After almost a decade in the Italian heavy metal band Crying Steel, guitarist Luigi JJ Frati has decided to leave the act for professional reasons as he will no longer be able to keep up with his commitment to the band.
To replace Frati, Crying Steel has welcomed a seasoned Bolognese musician, Paolo Nocchi. No stranger to the scene, Nocchi was with Last Embrace until 2010 and Relic from 2005-2013. In 2010, heo formed his own band called Glory And Broken Bones where he began performing both guitar and lead singer duties.
Founding Crying Steel bassist, Angelo Franchini, has also hung up his instrument. His last concert was be on 1st May in Adria, Italy at the Adria Rock Festival where Crying Steel co-headlined, along with Pino Scotto and a handful of Italian bands. Further details on Franchini’s replacement is expected to be announced soon.
The band commented: “We wish JJ all the luck that he deserves in the professional field and in life, and to Angelo all the best and a big thank you for all of that which in 40 years he has given to the band. We will miss these two travel brothers very much, but we will also continue to honour them. You will forever be a part of the Crying Steel family. Stay Steel!”
Crying Steel formed in 1982 and is considered to be one of the very first heavy metal acts to come out of Italy. The band’s discography includes: Crying Steel (1985), On The Prowl (1987), The Steel is Back! (2007), Time Stands Steel (2013), Stay Steel (2018) and Steel Alive (2019).
