Il rovescio della medaglia

The Profile

Il Rovescio della Medaglia is a Roman progressive rock band formed at the end of 1970. After earning an RCA deal via the Viareggio Avant-Garde and New Trends Festival, they issued a classic trilogy: La Bibbia (1971), the Hegel-inspired Io come io (1972), and Contaminazione (1973), which reworked ideas from Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier with arrangements by Luis Enríquez Bacalov. Known for ferocious live shows, a massive amplification setup, and early albums recorded without keyboards.

Core 1970s lineup: Pino Ballarini (vocals, flute), Enzo Vita (guitar), Stefano Urso (bass), Gino Campoli (drums). Themes span Genesis (La Bibbia), Hegel (Io come io), and Bach via Bacalov (Contaminazione). Early records emphasized heavy, keyboard-free prog/hard rock and a powerful live sound.

Reviews spotlight Il Rovescio della Medaglia’s 1971–1973 run: La Bibbia’s live-recorded hard-prog without keyboards, the Hegelian concept Io come io, and Contaminazione’s Bach-infused collaboration with Bacalov. Writers praise the Roman band’s power, intricate arrangements, and fearsome live setup. Some note uneven vocals, but the musicianship and ideas dominate. Their classic trilogy stands as a high point of Italian prog.