Simonini was born in Bologna in 1961, and already as a boy he began playing the electric guitar, playing in various local bands. In 1980, after various musical experiences, he created his first group, Wurdulak, dedicated to hard rock inspired by groups such as Kiss and AC / DC. Two years later Simonini, wanting to move to a genre more oriented towards groups like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, decided to abandon Wurdulak, together with bassist Angelo Franchini and drummer Luca Cardarella, and to found a new one. The three were joined by singer Luca Bonzagni and guitarist Franco Nipoti, and thus Crying Steel was born. The group soon began playing concerts in the province of Bologna, recording some demos to obtain a recording contract. In 1985 they were noticed by Metaleye, who offered the band a contract. The group then recorded and released its first self-titled EP in the same year, thanks to which it obtained a contract with the prestigious Italian label LM Records (for which Simonini himself would later work). In 1987 the group released its first album, On the Prowl, which met with good success; the following year, however, when the band seemed to have achieved success, Simonini decided to leave, due to stylistic differences and clashes with other members. After leaving Crying Steel (which disbanded shortly after), Simonini moved to Pesaro, where he met the guitarist Paolo Perdetti, known as “Red Crotalo” (formerly guitarist of Revenge), with whom he decided to found a new group, still heavy metal but with more power metal influences, giving birth to Midway. In 1988 the band began working on its first album, despite some problems due to the instability of the lineup. Parallel to this, Alberto decided to start a solo career with sounds more focused on melodic rock, making use of the contribution of some musicians but playing every instrument in the studio. However, some problems at LM records did not allow them to publish his work. In 1989 he was asked to play on a couple of songs on metal band Morgana’s album Three Years of Madness. In 1991, during a Midway concert, he was noticed by Death SS’s manager, who proposed him to join the band. Simonini accepted, and Midway disbanded. The guitarist’s stay in the band was short, however, as Alberto left Death SS after a few rehearsals, wanting to dedicate himself to other types of sounds. However, bandleader Steve Sylvester, impressed by his skill as a guitarist, asked him to play on his solo album, Free Man, in 1993. This album was followed by a tour where Simonini played alongside Sylvester and guitarist Paul Chain. Returning from tour, Sylvester planned a second solo album, but during recording, both Simonini and Chain left the band. The album, Mad Messiah, was however released in 1998, and Simonini remained alongside Sylvester in the production. In 2003 he was invited to take part in a series of concerts with the original lineup of Crying Steel, who set off on a sort of tour. In 2006 the band began working on a new album; Meanwhile, Simonini managed to release Midway’s unrealized album, Midway 1988, and his 1989 solo album, Moon Twice. Also in 2006 Simonini gave life to a new project; However, in an interview the same year, he stated that he was planning a retirement from the music world, saying he was now demotivated by the Italian music scene. Crying Steel released their second album, The Steel is Back!, a year later, going on a series of concerts; a year later, in 2008, Alberto definitively left the band due to serious health problems, thus completely abandoning his musical career.
Alberto currently resides in a retirement home for the blind but continues to be interested in music by broadcasting on a local radio station in Bologna.

Moon-Twice is released in 500 copies in CD format and 250 numbered copies in double 180 gram gatefold vinyl format.
Copies of the LP on sale at: Discogs.com
Copies of the CD on sale at: Discogs.com
For distributors contact: info@lmrecords.it

Some links
Review Stefano “Steven Rich” Ricetti (True Metal)