Location: Milan
Country: Italy
Genre: Cinematic noise rock
Full length: No Comply
Format: Digital, CD, vinyl
Label: Supernatural Cat Records
Release date: May 8, 2026
Baratro (named after the Italian word for “abyss”) formed when guitarist/vocalist Federico Hartridge and bassist/vocalist Dave Curran met at a local squat community show. Their ideas from the beginning began at Cox18 in Milan, Italy, what is now called a self-managed social center or an autonomous social center that has been active since 1976. Though temporarily evicted in 1989, Cox18 remains active, featuring a bookstore with rare publications since 1992. The center is also known for hosting live performances, theater productions and community events.
Primo Moroni, who co-managed the bookstore until he passed in 1998, maintained a grounded, reality-based outlook, saying he and his partners "never had any illusions about changing the world through words or through ideology. Only by 'dirtying ourselves' with 'the real' can we understand it and, perhaps, begin to change it."
Through extensive trial-and-error rehearsals, Hartridge and Curran crafted a cinematic synthesis of stoner and doom rock, psychedelia and noise, with punk influences born from their meeting at Cox18 deeply woven into their songwriting. Bennici’s perspective seems to significantly appear in the full body of Baratro’s work; their debut EP “Terms and Conditions,” their full-length “The Sweet Smell of Unrest” and their latest album “No Comply.”
With drummer Luca Antonozzi, the environment where Hartridge and Curran met is always reflected in its rough texture. “No Comply” preserves this rugged feel with no efforts made to soften or diminish it. The addition of Matteo Bennici on cello has further expanded the band’s massive sound. Somewhere between doom, proto-grunge, garage rock, prog rock, and avant-garde classical, “No Comply” possesses characteristics that may feel unfamiliar to fans of those genres.
The tracks evoke pages from Cox18’s history, presented as if you're visiting the place for the first time. Despite its prog, avant-garde, and experimental nature, the album’s substance is deeply begrimed, full of dirt, grit, passion, and urgency. So much so that bands like Sonic Youth, Godflesh, Corrosion of Conformity, and Weedeater would seem almost like easy listening.
This dirtiness provides a solid foundation and serves as a vehicle for the experimentation I've described. The cello and bass lines create intriguing counterpoints throughout "No Comply," while the guitars forcefully drive the material forward, occasionally embellishing with atmosphere and acoustic sections. The vocals sometimes add melody to their tortured screams, enhancing the raw, expressive intensity here.
Moreover, it feels as though Baratro has matured into a cohesive unit. Having started on equal footing, they developed a creative process in which they collaboratively shape the direction of each song, prioritizing the big picture over taking center stage. –Dave Wolff
Lineup:
Dave Curran: Bass, vocals
Federico Hartridge: Guitars, vocals
Matteo Bennici: Cello
Luca Antonozzi: Drums
Additional Musicians:
Vinnie Signorelli: Second drums on Not All There
Gipsy Rufina: Cigar box on Keep' Em Needing
Eugene S. Robinson: Vocals on 120 on 280
Naresh Ran: Noise machines on Dusk Christian
Biscaro: Backing vocals and Moog on No Comply
Track list:
1. Dawn
2. Hold Fast
3. Not All There feat. Vinnie Signorelli
4. Keep 'Em Needing
5. 120 on 280 feat. Eugene Robinson
6. Pick A Side
7. Insidious
8. End Transmission
9. Dusk
10. No Comply
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