Chronic Hangover-Nero Inferno Italiano

Minotauro Records
2016

Active since 2013, Chronic Hangover is a four-piece band that hails from Roma, Italy and has a strange and unnerving take on metal that defies easy categorization. The full-length "Nero Inferno Italiano" is the debut offering from this group and it is every bit as disconcerting as the above artwork suggests. Falling somewhere in-between post-grunge, punk metal, thrash rock, and the unexplored mind of a seriously deranged mad man (!), Chronic Hangover's "Nero Inferno Italiano" is one of those albums that is occasionally spot-on, but more often than not merely frustrating. One can easily blame that error on Chronic Hangover's lead vocalist Jacopo. Especially seeing as his style of "singing" leaves a lot to be desired! While the ability to scream bloody murder into a microphone certainly has it's appeal when one is talking about the punk and hardcore scenes, "Nero Inferno Italiano" suffers a slow death at the hands of this one-dimensional singer. With a better lead vocalist up front a musically-charmed band like Chronic Hangover could really make a huge splash. For the time being though this one might have limited appeal....