In 1972, Demetrio Stratos and drummer Giulio Capiozzo founded Area, a well-known Italian progressive rock, jazz fusion band. All of those sounds strongly influenced him for the rest of his life. His family was of Greek Orthodox religion, so during his infancy he listened to religious Byzantine songs, traditional Arabic music and then the early beginnings of rock and roll. Primitive drums and electronics, intense dustbowl jams, ARP synthesizers, a blizzard of speaking voices, Fender Rhodes solos, wavering Middle Eastern hummingbird and modes, ghostly voices morphing into tortured cries.ĭemetrio Stratos was born as Efstratios Demetriou in Alexandria, Egypt on April 22, 1945, of Greek parents (Janis Demetriou and Athanassia Archondoyorghi). Stratos’ vocal comes off throughout as one-third Pavarotti, one-third haunted house, and one-third Diamanda Galas’ long-lost brother. Originally released in 1974, this was the second album by the massively influential Italian progressive group (lead by Demetrio Stratos) that with Caution Radiation Area added increasing levels of fringe experimentation to their already weird recipe. Recommended for intricate music lovers only ! Very complex and different passages featured everywhere in the compositions, and several wind instruments give a final touch to their music. Very creative jazz-fusion progressive oriented Italian band, where the outsdanding voice work of Demetrio Stratos pinpoints the band's work.