image courtesy of Fiori del Male
Single Review of Fiori del Male: “Allarme Rosso nel Golfo Persico”
Fiori del Male (English translation: Flowers of Evil) is an Italian rock band originally formed in the early ’90s, centered around brothers Nunzio and Claudio Ciccone. The band wrote the song “Allarme Rosso nel Golfo Persico” (which translates to English as “Red Alert in the Persian Gulf”) originally in 1991 during the Persian Gulf War era.
photo courtesy of Fiori del Male
The song was released this year, in 2026, 35 years after it was written, recorded with all-new instrumentation but combining the new recording with the original 1991 vocals. Credits for this recording are Nunzio Ciccone (vocals, author/composer), Claudio Ciccone (DJ, production, project co-founder), Andrea Palazzo (guitar, arrangements), Enzo Esposito (bass), and Roberto Zincone (drums).
This year has been an interesting one for the band with the release of the song and its accompanying video, which you can watch here on YouTube. In addition, Fiori del Male won a finalist spot at the Sanremo Rock & Trend Festival 2026. You can see and hear the Sanremo finals performance here on this Instagram reel.
historical photo of Fiori del Male courtesy of the band
Now that I’ve set the background, let’s talk about the song itself. “Allarme Rosso nel Golfo Persico” is a classic guitar rock fan’s dream number. There’s a hint of a progressive rock approach, with soaring guitarwork and a big, theatrical production style lending a prog rock feel that’s only enhanced by the song’s very prog-like five-plus minute runtime. However, this song is also a throwback to the days when progressive rock was popularly accessible, with a catchy rhythm, hooky guitar runs, and vocals that build to powerful choruses. And, oh my god, the guitar runs, especially toward the end of the song, are positively shredding!
photo courtesy of Fiori del Male
Personally, I don’t speak a word of Italian, but it doesn’t matter; this song is a fun, catchy, guitar-rock romp, one that any and every fan of rockin’ axework is going to enjoy. I’m so glad this song found its way to my music collection; if you dig this style of music, check out this song and absolutely add it to your collection, too!
You can learn more about Fiori del Male at the band’s website. (English-speakers, click on “English” at the top right or just follow this link.) You can also follow the band’s journey via Fiori del Male’s Instagram account.
