CD Reviews

Estetica Noir - Amor Fati

May 2024

Swiss Dark Nights

Dancing in cold waves with Estetica Noir's, "Amor Fati"!

Estetica Noir released their third full length album and fourth studio work, including their debut EP in 2014, in May 2024 via Swiss Dark Nights. "Amor Fati" comes with nine beautiful tracks, balancing between catchy melodies and parts, and emotional, gloomy dark lines. This sonic experience is emphasized by the beautiful, romantic at times, vocals of Estetica Noir's lead singer, Silvio Oreste. "Amor Fati' is the first album released with Swiss Dark Nights, and in which we find Riccardo Sabetti of This Eternal Decay and Spiral69  in mix and production. Riccardo Sabetti has also contributed in writing, playing and singing one of the nine songs of "Amor Fati", the melancholic "The End Of Moraliadays".

Estetica Noir is a project started in 2013 by Silvio Oreste and Rik Guido, who have always been tied to wave/electrorock/industrial sounds and in particular to bands such as Nine Inch Nails, The Cure, Depeche Mode and Killing Joke, just to name a few. Before the "Amor Fati" album, they had released a self-titled EP with Genotype Records in 2014 and 2 albums with the Red Cat label “Purity” (2017) and “This Dream In Monochrome” (2022). The current line-up is Silvio Oreste (vocals-guitars-programming), Rik Guido (bass). Paolo Accossato (drums), Marco Caliandro (synth-programming-back vocals).

"Amor Fati" stands beautifully between the dark, synth-pop and the post-punk, alternative lines. It is an evocative blend of post-punk, cold wave, and artistic  synth pop, creating a fusion of melancholic beauty and introspective depth. The album opens with "Burnout," a track that immediately sets a dark and moody tone, combining driving bass lines and haunting synths with lyrics that capture the essence of existential weariness delivering a gothic atmosphere. "Pain" follows and keep the intense and melancholic dance mood with the brooding synths and the raw vocal delivery with some bitter lyrics.

"Amor Fati" is definitely making its statement from the very first notes in the two songs opening the album and confirms the words of Estetica Noir about the album. ""Amor Fati" is a plunge into the cruel and inevitable process of aging, faced at the same time with nostalgia, romance, anger and above all determination,...".

The album continues with the melodic "Summer Shine"  where its slightly brighter synths raise a sense of nostalgic longing, keeping the somber undertone that characterizes the whole album atmosphere. "Faded" extends the emotional depth of the album with its deep and blue orchestral passages and poignant concept of loss and fading memories. Next is "The End Of Moraliadays" featuring Riccardo Sabetti, blending melancholy with a touch of defiance. The instrumental "Iter Vitae" serves as a haunting interlude, maintaining the dark, mood and leading into the enigmatic "Strange Hologram" which brings back the rhythmic intensity and the catchy hooks.

"Stockholm's Azure" carries a sense of cold beauty with its beautiful guitar work and the moody synth arrangements providing a balance between melody and danceable beats. "The Cell" closes "Amor Fati" and leaving this "taste" of sad and depressing mood, on a haunting note, which keeps all the emotions that the album delivers.

"Amor Fati" manages to keep many emotional aspects touching the darker corners of human sentiments, through a beautiful blend of catchy and danceable music that stands between dark wave, synth pop and gothic rock with industrial elements. Go ahead and listen without hesitation. Suggested to be heard all at once!!!

Info:

https://esteticanoir.wordpress.com

https://esteticanoir.bandcamp.com

https://www.facebook.com/esteticanoir

https://www.instagram.com/esteticanoir/

https://www.youtube.com/@esteticanoir1682