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.
