Hey now...here's a weirdo Italian band...not only bringing an eclectic-experimental type of Rock, but also doin' vocals in both English and...Spanish (remember, Italian band!)! But wait, I'm forging ahead of the usual way of things...so let's turn back the clock somewhat...
...to 2010, when Yerbadiablo was started as a one-man project by Nik. That same year, a collaboration was started (with the help of logic(il)logic Records) with producer Luca Gomedi, and with the help of several special guests the team recorded the album Jester In A Brick Lane, which lyrically took its topics from the bleakest accomplishments of humanity: random violence, pollution, injustice, intolerance, fear, “governmental” abuse, the inequality of the poor vs. the rich, and the sometimes incredible crimes the latter get away with on account of the “common good” (which usually means filling their own pockets and bank accounts with even more money than they have before). Released in August 2012, the album gets a relatively unexpected yet unanimously positive response from the media. A mere couple of months later, Nik starts the writing process of of the debut album's follow-up, but with a difference: as Pol (bass, vocals, guitars, percussion, sound effects), Elvis (guitars, backing vocals, percussion) and Gomez (drums & percussion) enter the fold as official members, the project effectively turns into a band by December of 2012.
And so, as we turn our attention to this new work of Yerbadiablo's (which was written/ developed/ recorded in the 13 months following), we can ask ourselves the question whether the project being switched into a band changed anything to its outcome, and I guess that we can positively say that it did not! Not to the music, anyway, because there's a slight change to the overall mood of the album: where its predecessor was indeed rather dark and pessimistic, we now indeed find a glimmer of hope shining through the cloudy heavens! A sparkle of hope which is in direct connection to the sense of awareness which has gradually develop on a global level. There's still been major fuck-ups, such as the Fukushima nuclear disaster, the chronic European economical crisis...but on the other hand, the Datagate scandal uncovered some seedy doings-on; there's been the Brazilian insurrections during the Confederation Cup; Muslims in several nations began to come out in the streets to protest against their governors, starting a “movement” now known as the “Arab Spring”; Internet, in spite of its hidden dangers, has played a major role in bringing more accurate news than that brought to people by the TV and daily journal networks (which are for the most part opinion-makers controlled by the rich anyway!)...in other words, it seems like there's the beginning of a kind of awareness on a global level. Inspired by all of that, the album became a means for the band members to express themselves, in the hope that it can be a “soundtrack” to those who, like the band's members, identify themselves with an ideal of freedom in its wider meaning.
As to where all of that will lead us, poor minions, remains to be seen (I mean, there's enough movies out there depicting the possible ramifications, right? And if there's one thing we can be certain of, it's that we should never underestimate the “power” of those pulling the strings behind the curtains, nor the abominable nature the individual whom is given the opportunity to make personal profits at the expense of others!), but that's all politics...and nothing to do (well...) with the appreciation of the musical outcome of Yerbadiablo! You are given the opportunity to listen to two songs off the debut album in the sound player at (www.) logicillogic.net, but there are NO songs posted at the band's own (www.) facebook.com/pages/Yerbadiablo. However, if you google the band's name, you're offered the opportunity to view a video for the new album's song “Hemp Generation” (which features a guest performance of Gabriele Bolognesi on sax – another contribution on the sax, and percussion by him to be found on “Imbunche”...and further contributions find him play clarinet during Cazzilla Cramps” and flute on “Black Bird”; Other guests include guitarists Il Demonio and Ili, who both do something in the song “Ojos De Bruja”...and harmonica player Rick Martello on “El Viparo”). Maybe there's more to be found on the album by now (made my research over a week ago, you know), and I certainly hope the band gets sold through such outlets as Amazon, CDBaby, iTunes, or whatever type of online sales site...because usually they provide the possible buyer with 30-second samples of the songs. That may not seem a lot, but is always better than nothing at all, or just a couple of complete songs to go on! One slight negative aspect to be touched, are the vocals, which are hampered by that typical Mediterranean accent when done in English. Still...the catchy and diverse music sure makes up for a lot here, and the eventual rating should positive indeed!
Great stuff this, and what with its diverse musical genres of music played (occasionally even mixed within songs), a lot of people should be able to find something of their liking musically. If, in the process, those people also take notice of the meaning of the lyrics, and then of the background of it...well, we can always dréam of waking up even ore people, now can't we?