Italian band STRANA OFFICINA was formed in 1977, and during the 1980’s I see them referenced as a notable and influential band in the underground Italian metal scene. As their albums haven’t been reissued, at least to any great extent, until Italian label Jolly Roger Records saw to that happening in 2014 I presume that their influence was more on an artistic level than on a commercial one, a band that influenced other and more notable bands rather than an entity that had a marked commercial impact. Not that this matters all that much. The EP “Strana Officina” was the first official release by the band, and was first issued in 1984. This reissued edition comes with 4 additional bonus tracks.
While I don’t know the commercial impact of this band, one thing that can be stated as a sure fact is that this EP wasn’t made with any extensive financial backing. The production is fairly lackluster, placing it well inside the budget metal releases of the 1980’s. This is low fi, fairly rough material from a mix and production point of view, comparable with the third and fourth rate NWoBHM labels from the same era.
NWoBHM is also a key word for at least some of the material at hand. Opening track Viaggio in Inghilterra comes across as a fairly equal blend of early 80’s Judas Priest and Iron Maiden, a nice and pleasant specimen of early 80’s metal but not with too much else going for it. Much the same can be said about the original concluding creation Piccolo Uccello Bianco, albeit this one is stretched out to the 9 minute mark.
The songs in between represents the highlights for me personally, The majestic Autostrada Dei Sogni with more of a Saxon or early 80’s Black Sabbath tinge to it the most impressive of the lot for me, and while not quite as stunning Luna Nera is an interesting piece of work, a song that comes awfully close to being a replication in sound and style to “Heaven and Hell” era Black Sabbath, in a good way I’ll have to add.
Guitarists willing and able to explore and produce compelling riffs and riff structures appears to be the main strength of the band, at least at this point, with a suitably melodic, powerful vocalist that reminds me of a less developed version of David DeFeis from US metal band Virgin Steele.
As far as the bonus tracks are concerned, I’d say that they are mostly for ardent fans of the band, and then due to the even rougher mix and production on these, The live recording of Guerra Triste the weakest of the lot as the sound here is downright horrible. But the one glimmering nugget of gold for me here is the tight, vibrant Vai Vai, a good track that in style and execution can be compared to early Iron Maiden, with a vibrant energy that makes it a worthwhile listen despite the rather lacking quality in the mix and production department.
If you’re an avid fan of early 80’s metal, and find the notion of exploring the first release of a band that included aspects of the 1st and 2nd generation of metal bands into their material, this initial EP by Strana Officina is one that should intrigue you, especially if you have a general interest in material with that distinct rough, budget mix and production that was rather common in many metal releases back in the early 1980’s.
My rating: 70/100
