IN VISCERO – Italia Violenta

Horror and death metal have always been intertwined. Bands often build concepts around horror films or directors. The list is long—and it just grew with a project barely a month old.

This connection to Italian culture seems natural at first glance. Not only does the band’s name suggest an Italian origin, but the members’ aliases—Baggio (guitar), Giorgio (guitar, bass, drums), and Martino (vocals)—reinforce this impression. However, their real names—Balázs Tóth, György Bozók, and Marci Horváth—reveal a surprising twist.

 

To clear up any confusion, the true revelation is that In Viscero is actually a Hungarian trio. Despite their Italian-flavored presentation, they pay tribute to Italian horror cinema at its most glorious with a crushing debut titled Italia Violenta.

 

While this approach might sound familiar—bands like Tenebro and Fulci have already explored similar stylistic and conceptual ground—In Viscero takes things a step further. Building on their chosen theme, they honor multiple films and directors through an old-school Swedish-inspired sound, enriched with voiceovers and samples directly from the movies, all in Italian.

 

This cinematic homage is evident from the very first track. The opener, Incubo sulla città contaminata (a tribute to Umberto Lenzi’s film Nightmare City), quickly establishes the album’s direction: it kicks off with a news report sample from the movie before erupting into a track in the vein of Entombed, driven by punchy rhythms and heavily saturated guitars. Demoni follows without any breathing room, raising the intensity, while Zombi 2 (a clear nod to Lucio Fulci) adopts a slower, more monolithic pace. The only melodic departure comes with the instrumental Signor Frizzi, a two-minute keyboard-rich piece, before the album dives back into relentless aggression with tracks bearing unmistakable titles: Buio Omega, Dellamorte Dellamore, E tu vivrai nel terrore!, L’aldilà, and finally Suspiria, the iconic masterpiece by Dario Argento. Throughout, the songs are enhanced by melodic solos inspired by Dismember and Unleashed, seamlessly integrated with granite-solid drumming and cavernous growls.

 

In summary, while In Viscero may not be breaking entirely new ground, their debut hits the mark. Italia Violenta never drags; it remains consistently vicious, coherent in its execution, and massive in its impact. This cohesive introduction underlines the band’s strong potential—one that promises growth with future releases.