Obscure Italian Metal Bands of the 80s/90s

GHOUL Style: Death Metal / Black Metal City: Turin Active from 1993 to 2000 Line-up: Lilith (vocals) Gigi S. (guitar, vocals) Alex S. (bass, 1996-2000) Fabio S. (drums, 1996-2000) Luca S. (guitar, 1996-2000) Luca C. (keyboards, 1999-2000) Curzio C. (bass, 1993-1995) Tiziana R. (drums, 1993-1996) Andrea B. (guitar, 1993-1995) Formed in 1993, they released two demo-tapes ("First And Last... Never More" in 1994 and "...And Obscurity Returned On Earth" in 1998) and a full-lenght album ("The Art Of Vampirism" in 2000 for Bloody Moon Records).

BATHIM Style: Black Metal City: Bergamo Active from 1994 to 1999 Line-up: Lord Iconoclast (bass) Lord Serber (drums) Faust (guitar) Kleudde (guitar) Tyrant (vocals) Formed in 1994 as Amrita, they changed name in Bathim in 1995. They released only one demo ("Vexilla Regis Prodeunt Inferni") in 1998, then disbanded in 1999. Some members went on to form Unholy Land.

NYARLATHOTEP Style: Black Metal City: Palermo Active from 1998 to 2002 Line-up: Lord Inrakar a.k.a. Imrakar (guitar) Tenebrio a.k.a. Gioaccchino Stabile (vocals, 2001-2002) Nefandus a.k.a. Sirio (vocals, 1998-2000) Nekhator (bass) Sharnath a.k.a. The Dark Sharnath (drums) Lord Inferos (guitar, 2002) Shudde 'ell a.k.a. Giorgio Arcara (keyboards, 2001) Formed in 1998, they released a demo ("Rise Of The Black Pharaoh") in 2000, an EP ("Tenebra") in 2001, a live album ("Hateallfuckingpeople") in 2002 and a compilation ("Under The Pyramids") the same year. A full album entitled "Deorum Cultus" was planned to be released in 2002 but never materialized.

WITCH HUNTERS Style: Heavy Metal  City: Pavia Active from 1987 to 1991 Line-up: Graziano Forni (keyboards) Cesare Forni (guitar) Christan Nant a.k.a. Christian Nanti (bass) Davide Maggioni (vocals) Paolo Losio (drums) Formed in Pavia in 1987, they were a keyboard-oriented band, but  with some dark and NWOBHM influences and with lyrics dealing with Witches. They released one self-titled demo-tape with 8 tracks in 1990 and a full-lenght LP ("Cry For The Moon", private pressing, limited edition, 300 copies) in 1991.

 ANGRYON Style: Gothic Metal / Black Metal City: Mantua Active from 1995 to 2001 Line-up: Tiziano "Tizio" Valente (guitar) Thomas Mantovani (drums) Simone Zarotti (vocals) Luana Messena (keyboards) Eugenio Bellini (guitar) Roberto Dinnella (bass) Serana Savioli (vocals) The band was founded in 1995 by Tiziano Valente in the Mantua region.  After a few months without a drummer, he met Thomas Mantovani from the thrash metal band Diskarika. They started writing songs and singer Simone Zarotti and keyboardist Luana Messena joined the band. A few more months later, other three members joined: Eugenio Bellini as guitarist, Roberto Dinella on bass and Serena Savioli on backing vocals. At this point they started playing live in northern Italy and released their demo "Eternity Beyond The Silence" in 1998. They released another demo in 2000 ("Ghost In The Mirror"), then disbanded the following year. The band reunited for just one show in December 2009.

BLACK DEAL Style: Thrash Metal City: Turin Active from 1984 to 1988  Line-up: Cristian Zanirato (guitar) Michele Nallino (bass) Massimo Cavagliato (drums) Marco Rigon (vocals) The band was formed in 1984 in the juvenile prison of Ferrante Aporti in Turin where future members of the group were serving their sentences (Cristan Zanirato and Michele Nallino, held in jail, soon became friends of Mauro Cavagliato, who was working as guard and is the brother of drummer Massimo Cavagliato). Musically they began as a band influenced by NWOBHM, then evolved towards thrash metal. They recorded a couple of demos ("Demo 1985" in 1985 and "Escape" in 1986) and contributed to two compilations, but their violent lifestyle (heavy drugs and alcohol) did not abandon them, making them come and go from Italian prisons. In 1988 the band split-up and guitarist Cristian Zanirato started a solo career under the pseudonym of Chris Holder. In 1992 Zanirato died of heroin overdose and bassist ...

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.

ABRAHEL Style: Black Metal City: Forlì-Cesena Active from 1995 to 1996 Line-up: Lanyus (guitar) Malphas (vocals, bass) Ajm (drums) Abrahel was an Italian black metal band from Emilia Romagna active in the mid '90s, formed in 1995 from the ashes of another local band called Last Rite. Most of their music was written by Lanyus and all the lyrics were written by Malphas. They released only one demo-tape, "Promo 1996", with four tracks and a intro, and then split up.

CREMATORIUM Style: Death Metal  City: Bologna Active from 1988 to 1992 Line-up: Andrea Zoccoli (bass) Nikkie (guitar, vocals) Giovanni (guitar) Walter "Pera" Masi (drums, 1988-1989) Turko (drums, 1990-1991) The band was formed in 1988 in Bologna. Drummer Walter "Pera" Masi was replaced by Turko in 1990 and then the band recorded their first demo "Chained To Torment" with four tracks and lyrics dealing with satanism and occultism. In 1991 they realeased a reharsal demo ("Reharsal 21st April 1991"), then the band moved to England and soon afterwards they split up when Nikkie was asked to join Salem Orchid to replace Jason Mendonca on vocals and guitar.  Six months later also Andrea Zoccoli joined Salem Orchid as bass player replacing Dan Temple. Crematorium briefly reformed in 1992 for a single occasion, but with different members. In 2022 F.O.A.D. Records released a compilation of their old recordings ("Chained To Torment").

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 2004...

FORGOTTEN KADATH Style: Doom Metal / Death Metal  City: Castelvecchio Pascoli di Barga (Lucca) Active from 1994 to 1995 Line-up: Borys Catelani (vocals, guitar, flute, samples) Maurizio Guccini (bass, guitar, keyboards) Fabio (drums) They formed in August 1994 as a death metal band with the name Kadath (Kadath is a location in Howard Phillips Lovecraft's dreamlands).  In 1995 they became a doom metal band changing the name in Forgotten Kadath and releasing one demo ("The Lost Book").

METALLO PE(N)SANTE Style: Doom Metal / Black Metal / Jazz Metal City: Cesena (Forlì-Cesena) Active from 1990 to 1994 Line-up: Evil Master a.k.a. Evil a.k.a. Enrico Teodorani (vocals, bass) Carmilla a.k.a. Hella a.k.a. Francesca Paolucci (saxophone, flute, vocals) Azatoth a.k.a. Mike Vignali a.k.a. Michele Vignali (guitar) Sasso a.k.a. Fred Rock 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. La...

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 damcers and blasphemies. Murari and Tollini went on to form a new doom metal band, Epitaph.