Alright then, this is the second and final part of my brisk and hopefully pleasant walk throughout vintage Italian hardcore punk music. Since I am afraid many of us are still in lockdown, let's call such compiling endeavours mental artistic journeys that you can still pogo to in your bedroom (or in the bathroom if you do not want your partner to judge you).
If you want to know more about the motivations behind these compilations, I refer you to the first part. Condannato A Sperare (a line from the exquisite last song of the mix), like its twin, aims at illustrating with relevance what made the Italian hardcore wave so special and unique (and, looking with disbelief the insane prices that some 80's specimens can reach, so sought after). You could argue that the Italian sound was the perfect synthesis between US hardcore, British anarchopunk, Bristol noize punk and Discharge-influenced hardcore punk and I guess you would not be wrong. But then, you could also contend that, for all its influences, Italian hardcore was first and foremost its own style and offered a new, rejuvenated aesthetics of punk anger and it is not coincidence if the adjective most commonly associated with Italian hardcore is "furious".
The influence that Italian hardcore currently holds in the DIY hardcore punk scene is difficult to evaluate. While it is undeniably a prestigious and highly qualitative scene in the eyes of serious hardcore lovers and the fact that the genre has been steadily and widely reissued since the mid 2000's points to the existence of a genuine, if limited, interest. However, outside of Italy, it would be far-fetched to claim that 80's Italian hardcore music is a pregnant influence and referential point for contemporary raw hardcore bands, that generally prioritise American, Swedish, Finnish and Japanese worships, with bands like Wretched being a major exception. Rather strange methinks since some Italian hardcore bands utterly correspond to the notion of "raw punk".
Anyway, like Quali Domani Quale Futuro, this compilation has 55 bands and 55 songs in a little above 90 minutes. This should get you through the weekend.
Enjoy!
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