Obscure Italian Metal Bands of the 80s/90s

MECLET Style: Folk Metal / Black Metal  City: Naples Active from 1995 to 1998 Line-up: Luigi Ugolini (bass, vocals) Daniele Ciao (drums, kyboards) Pino Salviati (vocals, guitar) Raffaele Sodano (guitar) Formed in Naples in 1995, the name Meclet comes from the Latin "miscete" and means "mix, blent, entwine, exchange, embroil": it's a common medioeval euphemism for having sexual entercourse and was also used during the Sabbath with the formula "Meclet! Meclet!". Meclet's lyrics are inspired by the Parthenopean folklore and mix English, Latin and Neapolitan languages. They released only one demo ( "Maleventum" ) with six tracks in 1997 and then disbanded the following year.

ZESS Style: Doom Metal  City: Genoa Active from 1987 to 1988 Line-up: Mercy La Morgue a.k.a. Renato Carpaneto (vocals, keyboards) Dr. Polidori a.k.a. Antonio Polidori a.k.a. Tony Tears (guitar) Lord Ruthven a.k.a. Michele Marchese (guitar) Dr. Freudstein a.k.a. Diego Bamchero (bass) F. Rosenkrantz a.k.a. Luca Brengio (drums, keyboards) The band was formed in 1987 in Genoa and their primary influences were NWOBHM and the early doom metal scene ( Pagan Altar , Trouble , Black Hole , etc.).  Music varied from raw heavy metal to slow doom metal with atmosphere of horror movies.  Lyrics were based on occultism, obscure tales and horror stories. The band performed some live sesions at Genoa's Hobbit Studios between December 1987 and February 1988, but the songs were never released at that tome and in 1988 the group disbanded (the members subsequently formed other bands: Malombra , Ianva, Helden Runa, Il Segno Del Comando, Ballo Delle Castagne, Egida Aurea, Recondita Stirpe). In...

METALLO PE(N)SANTE Style: Doom Metal / Black Metal / Jazz Metal City: Cesena (Forlì-Cesena) Active from 1990 to 1994 Line-up: Enrico Teodorani (vocals, bass) Francesca Paolucci (saxophone, flute, vocals) Mike Vignali a.k.a. Michele Vignali (guitar) Sasso a.k.a. Federico Sassoli (drums) The music of Metallo Pe(n)sante mixed doom metal and proto-black metal with progressive and jazz influences. Enrico Teodorani , bass player and singer, was the leader and wrote all the songs, as he did in his previous band, the Vets. They recorded only one self-titled demo-tape with four tracks in 1992 but their live performances reached a legendary status mostly because of Francesca Paolucci , self-taught saxophonist, who danced on stage (un)dressed as a sexy female vampire with a cloak. When drummer Federico "Sasso" Sassoli died in a car accident in december 1994 the other members decided to split-up. Later Teodorani as writer/cartoonist mentioned (directly or indirectly) the band in ...

SACRILEGE Style: Doom Metal  City: Verona Active from 1985 to 1987 Line-up: Nico Murari (guitar) Mauro "Tolly" Tollini (drums) Luca Gorna (vocals) Fleanna Pampagnin (keyboards) Marco Fill (bass) After their previous band (Black Hole) split-up, guitarist Nico Murari and drummer Mauro "Tolly" Tollini formed Sacrilege .  The sound of their only demo-tape (released in 1986) is less experimental than that of Black Hole , but equally dark and slowed down (it's been reissued in 2013 with the title " Devil Woman " and a renewed graphic design). The band had a short and tormented life, ending up being accused of satanism by local press, stimulated by provocative concerts with magical rituals, undressed female dancers and blasphemies. Murari and Tollini went on to form a new doom metal band, Epitaph .