Stage of Reality - Dignity

THE BEGINNING: At the beginning of 2012 Andrea Neri, former guitarist of Blaze Bayley for the album "The King of Metal", experienced the split up of his band, the progressive metal project Astarte Syriaca. Despite the fortunate period for the musician, performing live with Bayley and composing for theatre and television, he longs for a solo project, a way to express his own style and message.Two years later, in 2014, STAGE OF REALITY came to life.

2014 - "BREATHING MACHINES": This is the first full length concept album of the band, released by Nuvi Records in October 2014. "The Breathing Machines", characterized by a hard rock sound mixed with progressive and crossover influences, takes inspiration from two main literary models, i.e. "Corsair Writings" by Pier Paolo Pasolini and "Animal farm" by George Orwell, to describe the lack of humanity and the overwhelming anxiety of modern times. To record this ambitious and complex project, Andrea was supported by the musicians who would later become the first SOR lineup: the former Dreamscape member Francesco Marino (vocals), Alessandro Accardi (drums), the former Astarte Syriaca member Marco Polizzi (bass guitar), Bernardo Nardini (acoustic guitar and backing vocals) and Francesco Visconti (sound design). The album came out with the single "The next generation". The video directed by Domiziano Cristofaro is a sudden success on web TVs', nationally and internationally. On the same day of its release, October 10th 2014, "The breathing machines" was showcased at Stazione Birra featuring the drummer Daniele Michelacci, who would enter permanently the lineup.
In May 2015, after the Spanish tour, for one night only "The Breathing machines" became a multimedia experience. On the 29th of the same month the Ambra Jovinelli theater in Rome hosts “Macchine che Respirano”, a show combining music, theatre and literature.The band performed the entire album while the actor Alessandro Porcu performed some extracts from Pasolini's “Corsair writings".

2015 - THE LINEUP CHANGE: In spite of the positive feedback got by the first album, Francesco Marino had to leave the band due to logistical problems. On July, after some auditions, the singer Damiano Borgi was chosen to pick up his legacy. The extreme versatility of this young artist, coming from a lyrical, pop and hard rock background, lets the band take another step on its musical growth. Moreover, all the members begin to take part to the creative process of a new album gathering all their experiences together, from composition to execution.

2017 - STAGE OF REALITY: The upcoming self-titled album is a turning point in the band's musical research. Each one of the ten original songs in "Stage of Reality" is a raging critique to our society, dealing with specific social issues or with some of the most obscure episodes in the Italian chronicle, such as the Stefano Cucchi case (the 30 years old mysteriously died while in custody). The complete release has been preceded by two singles: "Dignity", in November 2015, and "Never", the following March Simone Serafini is the director who puts his signature upon all three videos. Two prestigious collaborations make this project unique on the alternative metal scene: Blaze Bayley will perform "Warlord" and Amanda Somerville will give her voice to the only cover song of the album, "Back to Black" by Amy Winehouse.

SELLING POINTS:
Andrea Neri
• DARKENED LIGHT by Astarte Syriaca 2008 - producer, writer, composer and guitarist
• SEX DE HUMANA NATURA by Astarte Syriaca 2010 - producer, writer, composer and guitarist
• BLAZE BAYLEY ITALIAN TOUR 2011 - lead guitar + acoustic gigs
• THE KING OF METAL by Blaze Bayley 2012 - lead guitar
• Endorsement with ENGL AMPS - 2012
• THE KING OF METAL EUROPEAN TOUR - 66 gigs all around Europe as lead guitar of Blaze Bayley - 2012

Stage of Reality
• “The Breathing Machines” Debut Album – October 2014
• The Breathing Machines Spanish Tour 2015
• The Breathing Machines at Ambra Jovinelli Theater 2015
• Elettrika vs Batterika Festival 2015 (W/ PHIL PALMER, MASSIMO MORICONI)
• LIVE W/ GUS G (IT) 2016
• LIVE W/ BLAZE BAYLEY (LT) 2016
• TOUR w/ ANGRA "Holy Land" 20th Anniversary 2016
• LIVE W/ ARTHEMIS 2016
• LIVE W/ MARK BOALS (Malmsteen)
• UNLEASH THE POWER FESTIVAL 2016
• LIVE W/ DGM
• LIVE W/ INSIDIA