Nanowar of Steel, an Italian comedic heavy metal band, creatively stylized as NanowaR of Steel, is well-known for its satirical approach to the heavy metal genre, humorously poking fun at the seriousness often associated with “true metal.” Their band name, a clever play on words, blends elements from Manowar and Rhapsody of Fire, epitomizing their penchant for parodying and poking fun at the tropes within power metal music.

In 2006, they humorously changed their name from Nanowar to Nanowar of Steel, playfully mirroring the Italian power metal band Rhapsody’s transformation into Rhapsody of Fire following a legal dispute. This name adjustment also extended to their logo, with the addition of “of Steel” appearing as though it was hastily scrawled behind the primary band name, adding to the comedic effect.

History-wise, their 2005 album “Other Bands Play, Nanowar Gay!” was published on Jamendo under the Creative Commons-BY-NC-SA license. Their 2010 album, “Into Gay Pride Ride,” was also released on the same platform under the Creative Commons-BY license.

In April 2012, they gained substantial attention with the release of a music video for their single “Giorgio Mastrota,” amassing millions of views on YouTube and enjoying widespread popularity in Italy. Their collaboration with the Italian pseudo-parody political movement, Feudalesimo e Liberta’, marked another unique chapter in their journey, and their music video received significant coverage in mainstream newspapers and across Italy.

Notably, in July 2019, they released the song “Norwegian Reggaeton,” a fusion of heavy metal and reggaeton. The song garnered millions of views on YouTube and even found its way onto Spanish television, where they performed it on “Got Talent España.” The band playfully announced their intent to represent Spain in the Eurovision Song Contest.

As the holiday season approached in December 2019, they released “Valhallelujah,” a Christmas song blending heavy metal and gospel, dedicated to Odin and IKEA, with a guest appearance by Angus McFife of Gloryhammer.

Their creativity extended into the COVID-19 pandemic, with the release of “Sneeztem of a Yawn” in May 2020, offering a humorous take on their experiences during the pandemic in South Italy.

The band continued to surprise in early 2021 by announcing a new album titled “Italian Folk Metal,” which was released on July 2, 2021. True to its name, the album combined folk music with metal and marked their first full-length album in the Italian language.

The band consists of the following members:
– Potowotominimak (Carlo Alberto Fiaschi) – lead vocals
– Mr. Baffo (Raffaello Venditti) – co-lead vocals and miscellaneous sound effects
– Mohammed Abdul (Valerio Storch) – guitars, keyboards, and backing vocals
– Gattopanceri666 (Edoardo Carlesi) – bass
– Uinona Raider (Alessandro Milone) – drums and backing vocals