Hell Ouverture

Although an abundance of dance-pop has come out of Italy in the '80s and '90s and in the 21st century, the country has plenty of rock as well — and the Italian rock world has offered everything from punk to gothic metal to adult alternative. Some Italian rockers write in Italian exclusively and concentrate on the Italian-language market, while others write in English in the hopes of having more international appeal; the Rival Skulls opt for the latter on Hell Ouverture, which favors a goth-tinged blend of metal, punk and hard rock. This hard-driving yet melodic disc isn't goth rock or gothic metal per se, although it does incorporate some goth spookiness that works well on Occult-themed tracks such as "Vampyrism Theory," "Ghost of Louvre," "Sublime Dead Next Dawn" and "My Succubus." An album that has song titles like "The Horned Angel" and "Luciferian Path" isn't going to be endorsed at the Southern Baptist Convention anytime soon, but truth be told, the Rival Skulls' brand of horror rock comes across as an exercise in campy entertainment more than anything. In contrast to Slayer or the infamous Norwegian black metal combo Gorgoroth — two bands that can be genuinely unsettling — the Rival Skulls bring a sense of irony and fun to their work. Stylistically, Hell Ouverture is not a major departure from the band's previous recordings; Danzig, the Doors, Alice Cooper, the Misfits and the Stranglers are still direct or indirect influences, but this time, the Rival Skulls go for a cleaner, sharper production style. The garage-like rawness that can be heard on various tracks from their previous albums, The Death Masks and Something Macabre This Way Comes, has greatly decreased, and Hell Ouverture does sound more polished and focused. Nonetheless, this 57-minute CD is mildly uneven, although the material is memorable more often than not — and overall, Hell Ouverture is a likable, entertaining effort from these Italian horror rockers.