Italian blackened post-punk outfit Ponte Del Diavolo continue to evolve their dark, ritualistic sound with the arrival of their sophomore album, De Venom Natura. Emerging from Turin’s underground, the band has crafted a unique identity defined by their dual-bass attack, drawing on influences from doom, black metal, and post-punk. Now that the new record explores themes of nature as both seduction and poison, bassist Kratom has teamed up with Metal Insider to offer a deeper behind-the-scenes look at the album with a track-by-track breakdown. De Venom Natura is now available via Season of Mist. Order the record at this location.
Every Tongue Has its Thorns
Musically, this track fully embodies the Ponte del Diavolo sound: blast beats and the most occult side of doom, Lucynine’s theremin adds an extra epic vibe to it . The song focuses on the weight of words — how language can shape thought and even alter the form of things. This idea is emphasized by a chorus made up of multiple voices chanting in unison the slogan: “Every tongue has its thorns.”
Lunga vita alla Necrosi
This is probably the shortest song we’ve ever written, and it’s also the first track to feature our new bassist, Kratom, as a songwriter. The song leans heavily into post-punk and Italian hardcore, with strong ’90s black metal influences, while Erba del Diavolo’s vocals create a striking contrast. Lunga vita alla Necrosi celebrates the idea of life thriving within death, humanity’s fear of change, and necrosis and decay as forms of stillness that simultaneously give rise to new forms of existence. It’s about the madness of standing still — and about existence persisting despite immobility.
Spirit, Blood, Poison, Ferment!
This was the first song written for the album and also the first single we chose. Once again, it sits comfortably within the band’s signature style: it opens with black metal elements and closes in doom territory, with a distinctly epic and decadent mood. Francesco Bucci’s trombone enhances this epic feeling and gives the track an ancestral flavor. The song revolves around the idea that Nature, in its broadest sense, is imbued with poison — a double-edged force that is seductive and enchanting, yet toxic and potentially lethal. It is the catalyst for transformation and new life, but also the inevitable bearer of death, in an eternal cycle of life, death, and rebirth.
Il Veleno della Natura
This is the album’s second single and perhaps the track most influenced by dark wave. It’s essentially a mid-tempo song that accelerates in the second half. It opens with Lucynine’s synths, giving it a strong electrowave aftertaste, while the bass is heavily inspired by early The Cure. The track is dedicated to the contagious desire for rebellion and freedom, and to the Devil as a dormant revolutionary force lying within the human being.
Delta 9
This is our tribute to THC. It’s the longest song we’ve ever written and quite different from our usual material — more psychedelic than usual, with synth layers in the background and featuring Vittorio Sabelli on bass clarinet. The song is divided into two acts: the first evokes the intake of a poisonous yet intoxicating substance and the journey through its formula, with the climax marked by a quote from a famous line by a legendary THC-loving band. The second act portrays the plant’s intoxicating and revelatory effects.
Silence Walk With Me
This is the most metal track on the album. It’s deeply rooted in black metal and carries a melancholic, dark, and epic atmosphere. Omega’s vocals (Nubivagant) make the song even more distinctive. It’s a dialogue with Death — a bringer of disillusionment, the abandonment of superstition, and ultimately, a call to silence.
In the Flat Field
We had wanted to cover Bauhaus for quite some time, and since we also closed our previous album with a cover, it felt like the right moment. We gave this legendary song our own interpretation, letting it naturally take the shape of Ponte del Diavolo.
Feature Image Photo Credit: Sergio Bertani
