Il Rovescio della Medaglia — RDM for short — were one of the heaviest bands of the Italian progressive scene, a Roman group whose roaring live power and hard-rock muscle set them apart. Yet they are remembered above all for a complete change of direction: “Contaminazione” (1973), a dazzling concept album that wove the music of Bach together with their own rock, and which stands as one of the jewels of classic Italian prog.

The short version

Formed in Rome in 1970, Il Rovescio della Medaglia made their name as a ferocious live act and recorded two of the heaviest, guitar-driven albums in all of RPI — “La Bibbia” (1971) and “Io Come Io” (1972) — notably without keyboards. Then, for their third album, they transformed: “Contaminazione” (1973), orchestrated by the composer Luis Bacalov and built around the music of J.S. Bach, is a symphonic-rock landmark and the album for which they are justly celebrated.

Rome, 1970: a live monster

Il Rovescio della Medaglia came together in Rome in 1970, growing out of the beat group I Lombrichi, and after a couple of changes of singer settled around the Pescara-born vocalist and flautist Pino Ballarini. With guitarist Enzo Vita, bassist Stefano Urso and drummer Gino Campoli, they quickly built a reputation as a formidable live band — a “live monster” whose concerts were powered by an enormous, futuristic sound system far beyond anything else in Italy at the time. A strong showing at the Viareggio festival in 1971 won them a contract with RCA Italiana.

Heavy, keyboard-free RPI

For their first two albums, RDM were among the very heaviest bands in Italian prog — and unusually, they did it without keyboards. Their sound was built on Enzo Vita’s hard, riffing guitar, Stefano Urso’s prominent bass, Gino Campoli’s powerful drumming and Pino Ballarini’s strong voice and occasional flute. Rooted in British hard rock but pushed toward greater complexity, with knotty time signatures and ambitious, philosophical lyrics, it was muscular, dynamic music made to be felt at full volume — a world apart from the keyboard-led symphonic mainstream of RPI.

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From La Bibbia to Contaminazione

RDM’s debut, “La Bibbia” (1971), was recorded live in the studio to capture their on-stage force — a hard-rocking concept album on episodes from the Old Testament, from the Nothingness to the Flood, packaged with a medallion-shaped lyric booklet. “Io Come Io” (1972) followed, heavier and more progressive still, its four tracks weaving complex, dynamic music around a Hegelian philosophical theme. Then came the great leap. For “Contaminazione” (1973), the band added keyboardist Franco Di Sabbatino and joined forces with the Argentine composer Luis Bacalov — who had already worked with New Trolls and Osanna — and a baroque orchestra. The result was a concept album that seamlessly “contaminated” the band’s rock with pieces from Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier, telling the story of an eighteenth-century musician obsessed with the composer. Polished, dramatic and inventive, it was a critical and popular success, and even appeared in an English-language version for the international market.

Album by album

Three classics, from heavy rock to symphonic landmark. Tap any title for its guide.

The players and afterwards

RDM’s classic line-up was guitarist Enzo Vita, singer and flautist Pino Ballarini, bassist Stefano Urso and drummer Gino Campoli, joined for “Contaminazione” by keyboardist Franco Di Sabbatino. Their momentum was broken at the end of 1973, when the theft of their prized sound system dealt a heavy blow; Ballarini soon left for Switzerland, briefly replaced by Michele Zarrillo, and after further changes the band split in 1977. Years later, guitarist Enzo Vita revived RDM, releasing new albums and, in recent times, performing the whole of “Contaminazione” live with an orchestra — including a celebrated appearance in Japan — keeping their masterpiece alive on stage.

Where to start

Start with “Contaminazione” (1973), their masterpiece and one of the great achievements of Italian prog, where rock and Bach meet to thrilling effect. Then go back to the heavy, keyboard-free power of “La Bibbia” (1971) and “Io Come Io” (1972) to hear where they came from. The contrast between the two sides of the band is part of what makes them so rewarding.

Why they still matter

Il Rovescio della Medaglia matter on two counts. First, as one of the heaviest and most powerful bands of the early Italian scene, they showed that RPI could rock as hard as anyone. And second, with “Contaminazione” they created one of the genre’s defining symphonic statements — a bold, beautiful fusion of classical and rock that still stands among the finest Italian albums of its era. Few bands changed so completely, or so successfully. For anyone exploring Italian prog, both faces of RDM, and “Contaminazione” above all, are essential.

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