Crossing through the valleys and dusty lands of Middle Earth, Alex Staropoli's band arrives at Montelago with an impressive track record of 14 studio albums, three EPs and two live recordings, all characterised by great passion and a virtually inexhaustible wealth of ideas. Alex is renowned as the Italian keyboardist who created metal music for films, while his band is acclaimed as one of the most charismatic groups in the world.
Their latest studio album, “Challenge The Wind” (2024), reprises the typical style of Rhapsody Of Fire, with gritty and obsessive metal riffs clashing with symphonic-orchestral elements. With a new dash of power, it gives life to ten songs that push the accelerator from the first to the last note, in a musical tour de force blending quick and deep rhythms with typical lyrics, composed by revisiting the theme of previous works like “The Eighth Mountain” (2019) and “Glory For Salvation” (2021). The message is one to be carved in stone: anyone can be a hero: not by birth, but based on what they do in their lives.

Alex Staropoli: keyboards
Giacomo Voli: vocals
Roby De Micheli: guitar
Paolo Marchesich: drums
Alessandro Sala: bass