Italian metal

DMR · Post by **DMR** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 12:14 am

msp wrote:Has anyone mentioned Rhapsody yet?????

No, I was too ashamed to. But what the hell, I'll admit it: I like Symphony of Enchanted Lands. And Elvenking - Heathenreel and Labyrinth - Return to Heaven Denied, too.

metalmaster · Post by **metalmaster** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 3:13 pm

ION BRITTON wrote:
The Erlking wrote:The Long Loud Silence Mini-LP by Astaroth and self-titled ep from Crying Steel are damn good imo!
CRYING STEEL is the definition of average imo. Never understood why some people were praising them. Average songs, average vocals, not very powerful etc

ASTAROTH were slightly better, but again there were dozens of bands that played better than them, what's to recommend about them really?

I love both bands! I think i would add Flight Charm and Shinning Blade

The Erlking · Post by **The Erlking** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 3:31 pm

Shining Blade demos are quite cool

Sgt. Kuntz · Post by **Sgt. Kuntz** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 8:03 pm

MOON OF STEEL should be not left out, some nice tunes on their album "Passions". The female singer sounds quite american, in a positive sense. Almost like an Italian cousin of Geoff Tate.

I can't say anything about their comeback album, though.

Khnud · Post by **Khnud** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 8:30 pm

Did any Italian 80's bands actually sing in Italian? It occurred to me that most early French metal bands had French lyrics, same thing with Spanish bands. But Italian bands all seem to sing in (sometimes horribly bad) English. How come? Is Italian a bad language for metallic lyrics? I know it works for cheesy ballads...

Post by **DaN** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 9:25 pm

ION BRITTON wrote:I'm afraid i cannot recommend anything from average bands like CRYING STEEL, STEEL CROWN, ASTAROTH or HALLOWED. Especially HALLOWED's album which is really a piece of shit.

Pretty dead-on I'd say. Not that those bands suck superaidsinfested spermwhalecock or anything, but they're definitely overrated and far from the first ones I'd recommend. REX INFERNI and TOMBSTONE could also be added.

..but let's get back to the praisin'! FELINE MELIDA did a _superb_ Speed Metal album with their one & only "The Felines Await You" MLP. Now uploading this seldom mentioned gem.

UNREAL TERROR's debut mini is essential listening - VERY nwobhm-sounding, but their full-length was a letdown I'm afraid.

REVENGE - Hot Zone MLP 84 is a new GREAT discovery of mine. Just bloody hard, mean & solid HM, quite similar to the cultified GUNFIRE though possibly even better.

..and out of STRANA OFFICINA's discography the "Ritual" MLP is the one you really need. Top-notch Maiden'y stüff.

ION BRITTON · Post by **ION BRITTON** » Sat Mar 21, 2009 8:51 am

DaN wrote:REX INFERNI could also be added

I agree, but that goes only for the debut, the other one they put out some years ago is far better.

..and out of STRANA OFFICINA's discography the "Ritual" MLP is the one you really need. Top-notch Maiden'y stüff.

Actually, this is on my TOP-5 of italian steel. Awesome stuff.

omen of hate · Post by **omen of hate** » Sat Mar 21, 2009 11:05 am

Khnud wrote:Did any Italian 80's bands actually sing in Italian? It occurred to me that most early French metal bands had French lyrics, same thing with Spanish bands. But Italian bands all seem to sing in (sometimes horribly bad) English. How come? Is Italian a bad language for metallic lyrics? I know it works for cheesy ballads...

There are only a few Italian bands that sing in Italian, RISING POWER and TOSSIC have recorded an album in Italian. STRANA OFFICINA first demo and EP are in Italian language too.
The only other bands I know have only released demos : CROTALO, ACIDO, ARPIA, ALTER EGO, ...

mckagan · Post by **mckagan** » Sat Mar 21, 2009 1:39 pm

I know lot of band from Italy
but my favorites is:
Crying Steel '87 (perfect speed metal with some ballads)
Axtion 90/95 - super! Meloci Hard Rock/Heavy metal with heavy riffs
........and Elektradrive 86-93

metalmaster · Post by **metalmaster** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 4:40 pm

I'm not sure if someone already mentioned the dark side of Italian metal: Death SS, Paul Chain, Black Hole, Sacrilegio, The Black, Requiem, even Mortuary Drape

mega_lodon · Post by **mega_lodon** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 6:13 pm

DMR wrote:
msp wrote:Has anyone mentioned Rhapsody yet?????
No, I was too ashamed to. But what the hell, I'll admit it: I like Symphony of Enchanted Lands. And Elvenking - Heathenreel and Labyrinth - Return to Heaven Denied, too.

Hell yeah, I second that!

Anyone here likes X-Hero? The album has the really chessy 80s' Glam/Hollywood/whatever Rock sound and I love it!

Just listen to the song "Don't stop the game" and you know what I mean.
http://www.myspace.com/xhero2000

tbieri · Post by **tbieri** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 9:10 am

omen of hate wrote: There are only a few Italian bands that sing in Italian, RISING POWER and TOSSIC have recorded an album in Italian. STRANA OFFICINA first demo and EP are in Italian language too.
The only other bands I know have only released demos : CROTALO, ACIDO, ARPIA, ALTER EGO, ...

The new (old songs) SABOTAGE - Rumore Nel Vento is sung in Italian, it's on Vinyl and it's good !

jnfernal · Post by **jnfernal** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 10:32 am

I suggest:

Old Yron (the recent release on CD by Shadow Kingdom)

Sabotage's "Rumore nel vento" (they sing in italian and the first song is killer!)

Strana Officina: mmm...actually the discography CD is a bit lame. Much better the recent "The faith" where the sound is much more powerful. One of those few bands whose shows are much much better and heavier now than 20 years ago...the singer is so funny, we never miss them playing

Vanadium: with the great Pino Scotto on vocals...though his solo career is a bit ridicolous. You should watch him on youtube as guest star on some italian tv programs...swearing, insulting, offensive, rude, vulgar...he's really funny if you're into italian language

Mondocane Project: well, a classic

Bulldozer: never been a great fan...

Rollerball: hehe, the guitar player lives in front of my grandparents' and I found it too late. Great first ep with great, scareful cover. They turned into pop-disco music later...

Fingernails: great! With some HC and Motorhead influences ... I got all their Demos on CD + live recordings...wish one day to print them all on CD, we're working on it....

Raff: the LP is rare as hell....very catchy and hc influenced metal from Rome...they were closely linked with HC legends Bloody Riot from Rome.

Fil Di Ferro: not bad, I found their 2nd and 3rd on CD...I wonder if there's also the 1st on CD...not bad

Rain: a very old italian metal band. They get some success now (I remember them supporting Pino Scotto a few months ago)...I got their homemade CD with early demos (1986) just because I share the same (rare) family name as the former guitar player: he sent me the CD for free just because of that...

Death SS: well...they're great. Through they changed into more experimental/new wave/electronic nu metal they're still great. Of course "Heavy demons" and "Black mass" are true masterpieces as well as their early stuff ("The horded god of the witches", "The story of Death SS")...Steve Sylvester always go to eat pizza in my friend's pizzeria, just 200 m far from my home

Crying Steel...not bad...but typical "italian sound". Maybe - being italian - I do not appreciate it so much...but Crying Steel are much better than other italian bands who play the same kind of music

Creepin Death: Errare humanum est is a nice Lp...one of my very first purchases...

Bulldozer: well a classic, everyone should know them already...

new bands: well....Rhapsody of course (I always hanged out with the keyboard player, I didn't know he played in Rhapsody. Then one day, wheile we were drinking a beer he said: "by the way, I play in a band called Rhapsody, maybe you've heard them before..."...), Wotan (with Mario on bass, one of the greatest movie collectors in the world, we share a website dedicated to old VHS and Super8...), and...well, too many...

plus of course a list of crappy italian music that I recently bought: Midway, Dark Lord, Feline Melinda, Eva, Axton, Mortuary Drape (they're even ok but I can't stand them as persons...), Paul Chain (

), The Black and all of those doom metal bands.....actually I think there were more bad sounding bands than good ones in Italy during the 80's...but this is maybe my personal point of view..

Sgt. Kuntz · Post by **Sgt. Kuntz** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 11:08 am

Some nice suggestions, for sure, i will check Mondocane Project, if it is that good.

But you confused me with your Bulldozer flip-flop, first you didn't like them, then you say they are a classic

metalmaster · Post by **metalmaster** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 8:02 pm

Neurodeliri anyone?