Assalti Frontali — Terra di nessuno

Assalti Frontali is a group son of the Onda Rossa Posse collective, from the outskirts of Rome, Italy. Born in 1990, it's one of the first collectives in the country and releases one of the first Italian hip-hop EPs, "Batti il tuo tempo". This is followed by the single "Baghdad 1.9.9.1.", released under the name «Uniti contro la guerra», then the collective dissolves and two groups are born: Assalti Frontali, led by the leader Militant A, and the AK47, led by the leader Castro X. The collective of Militant A, in 1992, released one of the first Italian hip-hop LP, and it's a critical success: the group is composed of Militant A, Castro X, NCOT, 00199, Cheeky P, Forze Grafiche, Pennex, PRRP San Sante and Brutopop, the latter being the producer.

After the intro, comes a cut delivered with a hardcore style on crossover rockin rhythm: technically the performers are amateurs, they often go out of time and don't follow the rhythm even by mistake, the only noteworthy here is the guest Lou X, affiliated with the group, who spits a deeply hardcore and tense verse and delivers the best performance on the record. The title track has a simple dark rhythm, with tight syncopated skinny drum and an almost whispered, spoken delivery.

This is followed by a female track, "00199", which recalls the name of the group of girls that are part of the collective: they deliver with a spoken-whispered style on a rather simple music. Skit, then another simple beat, these dudes seem to deliver hardcore bars but go slow, deliver slowly with a style that puts you to sleep. "Mai solo per il mondo" has one of the best beats of the tape, simple and funky, but the delivery here is resigned. It follows "Dobbiamo esserci" (lost in the title track of this site), funky simple rhythm and sleepy spoken delivery.

Skit, later "Una storia infinita", has a decent funky production, but the delivery leaves something to be desired. Two skits in a row launch you towards the end of the disc: there's "Baghdad 1.9.9.1", residue of the aforementioned single from the year before, funky rhythm with spoken delivery, followed by a three-minute long spoken skit interpreted by the terrorist Sante Notarnicola, closes "Gocce di sole", last funky beat of the LP with a tight drum machine and a slow syncopated delivery, among the few in rapping.

Overall, the record isn't very far from "Paname City Rappin'", the first album of French rap: these guys try to do something they can't do and that they should let the Americans do. In these particularly boring and forgettable forty long minutes, there are hardcore bars, there are political bars, there's a lot of braggadocio and some anti-fascist lines, but it's all carried in a sleepy style, never energetic, never convinced, never decided, the lyrics are deeply unfinished and irregular, almost as if they don't really mean what they want to say, they never carry it to the bottom. This delivery is bordering on ridiculous, while Brutopop's chosen music is deeply crossover, therefore distant from pure hip-hop.

Rating: 6/10.