Mediterranean scene

The Mediterranean Scene is a musical collective created in Sciacca, Sicily, in the early 90's by Michele "Agghiastru" Venezia. The collective's goal is to experiment with the fusion of extreme metal and Mediterranean folk influences. Since then they formed several bands, a dedicated label (INCH production, distributed worldwide by Audioglobe^[1]) and they built a musical studio (CASTIU Studios).

Some members of the Mediterranean Scene

Michele Agghiastru Venezia, leader of Inchiuvatu and of the whole Mediterranean Scene

Rosario Badalamenti, leader of Astimi and "left arm" of Agghiastru

The Scene

The Mediterranean Scene is formed by eight projects: Inchiuvatu, La Caruta di li Dei, Astimi, Visina, Ultima Missa, Lamentu, Inquietu and Lava.

It comprises also some soloist project by its members: Agghiastru, Maleficu Santificatu, 3 - Rosario Badalamenti, Addraunara.

Two more projects (Vasamatri and Il Vitello d'Oro) were announced in the first months of 2011 without any other information.

Almost all lyrics are in italian or in the Sicilian dialect.

The scene since its foundation got coverage on Italian metal magazines, such as Flash,^[2] Grind Zone^[3] and Psycho.^[4]

Agghiastru, with other members of the scene, toured Italy extensively, playing in important festivals like Agglutination and opening for acts like Afterhours and Luca Madonia.^[5]

Relationship between the Mediterranean Scene and other bands

In an interview with the Italian magazine Flash in 2002, the guitarist of Lamentu, LiotruM, talked about the relationships between Agghiastru and other major metal bands in the first years of the "Scene" and the common musical ideas shared by early Moonspell, Inchiuvatu and Nightfall, reaffirming, at the same time, the uniqueness of his own band.

Agghiastru talked with Fernando of Moonspell (Wolfheart-era) about this stage of "Mediterranean Metal" that was quite a lot interesting, that had as main character also Nightfall from Greece and other big names...

—LiotruM^[6]

In an interview for Grind Zone in 2007, Fernando Ribeiro of Moonspell talked about what he called the "Mediterranean black metal" and reaffirmed the role of Moonspell as the forerunner of this new direction in black metal.

Moonspell were the authors of Mediterranean Black Metal, as it's called now.

—Fernando Ribeiro^[7]

Inchiuvatu

Inchiuvatu
Background information
Origin	Sciacca, Italy
Genres	Symphonic black metal Folk metal Blackened death metal Piano rock
Years active	1993-present
Labels	Inch Productions Audioglobe[8][9][10][11]
Members
Agghiastru Rosario Badalamenti Live: Agghiastru Franco Barbata Natascia

I remember only an Italian black metal band, from Sicily... I don't remember their name, but they sung in Sicilian dialect! They had unique atmospheres... I was absolutely thrilled.

—Fernando Ribeiro^[12]

Inchiuvatu (In Sicilian "Nailed") is the most important band of the scene. They play symphonic black metal mixed with sicilian folk melodies played with friscalettu, a traditional sicilian flute.

The sound of Inchiuvatu is often compared with that of many other symphonic black metal bands like Emperor or Dimmu Borgir, but their continuous link with the sicilian traditions make their compositions unique.

The principal lyrical themes are sex, anti-Christianity and existential drama, synthetised with the expression "Drama-Sex-Christ".

"Inchiuvatu" (nailed) isn't related only to Jesus but express the inability of the man to face and sort out the great existential question of the meaning of life.^[13]

Releases

• TrinaKa (EP, 1993)
• Strurusia ["Mischievousness"] (EP, 1994)
• Demoniu ["Demon"] (EP, 1994)
• Venniri Santu ["Holy friday"] (Live EP, 1994)
• Inchiuvatu ["Nailed"] (Demo album, 1995)
• Addisiu ["Desire"] (Album, 1996)
• Viogna ["Shame"] (Album, 2000)
• Piccatu ["Sin"] (Album, 2004)
• Miseria ["Poverty"] (Album, 2008)
• 33 (EP, 2008)
• Ecce Homo ["Behold the Man"] (EP, 2011)

La Caruta di li Dei

La Caruta di li Dei
Background information
Origin	Sciacca, Italy
Genres	Progressive metal Epic black metal Black ambient
Years active	1997-present
Labels	Inch Productions Audioglobe
Members
Agghiastru Nadur Lifinia

La Caruta di li Dei (In Sicilian "The Fall of the Gods") is an epic black metal project with prog influences and with lyrics based upon Roman and Greek mythologies.
The story of a great warrior named Keleo, which mission is to liberate his conscience from the oppression of the gods, unfolds during the releases of La Caruta, with plenty of epic battles in the Mediterranean sea.^[14]

Releases

• La Caruta di li Dei ["The Fall of the Gods"] (Demo album, 1997)
• Mediterraneo Atto I ["Mediterranean: Act I"] (Album, 1999)
• Scilla & Cariddi ["Scylla & Charybdis"] (EP, 2002)
• La Coscienza ["The Conscience"] (EP, 2005)
• Era ["Hera"] (EP, 2011)

Astimi

Astimi
Background information
Origin	Sciacca, Italy
Genres	Black metal Death metal Folk metal
Years active	1995-present
Labels	Inch Productions Audioglobe[15]
Members
Agghiastru Rosario Badalamenti Fantasima

Astimi (In Sicilian "Curses" or "Imprecations") is a death metal band strongly influenced by Deicide and Morbid Angel. They started as a classical black metal band with Opus I & II. Since Hammurabi their sound has some Mesopotamian folk influences. They also played some songs in the Inchiuvatu album Viogna (2000).^[16]

Releases

• Opus I (EP, 1996)
• Opus II (EP, 1997)
• Opus I&2 (Compilation, 1999)
• Demo (Demo, 1999)
• TrinaCapronuM (Album, 2001)
• Hammurabi (EP, 2005)

Visina

Visina
Background information
Origin	Sciacca, Italy
Genres	Black metal Gothic rock Ebm
Years active	1995-present
Labels	Inch Productions
Members
Agghiastru Diana Lord Timpesta

Visina (Name of a mythological Mediterranean snake) is a project that tries to mix eighties gothic rock and EBM with modern black metal.

Releases

• Ixia Vilenu (EP, 2001 - Recorded between 1995 and 1997)
• Ixia Zunt (EP, 2004)

Ultima Missa

Ultima Missa
Background information
Origin	Sciacca, Italy
Genres	Doom metal Prog rock
Years active	1990-present
Labels	Inch Productions
Members
Agghiastru Ossarium Faidda

Ultima Missa (In Sicilian "The last mass") is a project that tries to mix seventies prog rock with modern doom metal. Among their influences there are Death SS and Il Balletto di Bronzo.
They record only in places strongly connected with evil forces, like graveyards, catacombs and deconsacrated churches.^[17]

Releases

• L'Abbandono della Gioia ["To give up the joy"] (EP, 2006)
• In Assenza di Luce ["Without light"] (EP, 2008)

Agghiastru

Agghiastru
Background information
Origin	Sciacca, Italy
Genres	Piano rock Folk rock
Years active	2007-present
Labels	Inch Productions Audioglobe[18][19]

Agghiastru (In Sicilian "Wild olive") is the solo project by Michele Agghiastru Venezia. In his first album he plays piano rock, while in the second he shifted genre to alternative rock in the veins of singer-songwriters like Nick Cave.

Releases

• Incantu ["Enchantment"] (Album, 2007)
• Straviari (EP, 2007)
• Agghionna ["Sunrise"] (EP, 2008)
• Disincantu ["Disenchantment"] (Album, 2008)

Maleficu Santificatu

Maleficu Santificatu
Background information
Origin	Sciacca, Italy
Genres	Black metal
Years active	2003-present
Labels	Inch Productions

Maleficu Santificatu (In Sicilian "Evil santified") is one of the two soloist project by Rosario Badalamenti. He plays raw black metal. Sometimes his production is compared to early Immortal.^[20]

Releases

• Il Male ["Evil"] (EP, 2004)
• Il Dolore ["Pain"] (EP, 2005)
• L'Odio ["Hate"] (EP, 2005)
• La Pietà ["Piety"] (EP, 2006)
• Il Rancore ["Grudge"] (EP, 2011

3 - Rosario Badalamenti

3 - Rosario Badalamenti
Background information
Origin	Sciacca, Italy
Genres	Industrial black metal Splittercore
Years active	1992-2005 2008-present
Labels	Inch Productions

3 (Like the divine perfect number) is the other soloist project by Rosario Badalamenti. He plays industrial black metal/splittercore.

Releases

• Antichristian Kaos (EP, 2001)
• 666 Knives to the Son's Heart (EP, 2003)
• Onnipotenza III ["Almightiness III"] (EP, 2005)
• Santu Rusariu ["Rosario the Saint"] (EP, 2008)
• Il Braccio Sinistro ["The Left Arm"] (EP, 2011)

Lamentu

Lamentu
Background information
Origin	Sciacca, Italy
Genres	Black metal Folk metal
Years active	1998-present
Labels	Inch Productions Audioglobe[21]
Members
Agghiastru, Liotrum, Lord Timpesta, Ummira, Jafà

Lamentu (In Sicilian "Lament") plays black metal heavily influenced by the tribal music from Africa, to create an occult, ritualistic music.
Their lyrics are about Liack-Aru (an ancient african demon) and his ancient african kingdom.^[22]

Releases

• Erva Tinta + Aggrissu (Double EP, 1998)
• Liack (Album, 2001)
• niurAfrica (EP, 2005)
• taButu (EP, 2011)

Inquietu

Inquietu
Background information
Origin	Sciacca, Italy
Genres	Black metal
Years active	1997-present
Labels	Inch Productions
Members
Lord Timpesta, War Cunnanna, Fantasima

Inquietu (In Sicilian "Not quiet") plays classic black metal, influenced by psychedelia.^[23]

Releases

• South's Torment (EP, 2001)
• Restless God (EP, 2002)
• Angelic Fall (EP, 2004)

Addraunara

Addraunara
Origin	Sciacca, Italy
Genres	Symphonic black metal
Years active	1995-present
Labels	Inch Productions

Addraunara (name of a mythological Mediterranean storm) is the soloist project of Nadur. He plays symphonic black metal.

Releases

• Addraunara (EP, 2000)
• Izael (EP, 2002)

Lava

Lava
Background information
Origin	Sciacca, Italy
Genres	Drone doom
Years active	1995-present
Labels	Inch Productions
Members
Fabrizio Salina, Agghiastru, Rosario Badalamenti

Lava is the name of a trio formed by Agghiastru, Fabrizio Salina and Rosario Badalamenti. Rooted in some experimental projects of the early nineties, Lava plays drone doom.

Releases

• Incandescenza ["Incandescence"] (EP, 2011)

INCH Productions

INCH Productions it's the official record label of the Mediterranean Scene. It produces and distributes all the EP of the scene, and produces all the official albums (distribuited by Audioglobe).

Catalogue

No.	Artist	Title	Format
INCH 001	La Caruta di li Dei	Mediterraneo Atto I	CD
INCH 002	Inchiuvatu	Viogna	CD
INCH 003	Lamentu	Liack	CD
INCH 004	Astimi	TrinaCapronuM	CD
INCH 005	Inchiuvatu	Piccatu	CD
INCH 006	Inchiuvatu	Addisiu+Demoniu	CD
INCH 007	Agghiastru	Incantu	CD
INCH 008	Inchiuvatu	Miseria	CD
INCH 009	Agghiastru	Disincantu	CD

References

1. ^ "Audioglobe". http://www.audioglobe.it/label.php?iId=3226. Retrieved 2011-05-29. 
2. ^ Flash n°186
3. ^ Grind Zone n°4
4. ^ Psycho' n°39
5. ^ "Agghiastru Live". http://www.agghiastru.com/pagemaster.asp?idmenutop=372006223141&setcat=a. Retrieved 2011-06-06. 
6. ^ Flash n°160/2002
7. ^ Grind Zone n°5/2007
8. ^ "Addisiu". http://www.audioglobe.it/disk.php?code=8016670966340. Retrieved 2011-05-29. 
9. ^ "Viogna". http://www.audioglobe.it/disk.php?code=8016670576921. Retrieved 2011-05-29. 
10. ^ "Piccatu". http://www.audioglobe.it/disk.php?code=8016670966241. Retrieved 2011-05-29. 
11. ^ "Miseria". http://www.audioglobe.it/disk.php?code=8016670334743. Retrieved 2011-05-29. 
12. ^ Grind Zone n°5/2007
13. ^ "Official scene bio". http://www.fullmaker.com/public/hosting/inchproductionscom/pagemaster.asp?actionpages=fordetailtxtvariepage&id=1&ids=1&azione=dettaglio. Retrieved 2011-05-29. 
14. ^ "Official scene bio". http://www.fullmaker.com/public/hosting/inchproductionscom/pagemaster.asp?actionpages=fordetailtxtvariepage&id=1&ids=1&azione=dettaglio. Retrieved 2011-05-29. 
15. ^ "TrinaCapronuM". http://www.audioglobe.it/disk.php?code=8016670684428. Retrieved 2011-05-29. 
16. ^ Grind Zone n°4
17. ^ "Official scene bio". http://www.fullmaker.com/public/hosting/inchproductionscom/pagemaster.asp?actionpages=fordetailtxtvariepage&id=1&ids=1&azione=dettaglio. Retrieved 2011-05-29. 
18. ^ "Disincantu". http://www.audioglobe.it/disk.php?code=8016670318842. Retrieved 2011-05-29. 
19. ^ "Incantu". http://www.audioglobe.it/disk.php?code=8016670368748. Retrieved 2011-05-29. 
20. ^ "Official scene bio". http://www.fullmaker.com/public/hosting/inchproductionscom/pagemaster.asp?actionpages=fordetailtxtvariepage&id=1&ids=1&azione=dettaglio. Retrieved 2011-05-29. 
21. ^ "Liack". http://www.audioglobe.it/disk.php?code=8016670684527. Retrieved 2011-05-29. 
22. ^ "Official scene bio". http://www.fullmaker.com/public/hosting/inchproductionscom/pagemaster.asp?actionpages=fordetailtxtvariepage&id=1&ids=1&azione=dettaglio. Retrieved 2011-05-29. 
23. ^ "Official scene bio". http://www.fullmaker.com/public/hosting/inchproductionscom/pagemaster.asp?actionpages=fordetailtxtvariepage&id=1&ids=1&azione=dettaglio. Retrieved 2011-05-29. 

External links

• Official site