Verdena

Formed in Italy during 1996, hard rock trio Verdena united the Ferrari brothers—Alberto handling vocals and guitar alongside drummer Luca—with bassist Roberta Sammarelli, who had earlier played in Porno Nuns. The group staged its earliest concerts under the spelling Verbena, then adjusted one letter upon discovering an American act already using the name. That next summer the band recorded its debut demo, whose limited run of five hundred copies sold out quickly at shows and drew attention from several record companies. Choosing Black Out/Universal, the musicians entered the studio for their self-titled 1999 album, which gained airplay through the opening single “Valvonauta.” Two years afterward they released Solo un Grande Sasso, working this time with producer Mauro Pagani. Once they built their own Henhouse facility, Verdena handled production duties themselves on the 2004 album Il Suicidio dei Samurai. The record reached the Italian Top Ten, enjoyed widespread success across Europe, and led to an international tour supporting Dredg and Oceansize. Requiem appeared in 2007.