound is a low end crunchy thick sound, which I liked a lot. The vocals are done in a few styles, like melodic Hard Rock, mid ranged Traditional Heavy Metal & lower sounding Death growls. These guys could be the offspring of ENTOMBED & MOTLEY CRUE!!!

Metal Fury (Usa) 7

Rockmymonkeys (Usa) 7

This thing starts out with the gayest intro I have heard in a long time, but after that the band starts to impress me. Now I have always been a sucker for a good pop tune, but thrash has always been my favorite style. So here is a band that has found a way to mix the two better then ever. The singer has this totally American (which is strange since they’re from Italy) way of mixing clean and raspy vocals. They never go into that shitty overdone girly scream that seems to be so trendy now with the metalcore bands now. Imagine if Overkill slapped in some pop sections and Blitz could sing all pretty. Now I want to make it clear that this guy has a great raspy thrash vocal too. He goes back and forth between the two seamlessly. In fact I would not be too shocked if I learned that someone else did the clean vocals. In a way it reminds me of the song “Division” by the band Forte if anybody remembers them at all.

In a way they have mixed Nu-Metal with old school thrash, but don’t think for a second that you should dismiss them because of the Nu-Metal elements. I hate most Nu-metal, but this is a rare exception. After the first few songs, the band leans more to the old school thrash style. I also must talk about the artwork. At first I thought they were being all artsy fartsy, but then after a good night’s sleep I was less cranky and noticed that the sketch drawings of the microphones behind the asses of a few cows had a meaning. It means the band has a twisted sense of humor. The production is handled magnificently by none other then Jack Frost of Seven Witches. It doesn’t say the person who was in charge of the mix, but everything is heard nice and clear and even.

Before I say who should buy this thing I do want to be an anal retentive mother fucker and talk about a shirt worn by one of the band members. The shirt says “Full Time Headbanger” and then has a cartoon of a hand doing the sign language hand sign for “I Love You”. Now I am going to assume that the intention was to do the hand sign for Metal. The problem is that the thumb is not touching the ring finger. It’s real simple folks. Thumb sticking out means I love you and thumb touching the ring finger means metal. Not sure why so many get so confused. Just think of WWDD (What would Dio do).

Now I am not sure if all thrash fans would get into this one. However, this is the perfect CD to give to your little sister who is into nothing but Mallcore. This is a perfect “gateway drug” band to get her into the real thrash of the early 90’s. Now halfway through there is a song called “Ocean’s Shadows” that is so saccharine that it will give you diabetes and a few cavities. But other then that this is a great near thrash experience. Today we have bands like The Haunted that have taken thrash to a speed where all definition and depth is lost. It is nice to see a band slow it down and let the notes breathe in a way that gives such respect to the old school style I love so much. This thing did Rock My Monkey and I am sure it will be placed in my media player many times after this on one of those days at work where I didn’t get enough sleep and my ass is dragging. This thing has the dynamics and power to get the blood pumping!

powerplayrecords.net (Greece) 8

Merendine Atomiche comes from Italy and they sent us a bulk CD-R with their newest album titled "Raw". I knew the guys from their previous album which was released a couple of years ago. Actually Merendine Atomiche started back in 1995 and so far they have released a demo CD, a mini CD and their debut work. First of all here we have eleven new tracks and more than forty five minutes of pure heavy / thrash metal with a modern air and some modern metal touches too. Also the band had Jack Frost from Seven Witches in order to produce this album so at least we will have a massive production and a very good sound too.Now back to the music, the band is really aggressive and it seems through their album that they have a lot of energy and I want to have the chance in the future to see one of their live shows. Their compositions are well written with some very interesting elements inside their music. They combine heavy and thrash metal well and with their personal touch we have a very impressive result. I am sure fans from Testament and Megadeth will adore the stuff from Merendine Atomiche. The thing that I like from this band is the fact that personally I see the progress that they have done from their previous work.

Silentscream magazine (Italy) : 7

Nel 2003 l’esordio “Walk Across Fire” aveva adempiuto bene al compito di diffondere a quanti più metallari possibile un monicker tanto bizzarro quanto indimenticabile (nel senso letterale del termine), quello delle Merendine Atomiche. Oggi esce il secondo capitolo, “Raw”, uno di quegli strani prodotti quasi-indipendenti in bilico tra gli osanna e la denigrazione, il sorriso divertito o il ghigno sarcastico. Ciò che colpisce non è lo stile, tutt’altro che rischioso, limitato se vogliamo a quelli che erano i rigidi dettami thrash-metal della prima metà degli anni novanta, quanto piuttosto la vitalità e la freschezza compositiva che trasuda dalle tracce: ne viene fuori uno sfavillante ingranaggio thrash, che poi diventa hard-rock, che poi diventa stoner, che poi diventa tutto o niente. Questo il bello: il disco non considera risolutivo nessun approdo, diligentemente raccoglie le influenze più disparate, per quanto attigue al genere, e le rielabora con coerenza. In “Raw” si trovano, così, corrispondenze con i Testament anni novanta, con i groove spaccaossa dei Pantera, con i Megadeth del periodo “Countdown To Extinction”/“Youthanasia”, con i Metallica post-‘black album’, forti di una scrittura puntuale al millimetro, da godere appieno, senza nessuna sbavatura evidente. Il concetto di thrash-metal si crede essere stato già sviscerato in ogni suo punto, ma al quintetto veneto non sembra importare, e non si tenta neanche di reinventarlo alla luce di suggestioni personali. La ricetta espressa è quindi estremamente semplice: vengono accentuate alcune parti melodiche, fino a renderle contigue all’hard-rock a stelle e strisce, generando dei piccoli gioiellini di dinamismo e potenza (l’iniziale “In The Cage” è da antologia, in tal senso). Passando dalla ballad (“Ocean’s Shadows”) all’heavy-rock’n’roll (“Roads And Beers”), l’album è così un susseguirsi di piacevoli sorprese che ogni fan del genere potrà gradire molto, per un disco destinato ad essere recuperato tra qualche anno in sede di culto.

Rock Hard (Italy) : 7

Rock Hard (Germany) : 7

Mit "raw" haben die italiener einen riesigen schritt nach vorn gemacht. die vorlieben fur Metallica sind nach wie vor deutlich spurbar Pantera, Overkill und machine head gesellen sich dazu. die produktion (u.a. von seven witches boss jack frost) ist schon brutal und aggressiv und lasst granaten wie "In the cage", "Roads and beers" oder "I want to be a man" direkt im horzentrum explodieren. Fett!

Eutk.net (Italy) : 7/10

Digitalmetal.com (Usa) : Great!

This record is so close to being an incredible album that it's not even funny. Drawing influence from thrashers Megadeth, Pantera, Fear Factory, Sepultura and more commercial acts like Motley Crue, Merendine Atomiche really seems to get what makes a solid metal song. They just don't always put it together completely right.

The band has been around since 1995, releasing a couple of demos, appearing on a Metallica tribute and recording the full-length record Walk Across Fire, which featured some guitar work by Annihilator's Jeff Waters. This is their debut on Mausoleum, and they brought in Jack Frost to help them polish the record up (he also provides some vocals and guitar work). The result is an excellent collection of thrash tunes with just a touch of a slightly more commercial metal sound.

For those who have read my reviews before, it's no secret that great metal, to me, starts with the riff, and guitarists David Bisson and Luca Secura provide those on every track here. The title track is a personal favorite, followed closely by the bluesy groove of "We Didn't Know." While you won't find anything with the technical complexity of a Megadeth, you'll find a lot of chunky, Sepultura and Pantera inspired licks.

Singer Luca Zandarin also deserves some props for versatility, handling everything from melodic traditional metal-styled vocals to some very Max Cavalera-ish grunts with the same ease. That said, he does seem to be more in his element with the more aggressive vocal styles, as shows on songs like "Peace Means War?" where the aggressive parts are much better than the prog-influenced bits. (And it almost goes without saying that the ballad "Ocean's Shadows" probably should have been reconsidered. There are some nice Rush-like touches to it, but overall it just doesn't work.)

The sound of the band is incredibly tight, and it's obvious that these five guys are locked in and all on the same page. They know what they want to do, and they do it well. On the other hand, I kept waiting for something to really light that fire in my gut and make me want to throw the horns in the air, but I never quite got that kind of excitement, even though I know this band is capable of it.

For thrash fans, Merendine Atomiche is a band to keep on your radar. While Raw is already a really good album, I've got a feeling the best is still yet to come from these guys.

By Fred Phillips

Metal Invader (Greece) : great!

MERENDINE ATOMICHE comes from Italy and they are not a new band at all. They carry an almost ten years experience on their shoulders and they have already released a mini CD and a full-length album. Their music is METAL with everything that is included in this word! Strength, power, force and heavy sound unfolds from every single second in this CD, which has also the big help from the well known Jack Frost who participates in some guitars, solos, vocals and also is the artist producer. The album contains eleven tracks and it is the material for their next full length release.

Modern sound along with classic Metal influences in an album so well worked in all levels, which I found hard to believe that is not released yet from a label. The production is excellent and it helps the band to show every skill it has in all the way from the beginning until the end of the songs. I have to admit that until now, and before I got this CD in my hands I didn't know anything about this band, but now I feel that I have lost many hours of good music because I didn't know MERENDINE ATOMICHE all these ten years of their existence. Of course I still don't know their older works but if the are in the same high level lie this one, we are talking about a band that really deserves to make a great name in the scene and this as soon as possible.

Metallus.it (italy) : 7

Eine interessante mischung aus modernem riffing und einem zwischen klassichem metal gesang und shouts wechselinden frontmann legen die italiener hier vor. letzteres weckt erinnerungen an die verblichenen wardog, musikalisch hort man hingegen eher Prong, Pantera und konsorten heraus. Interessanterweise klingt "raw" zwar aggressiv, aber zu keiner zeit hasserfullt, eher strahlt das album jede menge lebensfreude aus. die ubergange zwischen harten und softeren passagen meistert die band zudem meisterlich, so dass ein homogenes gesamtbild entsteht...erbringt den beweis, dass moderner metal nicht zwangslaufig emotionslos sein muss.

Smoother magazine (Usa) : good!

Metal Heart (Germany) : 8

Klingen wie eine etwas entscharfte version von anthrax. was die jungs kommen aus italien? Kaum zu glauben, ah: kaum zu erhoren. sanger Luca Zandarin macht einen tadellosen job, klingt wie John Bush jr. und zeigt, dass man jenseits aller melodie metal verschnitte und in flames nachahmer noch Lucken finden kann und sie auch ausfullt. Hort euch einmal roads and beers an und ihr wisst, was gemeint ist.  gelungenes songwriting, beinharte Produktion und eine band, der durchaus bewusst ist, wie man seine musikalischen vorstellungen auch professionell umsetzt. das ist heutzutage leider nicht die norm, und so gibt es dafur schon mal einen extrabonuspunkt. ein extrem eigenstandiges Werk!

Thrash Unlimited (Usa) : Great!

As my support for Italy's Merendine Atomiche has excelled through the years, I was extremely excited to recieve the long awaited new disc "Raw". With a move towards a more modern approach "Raw" is flooded with massive power and extreme aggressive perfection. A strong feel of Pantera and Sepultura are evident throughout with superb production brought out by Jack Frost who also supplies a bit of guitar work and vocals. Again I'll state that the music contains a unique blend of thrash complimented with a taste of modern metal.
Excellent versatile performance by Luca Zandarin drop you into areas of true metal tradtion and emotion. Overall the band blend and fit tightly together and the result is a masterful and contagious heavy metal thrash assault. Merendine Atomiche is a tremendous force. Expect to hear much more from this group of top quality Italian metal professionals.

Bright eyes (Germany) : 9/13

MERENDINE ATOMICHE versuchen sich schon seit 1995 in der Szene und haben seitdem einige Veröffentlichungen am Start, die sich noch nicht wirklich herum gesprochen haben. Die Jungs haben die Bretter, die die Welt bedeuten, der Sage nach u.a. schon mit Prong, Fozzy, Obituary und Seven Witches geteilt. Am nachhaltigsten dürften sie dabei von den Mannen um Tommy Victor, also Prong, beeinflusst sein, denn das italienische Quintett setzt auf grooviges Aggro-Geriffe, dem sie allerdings recht melodische Vox und gelungene Gitarrensoli beimengen und bisweilen wie Pro-Pain auf dem Hitradio-Trip klingen oder an Anthrax / Metallica zu Mittachziger-Zeiten erinnern, als diese auch mal dezente Hardcore-Einflüsse einfließen ließen. Wer diese Zeiten nicht kennt, kann sich auch gemäßigte Pantera mit besserem Gesang vorstellen. Na ja, zumindest letzteres ist ja nicht besonders schwer, aber das nur am Rande… Die Knaben können zwischendrin aber auch komplett anders und präsentieren mit ‚We Didn’t Know’ einen groovigen, auf einem fast schon bluesigen Lick aufgebauten Smasher. Coole Sache und definitiv besser als das moderne Dicke-Hose-Geknatter (‚Shake For Me’ klingt nach schlechten Gurd, das um ganz frühe Metallica-Riffs ergänzt wurde). Mit ‚0,4l’ hat man dann noch ein superb betiteltes ruhiges Outro am Start, zu dem man testen kann, ob man in der Minute auch exakt die Menge seines Lieblingserfrischungsgetränks schafft. Solide!

Ffm rock (Germany): good!

Metal Fortress (Italy) : 7/10

Powermetal.de (Germany) : good!

MERENDINE ATOMICHE werden wohl den meisten Lesern kein Begriff sein. Dabei gibt es die Band schon seit 1995. Ihr erstes Album "The Holy Metal" erschien im Jahre 2002, ihr zweites "Walk Across Fire" 2003. Warum die Herren Zandarin (Gesang), Bisson (Gitarre), Secure (ebenfalls Gitarre), Bianchi (Bass) und Cerradi (Schlagzeug) bisher relativ erfolglos blieben, vermag ich nicht zu beurteilen. Wie man das aber ändert, kann jeder auf deren neuem Album "Raw" nachhören, denn dort scheint ihnen ein großer Wurf gelungen zu sein! Keinen geringen Anteil dürfte daran Jack Frost, seines Zeichens SEVEN WITCHES-Mastermind, haben. Zum einen verschaffte er den fünf Italienern einen Plattenvertrag bei Mausoleum-Records, zum anderen wirkte er als Co-Produzent und Gastmusiker auf "Raw" mit.

Genug Vorgeschichte, kommen wir zur Musik. MERENDINE ATOMICHE sind nicht nur schwer auszusprechen, sie bewegen sich zudem zwischen Thrash Metal, Power Metal sowie Hardcore und erinnern mich persönlich ein wenig an PANTERA. Wie dem auch sei, die Mucke geht auf jeden Fall gut in die Nackenmuskulatur und tritt mächtig in allerlei Ärsche!

Alleine der Opener 'In The Cage' ist das Geld fast schon wert: Der Song beginnt mit einem richtig geilen Intro (gesprochen von Jack Frost) und wird anschließend zu einem richtigen Brett mit fetten Bässen und einer Menge Groove. Das macht Appetit auf mehr …

Und so geht es auch weiter, denn bei 'Roads And Beers' dominieren straighte Riffs und ein richtig starker Refrain, der sofort mitgegrölt werden kann. Dazu noch ein paar fein eingestreute Doublebass-Attacken, und fertig ist ein echter Moshpit-Song. Beim Titelsong 'Raw' bewegen sich die Italiener etwas weiter in die Hardcore-Ecke, doch auch das auf beachtlichem Niveau.

Weitere Schmankerl sind das ohrwurmverdächtige 'I Want To Be A Man' und das extrem coole 'Zero Degrees' (Na ja, ein Song bei dem Jack Frost mitspielt, und der 'Zero Degrees' heißt, muss doch eigentlich per Definition schon cool sein, oder?), aber auch die restlichen Tracks sind von erstaunlich hohem Niveau, einzig bei der Pseudoballade 'Ocean's Shadows' hat man sich vergriffen, denn die hätte man sich getrost schenken können.

Fazit: Alle, die PANTERA so vermissen wie ich, können sich mit MERENDINE ATOMICHE etwas trösten. Doch die Italiener sind beileibe kein Abklatsch, sondern haben ihren eigenen Sound und mit "Raw" jetzt auch eine richtig starke Platte. Unbedingt reinhören!

Anspieltipps: In The Cage, Roads And Beers, Zero Degrees

Metal Inside (Germany) : good!

Wer ein Album im legendären Sunlight-Studio aufnimmt und Jeff Walker zu einigen Soli überreden kann, der hat bei mir schon mal einen Stein im Brett. Sogar wenn es sich nicht um reinrassigen Schwedentod handelt, wie im Falle der Italiener MERENDINE ATOMICHE. Die Jungs vom Stiefel sind nicht sonderlich schwedisch, sondern haben viel und oft über den großen Teich geschaut und Bands wie PANTERA, METALLICA und MEGADETH lieben gelernt. So ist „Raw“ eine Mischung aus alten Helden und ein paar neueren Thrash-Einflüssen, immer schön eingängig und gleichzeitig aggressiv genug, um neben alten METALIICA-Pladden bestehen zu können. Sänger Luca klingt wie die italienische Antwort auf James Hetfield, die Gitarren braten in bester PANTERA/ METALLICA-Manier und die Songs gehen gut auf die Zwölf. Nur die schlechte Halb-Ballade „Ocean’s Shadows“ trübt ein wenig den Spass der bei Meister Jack Frost aufgenommenen Scheibe. Ändert aber auch nicht viel, „Raw“ ist grundsolide Thrash-Kost und für all diejenigen, die mit den modernen METALLICA nix mehr anfangen können, genau richtig. Und jetzt „Ride The Lightning“...

Amboss magazine (Germany) : good!

Mit MERENDINE ATOMICHE hat sich das renommierte Mausoleum-Label einen kleinen Leckerbissen an Land gezogen. Die Band kommt aus Italien, besteht seit dem Jahr 1995 und konnte in der Vergangenheit bereits mit Jeff Waters (Annihilator) zusammenarbeiten. Für den neuen Silberling konnte man Jack Frost (Seven Witches) als Produzent gewinnen und hat ihn gleich auf einigen Tracks mitspielen lassen. Was MA aber so interessant macht, ist nicht das Namedropping, sondern die gelungene Mischung aus Heavy, Speed, Modern Metal, Rock und Melodien. Die Songs sind schwer kategorisierbar, denn ständig sind alle Zutaten mehr oder weniger offensichtlich enthalten. Einen sehr guten Einstieg bietet auf jeden Fall der Opener "In a Cage": fett rhythmisch, bangend, groovend, melodisch und voll inne Fresse. "Roads and Beers" sollte man auf und mit denjenigen genießen, "Raw" ist eine groovige Dampfwalze, die alle kaputtbröselt, was nicht bei drei auf'n Bäumen ist. Nach diesem furiosen Einstieg in das Scheibchen kommt etwas Erholung in Form des akustisch beginnenden und auch sonst recht beschaulichen "Ocean's Shadows" ganz recht. Und am Schluss wird's nett rockig mit "We didn't know". Aber auch die nicht genannten Songs sind allesamt zu empfehlen, nur dass man die genannten definitiv als Anspieltipps bezeichnen muss. Aktuelles Hörmaterial gibt's auf www.merendineatomiche.com leider nicht, aber man kann in die alten Veröffentlichungen (Walk across Fire-2003 und Holy Metal-2000) reinhören. (chris)

Metal news .de (Germany) : good!

Wer denkt, Italien habe in Sachen Heavy Metal nur klebrigen Turilli-Hollywood-Stahl zu bieten, kennt Merendine Atomiche vermutlich nicht. Ist bei dem seltsamen Namen auch nicht wirklich verwunderlich, aber lassen wir das.

Zu sprechen ist von dem wirklich beeindruckenden Zweitwerk dieser Herren aus dem Stiefel-Ländle. Urwüchsiger Heavy Metal, der sich einige Anleihen aus Thrash und Hardcore holt, dabei aber stets gut abswingt, wird geboten. Schon der Opener „In The Cage“ fräst einem die Schädellatte mit seinem Killer-Groove ab und macht klar, dass man im Hause Merendine Atomiche nix von Trends hält, sondern sich schön auf die Musik konzentriert, die man am liebsten mag. Dabei kommt am Ende schon mal Machine Head-mäßiges wie „Breathe The Big Apple“, auf den Speiseplan, aber auch einige Priest-Reminiszenzen und ein bisschen amerikanisches Heavy-Rock-Flair der Spätachtziger lassen sich blicken. Verpackt in einen sehr trockenen und transparenten Sound wird die Platte ihrem Namen gerecht und macht – obwohl hier sicherlich nicht das Rad neu erfunden wird – Spaß.

Sänger Luca Zandarin beherrscht hohe Tonlagen ebenso souverän wie derbe Hardcore-Shouts und lässt einiges an Charisma in seiner Performance mitschwingen. Natürlich offenbart dies auch den Nachteil, dass man die extrem peinlich infantilen Sex&Drugs&Rock’n Roll – Texte bestens verstehen kann. Vielleicht sind die Geschichtchen von Titten, Tangas, Tüten und Tourbussen ja auch nur als Persiflage auf das Genre gedacht, deshalb spar ich mir jeden weiteren Kommentar.

Fazit: Ein kurzweiliges Scheibchen, das von vorne bis hinten rockt wie Sau und gute Laune erzeugt, ohne abgegriffen zu wirken, auch wenn die wirklichen Übernummern noch fehlen. Potential ist da und sollte in Zukunft noch ausgebaut werden können.

Walls of fire.de (Germany) : good!

Nach Ihrem Erstlingswerk geben Merendine Atomiche jetzt ordentlich Gas und bringen Ihren Nachfolger „Raw“ nun unter Mausoleum-Records heraus. Die Band selbst gibt es schon seit 1995 und jetzt nach elf Jahren Bandgeschichte erst das zweite Album? Das mag wohl daran liegen, dass die Jungs recht lange Zeit damit verbracht haben, Metallica-songs zu spielen, um ein ebensolches Tribute-Album aufzunehmen.

Musikalisch hat das wohl seine Spuren hinterlassen und so sind rifftechnisch zwar keine eindeutigen Kopien auszumachen, der Sound ist jedoch hin und wieder ähnlich, was nun wahrlich nichts Schlechtes bedeuten muss. Ansonsten kann man dieses ehrliche und öfters rythmisch zerhackte Stück Metal in gewissen Belangen (besonders gesanglich) mit Bands wie Pantera oder Machinehead vergleichen. Diese Einflüsse werden jedoch geschickt mit anderen Elementen beispielsweise aus der Thrash-Ecke kombiniert und so merkt man der Scheibe deutlich an, dass hier Musiker mit Erfahrung am Werke waren, denn die ausdrucksstarken Songs gehen gut ins Ohr statt an ihm vorbei und bieten eine Menge Abwechslung. Mit „Ocean’s Shadows“ ist denn auch eine waschechte Ballade dabei, wobei Luca Zandarin echte stimmliche Qualitäten beweist. Ein guter Kontrast zu dem sonst recht rauen Kick-Ass-Riffing, welches nicht nur dem Metal entliehen ist, sondern auch einen Schuss Rock’n’Roll (z.B. „we didn’t know“) in die Suppe bringt. Ergänzt werden diese treibenden Passagen durch zum Teil echt schöne Refrains der Erleuchtung die dann neben den schweren Elementen federleicht dahinschweben.

Insgesamt lässt sich sagen, dass diese Platte ein in sich stimmiges breites Spektrum ehrlicher Stilrichtungen abdeckt, die sich weniger um aufgesetzte Atmosphäre, als um aggressiven Kick-Ass-Sound bemühen. Da kann man nur sagen: Ziel erreicht!

 

Heavy Metal.it (Italy) : 6.5

Metalitalia.com : 6.0

Famosi per essere stata la cover band ufficiale dei Metallica, i Merendine Atomiche, da qualche anno a questa parte, hanno preso a scrivere pezzi propri e sono considerati da molti la next big thing italiana. A dire il vero il precedente full length, "Walk Across Fire" si è dimostrato ben poca cosa se si tiene conto delle aspettative piuttosto alte. La Mausoleum però deve aver intravisto un buon potenziale nella band, avendoli messi sotto contratto e puntando molto su di loro. Il qui presente "Raw" rappresenta un passo in avanti rispetto all'esordio, anche se la band ha ancora molto da lavorare a parere di chi scrive. Vi sono stati dei miglioramenti nel songwriting, decisamente più vario che in precedenza, anche se la base musicale rimane legata a doppio filo al power thrash d'oltreoceano. Sicuramente l'influenza dei Metallica si fa sentire, ma non è così preponderante come verrebbe da pensare: infatti nella proposta dei Merendine Atomiche si odono echi di Machine Head, Metal Church e ultimi Anthrax (era Bush). Il difetto principale del lavoro è una certa staticità di fondo, che rende le canzoni piuttosto piatte e troppo uguali tra loro. L'unica traccia che realmente rimane in mente a fine ascolto è "Roads And Beers", rockeggiante e dal flavour piuttosto allegro. Comunque sia rimangono apprezzabili le performance del singer Luca Zampardin, piuttosto eterodossa e convincente e il lavoro delle chitarre di David Bisson e Luca Securo, tutto sommato puntuali e, soprattutto in fase solista, memori della lezione di Jeff Waters degli Annihilator. La produzione a cura di Luigi Stefanini (con lo zampino di Jack Frost) mette giustamente in risalto le sei corde, rendendo il suono piuttosto live. Band in crescita ma ancora lontana dagli standard qualitativi che ci si aspetterebbe da un gruppo preparato come questo.

Metal Glory (Germany) : 6/10

Sollte es irgendwann einmal einen Contest für abstruse Bandnamen in Verbindung mit kuriosem Cover-Artwork geben, dann wären MERENDINE ATOMICHE aus Italien einer meiner ersten Anwärter auf den Titel. Der Name läßt eher auf eine seltene Krankheit schließen, und das Cover zeigt die Ärsche glücklicher Kühe in irgendeinem Stall. Diese agrare Schlagseite setzt sich im Innencover fort, da finden sich Fotos von Schweinen, Heuballen und Maiskolben, fehlt eigentlich nur noch das CMA-Gütesiegel. Spaß beiseite, die Band besteht seit 1995 und hat bisher ein Demo, ein METALLICA Tribute-Album, eine Mini-LP und eine Full Length-CD namens "Walk Across The Fire" (2003, produziert von Tomas Skogsberg) auf der Habenseite vorzuweisen. Werden dann noch Vorbilder wie PANTERA, MEGADETH und MÖTLEY CRÜE ausdrücklich genannt, steigt natürlich die Erwartungshaltung. Leider macht sich nach mehrmaligem Durchhören Enttäuschung bei mir breit, was bestimmt nicht an den technischen Fertigkeiten der Musiker liegt. Die Fünf versuchen einfach, zuviel in ihre Songs zu packen, wodurch die Tracks überladen wirken. Abwechslungsreichtum beim Songwriting ist generell ein Vorteil, aber nicht so wie hier, wenn kein roter Faden mehr erkennbar ist. Ganz gut funktionieren noch der arg an PANTERA angelehnte Titelsong, das thrashige "I Want To be A Man" und das flotte "We Didn't Know". In Ansätzen eingängig sind noch die Midtempo-Nummern "Zero Degrees" und der Opener "In The Cage" (auch hier schöne Grüße an PANTERA). Die restlichen Tracks zeichnen sich dadurch aus, daß sie entweder gut beginnen und langweilig enden, bzw. umgekehrt, was das Hören am Stück von "Raw" nicht gerade zu einer kurzweiligen Angelegenheit macht.

Metal Coven (Usa) : 6.5

rock n world (usa) mm, they don't like our slow riffs...

Although this is a band with a memorable name, the music is only slightly as attention getting. Hailing from Italy, Merendine Atomiche has a long and distinguished metal history going all the way back to the bad ol' days of the mid 90s when they were releasing tribute albums to pre-suck Metallica.

This latest foray into the land of metal represents their, I dunno, 4th or 5th album, if you count minis & tributes. It is interesting, hard to classify stuff that alternates between heavy & melodic, without sounding as stupid & contrived as other bands that try to do this. It all sounds really original; their influences were obvious without crossing the line into flat out rip off territory, which is always appreciated.

But I dunno, an album titled Raw, with such desire expressed in the literature to be hard headbangin' dudes didn't come across as hard or strong as I was hoping, "Walk Across Fire" & "Holy Metal" being CDs in MA's past that sound much harder & more thrashing than this weaker CD.

I didn't like the slowness of a lot of the songs, I thought some of the songs were funny, but not for the right reasons, I thought there were too many pretty-ish ballads on here, some lame, generic intros & tunes. I dunno, maybe with the brand new record deal, they had to water down their sound somewhat, a sad tragedy that's apparently global. This CD may not sound like much, but the other 2 albums I mention above are worth seeking out if you want to hear what was going on in Italy back when thrashin' was in fashion.

pivotalliance (usa) not very good

Merendine Atomiche is a band from Italy produced by the one and only Jack Frost from Seven Witches. This band is being marketed as a thrash metal band. There have been some good ones as of late, the most recent being Speed Kill Hate. When there was an opportunity to review this record, just based on Frost’s involvement I was down. Unfortunately my enthusiasm for the record fell faster than stripper’s britches at the first sight of a 10 spot and that was after the second track. Raw is a record that would have been a modest seller in the year 2000, when metal core began to generate steam and nu-metal ruled. At the present time a project like Merendine Atomiche is about as valid as a Limp Bizkit cover band. The songs are very heavy and aggressive however I would by no means would call it thrash metal. The music tends to entice you to continue listening but the songs head nowhere and I’m not convinced that they are as pissed off as they sound. I however am pissed that I listened to this twice! I could have been mowing the lawn…I should have known right from the get go what was up. I mean, what else should you expect from a band that uses a shot of a heard of cow’s rear ends with a sketch of two microphones and stands?

Wise men production (Usa) they don't like lyrics

Heavy Metal.no (Norway) 5/10

Her var det mye rart.

Stilen var litt vanskelig å tracke til å begynne med, faktisk var det ikke før jeg juksa og sjekket promoinfoen at jeg skjønte hva de dreiv på med.

Ikke var det thrash, ikke regulær metal eller hardrock. De hadde inkludert en hel del stilarter og ristet godt før de gikk i studio, bandet med det sære og helt katastrofalt ufengende navnet Merendine Atomiche. La oss håpe det ligger noe spesielt bak valget. :)

Musikken beskrives som en blend av Pantera-hardcore, speedmetal ala Megadeth, stadionrocken til Mötley Crüe og en hel del melodier som legger seg på minnet. Jeg er ikke uenig, men er litt uvenner med måten det hele ender opp på. Man blir ikke helt klok på hvor de vil eller hva de ønsker å formidle. Rotete kanskje?

Sett bort fra den grusomme balladen Ocean's Shadow, er det flere spor her som banker godt i thrashgata. Til tider låter det hele som en variant av nettopp Megadeth, men med flere melodier, bedre vokalist (ikke så vanskelig) og rytmer som minner meg om en tung versjon av Fates Warning. Prog er det ikke stort av, det er helst drypp som får dette progmetalbandet til å havne i potten.

Med en litt køddete thrasher i Breathe the Big Apple, den førnevte balladen og et par svake kutt til, er det en ok skive. Ikke en så bra skive at jeg hadde kjøpt den, men spennende nok for de som liker banda jeg har vært innom og som savner Wratchild America - men tullenivået er lavere her, heldigvis.

Det bandet bør ta tak i er måten de kler inn låtene på, for visuelt er det et katastrofalt dårlig cover. Man fikk ikke et clue av hva man kunne forvente og jeg var flere ganger nær ved å gjette på et eller annet italiensk hardrock band med rævva vokalist.

Sjekk innom linkene under om du ble nysgjerrig, men til info er det bare eldre smakebiter der. Og de var mye svakere enn dette.

Om ikke annet fikk det meg engasjert, bedre enn likegyldighet. :) Et ok B-band.

5/10

Live4metal (Usa) boh, you choose

Here’s an Italian band that is on their second release and we have yet all to hear of them. The bio says it’s not only their best disc yet, but it’s also got a thrash style mixed into their sound. I am here to say that the press sheet is pretty much wrong…once again. Sure, these guys are heavy, but I would consider this more heavy/modern metal that could be heard on the radio. Vocalist-Luca has the same gritty and harsh voice that everyone else utilizes like Soil and such. “In The Cage” has plenty of crunchy guitars that played in a simple manor with some staccato action tossed in. The drumming is your basic 4/4 beat and the thing that I like about Luca is that he isn’t always trying to prove just how manly he is, he can clear 

his throat here and deliver some nice lines loud and clear and packed with passion. It’s not bad, but I wouldn’t go as far as calling this THRASH! “Roads And Beers” (nice title…no?) continues to pound their way through your speakers, but the closer that I listen to this the more this reminds me of Avenged Sevenfold. This may not be as catchy as AS and the singing may not be as pop/punky as that, but you will definitely hear elements in there. Great solo work and techniques are executed on here making this a decent track. I have to say that I was losing interest in the music just slightly because I have heard it all before. It’s not bad, but not doing much for me until I got to “Peace Means War?” Sure, the guys were playing their hearts out, but then I heard some much needed change ups. For starters, there is great use of acoustic guitars not only in the intro, but dispersed throughout. I love that. Also, some percussion work inserted. Sounds like bongos or something and that is cool. I can get down with anyone who can add a little flavor to the mix for something refreshing even if it lasts for just a minute or two. You see (or hear in this case), when I hear the mere mention of thrash I think of Kreator, Overkill or even old school Anthrax. I don’t get any of that here. What I get is the current wave of compositions that are in competition with the likes of Godsmack, Machine Head (I know that radio never plays them, but Luca can pass for Rob Flynn once in a blue moon) and those that I mentioned above. You get the drift. This isn’t a terrible record by any means, but just not as heavy as promised in my press release. I think that if you lower your expectations and enjoy the artists mentioned above then you are ok are ready for this one. Otherwise, go in the other direction and just buy the new Sodom or something equivalent.

Metal Observer (Germany) : Bad :(

This disc screams for more moments like the verse of “Roads And Beers” where both the vocals and guitars are quite memorable and catchy. In addition to passages like those found in the aforementioned track, the album truly shines with the intense and melodic solos. Bisson fish-hooks you and throws you through a pane of glass as the classic-influenced shredding is completely euphoric. Not to keep flogging “Road And Beers” but that solo found near the end is the best example as it grabs you by the balls and your ears quickly follow. I find myself actually forgetting the blandness of the riff grab-bag momentarily, which in and of itself only further testifies to the strengths and shortcomings of this long-player. There are also a small number of acoustic passages which completely slaughter the electric portion of this album and have me continually desiring a much larger portion, only to have my scraps completely torn from my grasp as the weak riffs interject and take over the compositions.

 

Something is also divinely strange about vocalist Luca Zandarin. Normally I quite enjoy the aggressive approach which entails shouting in a discernable manner, yet in the case of “Raw” I am completely turned off. Zandarin seems much more in his element when he is singing cleanly and in a melodic fashion. For the majority of the album, however, he is found shouting with a weak imitation of latter-day Max Cavalera and it simply pains me as I attempt to focus on the guitars only to become further annoyed and left with nowhere to turn but the eject button. Fortunately, the skinsman and bassist remain relatively solid throughout and do not detract such as the other elements of the project.

 

“Raw” is a hit and miss ordeal which offers a handful of tasty elements as well as a moderately sized mound of fecal matter. It’s not that this is a bad album; it simply is far from great and stuck in that transitional state of mediocrity. I do not see myself ever coming across this disc and feeling a sense of excitement, nor do I predict myself spinning this one much after this review. “Raw” simply exists, like that guy with a bum leg at the bus-stop, or that unremarkable woman crossing the street who would be much more attractive if she would tend to a few things. Taking notice of such elements only occurs when you have nothing better to contemplate or take part in. (Online June 8, 2006

 

Heavy Hardes (Germany) : Bad :(

 

Erinnert sich noch jemand an Am I Blood? In der finnischen Combo wollte 1998 jeder eine Art neue Metallica sehen, nachdem Hetfield und Co. mit Load extrem zwiespältige Wege gegangen waren. Aber trotz allseitigem Lob haben es Am I Blood nicht auf die Reihe bekommen und dümpeln seitdem irgendwo ferner liefen durch die Musikszene. Mit Merendine Atomiche könnte jetzt dasselbe passieren.

Denn die Italiener schlagen in eine ganz ähnliche, wenn nicht sogar die gleiche Kerbe. Auf ihrem Zweitling Raw befinden sich elf groovebetonte, melodische Songs, die mal mehr, mal weniger thrashig aus den Boxen donnern, aber immer wieder an die Bay Area, vornehmlich an Metallica erinnern. Aber auch Megadeth und Pantera sind den Jungs alles andere als unbekannt, wodurch sich der ordentliche Groove und der fette Sound der Scheibe erklärt. Und in Sänger Luca werden viele wohl den kleinen italienischen Bruder von James Hetfield sehen.

Dennoch sind die Songs auf Raw alles andere als weltbewegend, dazu sind sie viel zu gleichförmig und mit fortschreitender Spielzeit eher langweilend als fesselnd. Raw ist eine solide moderne Thrash-Scheibe, mehr aber auch nicht.

 

My revelations (germany) : bad :(

 

 

Seit 1995 treiben die Italiener mit dem (sagen wir mal ungewöhnlichen) Namen MERENDINE ATOMICHE ihr Unwesen. In dieser doch recht langen Zeit haben sie jedoch wenig auf die Reihe gekriegt, was Veröffentlichungen anbelangt. Ein offizielles Full-Length-Album in 2003 steht zu Buche. Auf der Bühne standen sie dennoch mit großen Namen zusammen: TESTAMENT, OBITUARY, SYMPHONY X, AGNOSTIC FRONT zum Beispiel. Nun, nach 18 monatiger Arbeit, liegt das unter Mithilfe von Jack Frost (SEVEN WITCHES) produzierte aktuelle Scheibchen "Raw" vor. Das unheimlich nichts sagende Cover hilft dem Musikinteressierten nicht, herauszufinden in welcher Sparte des Metals sich die Italiener bewegen. Mir fällt es allerdings sogar beim Hören der CD schwer, mich auf eine Schublade festzulegen. Hardcore und Metal vermischen sich mit leicht progressiven Einflüssen zu einem modern klingenden Gebräu, das meine Geschmacksnerven nur stellenweise berührt. Leider kann ich mit hardcore-mäßigem Gebrülle nicht sonderlich viel anfangen, deshalb gefallen mir die Vocal-Parts mit cleanem Gesang am besten (gut, dass sich das fast die Waage hält!). Die ab und an eingestreuten Akustik-Gitarrenparts und balladesken Töne ("Ocean`s Shadows") verwirren zudem, obwohl sich die Chose nicht schlecht anhört. Einsteigern möchte ich deshalb den Song "We Didn`t Know" zum Antesten an`s Herz legen. Passend zum Albumtitel ist der Sound der Platte nicht unbedingt "hochglänzend" ausgefallen, passt aber insgesamt zum Bandsound von MERENDINE ATOMICHE. Dass die Kerle Humor haben, beweisen sie nicht zuletzt durch die Namensgebung des abschließenden Instrumentals: "0,4 l". Na denn, Prost!

 Foundry Music (Usa) bad

(I never talk about reviews cause everybody can write what they feel, but this time I gotta say something. In this reviews we are judged by our lyrics and by the pronunciation not "english". I would say only that all lyrics have been corrected by a canadian girl when I wrote them and than recorrect in studio by JACK FROST who lives in New Jersey, Usa, a english country, the same place this guy lives, so something is really strange. Does Jack Frost talk Norvegian and we didn't know? Does my friend in Canada talk chinese and we didn't know?)

Metallian (Canada) : 3/10 Bad!

 

By the time one gets to the little country ditty that ends Merendine Atomiche’s Raw, it is hardly a revelation that the Italians band likes everything and anything under the sun. The band’s sound and playing ability is not really in question, but including pop/rock, hard rock, mallcore, metal, Metallica and country on one album is like spreading dong and expecting people to like it. Judging by the album’s cover that might not be far removed from what the band intended.
Should Merendine Atomiche’s (whatever) intention be avoiding being pigeonholed then they have avoided being labelled at the expense of a good album. The band actually has a couple of things to say lyrically, but should strongly consider outsourcing the musical composition next time around! Raw is about as reliable as the Republicrats’ views on democracy or the Nazis love for the Jews. – Ali “The Metallian”