The sounds of the angels of Progressive Rock and Metal in the form of an exciting six-track EP brought into being by five talented musicians from Italy.

Formed in 2018 in Palermo, the capital of the Italian island of Sicily, by bassist Gabriele Esposito, drummer Alessio Maddaloni and keyboardist Gabriele Taormina, Progressive Rock/Metal band Silver Nightmares went through several lineup changes until reaching their current shape and form with Mimmo Garofalo on the guitars, and as the band solidified their lineup it was just a matter of time until they released their debut opus, a very entertaining 26-minute EP entitled The Wandering Angel. Featuring guest appearances by vocalists Simone Bonomo and Michele Vitrano, guitarist Tody Nuzzo, flutist Giulio Maddaloni and trumpeter Davide Severino, The Wandering Angel brings an array of styles such as Progressive Rock, AOR, Heavy Metal and Classical Music, highly influenced by iconic names such as Asia, Genesis, Savatage, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Styx, Kansas, Toto, Iron Maiden, Jethro Tull, Foreigner, Dream Theater, Opeth, Ghost, Marillion, Anathema, Katatonia, Judas Priest and Ten, just to name a few.

And to properly kick things off in The Wandering Angel, an angelical intro morphs into a feast of progressiveness in the title-track The Wandering Angel, where the keys by Gabriele Taormina match perfectly with Simone’s HIM-like vocals, not to mention all the electricity flowing from their guitars and the song’s beautiful, poetic lyrics (“Falling down from the sky / I’m a body without colour / In a world without love / I’ve lost my broken wings / Looking up at earth and sea  / Plotting very distant sighs / The colour of the human skin / Is still an enigma”). Following such powerful start we’re treated to D.D. (Dick Dastardly), a tribute to one of the coolest villains in the history of cartoons (even bringing his trademark scream “Mutley, do something!”), where the band blends heavy and progressive elements with the ass-kicking trumpet and flute by guests Davide and Giulio, respectively, resulting in a fun and vibrant instrumental extravaganza; whereas futuristic elements permeate the air in Light Years Away, with Alessio being in total sync with the band’s guitars, therefore generating a dense ambience perfect for Michele and his Helloween-inspired vocals in a pure Progressive Metal feast with heavy and melodic nuances.

Simone returns in full force with his deeper vocals in David The King, narrating the epic story of a dauntless king while his bandmates keep embellishing the airwaves with their refined skills, with the guitar solos blasted by Mimmo being absolutely outstanding as well as the groovy and classy bass punches by Gabriele Esposito; followed by another epic musical journey titled Dame Nature, led by Mimmo’s electrified riffs and Gabriele Taormina’s whimsical keys while Alessio keeps pounding his drums nonstop, resulting in what’s by far the most progressive and melodic of all songs, full of breaks and variations and spiced up by crisp guitar solos and delicate key notes. And closing the EP we have The Wandering Angel (Radio Edit), a slightly different version of what’s in my opinion the most enfolding and captivating of all tracks, being shorter in duration (mainly due to the removal of its intro) but still presenting all of the amazing details of the original version.

The Wandering Angel is available for a full and deep listen on Spotify, but of course if you love underground metal with a huge focus on the progressive and storytelling side of the business you should definitely purchase the EP from Apple Music, or go to the ARTEWIVA website for all details about the band and where to buy and stream the album. Also, don’t forget to follow the band on Facebook and to subscribe to their YouTube channel, providing Silver Nightmares the fuel they need to keep on rockin’ and invading our senses with their stylish music for many years to come, bringing the sounds of the angels of rock music to our hearts and souls.

Best moments of the album: The Wandering Angel and Light Years Away.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2020 Independent

Track listing
1. The Wandering Angel 4:33
2. D.D. (Dick Dastardly) 3:23
3. Light Years Away 4:00
4. David The King 3:54
5. Dame Nature 6:40
6. The Wandering Angel (Radio Edit) 3:38

Band members
Mimmo Garofalo – lead and rhythm guitars
Gabriele Esposito – bass
Gabriele Taormina – keyboards
Alessio Maddaloni – drums, percussion

Guest musicians
Simone Bonomo – lead and backing vocals
Michele Vitrano – lead and backing vocals
Tody Nuzzo – guitars
Giulio Maddaloni – flute
Davide Severino – trumpet