>>> BTF NEWSLETTER >>> February 24th 2009

Welcome to the new BTF Newsletter! BTF CONTACTS Telephone: + 39 02 92958580 FAX: +39 02 21873383

SOUNDTRACKS   NEW Dopo una stagione di concerti e registrazioni è in uscita il primo disco dei Calibro35, progetto dedicato alle colonne sonore italiane degli anni ’60 e ’70. Il disco è prodotto da Tommaso Colliva, già collaboratore di Muse e Afterhours e co-produttore de “I Milanesi Ammazzano Il Sabato”. Il disco, che si muove tra episodi più noti e oscure jam indie-funk, contiene musiche di Morricone, Micalizzi e altri grandi Maestri italiani tratte da pellicole come “Italia a Mano Armata”, “Milano Calibro9” e “Indagine Su un Cittadino al di sopra di Ogni Sospetto” così come brani originali ispirati a suoni e atmosfere dei film di genere. Inclusa come bonus track anche la versione del classico di Ornella Vanoni “L’Appuntamento”, brano che accompagna uno spietato Alain Delon nelle scene di “Tony Arzenta” (1973); ospite per l’occasione Roberto Dell’Era alla voce.

PROGRESSIVE   NEW Il Castello di Atlante was formed in 1974 with Paolo Ferrarotti on drums, Aldo Bergamini, on guitars, Massimo Di Lauro, on violin and Dino Fiore on bass. Roberto Giordano on keyboards joined the band in 1982. (Paolo, Aldo, Roberto are lead singers as well) and it’s quite inique the fact that IL CASTELLO has today has THE ORIGINAL LINE-UP!!, so the 70’s sound and approach is more thank ever in the music of the band. The band has been approaching the tunes as they were real books, each one with its own world, linked to each other by the reader's intention. “The reader” listens and feels the music that’s on the album, while he's reading the books. He's imagining the music in the same way a reader imagine the scene that's suggesting the book he's reading. Like "Pictures at an exhibition" we find a main theme that portraits the "Promenade" of the reader, while he's looking for the next book. This is the seventh album recorded by Il Castello di Atlante. A great come back on the prog rock scene after the good acoustic CD a couple of years ago.

PROGRESSIVE   NEW After a long silence since 1975, year of the release of “Delirium III: viaggio negli arcipelaghi del tempo” partially interrupted in 2007 with the release of their first live record “Vibrazioni notturne”, one of the most important and influential groups of the early 70’s italian progressive scene is back with their fourth official studio record. With the precious help of their historical lyricist Mauro La Luce, author of lyrics in “Lo scemo e il villaggio” and “Delirium III”, the group from Genoa has made a concept album focused on the man’s continuous research of himself and his ideal union with the wind which can help him to sweep away all the evil he found along his path to try and begin a new journey towards a brighter reality. The work is embellished by a painting by artist Anna Ferrari from Genoa and by the appearance of some great special guests such as a string quartet which consists of Chiara Giacobbe, Diana Tizzani, Simona Merlano and Daniela Caschetto, Stefano”Lupo” Galifi (Vocalist of Museo Rosenbach), Sophya Baccini ( artist from Naples, vocalist of Presence and collaborator of Osanna). For this occasion there is also the remarkable return of the historical vocalist/ acoustic guitar player Mimmo Di Martino. The music is inspired and lively and the always fascinating compositions show great symphonies embellished by wonderful strings arrangements and the ubiquitous sound of keyboards, moments of advanced jazz-prog and the typical italian taste in creating beautiful melodies. “Il nome del vento” brings back after all these years these musicians that haven’t lose at all any of their original skill, class and creative mood. track list: Intro Il Nome del Vento Verso il Naufragio L'Acquario delle Stelle Luci Lontane Profeta senza Profezie Ogni Storia Note di Tempesta Dopo il Vento Cuore Sacro Line-Up: Ettore Vigo: keyboards Martin Grice: Sax, Flute, Keyboards Pino Di Santo: Drums, Vocals Roberto Solinas: Guitars, Vocals Fabio Chighini: Bass Mimmo Di Martino: Vocals on "Il Nome del Vento" String quartet: Chiara Giacobbe "Chiarilla": Violin Diana Tizzani: violin Simona Merlano: Viola Daniela Caschetto "Helmy": Cello guests: Stefano "Lupo" Galifi: Vocals Sophya Baccini: Piano / Choirs

PROGRESSIVE   NEW After a long silence since 1975, year of the release of “Delirium III: viaggio negli arcipelaghi del tempo” partially interrupted in 2007 with the release of their first live record “Vibrazioni notturne”, one of the most important and influential groups of the early 70’s italian progressive scene is back with their fourth official studio record. With the precious help of their historical lyricist Mauro La Luce, author of lyrics in “Lo scemo e il villaggio” and “Delirium III”, the group from Genoa has made a concept album focused on the man’s continuous research of himself and his ideal union with the wind which can help him to sweep away all the evil he found along his path to try and begin a new journey towards a brighter reality. The work is embellished by a painting by artist Anna Ferrari from Genoa and by the appearance of some great special guests such as a string quartet which consists of Chiara Giacobbe, Diana Tizzani, Simona Merlano and Daniela Caschetto, Stefano”Lupo” Galifi (Vocalist of Museo Rosenbach), Sophya Baccini ( artist from Naples, vocalist of Presence and collaborator of Osanna). For this occasion there is also the remarkable return of the historical vocalist/ acoustic guitar player Mimmo Di Martino. The music is inspired and lively and the always fascinating compositions show great symphonies embellished by wonderful strings arrangements and the ubiquitous sound of keyboards, moments of advanced jazz-prog and the typical italian taste in creating beautiful melodies. “Il nome del vento” brings back after all these years these musicians that haven’t lose at all any of their original skill, class and creative mood. track list: Intro Il Nome del Vento Verso il Naufragio L'Acquario delle Stelle Luci Lontane Profeta senza Profezie Ogni Storia Note di Tempesta Dopo il Vento Cuore Sacro Line-Up: Ettore Vigo: keyboards Martin Grice: Sax, Flute, Keyboards Pino Di Santo: Drums, Vocals Roberto Solinas: Guitars, Vocals Fabio Chighini: Bass Mimmo Di Martino: Vocals on "Il Nome del Vento" String quartet: Chiara Giacobbe "Chiarilla": Violin Diana Tizzani: violin Simona Merlano: Viola Daniela Caschetto "Helmy": Cello guests: Stefano "Lupo" Galifi: Vocals Sophya Baccini: Piano / Choirs

PROGRESSIVE   NEW Second CD for this interesting italian band. After the good success of the previous effort "Danze d'incenso" this new CD sets new standards for the quality of the band. Their skill in the writing process has fully developed. Still haunting in places "Vibrazioni liquide" is structured in 2 long suites but the songs are well recognizable. A mystic version of PFM. Sung in italian, latin and english!

PROGRESSIVE   A mysterious studio group that only released an ultrarare album for the small Lupus label. Behind the name The Psycheground Group hid the musicians of Nuova Idea, in their first line-up. The album is all instrumental, composed of five long tracks, in the same style as Blue Phantom or The Underground Set, and had in common with the latter group the name of Ninety (producer Giampiero Reverberi) behind them. Reverberi composed the whole album, which was recorded in his own studio.

PROGRESSIVE   NEW Just as the mighty fall, they also rise again. Texas horror-metal monsters Ripper have come alive with a vengeance, and a new album entitled ‘The Dead Have Rizen’, the long awaited sequel to 1986’s ‘And The Dead Shall Rise’. The new album, scheduled to be released by Black Widow Records in 2009, has been a long time coming, and well worth the wait. An iconic, and instant classic. The story picks up where it abruptly left off many moons ago, with guitarist Rob Graves wasting no time forming the quartet after learning that the original members were not available. The carefully handpicked players include shredder guitarist and Grammy Award nominee Stephen Bogle (The Hunger), who also produced this slab of death at TechSyn Studios in Houston, bludgeoning bassist Alan D’Angelo (Livesay), and destructo drummer Don Ramirez (Tokyo). Together, they pound out an offering of macabre heavy metal that is nothing short of world class. The thick, rich, and shattering clean production, coupled with excellent songs and Graves’ vicious tone, bring on the haunting metal power in spades, as ode’s to homicidal muscle cars, serial killers, seductive vampires, and masochistic lunatics pile-drive their way into your head like a 747. The horror-metal tonnage and ‘dead on’ vocals on this album are eerie and mind-blowing! The ten superb tracks: The Grave (intro), Hemicidal, Driller, 66 Angel Eyez, U.S. Tank, Love Me To Death, The Tall Man, the legendary Kiss classic God Of Thunder, In The Raw and Dark Dominion (outro), take you on a cinematic journey inside the head of Graves and company that will have you listening to this album again and again with morbid delight. You called, they answered, now reap the winds of death. The dead have indeed risen…Ripper lives! RIPPER Rob Graves(Guitar/Vocalz) Stephen Bogle(Guitar/Vocalz) Alan D'Angelo(Bass/Vocalz) Don Ramirez(Drumz/Vocalz) Trak List: The Grave(Bogle) Hemicidal(Graves) Driller(Graves/D'Angelo) 66 Angel Eyez(Graves) U.S.Tank(Graves/Crystal) Love Me To Death(Graves/Crystal) The Tall Man(Graves) God Of Thunder(Paul Stanley) In The Raw(Graves/Shadowz/Paine) Dark Dominion(Bogle)

PROGRESSIVE   NEW Just as the mighty fall, they also rise again. Texas horror-metal monsters Ripper have come alive with a vengeance, and a new album entitled ‘The Dead Have Rizen’, the long awaited sequel to 1986’s ‘And The Dead Shall Rise’. The new album, scheduled to be released by Black Widow Records in 2009, has been a long time coming, and well worth the wait. An iconic, and instant classic. The story picks up where it abruptly left off many moons ago, with guitarist Rob Graves wasting no time forming the quartet after learning that the original members were not available. The carefully handpicked players include shredder guitarist and Grammy Award nominee Stephen Bogle (The Hunger), who also produced this slab of death at TechSyn Studios in Houston, bludgeoning bassist Alan D’Angelo (Livesay), and destructo drummer Don Ramirez (Tokyo). Together, they pound out an offering of macabre heavy metal that is nothing short of world class. The thick, rich, and shattering clean production, coupled with excellent songs and Graves’ vicious tone, bring on the haunting metal power in spades, as ode’s to homicidal muscle cars, serial killers, seductive vampires, and masochistic lunatics pile-drive their way into your head like a 747. The horror-metal tonnage and ‘dead on’ vocals on this album are eerie and mind-blowing! The ten superb tracks: The Grave (intro), Hemicidal, Driller, 66 Angel Eyez, U.S. Tank, Love Me To Death, The Tall Man, the legendary Kiss classic God Of Thunder, In The Raw and Dark Dominion (outro), take you on a cinematic journey inside the head of Graves and company that will have you listening to this album again and again with morbid delight. You called, they answered, now reap the winds of death. The dead have indeed risen…Ripper lives! RIPPER Rob Graves(Guitar/Vocalz) Stephen Bogle(Guitar/Vocalz) Alan D'Angelo(Bass/Vocalz) Don Ramirez(Drumz/Vocalz) Trak List: The Grave(Bogle) Hemicidal(Graves) Driller(Graves/D'Angelo) 66 Angel Eyez(Graves) U.S.Tank(Graves/Crystal) Love Me To Death(Graves/Crystal) The Tall Man(Graves) God Of Thunder(Paul Stanley) In The Raw(Graves/Shadowz/Paine) Dark Dominion(Bogle)

PROGRESSIVE   NEW Before forming Indaco, in 1987 Rodolfo Maltese (Banco del Mutuo Soccorso) recorded this concept album dedicated to “Jonathan Livingston Seagull” a novel written by Richard Bach about a seagull learning about life and fligh. Together with Rodolfo in this CD we can listen to a unique series of guest stars: Walter Martino (Ritratto di Dorian Gray, Reale Accademia di Musica, Goblin), Vittorio Nocenzi (Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso), Riccado Cocciante and many others. It is a pity that it has been never released because “Il Gabbiano Jonathan” is a wonderful record, mainly instrumental and of course focused on Rodolfo’s great guitar playing. You can find the first ethnical Mediterranean sounds that became typical for Indaco, some laid back and high class Italian jazz-rock and some more epic and guitar-solo focused tracks. All in all it is an important missing link and a must have for fans of Indaco and Banco del Mutuo Soccorso. The album is available as a beautiful vinyl replica CD.

PROGRESSIVE   NEW The seventh album for the mystic italian combo. 3 long suites (above 20 minutes), obscure, esoteric and charming as usual. The Magma archetype is always present but mixed with the great creative effort of Cahal De Betel, female vocals, clarinet, flute and vibraphone. "Manu Menes", which means "Cosmic Intelligence", is one of the best album of theis discography. Lizard records è lieta di annunciare e distribuire il nuovo cd dei RUNAWAY TOTEM: "Manu Menes" rappresenta il secondo movimento dei "4 Elementi 5": tre lunghe suites, sempre oltre i 20 minuti, dalle forti incombenti tensioni, tra misteriose simbologie esoteriche, oscure trame e connotazioni prog-seventies (rimane il riferimento ai Magma ma c'è molto altro grazie alla personalità creativa e compositiva del cerimoniere Cahal De Betel), ulteriormente arricchite di voce femminile, clarinetto, flauto, vibrafono. "Manu Menes" ovvero "L'Intelligenza Cosmica", settimo disco e uno dei migliori in assoluto nella discografia dei Runaway Totem, un ritorno fra più affascinanti, importanti ed originali in Italia ed Europa. (www.runawaytotem.com)

SOUNDTRACKS   A nice instrumental record not far from the style of Blue Phantom and The Psycheground Group. Brugnolini released this LP on his own label and composed it along with Luigi Malatesta. It was recorded at Dirmaphon Studio (Rome) in March 1970. Among the musicians playing on the album were Silvano Chimenti (guitar), Giorgio Carnini (piano and organ) and future Perigeo bass player Giovanni Tommaso. The rare LP has been finally reissued in 2008 on vinyl by Cinedelic, in a limited pressing of 500 copies.

PROGRESSIVE   NEW New musical project born almost casually from a meeting between the former drummer of Death SS, ThomasHand Chaste, the former bass player of Paul Chain and Boohoos, Baka Bomb, and the two Cardellino brothers, the vocalist John Goldfinch and the guitar player Andy from the dark-prog band L’Impero delle Ombre, the Witchfield are completed by another guitar player, Ilario “Piranha” Suppressa; the group records the debut album as a true mirror of an evolution from the past but also an impressive projection into the future. Their style is the natural evolution of Violet Theatre sound, the group which saw Thomas Hand Chaste as one of founder members, with atmospheres that remind St. Vitus and Pentagram doom, the most cryptic metal influences (Witchfinder General, Pagan Altar, Angel Witch), progressive reminiscences (Black Widow, High Tide, Necromandus, Coven), sinister psychedelic influences and a magic symphonic touch inspired by the early 70’s british dark sound (Dr. Z, Monument, Bram Stoker). Several lyrics are inspired by great british poets like Kingsley, Ferguson and Blake, searching for the roots of discomfort, fears and alienation of a man on the edge of his own existence. Special guests: Steve Sylvester (Death SS) as vocalist in the Alice Cooper’s “Black Widow” cover and Clive Jones (Black Widow) as woodwinds player on “Void in My Life” and “Inquisitor”.

PROGRESSIVE   NEW New musical project born almost casually from a meeting between the former drummer of Death SS, ThomasHand Chaste, the former bass player of Paul Chain and Boohoos, Baka Bomb, and the two Cardellino brothers, the vocalist John Goldfinch and the guitar player Andy from the dark-prog band L’Impero delle Ombre, the Witchfield are completed by another guitar player, Ilario “Piranha” Suppressa; the group records the debut album as a true mirror of an evolution from the past but also an impressive projection into the future. Their style is the natural evolution of Violet Theatre sound, the group which saw Thomas Hand Chaste as one of founder members, with atmospheres that remind St. Vitus and Pentagram doom, the most cryptic metal influences (Witchfinder General, Pagan Altar, Angel Witch), progressive reminiscences (Black Widow, High Tide, Necromandus, Coven), sinister psychedelic influences and a magic symphonic touch inspired by the early 70’s british dark sound (Dr. Z, Monument, Bram Stoker). Several lyrics are inspired by great british poets like Kingsley, Ferguson and Blake, searching for the roots of discomfort, fears and alienation of a man on the edge of his own existence. Special guests: Steve Sylvester (Death SS) as vocalist in the Alice Cooper’s “Black Widow” cover and Clive Jones (Black Widow) as woodwinds player on “Void in My Life” and “Inquisitor”.