Moongarden

Updated on Dec 26, 2023

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Origin Italy Years active 1993-present Genre Progressive rock		Genres Progressive rock Active from 1993 Members Cristiano Roversi

Past members Adolfo Bonati Massimiliano Sorrenti Dimitri Sardini Luca Palleschi Luca Dell'Anna Marco Tafelli Maurizio Di Tollo Albums Songs From the Lighthouse, A Vulgar Display of Prog Record labels Galileo Records, ProgRock Records, SPV GmbH Similar Submarine Silence, Mangala Vallis, Gigi Cavalli Cocchi, Mirko Tagliasacchi, Doracor

Moongarden is an Italian Progressive rock group who tour internationally. They have been compared to Porcupine Tree, Marillion and Genesis. The group records and distributes their music on Galileo Records.

Moongarden it s you

History

The band was founded in 1993 when co-founders Cristiano Roversi (keyboards, bass), David Cremoni (guitars), and Adolfo Bonati (drums) recorded some demo tracks, which were subsequently picked up by the Italian label Mellow Records and released as an album named Moonsadness in 1994. Following the release of this album, Bonati departed and was replaced by Massimiliano Sorrenti, with guitarist Dimitri Sardini joining the band at the same time. Building on the foundation that Moonsadness had given them, the band recorded two Genesis covers for The First Italian Tribute to Genesis, before starting work on their second album, Brainstorm of Emptyness. Following the completion of the album, the band recorded another cover (the track "There Will be Time" by Osanna) for the '70s Italian Progressive Tribute Album, following which Sardini left the band.

During the following four years, Moongarden underwent a period of inactivity, mainly due to personal troubles suffered by the band's remaining three members. Following this hiatus, vocalist Luca Palleschi and keyboardist Luca Dell'Anna joined the band (with Roversi acting as bassist), and the critically acclaimed album The Gates of Omega was released. In the period leading up to the band's next album, 2003's Round Midnight, Dell'Anna left the band, leading Roversi to revert to keyboards, and Mirko Tagliasacchi joined the group on bass. Shortly following the release of Round Midnight, founding guitarist David Cremoni departed the band, and was replaced by Marco Tafelli.

More lineup changes ensued with the departure of Palleschi and Sorrentini in 2005 due to artistic differences, with their positions being filled by Simone Baldini Tosi and Maurizio Di Tollo respectively. Baldini Tosi had previously worked with the band as session vocalist on their debut album, Moonsadness. This lineup recorded 2008's Songs From The Lighthouse before David Cremoni returned to the band to replace his successor, Marco Tafelli. Following Cremoni's return, the band released the album A Vulgar Display of Prog. During the next few years, the band did not conduct much activity due to Roversi and Cremoni working on their side project, Submarine Silence. However, in 2013 Gigi Cavalli Occhi joined the band, replacing Maurizio Di Tollo on drums, and the band commenced work on a new, as yet untitled, album.