by Melissa Duong
My Aim to Farewell is a metal hardcore band hailing all the way from Turin, Italy. The origin of their name is derived from a metaphorical aspect such as the one evident in the phrase “memento mori.” Their belief that their last aim is to say goodbye to the world in a respectable way extends into their love of music, as that is the band’s venue for leaving a respectable impact upon this world.
Founded approximately four years ago, the band has pursued their main goal of growth with vigilance. They have dedicated all their effort, money, and time into this dream and refuse to stop. Their hard work is evident through the fan support on their FB page as well as through the fans response to their Black City EP released in February 9, 2014.
Although the band released an EP in 2010, it was more or less a demo at the time. It’s not in any way reflective of their official first work as there were changes in not only line up but also the trenchant band identity. However, producing that first demo was the first necessary step for the band to become a stable project. That afforded the band the opportunity to play shows at various venues, record two more demo songs in 2012, and to release two music videos- all of which were experiences that helped to influence, mold, and improve the band into who they are as musicians today.
Black City is a six song EP which the bands holds dear to their hearts as it is dedicated to the city that they are all from, Turin. According to legends, it is considered the center of black magic with London and San Francisco. The streets are full of intimidating architectures and sculptures that instills this sense of anxiety for those roaming the city, a subtle metaphor for a person traveling their life and this constant anguish concerning their being.
(photo credit, Raoul Dalboni)
Overall, the band has received such a positive response to their EP and even had a song featured on the YouTube channel BryanStarsInterviews. One common criticism is that there are no clean choruses in their songs. There are merely brutal growls and screams throughout the entire EP. However, the band stands firm behind their decision to completely eradicate melodic vocals because the instruments and orchestral pieces have provided enough of a melodic hardcore sound. Furthermore, this deviation from the normal combination of scream and clean vocals has allowed the band to stand out.
What distinguishes this band from the hordes of other bands out there is that they are conscious of what is the “normal” in the musical scene and try to stray away from what is commonly scene in their genre. They take inspiration from current musical trends but are able to transcend the limits of mainstream by incorporating their own personal tastes which range widely from member to member. Although their sound is highly structured and is considered intense, they have managed to interweave a more melodic side into the brutal breakdowns by utilizing orchestral parts to soften the blow from heavy rifts and gut wrenching vocals.
The band seems to work like a well-oiled machine, with each member knowing his own responsibility. Both vocalist Giovanni and drummer Gianluca manage all non-musical issues such as public relations, merchandise, social media, and video maker. Meanwhile, guitarist Omar, bass player Dario, and guitarist Marco are more involved with the musical creative process. However, there are not strict roles as members often confront each other on decisions to truly push the band to be the best that it can be. The actual writing process usually involves someone coming up with an interesting riff or orchestral composition. Everyone begins to construct upon those beginnings with arrangements, drum parts, structure, and guitar chords. Only after the melody is carefully constructed does Giovanni begin writing the lyrics, and after that, is more rearrangement to tailor the song to fit the vocals properly.
There seems to be a common theme underlying their lyrics wherein there is this sense of incessant struggle and strife that a human endures against his or her own ghosts, weaknesses, and sickness. This theme is not completely forthcoming as the band utilizes mesmerizing and thought provoking metaphors to relay such a universal theme. The complexity of such metaphors as a crooked path for the wanderer to explore the inner self can be aligned with the audience exploring his or herself through listening to this band’s songs.
Over the next few months, the band plans to play various shows throughout Italy and hopes to continue promoting their songs through the internet to an international audience. If you would like to learn more about My Aim to Farewell, please follow them on Facebook and check out their Youtube page.
