Review: IxGOTxI-Parola del Grande Goto

Every man for himself, ixGotxi are back!

”The Goths are back!”
”Terror and devastation are coming!”
Nah, don’t worry, no barbarian invasion this time, and the only devastation you’re going to witness is the one of your liver.
For those who don’t know, I Goti (”The Goths”, but also ”the glasses” in Venetian dialect) are a punk band from Vicenza, and this year they published their second album, ”Parola del Grande Goto” (”The word of The Great Goth”).
With a huge passion for alcoholic beverages (and songs) and an aversion for people who don’t drink, nazis and cops, I Goti serve us a cocktail of Italian and Dialect, mixed with a squeeze of English on an old school punk rock tray.
Alcohol is the leitmotiv of the whole record (they’re from Veneto, what did you expect?), but there are also songs of social and political criticism: religious fanatism, the boring and stuck-up bourgeoisie and the Lega (an Italian far-right political party, particularly deep-rooted in Veneto) and the hypocrisy of its leaders and supporters.
The linguistic mix works fine, it’s funny and biting and not so incomprehensible for those who are not used to dialect.
The lyrics are both ironic and self-deprecating, and even the ”conscious” songs maintain the light-hearted and defiant tone that characterizes the whole record. A particular mention for the choruses: some of them are incredibly spot-on, and it’s hard not to sing them along at the first listening.
Goti’s music is old-style punk rock, tight and well played, not really accustomed to modern punk cliches.
The songs just fly away smoothly, and in the blink of an eye, you’ll find yourself at the end of the album, desperately wanting to listen to it again, this time maybe with a fresh beer or a glass of wine.
So don’t hesitate and let yourself be taken along this voyage through the ancient Venetian traditions (drinking all day long), in a sort of shock therapy for sober and right-thinking people.
Just forget fancy dinners and jogging on Sunday morning (does Sunday morning really exist?), and become a diversely teetotal yourself!