Evil Wings – Evil Wings/The Road to Evil Wings

Italian progressive metal veterans Evil Wings—currently comprised of Franco Giaffreda (vocals & guitars), Richie Zanardo (bass), Walter Rivolta (drums & percussion), and Joseph Ierace (keyboards)—saw their cult 1994 self-titled debut album reissued by Underground Symphony in late 2025 as a special, elegant double-CD digipak. Having been long sold-out and hard to find, this reissue is a massive gift to the underground metal community.

The package is split into two distinct discs that honor the band’s history: CD 1 (The Original Album): Contains the original, un-retouched 1994 version. The band wisely chose to preserve the original mix, as it perfectly captures the raw, ambitious underground sound that put the Italian progressive and power metal scene on the map alongside label mates like Labyrinth.

CD 2 (The Road to Evil Wings): Dedicated to the memory of Sandro Corti, the band’s original drummer who sadly passed away prematurely. This disc compiles the group’s first two demos—Shadeless Mountain (1989) and Behind the Sky (1992)—alongside several rare live tracks recorded between 1993 and 1995.

Driven by frontman Franco Giaffreda, the guitar work beautifully balances sharp, crunchy heavy metal riffs with complex, sweeping neo-classical solos. Simultaneously, the rhythm section—anchored by Walter Rivolta’s drumming and Giovanni Bellosi’s prominent basslines—thrives on constant, shifting time signatures. They successfully avoid the straightforward “chugging” patterns of standard power metal in favor of sophisticated jazz-fusion complexity. Tying it all together is a massive wall of keyboards delivered by Rick Ostidich. The synthesizers act almost as a primary lead instrument, trading fast-paced solos with the guitar and constructing rich, texturized arrangements.

While it feels unfair to highlight only a few tracks from such a comprehensive reissue, several songs truly stand out. Pieces like “Rise to the Sunlight” (listen below), “Treasure Island,” the restless “Chrysalis,” and the archival live closer “Enigma” are breathtaking. Today, just as in the mid-nineties, they astonish the listener with their emotional intensity, technical execution, and creative songwriting.

The front cover features a classic 1990s gothic-fantasy metal illustration that perfectly captures the dark yet melodic themes of the record. The artwork displays an ethereal, gothic female figure with dark, stylized wings, embodying the band’s moniker. Interestingly, despite the aggressive nature of the name “Evil Wings,” the actual mood of the record captures a distinctive atmosphere of mysticism, dreamlike high-fantasy, introspection, and natural wonder.

In short, Evil Wings is an incredible mix of melody, musical technique, and strong songwriting, making it a highly sophisticated and pleasant listening experience. It is an essential purchase for collectors of classic Italian progressive metal, especially those who missed out on the rare original pressings. Adding this album to your collection is an absolute must if you appreciate progressive music in general and giants like Kansas, Rush, Styx, Dream Theater, Fates Warning, and Labyrinth in particular. You can order the reissue of Evil Wings’ self-titled debut album directly from the official Underground Symphony Store.