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thespiritualbat missioncreate
Artist: The Spiritual Bat
Title: Mission:Create
Genre: Gothic Rock
Release Date: 28th February 2022
Label: Swiss Dark Nights


Album Review

To say Italy’s THE SPIRITUAL BAT improve with each album would be doing them a disservice, the implication being that improvement is necessary. Not true. Each album has pushed itself so far that it’s ready to burst, and the only place to start next time around is after a sideways step and then whoosh, off once more, upwards, until ready to burst again. This development of style and ideas, musically, lyrically and vocally, is surely what true art is all about. Not only to never stand still, but not to grow in a linear fashion either - better to shoot off and sprout in many directions, always exploring, always pushing at the edges to see where things can lead. New album ‘Mission:Create’ continues this creative process against a backdrop of turmoil, upheaval and the physical stasis of being in lockdown and isolated. And it’s truly stunning.

‘Mission’ bursts into life with an energy that’s startling - there’s more going on here in the first thirty seconds than on most entire albums, as this ducks and weaves into your psyche and hammers itself a new home in there. It’s the kind of song that makes you want to weep, a welling of emotion that’s tricky to pin down, some bizarre mix of desperation, beauty, frustration and sheer joy. All in one song. ‘Close Your Eyes’ grabs you darkly and starts a slow-waltz with your shadow - it’s taut and skeletal, and could be SIOUXSIE AND THE BANSHEES during their most grandiose, sexually tense and creative period. There’s a similar tightly-wound tension on ‘Warrior’, and a rawness to the bar-room dark rock of ‘Sanctu’.

‘Lockdown’ and ‘Harmonix’ both show the range of vocalist Rosetta’s reach in coaxing the very most from a song - a bewitching and mocking spoken word one moment, a soaring and reassuring croon the next. And on ‘To The Kuiper Belt’ everything comes together in a massive chorus that’s hugely satisfying. ‘Eternal Youth’ - a barely restrained mix of rant and plea - leads organically into final track ‘Heroes Anymore’, a song that perfectly defines the post-lockdown landscape. It’s darkly and cautiously beautiful, swelling to an almighty crescendo that represents just how far THE SPIRITUAL BAT have come on their artistic journey, knowing exactly what to do and exactly when to stop.

To be driven by a mission to create during the last two years is in itself an expression of determination and grit, and is admirable in the extreme. That the album contains a set of songs so wonderful, concisely documenting a personal and global reflection of both inertia and eventual growth, is a rare thing indeed, and puts ‘Mission:Create’ at the forefront of post-pandemic artistic defiance and resilience.


Tracklist

01. Mission
02. Close Your Eyes
03. Warrior
04. Sanctu
05. Lockdown
06. Harmonix
07. To The Kuiper Belt
08. Eternal Youth
09. Heroes Anymore


Line-up

Dario Passamonti – Music / Guitar / Bass / Arrangements
Rosetta Gari – Lyrics / Vocals / Sequencing / Drum Arrangements
Emilio Torella – Bass / Keyboards
Greg Scott Cruz – Keyboards
Alessio Santoni – Acoustic Drums


Website

https://thespiritualbat.bandcamp.com / https://www.facebook.com/thespiritualbat.band.page


Cover Picture

thespiritualbat missioncreate


Rating

Music: 9
Sound: 9
Total: 9 / 10


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