In the two years or so since District 97 first sprang upon the progressive rock scene, they've quickly (and rightfully) earned themselves a spot as one of the genre's bright new stars. A great debut album, some high-profile endorsements, crowd-winning festival performances, chart-topping fan support, coupled with tour dates opening for prog legends Kansas and Roine Stolt's Agents of Mercy, all confirm the great work this group of Chicago suburbanites are capable of, none of whom have broken their third decade on this big earth.

Coming from Rome, Il Rovescio della Medaglia ("The Other Side of the Coin") was founded in 1971 by guitarist Enzo Vita, bassist Stefano Urso and drummer Gino Campoli, with Pino Ballarini eventually joining on vocals. Their debut album, La Bibbia, was a live recording from late 1971, and very much a heavy rock album. Vita's guitar playing was rugged and hard-riffing, and the band quickly developed a reputation as a premier live act.

Formed in 1972 in Lecco, Lombardy, Biglietto Per L'Inferno ("Ticket to Hell") was another Italian band that released one classic album before breaking up. The band was discovered at a music festival, and subsequently offered a contract with the Trident label, home to The Trip and Semiramis. The band centered around the keyboard talents of two Giuseppes, "Baffo" Banfi and Cossa, plus guitarist Marco Mainetti, vocalist and flautist Claudio Canali and a rhythm section of bassist Fausto Branchini and drummer Mauro Gnecchi.