2010 is the year of anniversary celebrations. Many bands are celebrating milestone anniversaries. TALCO from Venice has also been around for 10 years now. Ten years ago, their first demo was released, and now their fourth album, “La Cretina Commedia,” is out.
The Berlin label Destiny has taken the band under its wing. Destiny has been known for years as a booking agency, but also as a label that has released some records by the legendary Terrorgruppe. The reason why Destiny and TALCO came together is very simple. Outside of Italy, TALCO is celebrated the most in Berlin. Their recent concerts have almost always been sold out. Especially since their last album, “Mazel Tov,” the band has gained immense popularity. This is not surprising, as “Mazel Tov” is, in my opinion, one of the best records in the Ska-Punk genre. The concerts in Berlin are celebrations; there’s no other way to describe them. Anyone who stands still at a TALCO concert must be deaf. The music is so catchy and infectious that you have no choice but to dance.
However, alongside great anticipation for the album, I also had a bit of fear, as the bar was set incredibly high with “Mazel Tov.”
The band has at least eased the pressure a bit by releasing “La Cretina Commedia,” a sort of concept album that chronologically and biographically narrates the life of Giuseppe “Peppino” Impastato. “Peppino” not only fought for the poor and powerless in his country but also dedicated his life to the struggle against the cartels, having been born into notorious Mafia circles. A person who is needed more than ever in today’s world. However, anyone expecting ballads or quieter songs will quickly be taught otherwise. While the intro is relatively calm and moving, the first song, “Correndo Solo,” hits hard right from the start. Speed and melody are brilliantly packaged here, leaving one in awe of what the guys from Venice have composed.
The band’s sound is overall a bit more straightforward than on “Mazel Tov.” Here, powerful ska-punk is played with driving drums and perfect brass sections, almost exclusively blasted out at high speed from the speakers. It’s a rush that’s hard to escape. The reason it doesn’t get boring after a few songs is due to TALCO’s brilliant knack for melodies.
The round, harmonious Italian language in which the entire album is held contributes to making every song a masterpiece. Only the eleventh song, “Perduto Maggic,” is quieter. The song has a very moving melody that makes one pause. Here too, the band knows how to convey emotions and feelings.
However, TALCO is not only concerned with people coming together and having fun; they also want people to unite and make a difference. That’s why the lyrics are printed in English in the booklet, so that we can also read about how “Peppino” lived and why the band recorded an album specifically for him.
“La Cretina Commedia” is an entirely danceable album that can be listened to repeatedly for months without getting boring. It’s not quite as good as “Mazel Tov,” but that may also be because the band has almost outdone themselves with “Mazel Tov.” That’s not something that can always be achieved. However, this shouldn’t overshadow the fact that TALCO is such a fantastic band.
TALCO is well on their way to dethroning the absolute giants in the ska-punk scene. TALCO is musically demanding, politically clearly on the right side, and live one of the best bands ever. You can see for yourself in January and February 2011, as the band will be stopping in several German cities and, of course, back in Berlin!
