SPITFIRE MKIII (Heavy Metal – Italy) – Their new album “Shadows Phantoms Nightmares” is out now via Andromeda Relix/Heart of Steel #SpitfireMkIII

Band: Spitfire MkIII
Album Title: Shadows Phantoms Nightmares
Label: Andromeda Relix/Heart of Steel
Release Date: September 30, 2022
Genre: Classic Metal

Description:
After twelve years from the latest album, a new full-length released by one of the first bands of the NWOIHM (New Wave Of Italian Metal), very active in the eighties, more discontinuous in the following decades, due to the intense involvement of the members with their own other bands (Danger Zone for Giacomo Gigantelli, and Ex for Stefano Pisani). ‘Shadows Phantoms Nightmares’ includes twelve brand new songs (eleven in the digital version), which explore – through many references to some horror and classic movies (The Golem, Frankenstein, Nosferatu, but also Battle of Britain, The Warriors) – old and new fears, described with a classic metal attitude.

Influences for the album:
As proud exponents of the early italian metal, Spitfire MkIII are strongly inspired by all the best bands of hard rock and NWOBHM, like Iron Maiden, Saxon, Judas Priest, Motörhead, Black Sabbath, Ronnie James Dio, Def Leppard, Scorpions; in this album, however, old and classic influences blend with some hints of current musical expressions and with the mature experiences of the three musicians.

Bio:
Spitfire was born in Verona, Italy, in 1981, following the New Wave of British Heavy Metal spreading all over Europe and America; the original line-up of the group, vocals, two guitars, bass guitar and drums, recorded a live demotape (songs: ‘Spitfire’, ‘Samurai’, ‘Beyond Price’) and also made itself known on a national scale thanks to radio programmes, interviews and reviews in fanzines and specialized magazines (the monthly ‘Rockerilla’ presented the group as ‘the Italian Iron Maiden’).
After some live concerts Spitfire reached in 1983 a stable line-up on four members, featuring Giacomo Gigantelli on vocals and bass guitar, and at the beginning of 1984 released the single ‘Blade Runner/A Quiet Man’, published and distributed by Minotauro Records, a new label interested in the Italian hard rock and heavy metal scene (Strana Officina, Paul Chain).
The record, distributed in Europe and U.S.A., led to an Italian tour from May to July 1984.
In 1985 the band reached the ultimate trio line-up: Giacomo Gigantelli (vocals and bass guitar), Stefano Pisani (guitar) and Gaetano Avino (drums).
During that year there were intense contacts with foreign labels interested in the Italian rock scene (Rave-On Records, Metal Blade, Axe Killer, Concret Warrior, King Klassic).
The band played live up to the end of 1986, when it released the ‘Heroes in the Storm’ demo including the sessions for an album that should have been published for the King Klassic label, which was never released due to the temporary band’s break-up, in 1987.
In 2002 the label Andromeda Relix released the ‘Heroes in the Storm’ cd, a collection of all the songs recorded by the band; in 2004 there was a short Spitfire reunion as a power trio for a fistful of concerts testified on the ‘Live reunion 2004’ bootleg.
In february 2009 Minotauro Records reissued the single ‘Blade Runner/A Quiet Man’ in a limited edition for collectors.
In 2010 the label My Graveyard Productions released the ‘Time and Eternity’ cd, featuring old songs (composed between 1982 and 1986) newly recorded by the historical official line-up (Giacomo Gigantelli/vocals-bass, Stefano Pisani/guitar, Gaetano Avino/drums).
‘Time and Eternity’ was awarded as ‘Top album 2010’ by many metal websites.
In the meantime, Giacomo Gigantelli achieved an endorsement contract with Randall, Washburn and Gallien-Krueger; Stefano Pisani achieved an artist agreement with Gibson Italy.
In 2016 Pharagon Records released a vinyl version of the ‘Heroes in the Storm’ cd.
In 2021, throughout the sessions for a new album, Gaetano Avino, the only founder member of the band still in the line-up, was replaced as a drummer by Luca Giannotta, and the band has renamed itself Spitfire MkIII.
With this moniker the band has released in 2022 a new album for Andromeda Relix (digital distribution by Heart of Steel Records): ‘Shadows Phantoms Nightmares’.

(Regular cover)

(Alternate cover)

CD Track Listing:
1. Earthquake
2. The Eagles Are Laughing
3. Phantom Barrow
4. Once It Was Human (The Fly)
5. Spirit of the Blind Man
6. Screaming Steel
7. Gangs Fight
8. Golem of Prague
9. Sign of the Times
10. Beauty VS Beast
11. Winners Take All
12. Despair (Bonus track available only on CD)

Get the album here —> SPITFIRE MKIII

Discography:
Blade Runner/A Quiet Man – single, 1984/Reprinted 2009
Heroes in the Storm – 2002
Live Reunion 2004 – Live, 2007
Time and Eternity – 2010
Heroes in the Storm – Vinyl Edition, 2016
Shadows Phantoms Nightmares – 2022

Band Line-Up:
Giacomo ‘Giga’ Gigantelli – vocals/bass
Stefano Pisani – guitars
Luca Giannotta – drums

Web and Social Media Links:
https://www.facebook.com/spitfiremetal
https://youtube.com/channel/UCWysQZ_1kxC6AfBE59aD8vQ
https://www.facebook.com/giga.gigantelli
https://www.facebook.com/StefanoPisaPisani

https://www.facebook.com/heartofsteelrecords

https://www.facebook.com/andromedarelix