City
Rome
Italy
Rome cultivates a more experimental and avant-garde strand of Italian prog through bands like Goblin (initially formed as Cherry Five in 1972) and the psychedelic pioneers of the scene. The city's proximity to Cinecittà film studios creates a unique symbiosis between progressive rock and soundtrack work, with Goblin's collaboration with Dario Argento on "Profondo Rosso" (1975) and "Suspiria" (1977) establishing Rome as the epicenter of horror-prog. The RCA Italiana label, based in Rome, releases pivotal albums by bands like Banco del Mutuo Soccorso and serves as a counterweight to Milan's more commercially-oriented approach.