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Pleonexia: Break All Chains

Melodic Heavy Metal (NWoBHM)

3.5/5.0

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Pure Underground Records
by Craig Hartranft,  08.01.2014

Beginning with a somewhat cumbersome band name, Italy's Pleonexia arrives with their debut album, Break All Chains, on Germany's Pure Underground Records. While difficult to pronounce, the band name has some meaning. Found in the writings of Aristotle, Plato, and the New Testament, 'pleonexia' basically means 'greed' or 'avarice' or, as Wikipedia adds, "the insatiable desire to have what rightfully belongs to others." Then, band founder and vocalist, Michele Da Pila, calls their music 'philosophical' metal. Considering the sense of word, Pleonexia is off to a dubious moral start. But I digress.

Pleonexia: coming to steal from you.

Moving on to the music, so what does Pleonexia sound like? Best answer: early to mid-Eighties melodic hard rock and metal, more akin to the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Actually, I'd say this exactly what they sound like. Pleonexia has the strength of twin guitar leads and Da Pila's skillful and varied vocal style.

The production and mix has crisp, nearly stripped down, feel to it, but not as gritty as garage or punk rock. This allows something like the bass line to rise, yet also makes the drums, especially the cymbals, sound tinny at times. But the mix evokes something else. Your ears get this odd feeling that your listening to vinyl LP rather than a digital download, and that's rather retro.

As to the whole 'philosophical' metal thingy, I guess songs like Pleonexia, Use Your Mind, and We Just Want More, may speak to this. But without the lyrics, it's hard to distinguish with Da Pila's singing. But, musically, with Everything You Said and Iron Will, they're also some of the best tunes here. So, passing over the 'philosophical' metal oddness, for classic melodic heavy metal in the NWoBHM tradition, Pleonexia does a fine job. Recommended.

Pleonexia - Break All Chains

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Italy's Pleonexia arrives with their debut album, Break All Chains, essentially a throw back to classic melodic heavy metal in the NWoBHM tradition.

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