Hidden Gems & Guilty Pleasures: Christine Plays Viola (Italy)

Christine Plays Viola (Darkwave / Gothic Rock // Italy)

Christine Plays Viola is a darkwave/gothic rock band formed in 2008 in Abruzzo, Italy. The current lineup features Fabrizio Giampietro (guitars, synth, programming), Massimo Ciampani (vocals), Gianluca Orsini (drums) and Marco Di Ianni (bass).

“Christine” recalls the kaleidoscopic elegance of a Siouxsie and The Banshees song – a reflection of mystery and emotion in constant transformation.

“Plays Viola” evokes the fragile, human resonance of a bowed instrument – intimate, trembling,
melancholic.

Together, they create a duality: beauty and decay, light and shadow, grace and disquiet. A name that captures the band’s very essence – where melody and anguish coexist, and every note becomes confession.

Christine Plays Viola: a sonic journey for lovers of The Cure, Joy Division, Depeche Mode, and for all those who still seek poetry in the dark.

Active for more than a decade within Europe’s alternative scene, Christine Plays Viola have built a solid reputation for their distinctive mixture of baritone-driven melodies, post-punk tension, and cinematic atmospheres.

The band has toured extensively across Europe, performing at major festivals such as Wave Gotik Treffen and Castle Party, and sharing the stage with artists like Das Ich, Clan Of Xymox, Chameleons Vox, And Also The Trees, Pink Turns Blue, Modern English, She Past Away, 1919 and more.

Their music has been broadcast on radio stations, club playlists, and darkwave media worldwide.

In 2025, Christine Plays Viola signed with Cleopatra Records (Los Angeles) – one of the most iconic alternative and dark labels in the world, known for working with Christian Death, The Damned, The Mission, Gary Numan, Clan Of Xymox and many more.

This partnership marks a major step forward in the band’s international trajectory and sets the stage for their most ambitious release to date.

After several EPs and compilation appearances, Christine Plays Viola debuted in 2011 with »Innocent Awareness« (AF Music), followed by »Promo 2012«.

Their second album »Vacua« (Cold Insanity Records, 2014) – inspired by Francisco Goya’s Black Paintings – showcased a more conceptual and introspective side of the band.

In 2015 they began their collaboration with French label Manic Depression Records, releasing the 7″ »The Stars Can’t Frighten« and the third studio album »Spooky Obsessions« (2016).

The EP »The Bonds Should Be Only Silver Threads« (2018) included a collaboration with Miro Sassolini (ex-Diaframma).

Their fourth album »Fading« (2020), released through Manic Depression Records and Icy Cold Records, introduced acoustic and psychedelic nuances into their darkwave foundation.

Christine Plays Viola’s fifth album, »F.I.V.E. – Fear Increases Violent Emotions« was released worldwide on January 19th, 2026 by Cleopatra Records (Los Angeles).

This marks the beginning of a new chapter for Christine Plays Viola and represents their most powerful, atmospheric, and emotionally intense work so far.

The lead single »My Redemption« introduces this new artistic phase with a dramatic hybrid of darkwave and gothic rock: pulsating synths, brooding baritone vocals, and a soaring melodic climax. Thematically, the song explores pain, vengeance, and rebirth – a statement of personal struggle and resilience.

Discography:
• »Promo 2010« EP (2010)
• »Innocent Awareness« LP (AF Music, 2011)
• »Promo 2012« EP (AF Music, 2012)
• »Leocadia« EP (AF Music, 2013)
• »Vacua« LP (Cold Insanity Records, 2014)
• »The Stars Can’t Frighten« EP (Manic Depression Records, 2015)
• »Spooky Obsessions« LP (Manic Depression Records, 2016)
• »The Bonds Should Be Only Silver Threads« EP (Manic Depression Records, 2018)
• »Fading« LP (Manic Depression Records / Icy Cold Records, 2020)
• »F.I.V.E.« LP (Cleopatra Records)

Christine Plays Viola is:
• Massimo Ciampani – Vocals
• Fabrizio Giampietro – Guitars, Synth, Programming
• Marco Di Ianni – Bass
• Gianluca Orsini – Drums

FFO: Depeche Mode, The Cure, The Mission, Malaise, London After Midnight, Christian Death, Garden Of Delight, Clan Of Xymox

Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well