Friends, Romans, unhinged Twitter stan accounts, how are we feeling about our current era of Måneskin Mania? 2021’s Eurovision Song Contest victors have gone on to become the most internationally beloved Eurovision alumni in recent memory. They’re young firebrands aiming to revive the spirit of good ol’ fashioned rock ‘n’ roll, with over 5 million Instagram followers gleefully coming along for the ride. But do they have the songs to back up the hype? (I mean, the short answer’s yes, but indulge me for a second!)
Most fans started following the Måneskin story right at their artistic peak, but the band have definitely undergone a glow-up since their days of doing alt-rock-adjacent covers on albums like ‘Chosen’ in 2017. However, with the release of their platinum-selling album ‘Teatro D’Ira’, it’s clear that the band have settled into not only a distinctive aesthetic but a sonic identity that truly lets them thrive. This consistent Måneskin sound is a vibrant blend of classic-rock riffs, vampy emo-flavoured lyrics, and vicious spoken word performances by frontman Damiano David.
One of Måneskin’s key draws is undeniably their charisma. They carry themselves with the confidence and conviction of any rock great, and it makes their performances on tracks so much more believable. They’re not exactly reinventing the wheel, but their music and image definitely capture a hedonistic spirit that people can’t seem to get enough of. Without this conviction, retro-sounding songs like ‘Zitti E Buoni’ and ‘In Nome Del Padre’ could feel gimmicky rather than the genuine anthems they are. The former track is a rallying cry for the perpetual underdogs, but it’s the latter track that really shows off the band’s ability to write headbangers. Specifically, Thomas Raggi and Vic De Angelis’ guitar and bass work respectively bolster the track to new heights.
The same could be said of another album highlight, ‘Lividi Sui Gomiti’, which features the best buildup on the entire record. The pre-chorus at the end builds to a fierce double-time section; the drums crash, the guitars sear, and David’s vocal snarls just add to the hype. Can’t you just envision the band whipping up the anticipation of a pit while blasting those riffs? There seems to be a little more of a heavier edge to their Italian-language tracks; while ‘For Your Love’ has found a great deal of popularity online, for instance, it doesn’t pack quite the same punch as many songs outside of the English language.
‘I Wanna Be Your Slave’ is a bit of an exception to this rule and is a justified fan favourite. Accompanied by a video that perfectly blends silliness and sultriness, the track showcases Måneskin’s attitude that this whole rock ‘n’ roll thing should be fun and free above all else. This attitude is what keeps Måneskin’s most successful album to date feeling fresh, even when borrowing influences from a plethora of strange places.