Deeper Secrets by Acacia: A Hidden Gem of '90s Italian Metal
Alright, let me just say this—Deeper Secrets by Acacia is one of those albums that sneaks up on you. Released in 1996 under the Underground Symphony label, it’s a wild mashup of Heavy Metal, Prog Rock, and Power Metal straight outta Italy. And yeah, I know what you’re thinking: “Oh great, another prog-heavy metal thing.” But trust me, this ain’t your run-of-the-mill stuff. This album has teeth, heart, and enough twists to keep you hooked.
First off, the lineup here is stacked. You’ve got Franco Scardina belting his lungs out with vocals so raw they feel like sandpaper against your soul. Then there's Mimmo Lo Prete pulling double (or triple?) duty on drums, keys, AND piano—what a beast. The guitar work from Davide Licciardello and Martino Lo Cascio? Insane. Like shredding-through-your-stereo insane. Oh, and Gianni Savelli adding saxophone on two tracks? Totally unexpected but somehow works perfectly.
Now, onto the songs because THAT’S where things get juicy. There are standouts for sure, but two tracks really stuck with me: "Funerals Of State" and "Gibran's Words."
“Funerals Of State” kicks the album off like a punch to the gut. It starts heavy—like whoa-heavy—with riffs that hit hard and don’t let go. Franco’s voice is all over the place, going from growls to these soaring highs that make your chest vibrate. What makes this track unforgettable though isn’t just the technical skill—it’s the emotion. By the time the chorus hits, you can practically feel the weight of whatever funeral they’re singing about. It’s dark, brooding, and kinda beautiful in its own messed-up way.
Then there’s “Gibran's Words,” which feels like stepping into a dream. The intro alone, with those haunting keyboards layered over delicate piano, gives me chills every single time. When the saxophone comes in halfway through, it flips the whole vibe. It’s jazzy, weirdly uplifting, and honestly? Kinda magical. I wasn’t expecting sax in a metal album, but holy crap does it work. This song feels like Acacia saying, “Yeah, we can do heavy—but we can also break your heart if we want to.”
The rest of the album keeps the energy high without overstaying its welcome. Tracks like “Behind The Lies” and “Palermo” bring back that crushing heaviness, while others like “Tears Of Life” add layers of melody that stick around long after the music stops. Honestly, it’s impressive how cohesive everything feels despite jumping between styles.
Here’s the kicker though—this album never blew up outside underground circles. Maybe it was too weird, too ahead of its time, or maybe people just didn’t know what to do with an Italian band blending prog complexity with straight-up metal fury. Whatever the reason, Deeper Secrets deserves more love than it got.
So yeah, as I sit here listening to it again, I can’t help but think: What if this album had dropped today? Would TikTok teens be losing their minds over that sax solo in “Gibran's Words”? Or would Spotify algorithms bury it forever? Either way, I’m glad I found it when I did. Because sometimes, the best discoveries come from digging deep—and man, Acacia dug DEEP with this one.
