Origin:	Italy
Genres:

Dark Quarterer

Though it may not be apparent given their discography below, Dark Quarterer may well be the oldest of all Italian bands. As far back as 1969 (!) the duo of bassist/vocalist Gianni Nepi and guitarist Fulberto Serena were playing together, and three years later the duo was joined by drummer Paolo Ninci, this trio (initially named Omega R, switching to Dark Quarterer in 1978) comprising the lineup that would eventually record a debut album some fifteen years later in 1987. The trio survived intact until 1990, when, after their second album, Serena departed. With a new guitarist in place, they recorded War Tears in 1994, but went quiet again until 2002, when Violence was recorded with yet another guitarist. Given their history, it may not be surprising that Dark Quarterer has little in common with the neoclassical or power metal style commonly associated with Italian bands. Instead, there are noticeable 70's influences at work, as well as a healthy NWOBHM sound at work, the band having a pretty unique style all their own. Nepi's vocals are variable -- he has a sort of nasally whine that sometimes is a bit much when he goes for a higher-pitched yelp, which thankfully he doesn't do that often. The band was clearly on a budget in their earlier days, with the self-titled debut in particular suffering from a rather thin production. Give them credit, though -- they've persevered through all these years and (if reviews of the newer Violence are to be believed) are still going strong.