Doomed Confessionary: Alessandro “Montos” Montoneri (The Valley)
The Valley is a four-piece stoner rock band based out of Abruzzo, Italy. Founded in spring 2022, when lifetime friends Alessandro “Montos” Montoneri (guitar, vocals) and Mario Di Nunzio (guitar) joined their ideas, and began to write new stuff, infuenced by Clutch, Queens Of The Stone Age, Nightstalker, Black Label Society, Kyuss and many others.
In June 2022 the drummer Mario Liberatore joined the band and the things began to be more serious. They wrote some songs with this lineup, still without a bass player. Drummer Ugo Tullio joined the band in December 2022 as a permament member.
All things went so fine and in April 2023 they recorded their first EP »Rusty Frames«. In April 2025 The Valley released their second EP »Dead End«. Their new single »Alcohol Failed« followed in February 2026.
Can you please say a few words about your band?
First off, thanks a ton for giving us this platform and for everything you do to keep supporting the scene! The Valley started back in 2022 with the goal of crafting a sound that nods to stoner rock on one hand and heavy blues on the other. We’re four friends, all from the same hometown – Raiano. It’s nestled right in the middle of a valley, in the heart of Abruzzo, in Central Italy… and that’s exactly where the band name comes from!
What was the biggest challenge for the band?
The biggest challenge so far was definitely getting the lineup together. In our small local scene, there are very few musicians, and most of them are already tied up with other projects. It actually took us about a year just to lock down the right drummer and bass player!
What can you be most proud of so far?
We’re really proud of how much people seem to dig our music. We don’t set out to write songs just to make them ‘catchy’ or pleasing to the ear; most of our tracks are written on the fly, straight from the gut. The fact that people connect with them despite that is just awesome!
What was your biggest regret?
Generally speaking, we don’t really have any major regrets. We just take life as it comes and always try to make the most of every opportunity. Plus, we even say it in one of our tracks: “No remorse, I’m leaving all behind me!”
What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
We really loved the show we played at Scumm in Pescara alongside The Ossuary. Great crowd, tons of positive energy, and plenty of volume! When all those ingredients come together, the band’s performance just hits a whole new level.
What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
The biggest surprise is actually the total lack of surprises in the mainstream! You don’t see many truly innovative or unique bands being pushed by the labels. They always try to stay within a certain comfort zone, churning out releases that sound exactly like what the market demands. Zero innovation, zero identity. On top of that, many live clubs – just to make a quick buck – only book cover bands. Luckily, though, the underground is alive and kicking. It’s crawling with killer bands doing whatever it takes to break through, and there are still a few clubs left giving us a chance to get our name out there. We’ve just gotta hang tough!
What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
The strength of our band probably lies in our diverse listening habits – we’re all over the place. Personally, I spin a lot of death and thrash metal, but then there are days when i’m strictly into 70s hard rock or psychedelic music. I switch it up a lot. In my opinion, that’s how you should approach music: less elitism and more open-mindedness leads to a broader background, which definitely has a positive impact on how we tackle songwriting.”
What was the best advice you’ve ever been given as a musician?
The best advice? Your tone should always serve the band. In every live set we’ve played, we’ve consistently been praised for the drive and the tightness of our sound. That’s because each of us works tirelessly on our individual rigs to make sure we’re perfectly locked in with one another – not just in terms of volume, but across the entire frequency spectrum. Try being a little less ‘selfish’ with your gear and your settings, and you’ll see the results immediately!
What are your guilty pleasures?
We spend so much on gear for our music that there’s not much cash left for our other guilty pleasures! 😀 A few beers, a motorcycle ride, a night out with friends… that’s all we need to keep life rolling along just fine!
Can you say something more about the current music scene in Abruzzo?
Like I mentioned before, there aren’t many of us, but damn, do we hold our own! In our valley, there are plenty of solid bands that have been around for years and absolutely kick ass. The genres run the gamut from death metal to stoner, with some horror punk and dark wave in the mix. The scene is very much alive, and I really hope it stays that way for the next generations to come!
Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
We’ve got two shows lined up for this coming March: we’ll be at Casematte in L’Aquila on March 21st, and at Garage 7/9 in Teramo on March 28th. You guys better come out and catch us live! As for the following months, we’re still weighing a few offers, but we’ll definitely let everyone know as soon as possible!
What are your plans for the future as a band?
We’re currently writing new material that we’ll be dropping soon. Right now, we’re about to put out a CD that gathers our two previous EPs – »Rusty Frames« and »Dead End« – along with our latest single »Alcohol Failed«, which were previously only available digitally. As for the summer, we’re mostly looking to focus on our live shows and hitting the road.
How can people best support your band?
You can find us on all digital streaming platforms and over on Bandcamp. Honestly, the best way to support us is just to follow us, share our music with your friends, and come out to our shows. We play for the pure love of it, not for the paycheck.
Do you have any message for your listeners?
Keep supporting the underground – it’s the only real hope for the future of music. Keep believing in music that’s authentic, played live, raw, and straight from the heart. We’ll see you from the stage! Peace, Love, and Rock’n’Roll!”
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well