Ruben Romano (The Freeks, ex-Fu Manchu, ex-Nebula) presents »La Vendetta Della Bona«, second installment of “Imaginary Soundtrack” series!

Los Angeles, California based musician Ruben Romano presents his new album, »La Vendetta Della Bona«, which was just released on October 13th, 2026 via Freek Flag Records. Listen to the album on Spotify and all major streaming platforms.

Ruben Romano is a foundational figure in the heavy rock and psych scenes, best known as a founding member of Fu Manchu and Nebula, and the leader of The Freeks. Across decades of writing, recording, and global touring, Ruben has sustained a relentless commitment to authentic, unfiltered expression.

Tracklist:
01. Il Baffone
02. And Then…
03. Rolling Girl
04. Dutch Coffee
05. The Good Shake
06. Plant People
07. A Late Night Again
08. Off The Porch
09. Wheat Pasting
10. He’s Playing You
11. Feline Demands
12. Fine Dining
13. The World Is A Zoo
14. Taken Away
15. Nighty Nite

Within the popular heavy rock genre known as “Stoner Rock”, Ruben Romano is a first round pioneer. He is the original drummer for bothstoner rock legends Fu Manchu and Nebula while now fronting his own band appropriately named The Freeks.

Ruben is also a multi-instrumentalist,composer, and lyricist. He is a recording artist as well as a recording engineer. All this knowledge and a winter hiatus led to solo musical experimentations that became, in his imagination, an accompaniment to the crossing of the wide open plains to the west.

»La Vendetta Della Bona« is the second installment from the “Imaginary Soundtrack” series by Ruben Romano.

»Il Baffone«, the first single from Romano’s sophomore soundtrack »La Vendetta Della Bona« is the opening track to the opening scene from an imaginary Italian “giallo” Film. Every mystery Needs a sleuth and when it comes to murder, the sleuth usually has a badge to flash and an axe to grind. Under flashing lights, he sits behind the wheel of hopped-up muscle with a snub nosed revolver concealed in a leather under arm shoulder holster. A detective ready for action, with a hardened face that a gambler can only hope for and only a mother can love. Hunting for clues, He’s on the case, he’s cool, he wears “il baffone” and he needs a theme song that proves it.

With a horn section blaring a sirens call and featuring amazing guitar action from the one and only Isaiah Mitchell, »Il Baffone« boasts images of a dirty street with the heat coming on. In homage to classic detective themes, Romano offers a gritty lounge styled groove inspired by the cinematic lawmen who always break the rules to catch a killer.

Romano says, “I’ve always been inspired by cop themes such as »Peter Gun«, »Dragnet«, »Hawaii Five-0« and »The Pink Panther«. With »Il Baffone«, I finally got my chance to effectively use a horn section! For this track, I wanted to take this “Giallo” genre and blend in a bit of a “blaxploitation” sound to give it to a specific character. wether he’s a hard-lined, no bullshit detective or the always late and bumbling private eye, there’s one thing that defines him, “il baffone”, which means, Big Moustache in Italian.”

Order »La Vendetta Della Bona« as limited edition CD / limited edition cassette here: rubenaromano.bandcamp.com

Credits:
Produced by Ruben Romano
All songs written and performed by Ruben Romano
Except track 11 cowritten w/ Rainer Fraenkel
Mixed & mastered by John McBain / JPMMASTERING
Cover painting by Gretchen Mahnkopf
Inner painting by Christopher Pecharka
Cover models: Hartje Andresen / Lizzy DiMuccio

Guest musicians:
Isaiah Mitchell
Jonathan Hall
Ray Piller
Rainer Fraenkel

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