Italy’s Arcadia release their third record entitled Cold Cold Bodies, out via Valery Records also from Italy. Usually Italian bands are total crap, but I also reviewed their previous album Fracture Concrete, which made quite a good impression on me. Let’s see what they’re up to now.

 

Arcadia plays a style of metal that is hard to pinpoint. They themselves have decided to call it bastard core. Sure there are the obvious influences of bands like Fear Factory, Meshuggah and Strapping Young Lad, but I also hear a deep-rooted nu-metal background in it. This is caused by weird experimental passages which bands like Korn tend to do. Also the vocals really give a nu-metal feel. But the rhythmic parts are more thought through and lift the album to a higher level.

 

What I would say is that the band should aim more at a brutal direction and leave the emo parts out. The clean vocals don’t sound nice anyway. For the rest I still think it is kind of fun to listen to, especially because in every song there is something you totally don’t expect (which makes the whole album also a bit disconnected). Surprising, yet not totally convincing.

Still I am curious to how this band befalls me live. And therefore it is cool to know that in July they’ll play here in Holland, and my band opens for one of the dates (in Eindhoven). I’ll soon find out whether Arcadia is on the right path or if it’s just another Italian flop.