Spiritual Front is a neofolk band from Rome, Italy. Its members describe th… Read Full Bio ↴Spiritual Front is a neofolk band from Rome, Italy. Its members describe their music as "nihilist suicide pop", although elements of neoclassical and rock music are prevalent, along with a recurring experimental feel.

The band began in 1999 as a project fronted by Simone Salvatori (a.k.a. "Hellvis"), a guitarist and singer from Italy, and has since worked extensively with other projects in the same genre of neofolk, along with releasing their own music to the public.

Spiritual Front's so-called "Mafia-Folk" has been in release since 1999, in which time Simone Salvatori, the lyricist and conceptualist behind SF, has been known to create a unique feel within their traditionally folk style. Their most noticeable recurring output is Simone's charismatic playing of the acoustic guitar, along with martial drum beats characteristic of the neofolk genre. Slow and often melancholic vocals (leaning towards dark folk) are often contrasted with cabaret-like, somewhat comedic "swing-singing" and are reminicent of swing revival sound (particularly noticeable in their album Nihilist Cocktails For Calypso Inferno), showing the absolute dichotomy of Salvatori's compositions. Emotional piano chords are also frequently featured, with occasional violin playing and solos.

The use of field recording is also apparent in many of Spiritual Front's albums, often attributing an ambient feel to their work.

Albums
Songs For The Will - (1999)
Nihilist Cocktails for Calypso Inferno - (2001)
Armageddon Gigolò - (2006)
Rotten Roma Casino (2010)

Singles
Twin a Tin Tin Towers - (2002)
No Kisses on the Mouth - (2003)

EPs
Nihilist EP - (2003)

Collaborative Releases
Satyriasis - (2005; with Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio)
Bedtime / Badtime - (2005; with Naevus)

Compilation Albums
Angel of Ashes: a Tribute to Scott Walker - (2006)

The Devourment of the Will
Spiritual Front Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I breathed through your body's vivid light
Inside while I lost my will
My name, cancelled itself in the
Universal space of our experiences.
In matter and anti-matter
Our hopes have been flaked

I will be a docile worm that will twist

'Round God's mercy and your affected charity.
From here on your divine son will mix with me
And strewn with the golden saliva
We will taste the death
And in the death the conquest of the will.
We dragged our weaknesses in religion
In the useless speculation of existence
In every conflict, conflict between
Superb pigs, pigs and dogmas

I'm weak, weak like this tired sun
That deforms and rocks our babylonic path
I will only know how to live in that
Vulgar space between instinct and knowledge.
I won't be anything more,
I won't be anything more
We won't be anything more
I won't be anything more

The will that pulse in the pure chest,
Pure chest of your divine son
Is the blinding echo of earthly humiliation
That revives, revives and revives
I won't be anything more,
I won't be anything more
We won't be anything more
I won't be anything more

Compare me with your memory
With the bitter delusion of the history,
The most intimate and flattering violence
Compare me with your memory
With the bitter delusion of the history
It's the most intimate and flattering violence
Compare me with your memory

With the bitter delusion of the history
It's the most intimate and flattering violence

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Spiritual Front's song The Devourment of the Will depict a sense of surrender to a greater power, be it a person or a higher being. The first stanza describes a loss of will, where the singer is consumed by the experience of being with the other person or being in the presence of a higher power. The second stanza expands on this theme, where the singer accepts their weakness in the face of religion and dogma. The use of the metaphor of a worm twisting around God's mercy and the golden saliva suggests a sense of subservience and a willingness to be consumed by a greater force.

The final stanza explores the idea of memory and how one is remembered after they pass. The singer asks to be compared to the listener's memory, to be remembered as something intimate yet also violent. The use of the adjective "flattering" suggests that the singer is aware of their own fleeting existence and desires to be remembered in a way that is impactful, even if it is not necessarily positive.

Overall, the lyrics of The Devourment of the Will speak to the human desire to surrender oneself to a greater power, be it a person, religion, or higher being. The lyrics suggest a willingness to be consumed and a desire to leave a lasting impression on the world, even if it is not necessarily positive.

Line by Line Meaning

I breathed through your body's vivid light
I was enveloped by your aura, your energy, your essence.

Inside while I lost my will
In that moment, my sense of self and free will were surrendered and consumed by your presence.

My name, cancelled itself in the Universal space of our experiences.
My identity became subsumed by the shared, universal space between us.

In matter and anti-matter, Our hopes have been flaked
The very fabric of our being, our intentions, our aspirations have been fragmented and worn down.

I will be a docile worm that will twist 'Round God's mercy and your affected charity.
I am willing to submit myself completely to a higher power, to your generosity and kindness.

From here on your divine son will mix with me And strewn with the golden saliva We will taste the death And in the death the conquest of the will.
Our union will bring me closer to the divine and we will experience the transformation that comes with death and the release of our earthly wills.

We dragged our weaknesses in religion In the useless speculation of existence In every conflict, conflict between Superb pigs, pigs and dogmas
Our collective struggles and weaknesses are intertwined with religion, the futility of trying to understand our existence, and the conflicts between different beliefs and doctrines.

I'm weak, weak like this tired sun That deforms and rocks our babylonic path I will only know how to live in that Vulgar space between instinct and knowledge.
I am exhausted and directionless, wandering between the primal and the intellectual, unable to fully exist in either space.

I won't be anything more, We won't be anything more, I won't be anything more
I recognize my limitations and am resigned, accepting that things will not progress beyond their current state.

The will that pulse in the pure chest, Pure chest of your divine son Is the blinding echo of earthly humiliation That revives, revives and revives
The divine will within your son is a constant reminder of the pain and suffering of humanity and the need to keep striving for transcendence.

Compare me with your memory With the bitter delusion of the history, The most intimate and flattering violence Compare me with your memory With the bitter delusion of the history It's the most intimate and flattering violence Compare me with your memory With the bitter delusion of the history It's the most intimate and flattering violence
Measure me against your recollections, even if they are painful, for it is a reminder that I am intimately intertwined with your experiences and your own struggles.

Writer(s): Simone Salvatori

Contributed by Elliot P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS