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Spiritual Front is a five-part neofolk act from
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
. Its members describe their music as "
nihilist Nihilism (; ) is a philosophy, or family of views within philosophy, that rejects generally accepted or fundamental aspects of human existence, such as objective truth, knowledge, morality, values, or meaning. The term was popularized by Ivan ...
suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...
pop", although elements of neoclassical and rock music, melancholic folk, as well as tango are prevalent, along with a recurring experimental feel. From dark, wailing experimental folk in the beginning, the sound began to transform and grow, to where it is now compared to the work of Nick Cave, Swans, and Scott Walker. The group's work has been described as crossing a wide variety of genres and musical styles or traditions, and the band itself is considered highly unique among the modern neofolk and
post-industrial In sociology, the post-industrial society is the stage of society's development when the service sector generates more wealth than the manufacturing sector of the economy. The term was originated by Alain Touraine and is closely related to s ...
scenes in Europe. The ingenuity and constructiveness of Spiritual Front's songs have gained them somewhat of a
cult following A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...
since their formation in the late 1990s. The band originated in 1999 as a project fronted by Simone "Hellvis" Salvatori, a guitarist and singer from Italy. They have since worked extensively — both solo and with several other projects— on their musical output. The group has performed subsequent tours throughout
Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
, eastern Europe and South America. Their song, ''The Gift of Life'', appeared on the
original score A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film. The score comprises a number of orchestral, instrumental, or choral pieces called cues, which are timed to begin and end at specific points during the film in order to e ...
of the American slasher film ''
Saw II ''Saw II'' is a 2005 horror film directed by Darren Lynn Bousman and written by Leigh Whannell and Bousman. It is the sequel to 2004's ''Saw'' and the second installment in the ''Saw'' film series. The film stars Donnie Wahlberg, Franky G, Gl ...
''. ''Jesus died in Las Vegas'' appeared in the American television series ''
Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
''. Their music is also frequently used for theater pieces, modern ballets and shorts. The group is invited regularly to national and international radio interviews with their work being transmitted across the world (Tattoo magazines, Alternative Culture, Fashion, etc.)


Musical style

Someone describes Spiritual Front's music "Mafia-Folk" because of their Italian roots. Simone Salvatori, the lyricist and conceptualist behind the band, has been known to create a unique feel within their traditionally folk style. Their most noticeable recurring output is Simone's charismatic playing of the acoustic guitar,Spiritual Front on Last.fm
/ref> along with
martial Marcus Valerius Martialis (known in English as Martial ; March, between 38 and 41 AD – between 102 and 104 AD) was a Roman poet from Hispania (modern Spain) best known for his twelve books of ''Epigrams'', published in Rome between AD 86 and ...
drum beats characteristic of the neofolk
genre Genre () is any form or type of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially-agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other for ...
, art rock and new wave influences and heavily decadent musical styles. Slow, dissonant and often melancholic vocals are often contrasted with cabaret-like, somewhat comedic pieces reminiscent of
swing revival The swing revival, also called retro swing and neo-swing, was a renewed interest in swing music, beginning around 1989 and reaching a peak from the early/mid to late 1990s. The music was generally rooted in the big bands of the swing era of the ...
and
neotango Neotango is a distinct genre of tango which goes beyond it both in music and in dance. It is a global movement in which the music includes tracks from all over the world, instrumental and vocal, distinct from the tango in that it includes only mod ...
sound, bringing on a vast dichotomy in the musical output of the band. Emotional piano chords are also frequently featured, with occasional
violin The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...
playing and solos as well as the utilization of a number of different instruments including
synthesizer A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and ...
s,
lute A lute ( or ) is any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back enclosing a hollow cavity, usually with a sound hole or opening in the body. It may be either fretted or unfretted. More specifically, the term "lute" can ref ...
s and
pipe organ The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air (called ''wind'') through the organ pipes selected from a keyboard. Because each pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ''ranks ...
s. Over time the group's style has constantly and quickly changed: beginning with the dark ballads of the earliest years after their formation (as is present in such works as ''Song for the Will'' and ''Nihilist Cocktails for Calypso Inferno''), through the more refined sentimental
dark folk Neofolk, also known as apocalyptic folk, is a form of experimental music blending elements of folk and industrial music, which emerged in punk rock circles in the 1980s. Neofolk may either be solely acoustic or combine acoustic folk instrumenta ...
with the E.P. ''Satyriasis'' until their latest records such as ''Armageddon Gigolo'' and ''Rotten Roma Casino'' where classical folk and tango influences are evident. (Members of the
Ennio Morricone Ennio Morricone (; 10 November 19286 July 2020) was an Italian composer, orchestrator, conductor, and trumpeter who wrote music in a wide range of styles. With more than 400 scores for cinema and television, as well as more than 100 classica ...
orchestra were involved.) During 2013 the band published two different albums: 'Open wounds' (Trisol records), a double cd collection with their classic songs from the first era (1999-2004)re-mastered and re-arranged plus previously unreleased tracks, and 'Black hearts in black suits' (Rustblade records), a concept album about the German movie director W.R. Fassbinder, the album has been described as neo classical chamber pop music, a mix between Arvo Pärt and Marc Almond.


Themes

The themes of focus in Spiritual Front's music vary and are extensive, though most often seem to be either quite personal or introverted, perhaps to lead singer Salvatori's own life. However lyrics in the group's music tend to be characterized by a type of
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
and rarely
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...
, as well as free-verse type poetic styles influenced by decadent references to various, often obscure subjects. Therefore, there is a tangible difficulty in deciphering the analogies behind the individual songs, and whether or not many of Spiritual Front's albums should be placed as concept works. Themes treated by Simone H. deal with searching for self-identity through turbid and untamed exploration of sexuality, stories of breaking up with anger at bitter sarcasm and irony, always touched with nihilism and biting humor. (However a typical sense of heathenry is not so apparent as in many other neofolk groups such as Of the Wand and the Moon or
Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio (ORE) is a neofolk and martial industrial music group from Stockholm. The band is composed of its founding member and vocalist Tomas Pettersson, and Rose-Marie Larsen, who replaced Chelsea Krook on backup vocals. In 2008 ...
.) Sex, sexual abasement, destructive passions, religion, self-destruction, pornography and frankly lewd topics of
paraphilia Paraphilia (previously known as sexual perversion and sexual deviation) is the experience of intense sexual arousal to atypical objects, situations, fantasies, behaviors, or individuals. It has also been defined as sexual interest in anything ot ...
and
sadomasochism Sadomasochism ( ) is the giving and receiving of pleasure from acts involving the receipt or infliction of pain or humiliation. Practitioners of sadomasochism may seek sexual pleasure from their acts. While the terms sadist and masochist refer ...
are expressed in decadent styles of swing revival and acoustic folk ballads.


Inspirations and lyrical references

Simone Salvatori, who composes the lyrics and much of the music for the band, quotes in a number of songs phrases from literature and film. Several songs draw their inspiration from the controversial Italian
cult film A cult film or cult movie, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a cult following. Cult films are known for their dedicated, passionate fanbase which forms an elaborate subculture, members of which engage ...
'' Salò o le 120 giornate di Sodoma'' (
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
: ''Salò or the 120 Days of Sodom'') by
Pier Paolo Pasolini Pier Paolo Pasolini (; 5 March 1922 – 2 November 1975) was an Italian poet, filmmaker, writer and intellectual who also distinguished himself as a journalist, novelist, translator, playwright, visual artist and actor. He is considered one of ...
. The film is a reinterpretation and pseudo-adaptation of the
Marquis de Sade Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade (; 2 June 1740 – 2 December 1814), was a French nobleman, revolutionary politician, philosopher and writer famous for his literary depictions of a libertine sexuality as well as numerous accusat ...
's ''
120 Days of Sodom ''The 120 Days of Sodom, or the School of Libertinage'' (french: Les 120 Journées de Sodome ou l'école du libertinage, links=no) is an unfinished novel by the French writer and nobleman Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade, written in ...
'' utilizing elements of
Dante's Inferno ''Inferno'' (; Italian for "Hell") is the first part of Italian writer Dante Alighieri's 14th-century epic poem ''Divine Comedy''. It is followed by ''Purgatorio'' and '' Paradiso''. The ''Inferno'' describes Dante's journey through Hell, guid ...
; both the film and the Marquis's work incorporate sexuality coupled by extreme aggression or a " master-slave" archetype. The quotes include: ''"The limit of love is that, of needing always an accomplice,"'' and ''"Nothing is more contagious than sin."'' (featured in the songs ''No Kisses On the Mouth'' and ''Jesus Died in Las Vegas'', respectively.) Other important references are: W.R. Fassbinder, Federico Fellini, João Pedro Rodriguez, Ingmar Bergman, Derek Jarman. The band made tribute with a number of other groups to Pasolini, contributing several songs to the 2009 compilation ''Songs For A Child: A Tribute to Pier Paolo Pasolini''. The title of the song ''My Kingdom For A Horse'' (from the 2006 album ''Armageddon Gigolo'') is taken directly from a famous line in
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
's play ''
Richard III Richard III (2 October 145222 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Battl ...
'': ''"A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse."'' The final track of ''Armageddon Gigolo'', entitled ''Redemption Or Myself'' features a background track playing part of
The Shangri-Las The Shangri-Las were an American pop girl group of the 1960s. Between 1964 and 1966 several hit songs of theirs documented teen tragedies and melodramas. They continue to be known for their hits "Remember (Walking in the Sand)", "Give Him a Gre ...
' ''Give Us Your Blessings''.


Discography


Albums

*''Songs for The Will'' - (1999) *''Nihilist Cocktails for Calypso Inferno'' - (2001) *''Armageddon Gigolo'' - (2006) *''Rotten Roma Casino'' - (2010) *''Open Wounds'' - (2013) *''Black Hearts in Black Suits'' - (2013) *''Amour Braque'' - (2018)


Singles

*''Twin a Tin Tin Towers'' - (2002) *''No Kisses on the Mouth'' - (2003)


EPs

*''Nihilist EP'' - (2003) *''Slave/Cruisin'/Ragged Bed'' - (2007)


Collaborative releases

*''Satyriasis'' - (2005; with
Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio (ORE) is a neofolk and martial industrial music group from Stockholm. The band is composed of its founding member and vocalist Tomas Pettersson, and Rose-Marie Larsen, who replaced Chelsea Krook on backup vocals. In 2008 ...
) *''Bedtime/Badtime'' - (2005; with
Naevus Nevus (plural nevi) is a nonspecific medical term for a visible, circumscribed, chronic lesion of the skin or mucosa. The term originates from ''nævus'', which is Latin for "birthmark"; however, a nevus can be either congenital (present at bir ...
) *''Twin Horses'' - (2014; with
Lydia Lunch Lydia Lunch (born Lydia Anne Koch; June 2, 1959)Martin Charles Strong. ''The Great Indie Discography''. 2003, page 85 is an American singer, poet, writer, actress and self-empowerment speaker. Her career began during the 1970s New York City no ...
)


Compilation albums

*''Angel of Ashes: a Tribute to Scott Walker'' - (2006) *''Songs for a Child: A Tribute to Pier Paolo Pasolini'' - (2009)


External links


Official


Official siteSpiritual Front
on MySpace
Spiritual Front
on
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Other


Spiritual Front at Discogs

Spiritual Front
at
Last.fm Last.fm is a music website founded in the United Kingdom in 2002. Using a music recommender system called "Audioscrobbler", Last.fm builds a detailed profile of each user's musical taste by recording details of the tracks the user listens to, e ...

The Lust Syndicate - Simone's side project at Facebook


References

{{Authority control Italian musical groups Neofolk music groups English-language singers from Italy