‘It’s therapeutic in a way that not many metal albums manage to be, offering a bit of clarity or at least acceptance of the unknown.‘
Release date: October 28, 2014 | Prosthetic Records | Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram | Website
Dissonant death metal isn’t the easiest genre to pull off without a hitch. You have to meticulously balance out the heavy-hitting impact and cavernous ambiance to full effect, otherwise your sound may just fizzle out in comparison to the bands that set the standards in this realm. Italian band Nero di Marte managed to ace the assignment, especially on their sophomore release Derivae, which sounds like a malignant vortex pulling you deeper and deeper.
Toni Meese
Nero di Marte‘s Derivae is one of those rare, incredible gems in the metal world that’ll have you scratching your head in disbelief, wondering, ‘How is this band not huge?‘ Released in 2014 as the Italian band’s second full-length album, Derivae is an absolute game-changer. It dives deep into murky, atmospheric territory, blending post-metal and prog with a hefty dose of existential dread. For fans of brooding soundscapes and jaw-dropping musicianship, this album is an experience in itself, offering a cinematic, almost philosophical journey that’s haunting and thought-provoking in equal measure.
Derivae is a lot more than just heavy. Oh yes, there are walls of sound and chugging guitars, but this isn’t the kind of heavy that slaps you over the head and leaves you dazed. Instead, it’s a slow-burn album that will draw you in, keep you on the edge of your seat, and leave you feeling like you’ve traveled somewhere deep and dark by the end. And that’s exactly what makes Derivae such a special release for Nero di Marte. They’re not interested in showing off with flashy solos or how many BPM they can hit. Instead, they take their time, letting each track breathe and stretch, focusing on mood and texture more than technical wizardry (though they’ve got that down too). The result is a hauntingly beautiful, immersive experience that feels more like a journey than a collection of songs.
What makes Derivae particularly special is how it balances aggression with atmosphere. Take a song like “Simulacra” – it starts with eerie dissonant chords and spacious drumming, creating this unsettling vibe that just lingers. Then, when the heaviness hits, it feels earned. These guys are masters of building tension and releasing it at just the right moment, and that’s part of what makes them so underrated in the metal scene. They’ve got the chops to go head-to-head with the technical elites, but they choose to go down a path that’s less about flash and more about, well, feeling.
If you’re in the mood to ponder life’s biggest questions, Derivae is your soundtrack. The album dives into some pretty heavy existential themes, touching on ideas of searching, uncertainty, and the darkness we all wrestle with at some point or another. The lyrics are poetic and cryptic enough to leave a lot open to interpretation, but they convey that universal struggle with feeling lost or overwhelmed. Listening to Derivae is almost like staring into a vast, cosmic void and letting the music take you wherever it wants. It’s introspective, dark, and somehow comforting, as if Nero di Marte is saying, ‘Yeah, it’s a chaotic mess, but we’re right here with you.‘
And that’s where Derivae really connects on a deeper level: it taps into that universal, sometimes unsettling experience of not quite knowing where you’re headed. By the end of the album, it’s almost as if you’ve gone through some kind of emotional purging. It’s therapeutic in a way that not many metal albums manage to be, offering a bit of clarity or at least acceptance of the unknown.
Now, let’s get real here. For all their talent and originality, Nero di Marte remains criminally underappreciated in the metal world. This band should be on prog metal fans’ radar right next to giants like Gojira, Opeth, or Cult of Luna. But they’re often overlooked, which is a shame, considering they offer a sound that’s both innovative and relatable. There are a few reasons for their underrated status. For starters, Nero di Marte doesn’t really fit into one neat genre box. They’re kind of too heavy for a lot of prog fans and maybe too abstract for the straight-up metalheads. They fall somewhere in that glorious no-man’s-land of post-metal and avant-garde, where they’re free to experiment but might slip under the radar for casual listeners.
Then, of course, there’s the Italian metal scene factor. Italy has some killer bands, but it’s not exactly known as a metal powerhouse compared to, say, the UK or the US. It’s unfortunate, really, because it means brilliant acts like Nero di Marte often get less attention than they deserve. And if you’re the kind of person who enjoys finding underrated bands before they blow up, Derivae is one of those albums you’ll want to brag about discovering first.
In the years since its release, Derivae has built a solid reputation among metal fans who are into the atmospheric, experimental side of the genre. The album paved the way for Nero di Marte to be recognized by a niche audience of fans who appreciate music that’s less about immediate gratification and more about diving deep. Their influence on other experimental bands is subtle but notable, especially among acts that prioritize building a vibe over fitting into genre expectations. They’re the kind of band that opens doors for listeners to explore more of what metal can be – something emotional, exploratory, and boundary-pushing.
To this day, Derivae feels like a kind of hidden treasure that only those who actively seek out the unknown will find. It’s the kind of album that keeps giving, offering new details and layers with each listen. And it’s that level of depth and care that makes Nero di Marte worth following, even if the mainstream metal scene hasn’t quite caught on yet.
So here’s the deal: Derivae is one of those albums that deserves a place on any self-respecting metalhead’s shelf. It’s moody, intricate, and heavy in a way that feels less like an attack and more like a deep conversation. It’s also a reminder of how much depth there is in metal when artists choose to prioritize feeling over flash. Nero di Marte may not be a household name in metal yet, but albums like Derivae prove they have what it takes to leave a lasting impact.
If you haven’t given Nero di Marte a listen, now’s the time to dive into Derivae. Just be prepared to leave the album feeling like you’ve been somewhere and come back changed. And hey, when they finally do blow up, you can say you were there first.
Eeli Helin
There are a few things in life you’d wish to experience for the first time every time you, well, experience it. For example with music in mind, ever so often you recommend something to someone and feel a bit jealous about the fact that they are yet to discover something significant and near-life altering that you’re already aware of. One such thing for me, is the Italian avant-garde metal act Nero di Marte, and specifically their second album, Derivae.
Recent ASIRs have hit home with me often due to us featuring many albums that bear a significance to me, and Derivae is probably at the top of that pile. I was unemployed and on the edge of my sanity, and spent the day band-surfing online, as one does, and came across Nero di Marte and their recently released monolith of an album. With absolutely no prior knowledge of their existence, nothing could’ve prepared me for the trip I’m embarking on still to this day as far as music and musicality is concerned. The way Derivae turned out to shape my own tastes and artistic perimeters is unfathomable even to myself, and even more difficult to try to put into sensible words.
Forward-thinking, unrestrained, experimental, holistic, and artistically indomitable would be but a few characterising adjectives for Nero di Marte and their output, all of which are quite prevalent on Derivae, already from the first seconds of the opening track ”L’eclisse” onward. Uniting absolutely mind-boggling compositions with pristine production and precise instrumental craftmanship while exploring the sonic concoction of death/post-metal and classical, in such ways that makes even the most hardened whatever diehard enthusiast quite soft in the end. After all, there’s only so much you can do about the absolute aural tidal wave washing over you.
One of Derivae’s (and Nero di Marte’s overall) strongest angles lies in its dynamics – melting together ravaging fast pummeling with soft and fragile passages seamlessly has never felt so effortless as it does here, and the ensuing emotional depth is so uncanny it’s near laughable, and makes me smirk like an idiot every time. Take the mentioned opener, ”Dite”, ”Il Diluvio”, or ”Those Who Leave” as perfect examples of just how towering yet close the band can appear at the same time.
While Nero di Marte‘s latest effort Immoto just might be my favourite album of all time (here’s why), Derivae holds a certain kind of special place in my heart for other reasons. I was able to see the band live for the first time a while back as well, and hearing some of my favourite music in all of existence come alive – emphasizing on Derivae’s material – was something inexplicable. Here’s to hoping more people will find their way to Nero di Marte’s lap for the first time thanks to this feature. I envy all of you who do.
