MEMENTO WALTZ – Division By Zero

Ingenuity and insanity are close relatives. Memento Waltz are living proof of that, and one that has been made sound. The album Division By Zero is a follow-up for two EPs and is the first full length album in the fourteen years of existence of this Italian band and it certainly does not go easy on the audience.

Seven tracks, each one more complex and demanding then the last, make up about forty minutes of a mélange of Progressive Metal and Thrash that has not been heard since Spiral Architect’s brilliant album A Sceptic’s Universe, and that is also the only point of reference that does Memento Waltz justice. Watchtower would also come to mind, but the Italians have more Jazz-influences and an apparent dislike of catchy choruses.

Instead, they require the listener to make their way through several spins in order to discover the fascination of “Omicron” and its brethren, to understand the breaks and instrumental interludes, to be engulfed in the crazy world of Memento Waltz. But, once one does, a new world opens up and chaos becomes form. It is certainly not easy listening, but Division By Zero is one of the albums which will still be in your player during the years to come. The highest score is only barely missed because the prior object of reference, A Sceptic’s Universe, is still a tiny little bit better.