Novembre

Novembre is a band from Rome, Italy. Their music consists of progressive/doom/death metal elements. Novembre was formed in 1990, under the name of Catacomb. Novembre is lyrically themed towards dreams, nature, personal struggles and landscapes. Novembre is currently signed to Peaceville Records. They have made a solid impression upon both the death metal and atmospheric metal scenes with equally strong results. Ever since their inception, word about the group has spread among the underground scene on a worldwide basis. It was back in September 1990 when the two brothers Carmelo Orlando (guitars and vocals) and Giuseppe Orlando (drums) formed the band CATACOMB. About a year later, in November 1991 they released their first demo, 'Unreal'. Despite its poor sound-quality it immediately raised peoples' interest among the then-flourishing death metal scene. The 7" EP 'The Return of the Ark' (released by Sacra Sindone Records) followed in early 1993 and due to its unusual mix of melancholic gothic doom with classic influences caused even more exposure and popularity in the world-wide underground. Soon after they renamed the band NOVEMBRE, as the former moniker did not represent the bands steadily progressing sound anymore. Things finally felt right and around the same time NOVEMBRE signed to Polyphemus Records. In the Fall of 1994 the band recorded their highly-acclaimed debut, Wish I Could Dream It Again... in Dan Swano's Unisound Studios. This was right around the same time as other leaders of the initial atmospheric scene recorded their first and early albums, making NOVEMBRE among the first bands inventing and playing this sound. After two more years of hard work NOVEMBRE released their second album, Arte Novecento, which showed the band developing into an even darker direction. In Spring of 1997 Massimiliano Pagliuso (guitars) joined the band as a second guitarist, and towards the end of 1998 they inked a worldwide deal with Century Media Records. After months of intense rehearsals their third album, Classica, was recorded at the band's own The Outer Studios in Rome in Summer 1999 and mixed in Andy LaRocque's famous Los Angered Studios in Gothenburg, Sweden. Classica was supported by a European tour with MOONSPELL, KREATOR and WITCHERY in January, 2000, as well as a gig at Leipzig's Wave Gotik Treffen Festival. Since the show went down great they were invited for the following year's festival too. Classica's successor came to light in the Fall, 2001. NOVEMBRE entered The Outer Sound Studios again to record Novembrine Waltz. In order to add the icing to the cake they went to Sound Suite Studios near Marseilles and mixed the album with producer Terje Refsnes (Tristania, Sins Of Thy Beloved, Morgul). During November and December 2001, the band supported the album on a European tour along with the outstanding talents of their old friends from OPETH and KATATONIA which marked one of the many highlights in their career. Even though things were progressing superbly, NOVEMBRE felt it was time for a little journey into their past: 'Wish I Could Dream It Again...' sold out extremely quickly and is nowadays a highly sought-after rarity. Many of the new fans who missed the chance to purchase the debut album back in the day were eager to get their hands on a copy and more than willing to overspend for a second-hand copy. In light of this situation, NOVEMBRE decided to re-record the songs of the album, once more in their own Outer Sound Studio during the Summer of 2002, both to give a new sound-treatment to these formidable and well-regarded tunes, and to give fans the possibility to complete their NOVEMBRE collection. To mark the difference between "old" and "new" versions and avoid further confusion, the band decided to rename the album with the title Dreams D'azur. Meanwhile things started to fall apart between the band and the label. It seemed as though they had nothing else to give each other. Both parties agreed to terminate the deal, leaving NOVEMBRE free to search for a more appropriate record label. It wasn't long before NOVEMBREs freedom came to the attention of the British legendary label, Peaceville Records. A label that, with the bands they produced and the albums released, traced a deep and binding mark on NOVEMBREs song writing spine. Definitely the label they should have always been signed to. Since the signing of the deal in 2004, the band locked themselves up in their garage to write their fifth album Materia recorded between their Outer Sound Studios and Helsinki's Finnvox Studios. 'Materia' has been released in April 2006, and was supported by a highly successful European Tour with KATATONIA. As if to continue the momentum following the success of ‘Materia’, Novembre swiftly began work on the follow-up album, with an even heavier presence than the previous album yet still maintaining the high level of atmospherics which the band are well known for. Novembre’s creative overdrive, fuelled by the pre-Materia silent years, became evident in the hyper-speed composition of 12 new emotional and progressive rock/doom/metal jewels composing their sixth and best album to date; The Blue, the latest Novembre album was released by Peaceville Records on the 5th November 2007 followed by a very successful UK tour with Paradise Lost.