Interviews: Silver Nightmares

On this new occasion, we have had the opportunity to interview the Progressive Rock band Silver Nightmares from Italy. Check out the interview and follow the band on their FACEBOOK PAGE.

1. Where did you get the idea for the band name? Did you plan it or did it just come out like that?

TAORMINA: People often talk—predictably—about hidden, golden, fantastic dreams, but rarely stop to reflect on dreams that turn into nightmares, and vice versa. A nightmare can sometimes have pleasant, unpredictable nuances. The juxtaposition of "Silver" (evoking a metallic, melodic, or classical sheen) and "Nightmares" (reflecting dark, conceptual, and complex progressive themes) mirrors the contrast in our music, which blends heavy metal, progressive arrangements, and classical elements.

2. Why did you want to play this genre?

ESPOSITO: We play this genre ‘cause it allows us to branch out creatively, even using versatile instruments like the trumpet.

3. Did you know each other before the band was formed?

MERCURIO: Before joining the band, each of us took part in many diverse cover projects. The drummer Alessio Maddaloni had already played in the past with Gabriele Esposito (bass) and, since his youth, with me (v).

4. Each band member's favourite band? MADDALONI:

LA MANTIA: Deep Purple

MERCURIO: Incubus

ESPOSITO: Iron Maiden

TAORMINA: Dream Theater

MADDALONI: Savatage

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?

ESPOSITO: Our songs are inspired by a cultural and conceptual project. We need to conclude our first two works with a third—a concept album—inspired by the analysis of human behavior and its values. We are drawn to the big questions that plague humanity and to the history of humanity itself.

6. Where was your last gig?

TAORMINA: Unfortunately, our last live performance was over a year ago (Live at the Jolly Theatre in Palermo). After collaborating with the prestigious singer Edman to create the EP 'Roxy Passion,' we began searching for a permanent lead singer for our band. We were truly lucky to bring Lorenzo Mercurio into our ranks, who had already brilliantly collaborated on our previous works. Now, we are fine-tuning our setlist so we can finally perform live.

7. Where would you like to act?

LA MANTIA: We're down to play anywhere :-)

8. Whom would you like to feature with?

MADDALONI: It would be an honor for us to collaborate again with artists of Göran Edman's caliber. We have some ideas regarding a potential collaboration for our upcoming album (we have plenty of material that we will start working on in early 2027)

9. Whom not?

TAORMINA: We don't have any kind of prejudice regarding that. Ideally, we'd like to play alongside bands that share a similar musical genre.

10. Have any of you ever suffered from stage fright? Any tips for beginners on how to beat that?

MERCURIO: To defeat stage fright, a musician must combine solid technical preparation with body and mind control techniques. Working on deep breathing, getting used to playing in front of small groups before the concert, and shifting focus from the fear of being judged to the joy of communicating music helps transform tension into positive energy. Fortunately, this has never happened to us before.

11. What bands have inspired you the most?

ESPOSITO: We have a lot of different influences and tastes... Many bands have inspired our musical genre: Iron Maiden, Savatage, Toto, Genesis, Area, and so on. First and foremost, before being musicians, we are massive music listeners. Our wide-ranging influences definitely bleed into our songs, though anyone listening to Silver Nightmares—and to be honest, something everyone unanimously recognizes in us—will notice that we aren't a derivative band at all. Instead, a clear sense of originality and a very personal trademark already shine through

12. What's the weirdest thing a fan has ever asked you for?

LA MANTIA: A fan bought about ten copies of our vinyl with Edman and even a copy of the test press of Roxy Passion! In the past, he had bought around twenty copies of our early works.

13. What do you think of your fans?

MADDALONI: I strongly believe that we've simply engaged many listeners across various genres. Perhaps those who only listen to metal or progressive music might not have appreciated our sound, which tries to blend many nuances from different genres. ...Maybe that's exactly what our fans like.. the unpredictability of hearing songs that are all different from one another, yet share a common root that we hope is as unique and identifiable as possible for Silver Nightmares

14. What do you think of our site?

MERCURIO: It's a really great site that actually gives a lot of room to independent bands, unlike a lot of others. It's interesting that you make space for bands of various musical genres!

15. Something to add?

LA MANTIA: We will soon start working on the final episode of the trilogy (The Wandering Angel/Apocalypsis/). As mentioned earlier, we also hope to start playing live as soon as possible, as our setlist is now ready. For us, the “live aspect” remains essential. We would like to remind you that you can find us on all major social media platforms (Facebook, X, and Instagram) and on all the digital stores (Spotify, Amazon, Google, YouTube, Deezer, Bandcamp). Prog on and thanks again for the interview! Cheers from Sicily! :-)

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