- Mediterranean scene
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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).
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.Inchiuvatu
Inchiuvatu Background information Origin Sciacca, Italy Genres Symphonic black metal
Folk metal
Blackened death metal
Piano rockYears active 1993-present Labels Inch Productions
Audioglobe[8][9][10][11]Members Agghiastru
Rosario Badalamenti
Live:
Agghiastru
Franco Barbata
NatasciaI 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.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 ambientYears active 1997-present Labels Inch Productions
AudioglobeMembers Agghiastru
Nadur
LifiniaLa 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 metalYears active 1995-present Labels Inch Productions
Audioglobe[15]Members Agghiastru
Rosario Badalamenti
FantasimaAstimi (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
EbmYears active 1995-present Labels Inch Productions Members Agghiastru
Diana
Lord TimpestaVisina (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 rockYears active 1990-present Labels Inch Productions Members Agghiastru
Ossarium
FaiddaUltima 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 rockYears 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
SplittercoreYears active 1992-2005
2008-presentLabels 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 metalYears 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
- ^ "Audioglobe". http://www.audioglobe.it/label.php?iId=3226. Retrieved 2011-05-29.
- ^ Flash n°186
- ^ Grind Zone n°4
- ^ Psycho' n°39
- ^ "Agghiastru Live". http://www.agghiastru.com/pagemaster.asp?idmenutop=372006223141&setcat=a. Retrieved 2011-06-06.
- ^ Flash n°160/2002
- ^ Grind Zone n°5/2007
- ^ "Addisiu". http://www.audioglobe.it/disk.php?code=8016670966340. Retrieved 2011-05-29.
- ^ "Viogna". http://www.audioglobe.it/disk.php?code=8016670576921. Retrieved 2011-05-29.
- ^ "Piccatu". http://www.audioglobe.it/disk.php?code=8016670966241. Retrieved 2011-05-29.
- ^ "Miseria". http://www.audioglobe.it/disk.php?code=8016670334743. Retrieved 2011-05-29.
- ^ Grind Zone n°5/2007
- ^ "Official scene bio". http://www.fullmaker.com/public/hosting/inchproductionscom/pagemaster.asp?actionpages=fordetailtxtvariepage&id=1&ids=1&azione=dettaglio. Retrieved 2011-05-29.
- ^ "Official scene bio". http://www.fullmaker.com/public/hosting/inchproductionscom/pagemaster.asp?actionpages=fordetailtxtvariepage&id=1&ids=1&azione=dettaglio. Retrieved 2011-05-29.
- ^ "TrinaCapronuM". http://www.audioglobe.it/disk.php?code=8016670684428. Retrieved 2011-05-29.
- ^ Grind Zone n°4
- ^ "Official scene bio". http://www.fullmaker.com/public/hosting/inchproductionscom/pagemaster.asp?actionpages=fordetailtxtvariepage&id=1&ids=1&azione=dettaglio. Retrieved 2011-05-29.
- ^ "Disincantu". http://www.audioglobe.it/disk.php?code=8016670318842. Retrieved 2011-05-29.
- ^ "Incantu". http://www.audioglobe.it/disk.php?code=8016670368748. Retrieved 2011-05-29.
- ^ "Official scene bio". http://www.fullmaker.com/public/hosting/inchproductionscom/pagemaster.asp?actionpages=fordetailtxtvariepage&id=1&ids=1&azione=dettaglio. Retrieved 2011-05-29.
- ^ "Liack". http://www.audioglobe.it/disk.php?code=8016670684527. Retrieved 2011-05-29.
- ^ "Official scene bio". http://www.fullmaker.com/public/hosting/inchproductionscom/pagemaster.asp?actionpages=fordetailtxtvariepage&id=1&ids=1&azione=dettaglio. Retrieved 2011-05-29.
- ^ "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
Categories:- Italian black metal musical groups
- Symphonic black metal musical groups
- Symphonic metal musical groups
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