Introducing: Gone Feral

Italian band Gone Feral have honed a fascinating metalcore sound that fuses crushing breakdowns and intense vocals with more melodic sections and aggressive and dreamy synths.

The trio, who hail from the city of Reggio Emilia close to Bologna and Milan in northern Italy, started out last year with frontman Ruben Pelli getting bored of playing his guitar on his own in his bedroom. In his words: “You start looking at all the interviews and stories of the big bands from the 80s and their lives on tour and of course as a 15/16-year-old, you’re going to want a piece of that, right?”

He started writing a few riffs while looking for someone to play with and soon found a drummer nearby, who he eventually managed to snatch from his previous band. Said drummer also knew a guitarist and, in Ruben’s words: “I guessed I might as well be the singer, started screaming at the microphone and that was it really.” However, the band has seen people come and go, to the extent that Ruben describes it as being “different from ‘just a band,’ it’s starting to feel a bit more like a collective project of multiple people with me always at the centre.”

And describing the band’s approach, he adds: “Gone Feral is the sonic representation of a troubled mind’s unbeaten path” or some poetic-ish crap like that. It’s definitely loud… and angry… and fast… but I do think we’re good at transporting the listener along WITH us rather than hitting them in the face with a bunch of noise. It’s a ride we all go on together, if that makes sense?”

Our most recent taste of this is their third single Gemini, which was released in June. It opens up with a drum roll that tees up a lively technical guitar section and distant haunting synths. A brief pause is broken by launching into a vicious onslaught of screamed vocals, heavy guitars and bass and driving drums, which drop into a more atmospheric chorus supported by piercing synths. Another wild verse gives way to powerful vocals supported by a disjointed riff and crushing drums, before a rhythmic riff is joined by a piercing guitar solo. Big chugging chords jump in and tee up a chorus to bring the track to a heavy conclusion.

On the track, Ruben told us: “Gemini is probably the ‘purest’ metal song we’ve got: Fat chugs, breakdowns, a guitar solo, epic chorus, no shenanigans. We weren’t even going to put it out as a single at first because of that actually, but for some reason everyone who listened to it kept saying it was their favourite song! so we decided to shoot a music video for it and give it a proper release, and I’m glad we did, it’s been great!

“My brother even came up to me once saying ‘I don’t like that metal crap you usually make but I like this one, and somehow now I appreciate the other ones more too!’ I have no idea how that happens, he doesn’t know either but hey, if it works it works right? So yeah give it a listen, it might surprise you!”

Gemini was preceded by #004, which opens up with a really cool riff supporting Ruben’s intense vocals. The bouncy riff, which we can’t get enough of, continues with driving drums and flows into a lively chorus, before the track concludes with big atmospheric synths supporting heavy vocals. Check it out in the video here:

Both of those tracks follow their debut single Hunting Grounds, which opens up with technical guitars supported by an edgy synth. Vicious vocals take over before dropping back into the lively riff and synths. Halfway through, it drops into a delicious low-tuned riff that suddenly gives way to light guitars and dreamy synths. The drums begin to gather pace as distant screamed vocals come in, setting up a heavy final blast with cries of “This is the cry of the loved ones.” Check it out here:

The Gone Feral sound has been influenced by the likes of Bring Me The Horizon, Architects, While She Sleeps, Thy Art is Murder, Northlane and more, but we very much detect a From Autumn To Ashes vibe to their sound.

And on what influences them to write music, Ruben explains: “To be honest, it’s mostly just things I’ve been through in my life. Writing songs has always kinda been my therapy sessions in a way, so there isn’t a proper overarching concept around the band. It’s more like a collection of emotions or mini-stories I’ve been through, you know stuff like anxiety, relationships, feeling trapped in a world that has seemingly lost its mind, that kind of stuff.”

There’s plenty more to come from Gone Feral, who’ve already got three more songs recorded and just need to figure out how and when they’ll be released. They’re already writing more music, so may be back in the studio next year. And they’ll have gigs around Italy, so keep an eye out for those too.

You can follow Gone Feral on Instagram and TikTok, and check out their music on Spotify, Bandcamp, Apple Music and YouTube. And discover more new Italian bands through their label Hero Agency.