Naming themselves after the turn-of-the-century Austrian painter Gustav Klimt (1862-1918), the oddly named Klimt 1918 create lush, gray atmospheres that swirl around you like your cigarette smoke as you sit alone in the dark drinking and smoking until you pass out. These Italians write some of the best melodies I've ever heard. Beautiful, deep, melancholic, and, dare I say, darkly romantic. Klimt 1918 resides somewhere in the same well of sounds that you would expect for 'suicide rock' bands like Katatonia, Thine, and mid-era Anathema in that they are all dark, depressive rock that borrows heavily from metal. What makes Klimt 1918 stand out, is that they take that suicide rock sound and blend into it the genuine darkness of 70's death rockers like the Cure; the maturity, creativity, and accessibility of early 80's bands like the Police or U2; and mix it all with just the slightest hint of new wave. "Undressed Momento" does so many things right, that it's just scary.
The songwriting is simply excellent. It's not just that they come up with beautiful, memorable melodies, it's that they know how to use them. Yes, they can be fairly heavy, but they don't always try to be heavy. Those fantastic melodies need some room to breathe, after all. Sometimes, the songs call for quieter moments to make the heavier parts stand out. But then, the metal in their blood always seems to show through in every song. It's not just the guitar tones or the flagrantly brutal closing track that show their metal roots; it's also the liberal, but perfect, use of double bass drumming. The drums themselves sound triggered, which might seem a little odd for this type of music, but I think it works well. Really, the production as a whole is simply perfect for their sound.
But I think the real star here is the incredible voice of singer/lead guitarist Marco Soellner. To put it simply, he has the most beautiful voice of any male singer I've ever heard. Don't get me started on what it does to me when I hear him sing in Italian on the first half of "We don't need no music". Wow. I realize that it might sound a bit odd to hear a perfectly heterosexual guy talking that way about another guy, but it's true. And when you take into account that he also wrote all of the music himself, it's just too much. I admit it. I'm attracted to him. Seriously, I want to have sex with him. I'm not even slightly gay, but I would totally do him if I ever got the chance.
So there you have it. I never would have expected to be so blown away by an unknown Italian rock band with such an enigmatic moniker. Not only did Klimt 1918 earn my only perfect ten for the year 2003 with "Undressed Momento", but this band also makes me question my sexuality. How many bands can put that on their resume? I can't say it enough: if you like suicide rock, this is simply one of the best bands in that genre. Any fan of dark rock or goth of any kind needs to get "Undressed Momento". It might be hard to find, but it's worth it.