Italian quartet Secret Rule are a new one on me; even though they’ve been in existence since 2014 and have released, at last count, six albums. Last Friday they unleashed their brand-new single ‘Mother Earth’ in advance of their latest album due later this year.
From the electro dominated intro through to the chunky riffs of the outro via razor-sharp vocals and a gilt-edged solo it’s without hesitation that this isn’t metal by numbers. Quite the opposite; there’s thaumaturgy at work here.
The melding of which shouldn’t, in normal circumstances, work as readily as it does herein. Inhabiting a musical plateau that is bounded by the likes of Trivium, Pendulum and Evanesence gives rise to Secret Rule’s output; part metal, part electronic, part symphonic.
All melted together in a seething rock n’ roll lava of heavy riffs from lead guitarist Andy Menario and solid beats from the rhythm pairing of bassist Michele Raspanti and drummer Sebastiano Dolzani; the latter the most recent addition to the ranks having joined in July last year.
There’s a message within too; one that vocalist Angela Di Vincenzo relates “‘Mother Earth’ wants to be a scream going out directly from the center of the Earth, from its heart towards humans.
The band refers to the track as “A punch in the stomach!” It’s time to open our eyes and our ears!! Our planet is screaming!” Di Vincenzo’s crystal-clear vocals do the subject matter complete justice and will be likened to those of Evanesance’s Amy Lee in part, which is no bad thing.
Watch out for further releases from Secret Rule throughout 2021 and a 6 date tour of the UK that is booked for early June; though the latter is, of course, subject to government regulations concerning Covid-19.
www.secretrule.it
www.facebook.com/secretruleband
www.instagram.com/secret_rule_official
Review by Gary Spiller for MPM
