La Quiete - La fine non è la fine
2004 LP (Gasping For Breath Records)
La Quiete are a screamo band from Forli, Italy who formed in 2000. They are still together and occasionally play shows (they're touring Europe with pg.99 this year!), but they have not released any new music in over 15 years. Throughout their active period, they released numerous EPs, including splits with the likes of the Apoplexy Twist Orchestra, Louise Cyphre, the Pine, and a few more. They also had a few compilation appearances, including one on the amazing The Microwave Says to the Pacemaker, in which they share a bill with other incredible bands such as Kodan Armada, The Death of Anna Karina, and Die, Emperor! Die!. In 2004, they released their lone full-length, La fine non e la fine, or The end is not the end, with physical releases in Germany, Italy, and Australia. The Italian and German CD and 10" pressings respectively have different (well, the original) cover art, while the Australian LP release (my copy) has this leaf cover, along with subsequent reissues in the years after following suit.
Like I mentioned with Suis la Lune in my previous post, La Quiete are another band that very easily fall into the category of screamo royalty. Throughout all of their releases, they stayed incredibly consistent, and this release is no different. This LP is my favorite thing they ever put out, and for good reason. Clocking in at just over 20 minutes, La fine non e la delivers 9 tracks of blistering, chaotic screamo that never slows down. Their sound can be comparable at times to many "emoviolence" bands such as Ampere and Blind Girls. This record contains some of the most epic riffs ever put to tape for a screamo album, while at the same time polishing the same light production style and melodicism that typically goes along with European screamo of this era, such as the previously mentioned Suis la Lune, and with Raein, another hugely influential Italian screamo band of the same era. In particular, the title track- which sits as the last track and takes up nearly a fourth of the entire record's runtime- is a beautiful arrangement of screamo mixed with post-rock. It begins with a burst of aggression, goes into the typical emoviolence sound with one of the best riffs in the history of the genre, then ends with some beautiful ambient guitar layering. In my opinion, La Quiete on this record perfected the screamo formula. They let every instrument shine in its own way, including the bass which (despite my personal bias) is an essential part of this record, and at times sounds like a chainsaw cutting through the mix. The tone of the guitars is on point, and you can tell that every member of the band was truly giving it their all. The drumming is on point, and the vocals are as strained and passionate as one would expect. This was another one of the first screamo bands I ever listened to, so this record is very important in my personal understanding of the genre. Absolutely essential.
P.S.: The amazing Persistent Vision Records, who also released the Saetia discography 2xLP, are reissuing this album this year. Due in April, the reissue uses the leaf art present on my copy, and is being pressed on CD, tape, and three beautiful color vinyl variants. It's being remastered by Will Killingsworth of Orchid and Ampere, so you know it's gonna sound amazing. Despite having this copy already, I may still pick up another. Check it out.
P.P.S.: I've included a free download to a CD rip of the album that I've had sitting around on my harddrive, along with some old videos of them playing. Please enjoy and share. <3
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