Reviews
2003-04-12
Once in a blue moon comes a band that takes a certain genre and max it to a conclusive high combining all typical elements. T.F.A has done to Romantic-Dark what Guns n’ Roses done to Glam-Rock. What started as Diego Merlettos solo project has developed extensively during the last decade. Merletto joined forces with guitar player Claudio Brosio (together they released “Pale Awakening”) and Later on singer Arianna (Static Movement).
Today T.F.A is considerd to be the best Italian Dark-Romantic group.
“Emotional Screening Device” is the bands 3rd album and most professional in writing and production.
Merletto’s vocals reminds of a lot of Mesh and Depech Mode and Arianna reminds of Candia Ridley of Inkubus Sukkubus. The successful combination of enchanting melodies over classic harmonies and simple drum loops creates quite a number of potential hits. All this without surrendering to the well known formulas for hit making thus creating songs like “When You are Sad” (almost 8 minutes of pure enchantment) or the instrumental “Precious Lives”.
As a contra there are songs that were built exactly by the common formulas and could easily become club hits like the melodic “Silence is Talking” with the killer chorus or the catchy “Freon Heart, Fayence Mind”.
The production level can put to shame even artists like Diary of Dreams and Wumpscut.
Amazing old dark-wave sound from drum-loops to dark synthesizers and vocals production.
The album flows smoothly thanks to smart placing of instrumental parts and Disego and Arianna’s songs.
“Emotional Screening Device” reminds of a lot of the classics Depeche Mode, Apoptigma Berzerk and Mesh but if The Frozen Autumn will stay on their current track there’s a good chance that someday other bands would remind us of them.
Tal Galfsky
