Extrema
Pol'and'Rock Festival 2018
Pol'and'Rock Festival 2018
Background information
OriginItaly
GenresGroove metal,[1] thrash metal,[1] nu metal
Years active1986–present
LabelsFlying Records, Scarlet, Contempo
MembersTommy Massara
Paolo Crimi
Mattia Bigi
Tiziano "Titian" Spigno
Past membersGianluca Perotti
Stefano Bullegas
Chris Dalla Pellegrina
Luca Varisco
Daniele Vecchi
Andrea Boria
Walter Andreatta
Julias Loglio
Websiteextremateam.com

Extrema is an Italian thrash metal/groove metal band from Milan. They sing in English.

History

Extrema formed in 1986 in Milan. The initial lineup included guitarist Tommy Massara, vocalist/guitarist Andrea Boria, bassist Luca Varisco, and drummer Stefano Bullegas. Regarded as one of Italy's first thrash metal bands, Extrema's first EP, We Fuckin' Care (1987), sold 3,000 copies largely by word of mouth. Italian heavy metal fans did not yet seem prepared to embrace local talent, however, and the next four years saw Extrema (by then entirely re-vamped, with Massara signing on new members Gianluca Perotti on vocals, Mattia Bigi on bass, and Chris Dalla Pellegrina on drums) relegated to open for visiting acts like Slayer, D.R.I., and Corrosion of Conformity. Finally realizing that their only hope of impressing local talent scouts lay in marketing themselves abroad, Extrema started aggressively shopping their demos to international heavy metal critics, and even financed a trip to New York City for a one-off gig. The strategy worked, and their four-track demo from 1991 was soon attracting the attention of some major international publications, eventually leading to a record deal with Contempo Records. The result was the 1993's Tension at the Seams album, which led to stadium support slots with Italian rock star Vasco Rossi, and more importantly a high-profile metal festival appearance in Turin alongside Megadeth, The Cult, Suicidal Tendencies, and Metallica. The album also featured an unconventional cover of The Police's Truth Hits Everybody and spawned a video clip for the track Child O' Boogaow which was on heavy rotation on Italy's MTV affiliate, Videomusic.

Capping off their most successful year, Extrema issued a six-track live EP entitled Proud, Powerful 'n' Alive, and then got right back on the road, playing upwards of 50 shows across Italy before signing with new label Flying Records and getting to work on their next album. Released in 1995, The Positive Pressure (Of Injustice) boasted improved production values while updating their thrash metal style to keep pace with the era's groove metal acts such as Pantera and Machine Head.

Despite a waning interest in Extrema in the late 1990s, Massara kept the band going, and Extrema released a string of albums in the following years, with 2001's Better Mad Than Dead and V2's Set the World on Fire (2005). In 2009 Extrema switched to Scarlet Records, where they recorded Pound for Pound and The Seed of Foolishness (2013).

Band members

Current members

  • Tommy Massara – guitars (1986–present)
  • Tiziano "Titian" Spigno – vocals (2017–present)
  • Gabri Giovanna – bass (2010–present)
  • Francesco "Frullo" La Rosa – drums (2014–present)

Former members

  • Andrea Boria – vocals, guitars (1986–1989)
  • Gianluca Perotti – vocals (1989–2006, 2007–2013, 2014–2017)
  • Luca Varisco – bass, backing vocals (1986–1989)
  • Stefano Bullegas – drums (1986–1989)
  • Daniele Vecchi – vocals (1989)
  • Walter Andreatta – guitars (1989)
  • Chris Dalla Pellegrina – drums (1989–2004)
  • Mattia Bigi – bass (1989–2010)
  • Julias Loglio – guitars (1992–1993)
  • Paolo Crimi – drums (2004–2014)

Discography

Studio albums

  • Tension at the Seams – 1993
  • The Positive Pressure (Of Injustice) – 1995
  • Better Mad Than Dead – 2001
  • Set the World on Fire – 2005
  • Pound for Pound – 2009
  • The Seed of Foolishness – 2013
  • Headbanging Forever – 2019

EP's

  • We Fuckin' Care – 1987
  • Proud, Powerful 'n' Alive – 1993

Live

  • "Raisin' Hell with Friends – Live at the Rolling Stone" – 2007

Best of

  • And the Best Has Yet to Come – 2003

References

  1. 1 2 "Italian Groove Thrash Extrema Premiere Video 'For The Loved And The Lost'". The Metalist. 8 April 2019. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
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