Spitfire
Blade Runner

The Spitfire was born in Verona in 1982, during the explosion of many hard rock and metal bands around the world. For many years, they were the most well-known rock band from Verona in Italy, achieving notable success. The lineup, consisting of vocals, two guitars, bass, and drums, underwent several changes, but in the meantime, they started to gain attention both locally and nationally for their original sound. Perhaps the only band with a similar sound was Vanexa. From many magazines, like "Rockerilla," they received significant recognition, so much so that they were called the "Italian Maidens"! Well, there must be a reason!

Meanwhile, the lineup stabilized and was ready to record the 45 RPM "Blade Runner / A Quiet Man," which was positively received by the press and the public. The band continued to perform in major cities, such as Pavia, Verona, Bergamo, and Naples, where in the latter, they played with Vanadium and Strana Officina.

The sound of Spitfire, as I mentioned, is a very direct, incisive, fast, and cynical metal... something that only a few bands could pull off. The lineup consisted of Giacomo Gigantelli on vocals and bass, Stefano Pisani and Stefano Bianchini on guitars, and Gaetano Avino on drums. This little piece of work is opened by the colossal "Blade Runner", one of the band's most beautiful and well-known tracks! The beginning is truly enchanting, both for the incisive power and the excellent technique of the guitarists. We suddenly find ourselves in front of a series of majestic riffs from the pure Maiden school, performed at high speed and with great skill. The guitar section is truly chilling, as is the sharp and energetic voice of the singer Giacomo Gigantelli, who proves to be in great shape. The refrain is pure power, featuring an almost epic progression, while the rhythmic section is very convincing. The solos of the very skilled Pisani and Bianchini are fast and technical, embellished by excellent and effective tapping. A piece from the anthology!

The notorious B-side features the good hard'n'heavy of "A Quiet Man", another track that made this rare 45 RPM formidable. The track opens with Gigantelli's robust bass riff, which is quickly joined by the omnipresent guitars engaging in beautiful initial solos. The song's rhythm is slower than "Blade Runner", but thanks to the band's compositional ability, they manage to conclude this beautiful metallic work magically. The quartet demonstrates great charisma and skill in the wild chorus and melodic variations in the third minute. Two guitarists truly playing with passion, heart, and soul!

A work I absolutely recommend you listen to and search for on the Internet, possibly on their MySpace page, Rockitaly, and Vibrations Of Doom. Unfortunately, as usual, it is really rare in music stores! After this 45 RPM, the band encountered some lineup issues, transforming the quartet into a power trio due to the departure of guitarist Stefano Bianchini. This was the period of compositional maturity for Spitfire, performing until 1986 and leaving the demo "Heroes In The Storm" unreleased. This work was never completed or recorded due to their breakup. The last members continued to play in different projects in both the hard rock and grunge fields. Later, around 2004, the group reunited and after a few concerts managed to excellently complete the album "Heroes In The Storm." This is another unmissable gem of Italian metal.