Featured Artist of October 15, 2026
with the Album: "Città totale"


Artist's Biography

VIII Strada are one of those Milanese progressive rock acts that quietly built their own universe over three decades, shaping a sound that stands firmly in the Italian RPI tradition while refusing to become a museum piece. Formed in **1996**, the band grew out of the city’s underground prog circuit, blending symphonic textures, hard‑edged passages, and a strong narrative impulse — the kind of storytelling that feels carved from stone and memory.

Across the years, VIII Strada have become known for their dynamic stage presence and their ability to move between theatrical, mythic atmospheres and more contemporary, urban reflections. Their lineup — **Tito Vizzuso (vocals), Davide Zigliani (guitars), Sergio Merlino (bass), Sigfrido Percich (drums), and Silvano Negrinelli (keyboards/piano)** — forms a tight, expressive ensemble capable of shifting from delicate acoustic moments to towering prog-metal structures without losing emotional clarity. [maracashrecords.bandcamp.com](https://maracashrecords.bandcamp.com/album/citt-totale?from=com-lr) [Progarchives.com](https://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=98189)

Over the years they’ve shared the stage with major names in the international and Italian prog world — **Arena, Pain of Salvation, Tony Levin, Osanna, Biglietto per l’Inferno, David Jackson (Van der Graaf Generator)** — and even developed an extended live collaboration with **Patrizio Fariselli of Area**, reinforcing their connection to the genre’s historic lineage. [Corriere Nazionale](https://www.corrierenazionale.it/2026/10/12/gli-viii-strada-tornano-live-per-presentare-il-nuovo-album/) [Progressive Rock Journal](https://progrockjournal.com/news-italian-progressive-rock-band-viii-strada-unveil-official-video-for-two-singles-from-new-album-citta-totale/)

VIII Strada’s music is built on progression in the truest sense: not nostalgia, but evolution. Their work continually pushes forward, exploring new textures and themes while honoring the emotional depth that defines Italian progressive rock.
   

About the Album

 Released on **June 17, 2026** via **Ma.Ra.Cash Records**, _Città Totale_ is a **double album** that functions almost like a map of the band’s entire artistic journey. It’s both retrospective and forward‑looking — a portrait of VIII Strada across eras, stages, and sonic identities. [maracashrecords.bandcamp.com](https://maracashrecords.bandcamp.com/album/citt-totale?from=com-lr) [Progressive Rock Journal](https://progrockjournal.com/news-italian-progressive-rock-band-viii-strada-unveil-official-video-for-two-singles-from-new-album-citta-totale/)

### **What’s Inside the Album**
**Disc 1 — The Live Dimension + New Studio Tracks**
A powerful selection of live recordings capturing the band’s natural habitat: long-form suites, shifting time signatures, and dramatic storytelling. Highlights include:

- **Preludio a Eclypse / Eclipse Anulaire / Deguello (live)** — a 10‑minute mini‑suite showing their progressive metal side. [AREAROCK](https://www.arearock.it/2026/10/08/la-citta-totale-degli-viii-strada-il-nuovo-disco-della-band-milanese-per-ma-ra-cash-records/)
- **1403: Storia in Firenze (live)** — Renaissance imagery, acoustic/orchestral contrasts, and narrative depth. [AREAROCK](https://www.arearock.it/2026/10/08/la-citta-totale-degli-viii-strada-il-nuovo-disco-della-band-milanese-per-ma-ra-cash-records/)
- **Ulysses (live)** — dark, theatrical arrangements supporting the mythic theme. [AREAROCK](https://www.arearock.it/2026/10/08/la-citta-totale-degli-viii-strada-il-nuovo-disco-della-band-milanese-per-ma-ra-cash-records/)
- **Canzone d’Amore (Le Orme cover, live)** — not a simple tribute, but a reinterpretation shaped through VIII Strada’s own language. [AREAROCK](https://www.arearock.it/2026/10/08/la-citta-totale-degli-viii-strada-il-nuovo-disco-della-band-milanese-per-ma-ra-cash-records/) [Progressive Rock Journal](https://progrockjournal.com/news-italian-progressive-rock-band-viii-strada-unveil-official-video-for-two-singles-from-new-album-citta-totale/)

**Two new studio tracks anchor the album’s present:**

- **Città Totale** — contemporary, incisive, with Italian melodic sensibility in the chorus; lyrically a critique of modern metropolitan alienation. [AREAROCK](https://www.arearock.it/2026/10/08/la-citta-totale-degli-viii-strada-il-nuovo-disco-della-band-milanese-per-ma-ra-cash-records/)
- **Quale Primavera** — released with an official video; a companion piece exploring renewal and emotional transition. [Progressive Rock Journal](https://progrockjournal.com/news-italian-progressive-rock-band-viii-strada-unveil-official-video-for-two-singles-from-new-album-citta-totale/)

**Disc 2 — The Past Reimagined**
A fully **remastered version of their debut album _La leggenda della grande porta_**, reconnecting their current identity with their origins. This creates a bridge between their early symphonic prog roots and their modern, more dynamic approach. [AREAROCK](https://www.arearock.it/2026/10/08/la-citta-totale-degli-viii-strada-il-nuovo-disco-della-band-milanese-per-ma-ra-cash-records/) [Progressive Rock Journal](https://progrockjournal.com/news-italian-progressive-rock-band-viii-strada-unveil-official-video-for-two-singles-from-new-album-citta-totale/)