A Dirty Dozen with RED CODE – October 2026

Photo credit: Cristian Deklic

According to a recent press release: “Epictronic is proud to announce the signing of Italian alternative prog metal band Red Code. Marking the beginning of this new partnership, the band has released their new single and official video, “Quarantine,” the first preview of their debut EP, Traces of Unease And Discomfort (Episode 1), due for release this September. Red Code was formed in Trieste as a live act, founded by vocalist Lenina, drummer Ivo, and bassist Andrea Bossi, who later passed away. The band kept playing in his memory and has built a steady live history, opening for Cristina Scabbia (Lacuna Coil), Exilia, Nicola Manzan (Bologna Violenta), Pierpaolo Capovilla (Il Teatro degli Orrori), Underwaves, Tystnaden, Logical Terror, and Break Me Down, and performing on Radio Rai and at venues, festivals, and motorcycle rallies across the region. The sound is built entirely on Lenina’s vocals and the band’s instruments, with no backing tracks, post-production, or sequencing — alternative metal aggression filtered through prog influences, with touchpoints ranging from System of a Down and Godsmack to Dream Theater and Fates Warning. Traces of Unease and Discomfort is the band’s first studio release of original material after years of live shows.” We get the band to discuss new music, influences, and more…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release. What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through? Are there any hidden nuggets you put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

Band: It’s our first release. We started to write songs from the very beginning, but we chose to publish it only recently. Some songs are almost 7 years old while others are completely new. If you haven’t been to our concerts or you are not following us on social media, we dare you to guess which song is the oldest and which one is the newest. Each song has something strange, at least one little thing: sometimes it’s a change in time signature, we call it backheel, sometimes it the bass doing something in a completely different style from the guitar, sometimes it’s a breakdown unnecessarily complex and we call it mat or knot.

Lenina: Probably the lyrics. When hearing our songs live, a new listener’s first impact really depends on their personal taste—whether they’re drawn to the energy, the technical skills, the arrangements, or the vocal colors. The lyrics go hand in hand with all these elements but often take a backseat on a first listen, despite how important they are to us. They are actually a key element, acting as the red thread that connects all the songs on our EP. Each song relies on imagery to convey emotions tied to specific situations, social unease, or personal experiences… so listeners can easily recognize themselves and have their own personal interpretation. During the recording sessions, we added some vocal overdubs that we can’t replicate live since we don’t use backing tracks. So, once the EP is out, die-hard fans will have fun catching those little differences between the studio tracks and our live shows.

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

Lenina: My father was a professional musician (drummer and pianist), my grandma (his mother) was a drummer too. So, by the time I was 2, I already had a mic and headphones, and singing was just a game to me. I really grew up surrounded by music. My first time actually on stage wasn’t until I was 24, though… but that was the exact moment I realized I wanted to be a singer for the rest of my life.

Marco: Like Lenina, I was exposed to music from a very young age, as my parents played instruments and there was always music playing at home (records, the radio…). I started playing the drums at 6, but I think the desire to actually become a musician started growing in my teens, when some friends gave me my first heavy metal records.

Daniel: I started playing classical guitar around the age of 10, but I think the realization that I truly wanted to be a musician hit me during middle school, when I first started playing covers with my band.

Gabriele: girls. That’s it. As banal as it sounds. Then I realized that I liked to play, but girls are better, sorry music!

Marco: yeah… Gabriele is right…

3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?

Band: There are many… Too many…

Lenina: Jinjer, Gojira, Lacuna Coil, Guano Apes, System Of A Down, Children of Bodom, and atmospheric black metal bands.

Daniel and Marco: Dream Theater, Symphony X, Rush, Gojira, Megadeth.

Gabriele: I’m the silly one, but I’m living the dream. I liked all the bands we played with before even dreaming of playing with them. I mean, I’m in love with Break Me Down, Underwaves, Lacuna Coil, CowboyZ, Logical Terror, Tystnaden, Darkpools, Mal di Luna, Siksided and all the old Exilia songs from the 90’s. That’s why I play!

4. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?

Lenina: Anyone who shares our vibe! Working with true professionals is always a privilege and an incredible learning experience. But if I had to pick my ultimate dream collaborations, it would be the two bands that influenced my vocals and songwriting the most: Lacuna Coil and Guano Apes.

Daniel: Well, sharing a track or trading solos with John Petrucci or Michael Romeo wouldn’t be too bad, would it? 🤣 Jokes aside, being able to collaborate with guitar legends like them would be the ultimate dream and an incredible musical experience.

Gabriele: We have always been guitar, bass, and drums. Sometimes I wonder how our songs would be with some stings or heavy production. I should have asked Alessio Lucatti from Deathless Legacy (and many others, I know…) when we played at the same festival.

Marco: Honestly, I don’t really know… I love collaborations. Whenever I get the chance to work with an artist I admire, it’s always a pleasure and a great opportunity to grow as a musician.

5. What is your favorite activity when out of the studio and/or not on tour? What do you like to do to unwind?

Lenina: Traveling, going to live shows, hanging out with family and friends, and watching movies.

Marco: When I have some time off from work (which isn’t often…), I enjoy reading books, watching series or movies, taking walks in nature and… sleeping… as well as spending time with friends… But I also like PC games… I can play all night long…

Daniel: Outside of music, I really enjoy reading, PC gaming, or getting some physical exercise. They’re all great outlets that help me blow off steam, clear my head, and completely unplug.

Gabriele: I like to cook, to go to contemporary art exhibitions and other things most people find boring 😉

6. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe or you disagreed with?

Band: After a long time, we concluded that we could describe our music as alt-prog, but we’re still not sure due to our diverse influences and mixed backgrounds. We can say our music sits somewhere in the middle between an aggressive energy (such as Godsmack and System of a Down) and progressive influences, especially Dream Theater, Symphony X and Fates Warning, but with our characteristic female vocals. This paints a good picture of us and of what we love. In fact, as we often say, we are the music we play.’

7. When your band is hanging out together, who cooks, who gets the drinks in, and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

Band: So… no one cooks when we are out, Gabriele gets the drinks and… acoustic guitar??? Nah… strictly electric, loud, ear-destroying rehearsals (though to be fair, we have actually done some acoustic gigs too).

8. When was the last time you were starstruck and who was it?

Lenina: Actually, there’s more than one, but the ones who literally blew my mind were Rammstein live. Words can’t even describe them. They have such a massive presence and put on a unique show with stage designs and pyrotechnics that I’ve never seen anyone else replicate. All of this is combined with the frontman’s theatricality and poetry, along with the masterfully performed live songs that I absolutely adore.

Marco: For me, it was the last time I saw Dream Theater in Zagreb, during their reunion tour; it was a step back in time and for a while I felt like I was still in the early 2000s.

Daniel: I couldn’t agree more with Marco! Seeing that legendary lineup back on stage together completely blew me away. It gives you that genuine starstruck feeling and takes you right back to what made you fall in love with progressive metal in the first place.

Gabriele: Birthday Massacre in Prato in 2017. I was getting out of a bad period, and they made such an impressive show, everything was perfect.

9. What is the best part of being a musician? If you could no longer be a musician for whatever reason, what would be your dream job?

Marco: We have the opportunity to share our feelings, emotions and maybe a part of ourselves (even our discomfort and our rage) and this is always cathartic. Music always saves us. Moreover, in metal, there is a community which is inclusive (as Rob Halford said), like a brotherhood. We don’t know what we would do if we were no longer able to play, because being musicians is our dream job.

Lenina: I agree with Marco.

Gabriele: My dream job was Architecture, but once I got close to where I wanted to be I realized that reality was far too different from my expectations. I haven’t quit, but I am not chasing the dream anymore. Music is really similar in terms of creativity and freedom, but without the financial pressure of skyscrapers.

10. What is one question you have always wanted an interviewer to ask – and what is the answer? Conversely, what question are you tired of answering?

Band: For now, there aren’t any questions we’re tired of answering! We’re always happy to answer all the questions you and your colleagues have for us.

Gabriele: for some months I worked for a metal webzine. To me it was hard to send questions by e-mail and not talk with the people. Once I had the chance to interview Richard Patrick from FILTER, one of my teenage idols. I don’t know I we came to that point but suddenly he was telling me the story of his life, failures and successes, pain, and fortunes. I don’t think it was because of a specific question, but because of the connection you can make talking to people, the power of dialogue.

11. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over,” even if it didn’t change your current situation?

Lenina: Honestly, I haven’t things to regret; Every choice I’ve made—whether it was experimenting with musical genres far from my personal taste or declining certain job offers to avoid compromising—makes me proud and has helped me grow.

Marco: Maybe I’ve wasted some time in situations where I felt completely out of my element. Even though those moments probably helped shape who I am today, I think I should have walked away from certain situations a lot sooner to get to where I am now.

Gabriele: There are some many possibilities in the future that I don’t like to spend time looking at the past.

12. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

Marco: Metropolis pt. 2, Dream Theater.

Daniel: For me, it’s a tie between two absolute milestones: Images and Words by Dream Theater and The Odyssey by Symphony X. Both albums have had a massive influence on me, shaping my guitar playing, composition style, and overall approach to progressive metal. To be a fly on the wall in the studio during the making of either record would have been simply mind-blowing.

Gabriele: The Gallery, Dark Tranquility. When I was a teen, it was THE album for the good times and for the bad ones.

Lenina: I cannot answer that question… there are too many…

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Category: Interviews