Artist
GOBLIN
REALE IMPERO BRITANNICO
1974
Massimo Morante (guitar, vocals)
Claudio Simonetti (keyboards)
Fabio Pignatelli (bass)
Walter Martino (drums, percussion)
1975-1978
Martino replaced by:
Agostino Marangolo (drums)
Maurizio Guarini (keyboards)
1978
Guarini quits
A peculiar group in the Italian progressive scene, Goblin had their record debut in 1975, when that musical style was having its downfall, building their long career on mostrly instrumental albums composed as soundtracks to horror films and promoted with very few limited exhibitions. Despite their singularity, the group had until today a huge following in Italy, where their name has always been strictly associated to the Dario Argento horror films' soundtracks they've played on, as well as abroad.
The roots of Goblin lay in a band called Oliver, formed
by Claudio Simonetti and Massimo Morante. Simonetti had previously played with drummer Walter Martino in Il Ritratto di Dorian Gray
and the short-lived Seconda Generazione. They recruited bass player Fabio Pignatelli and drummer
Carlo Bordini. The group moved to England, and briefly had an English singer,
Clive "Artman" Haynes on vocals. The band played in the UK in the university circuit and
even had some sessions taped by Eddie Offord (long time ELP collaborator).
Coming back to Italy and with new singer Tony Tartarini (formerly known as Toni
Gionta, from L'Uovo
di Colombo), they had the chance of recording an album in April 1974, after
a name change to Goblin, but the record wasn't issued.
Helped by the past experience of Claudio Simonetti by
Cinevox as soundtrack sessionman, the band had a recording deal with that
company and was offered to compose the soundtrack to the director Dario
Argento's debut horror film, Profondo rosso.
The original drummer Bordini was sacked, having refused
to sign the contract, and replaced by Walter Martino, formerly with
Simonetti in Il Ritratto di Dorian Gray, and this line-up recorded the official
first album, while the previous LP was released under the
name of Cherry Five in 1976.
The film was highly successful, like the dark, hypnotic title track that became an instant hit. Totally instrumental, mainly based on keyboards, Goblin's music was richly crafted in comparison to the rather anonymous soundtracks of the time. The album included on second side some orchestral themes by composer Giorgio Gaslini, that had initially been contacted for the soundtrack. The picture on the back cover shows the original five-piece line-up of the group with Tartarini.
Second album was Roller, featuring new members Marangolo (from Flea) and Guarini. Not intended to be a soundtrack, this album was a good one, very similar to the previous one and developing the band's style.
The band also composed in 1976 as Reale Impero Britannico another soundtrack to a film called Perche si uccidono an album with some similarities with Cherry Five and Goblin's works. Cherry Five's Tony Tartarini sung on the only vocal track. A short album (around 31 minutes), disjointed as most soundtracks, and also including some orchestrated themes by composer Willy Brezza, Perché si uccidono is by far the rarest item of the Goblin discography along with Cherry Five.
Third album Suspiria came again with the collaboration with Dario Argento. This time it seems that the band composed the music before the film was ready, so the director could make some changes to it to have the music perfectly suited.
Another non-soundtrack album Il fantastico viaggio del "bagarozzo" Mark, from 1978, was the only Goblin album entirely sung, the others being instrumental only; a concept album about a flying bug, it's a good prog album with some pop leanings. The band also played some live dates to promote the LP, an unusual choice for a group that never had a strong live activity.
From now on a long series of soundtracks, with the sound gradually becoming more commercial and less inspired. Noteworthy additions are the entrance of guitarist Carlo Pennisi (also from Flea and the last line-up of Libra along with keyboardist Guarini) in 1979 and Simonetti creating the disco-oriented Easy Going and abandoning his main group in 1980 for a solo career (to join again his former colleagues for 1982 soundtrack to Tenebre).
After any kind of CD reissues (also with bonus tracks), year 2000 has seen the release of a CD compilation, The fantastic journey of Goblin (The best of Goblin) vol.I, that along with tracks from their Dario Argento's films soundtracks, included a very nice (and unique!) live CD taken from a 1979 concert. The same recording was issued on vinyl in 2016 with the title Live 1978.
The new millennium saw an intense activity by the band members, which reunited and split in many projects: Back to Goblin 2005, self-produced by a line-up which included Maurizio Guarini, Massimo Morante, Fabio Pignatelli and Agostino Marangolo that later issued Four of a kind and Fearless (37513 Zombie Ave.), the New Goblin with Morante, Guarini, Simonetti along with bass player Bruno Previtali and drummer Titta Tani (both previously with Simonetti in Daemonia), Goblin World (later Goblin Rebirth) formed by Pignatelli and Marangolo with keyboardists Aidan Zammit and Danilo Cherni and guitarist Giacomo Anselmi, to end with Claudio Simonetti's Goblin, that produced in 2020 a new version of the entire Profondo rosso album with a line-up featuring Bruno Previtali, bassist Cecilia Nappo and drummer Federico Maragoni.
One of Goblin's founder members, Massimo Morante, passed away in 2022.
LP | |||
Profondo rosso | Cinevox (MDF 33/85) | 1975 | gatefold laminated cover - black label |
Cinevox/Orizzonte (ORL 8063) | 1977 | single cover | |
Cinevox/Ciak (CIA 5004) | 1980 | different single cover | |
Cinevox (MDF 200) | 2000 | reissue with same gatefold cover as the original | |
Dagored (RED137LP) | 2001 | reissue with different gatefold cover | |
AMS/BTF (AMSLP 10) | 2010 | reissue with same gatefold cover as the original, 666 copies limited edition with black/red splatter vinyl and poster - also issued on standard black vinyl - later issues with dark purple (2013), yellow (2015), transparent (2021), clear purple (2022) vinyl | |
Cinevox (LP OST 041) | 2022 | 400 copies with clear purple vinyl | |
Roller | Cinevox (MDF 33.101) | 1976 | gatefold cover |
AMS/BTF (AMSLP 17) | 2009 | released in standard issue with gatefold cover or limited picture disc edition in PVC bag - reissued again in 2021 on clear vinyl | |
Suspiria | Cinevox (MDF 33.108) | 1977 | single cover - foldout inner with popup insert |
Cinevox/Ciak (CIA 5005) | 1980 | different single cover | |
Dagored (RED127LP) | 2001 | different gatefold cover | |
AMS/BTF (AMSLP 11) | 2010 | reissue with popup cover and inner, black or purple vinyl - later issues as picture disc (2011), black vinyl and standard gatefold cover, and popup cover with clear vinyl (2021), white vinyl (2022) | |
Cinevox (BX MDF002/B) | 2017 | 40th Anniversary Edition box containing the LP with foldout inner, a 10" red vinyl LP with inreleased tracks, CD, DVD and 2 books - also in a 150 copies limited pressing with additional gadgets | |
Cinevox (LP OST 042) | 2022 | gatefold cover and inner - purple vinyl - 900 copies - reissued in 2024 with blue vinyl and an insert | |
Il fantastico viaggio del "bagarozzo" Mark | Cinevox (SC 33.37) | 1978 | gatefold cover with lyric inner |
AMS/BTF (AMSLP 12) | 2009 | reissue of 1978 LP with gatefold cover | |
AMS/BTF (AMSLP 12-B) | 2013 | new reissue on blue vinyl with gatefold cover | |
Zombi | Cinevox (MDF 33.121) | 1978 | single cover |
Cinevox/Ciak (CIA 5035) | 80's | different single cover | |
Dagored (RED117LP) | 2000 | reissue with different gatefold cover, issued with the English title Dawn of the dead | |
AMS/BTF (AMSLP 31) | 2010 | reissue of 1978 LP - first 300 copies included a poster | |
AMS/BTF (AMSLP 31-CR) | 2021 | clear vinyl | |
Squadra antigangsters | Cinevox (MDF 33.131) | 1979 | single cover - features Asha Puthli on vocals on two tracks |
AMS/BTF (AMSLP 93) | 2018 | reissue of the 1979 LP with different cover, two bonus tracks and blue vinyl - limited release for Record Store Day 2018 | |
Amo non amo | Cinevox (MDF 33.133) | 1979 | single cover |
AMS/BTF (AMSLP 69) | 2014 | reissue of the 1979 LP with different gatefold cover and extra tracks - also issued in limited 120 copies numbered issue with a different silkscreened cover and splattered coloured vinyl | |
Patrick | Cinevox (MDF 33.134) | 1979 | single cover |
AMS/BTF (AMSLP 37) | 2012 | reissue of 1979 LP | |
Contamination | Cinevox (MDF 33.142) | 1980 | single cover |
AMS/BTF (AMSLP 39) | 2012 | reissue of 1980 LP | |
Cinevox (LPOST055) | 2022 | new reissue with purple vinyl | |
Tenebre | Cinevox (MDF 33.157) | 1982 | single cover |
AMS/BTF (AMSLP 32) | 2012 | reissue of 1982 LP with poster | |
Volo | Cinevox (SC 33.45) | 1982 | single cover |
AMS/BTF (AMSLP 91) | 2017 | reissue of 1982 LP | |
Notturno | Cinevox (MDF 33.151) | 1983 | single cover |
AMS/BTF (AMSLP 90) | 2017 | reissue with different cover, poster and blue vinyl - limited release for Record Store Day 2017 | |
La chiesa | Cinevox (MDF 33.182) | 1988 | single cover |
Back to the Goblin 2005 | Giallo Records (GM001LP) - Poland | 2009 | gatefold cover - 400 numbered copies on black vinyl, 100 copies on red vinyl with custom slip-mat |
NonHoSonno | AMS/BTF (AMSLP 33) | 2011 | reissue of 2001 CD - poster - limited edition on white, red, blue, yellow and clear vinyl (100 copies each) - standard black vinyl edition has slightly different cover |
Buio Omega | AMS/BTF (AMSLP 40) | 2012 | gatefold cover - reissue of 1997 CD |
Live in Roma | AMS/BTF (AMSLP 54) | 2012 | 2LP - credited to "New Goblin" - live recordings from 2011 - issued on five different vinyl colours (red, yellow, clear, orange, blue) |
Profondo rosso | Deep Red (LPDR001) | 2015 | credited to “Claudio Simonetti’s Goblin” – 10” on red vinyl with new recordings of the 1975 album Goblin tracks |
Four of a kind | Back to the Fudda (BTTF 006) - Canada | 2015 | single cover with inner – standard black vinyl or limited edition on red or purple vinyl |
Goblin rebirth | Relapse (RR 7307) - USA | 2015 | credited to “Goblin Rebirth” - single cover with inner – standard black vinyl or limited edition on pink/gold, clear or silver vinyl |
La via della droga | AMS/BTF (AMSLP 103) | 2016 | already issued on CD in 1998 - gatefold cover with insert and white vinyl - issued for Record Store Day 2016 - reissued in 2018 in 20 numbered copies with white marbled vinyl and inserts and in 2021 with clear vinyl |
Live 1978 | AMS/BTF (AMSLP 126) | 2016 | gatefold cover - recordings already issued on CD in 2000 |
Alive | Black Widow (BWR 182) | 2016 | credited to “Goblin Rebirth” - 2 LP - gatefold cover with booklet - standard black vinyl or numbered edition with bonus DVD on red and silver or blue and silver vinyl |
Progressivamente/De Agostini (GMP 006) | 2020 | single LP reissue with different gatefold cover, inner and 8 page insert - no.81 in the De Agostini "Prog Rock Italiano" series | |
Fearless (37513 Zombie Ave.) | Back to the Fudda (BTTF 010) - Canada | 2018 | gatefold cover with inner – standard black vinyl or limited edition on green or white vinyl |
The devil is back | Deep Red (LP DR 005) | 2020 | credited to “Claudio Simonetti’s Goblin” – gatefold cover and white vinyl |
Profondo rosso - 45th anniversary | Deep Red (LP DR 006) | 2020 | credited to "Claudio Simonetti’s Goblin” – gatefold cover with inner - also issued in a 300 copies box set with red splatter vinyl |
Wampyr | Cinevox/AMS (OST 024) | 2022 | gatefold cover and red vinyl - issued for Record Store Day 2022 - soundtrack of the 1976 film Martin |
Rarities (Film versions & alternates) | Cinevox/AMS (OST 062) | 2023 | gatefold cover and yellow vinyl - issued for Record Store Day 2023 |
CD |
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Profondo rosso | Cinevox (CD CIA 5004) | 1987 | reissue of 1975 album |
Cinevox (CD MDF 301) | 1996 | reissue with different cover and bonus tracks | |
Cinevox (CD MDF 613-4) | 2007 | 2CD new reissue with digipack cover, remastered and with 29 alternate recordings of album tracks | |
Cinevox/Mondadori (3) | 2018 | reissue of 1975 album - mini-LP gatefold cover with booklet - no.3 in the Mondadori "Prog Italia" series | |
Suspiria | Cinevox (CD CIA 5005) | 1987 | reissue of 1977 album - now deleted |
Cinevox (CD MDF 305) | 1997 | as above | |
Cinevox (CD MDF 615) | 2007 | new reissue with digipack cover, remastered and with 1 bonus track | |
Cinevox/Mondadori (9) | 2019 | reissue of 1977 album - mini-LP gatefold cover with booklet - no.9 in the Mondadori "Prog Italia" series | |
Zombi/Tenebre | Cinevox (CD CIA 5035) | 1990 | reissue of the 1978 and 1982 albums - now deleted |
Tenebre | Cinevox (CD MDF 302) | 1997 | reissue of 1982 album - now deleted |
Cinevox (CD MDF 609) | 2006 | new reissue with digipack cover | |
Buio Omega | Cinevox (CD MDF 304) | 1997 | now deleted |
Cinevox (CD MDF 631) | 2008 | reissue with digipack cover and two bonus tracks | |
Roller | Cinevox (CD MDF 307) | 1997 | reissue of 1976 album |
Cinevox (CD MDF 634) | 2008 | reissue with digipack cover | |
Cinevox (CD OST 715/S) | 2012 | new reissue | |
Zombi | Cinevox (CD MDF 308) | 1998 | reissue of 1978 album |
Cinevox (CD MDF 606) | 2006 | new reissue with digipack cover, remastered and with 7 bonus tracks | |
La via della droga | Cinevox (CD MDF 319) | 1998 | |
Cinevox (CD OST-PK 015) | 2015 | reissue with different cover | |
Notturno | Cinevox (CD MDF 320) | 1998 | |
Il fantastico viaggio del "bagarozzo" Mark | Cinevox (CD MDF 323) | 1999 | reissue of 1978 album |
Cinevox (CD MDF 635) | 2008 | reissue with digipack cover | |
Squadra antigangster | Cinevox (CD MDF 324) | 1999 | reissue of 1979 album |
La chiesa | Cinevox (CD MDF 329) | 2000 | reissue of 1988 album |
Patrick | Cinevox (CD MDF 330) | 2000 | reissue of 1979 album |
The fantastic journey of Goblin vol.I | Cinevox (CD MDF 336) | 2000 | 2CD - gatefold digipack cover - 1 compilation CD + 1 live CD |
Contamination | Cinevox (CD MDF 340) | 2000 | reissue of 1980 album |
NonHoSonno | Cinevox (CD MDF 342) | 2001 | |
Amo non amo | Cinevox (CD MDF 347) | 2002 | reissue of 1979 album |
Back to the Goblin 2005 | Back to the Fudda (BTTF 001) - Canada | 2005 | |
Live in Roma | No Music No Life (NMNL 01/12) | 2012 | credited to "New Goblin" - recorded at Rome's Alpheus in 2011 |
Four of a kind | Back to the Fudda (BTTF 005) - Canada | 2015 | digipack cover |
Goblin rebirth | Relapse (RR 7307) - USA | 2015 | credited to “Goblin Rebirth” - digipack cover |
Austinato | Back to the Fudda (BTTF 009) - Canada | 2016 | 2CD – live in Austin, Texas |
Alive | Black Widow (BWR CD 182-2) | 2016 | credited to “Goblin Rebirth” - standard 2 CD version or limited 200 copies box set issue with bonus DVD and inserts |
Fearless (37513 Zombie Ave.) | Back to the Fudda (BTTF 011) - Canada | 2018 | digipack cover |
The devil is back | Deep Red (CD DR 011) | 2019 | credited to “Claudio Simonetti’s Goblin” – digipack cover |
Profondo rosso - 45th anniversary | Deep Red (CD DR 006) | 2020 | credited to “Claudio Simonetti’s Goblin” – digipack cover |
VARIOUS ARTISTS COMPILATION ALBUMS |
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Phenomena (with Jennifer, The wind, Sleepwalking, Jennifer's friend) |
Cinevox (MDF 33.167) | 1985 | LP - single cover - also includes tracks by Claudio Simonetti, Iron Maiden, Andi Sex Gang, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Bill Wyman & Terry Taylor, Simon Boswell |
Cinevox (CD CIA 5006) | 1987 | CD reissue of the above - now deleted | |
Cinevox (CD MDF 303) | 1997 | as above | |
Cinevox (CD MDF 618) | 2007 | new reissue with digipack cover | |
AMS/BTF (AMSLP 76) | 2014 | LP - gatefold cover - contains only Goblin and Claudio Simonetti's tracks from the original soundtrack - first issue had a poster and clear vinyl - reissued in 2021 with crystal clear vinyl | |
SINGLES (with picture sleeve) |
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Profondo rosso Death dies |
Cinevox (MDF 070) | 1975 | both tracks from Profondo rosso - first issue with black label, later with red label |
AMS/BTF (AMS 4501) | 2014 | reissue with the same cover as the original - red vinyl - limited release for the Record Store Day 2014 | |
Roller Snip snap |
Cinevox (MDF 097) | 1976 | both tracks from Roller |
Chi? part I & II |
Cinevox (SC 1090) | 1976 | |
AMS/BTF (AMS 4502) | 2015 | reissue with the same cover as the original - white vinyl or limited 100 copies on clear vinyl - limited release for the Record Store Day 2015 | |
Suspiria Blind concert |
Cinevox (SC 1107) | 1977 | both tracks from Suspiria |
AMS/BTF (AMS 4503) | 2016 | reissue with the same cover as the original - purple vinyl - limited release for the Record Store Day 2016 | |
Un ragazzo d'argento Opera magnifica |
Cinevox (SC 1108) | 1978 | both tracks from Il fantastico viaggio del "bagarozzo" Mark |
Yell ..e suono rock |
Cinevox (SC 1121) | 1978 | B-side from Il fantastico viaggio del "bagarozzo" Mark |
AMS/BTF (AMS 4506) | 2019 | reissue with the same cover as the original - red vinyl - limited release for the Record Store Day 2019 | |
Amo non amo Funky top |
Cinevox (MDF 121) | 1979 | both tracks from Amo non amo |
Tenebre (extended disco remix) Flashing (extended disco remix) |
Cinevox (MDFX 10) | 1982 | 12-inch - both tracks originally on Tenebre |
Volo Polvere blu |
Cinevox (SC 1161) | 1982 | both tracks from Volo |
L'alba dei morti viventi La caccia |
AMS/BTF (AMS 4508) | 2021 | both tracks from Zombi - poster - pink vinyl - limited release for the Record Store Day 2021 |
PROMOTIONAL AND JUKEBOX SINGLES (with blank cover) |
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Profondo rosso | Cinevox (JB 499) | 1975 | jukebox single - backed with an excerpt from the soundtrack of the film Carambola filotto...tutti in buca |
Profondo rosso Death dies |
Cinevox (JB 646) | 1975 | jukebox single |
Roller Snip snap |
Cinevox (MDF 097) | 1976 | juke box single - same as regular issue but with white label and blank cover |
Chi? | Cinevox (JB 105) | 1976 | jukebox single - backed with Gianni Davoli/E mo' |
Volo We don't nobody |
Cinevox (JB 228) | 1982 | jukebox single |
Tenebre Giarrettiere e rock'n'roll |
Cinevox (JB 240) | 1982 | jukebox single |
Death dies (film version) Suspiria |
Giaguaro (GRC 006) | 2001 | picture cover - bonus with the Il Giaguaro magazine |
REALE IMPERO BRITANNICO |
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Perché si uccidono | Cinevox (MDF 33/96) | 1976 | single cover - green label |
AMS/BTF (AMS 13LP) | 2009 | reissue of 1976 LP | |
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Perché si uccidono | Cinevox (CD MDF 321) | 1999 | reissue of 1976 album |
Much collected by fans from all over the world, the original Goblin albums were pressed in large quantities and are rather common in Italy and not expensive. The only exceptions are the side releases, such as Cherry Five and Reale Impero Britannico albums.
The original Profondo rosso LP came in a gatefold
laminated cover with black/silver label. The original album had in the inside gatefold, on the right side, a large writing "Musica di Giorgio Gaslini", replaced with "Musica di Goblin e Giorgio Gaslini" in a later issue with a gatefold non-laminated cover. It has been reissued in the Orizzonte
low-price series, with single cover.
Roller originally came with gatefold cover and custom label.
Suspiria had a single cover including a foldout inner with the pop-up letters
DA (film director Dario Argento's initials).
Il
fantastico viaggio del "bagarozzo" Mark came in a fantasy gatefold cover with a
lyric inner and custom labels.
All the Goblin albums have had many reissues in lots of countries, as follows:
Profondo rosso was released in Japan (EMI/Odeon), Germany
(Ariola), Holland (CNR), Portugal (Imavox) and Australia (Laser) and there's also been a bootleg with different track
sequence called Deep red (probably from USA); a second Japanese pressing
was issued with the title Suspiria 2 after that successful film came out.
It also came out in Brasil with the title Preludio para matar on RCA
Victor (204 4401, year 1976);
Also a single with Profondo rosso and Death dies was released in
Germany by Ariola (no.16860) in 1976 with a different cover.
Roller was released in Japan (King/Seven Seas) and Canada (Attic, with two different
labels);
Suspiria in Japan (EMI/Odeon), Canada (Attic), France (Barclay), England
(EMI);
Il fantastico viaggio del "bagarozzo" Mark in Japan
(Nexus/King);
Zombi in Japan (Seven seas), France (Polydor), Germany (Polydor), USA
(Varese) with the title Dawn of the dead.
The UK label Death Waltz reissued on vinyl Buio omega (DW124) and Profondo rosso (DW129) in 2018 and Suspiria (DW125) in 2022. The same label issued in 2013 a 12-inch Tour 2013 EP by New Goblin existing in various colours (DW019).
A CD reissue of
Il fantastico viaggio del "bagarozzo" Mark has
been released in Korea by M2U (limited 2000 copies, no. M2U 1001) with a mini-gatefold cover.
Also with mini-LP covers are the 2007 reissues on the Japanese Arcangelo label
of Profondo rosso (ARC 7217/18 - 2CD with bonus tracks), Roller
(ARC 7219), Suspiria (ARC 7220 - with bonus tracks), Il fantastico
viaggio del "bagarozzo" Mark (ARC 7221), Zombi (ARC 7222 - with bonus
tracks)., which, along with Tenebre and Cherry Five are also
included in a box set entitled Suspiria Box (Arcangelo ARC 173).
Another soundtrack performed by Goblin is for the film Solamente nero by Antonio Bido (1978, English title The bloodstained shadow), credited to Stelvio Cipriani as composer.
Back to the Goblin 2005 was issued on vinyl in 2009 by Giallo Music in a numbered pressing with gatefold cover and black (400 copies) or red vinyl (100 copies with a turntable slip-mat). The album contains the same tracks included in the CD version, but Magic thriller and Victor are in a different order.
Four of a kind was issued through a fundraising campaign held through the PledgeMusic site. The records was produced in an exclusive version on red vinyl reserved to the raisers, along with standard black vinyl, purple vinyl (limited to 500 copies) and CD.
The 2020 remake of Profondo rosso by Claudio Simonetti's Goblin for the 45th anniversary of the original album, was issued by the Deep Red label in three versions: LP with gatefold cover (cat.LPDR006), CD (cat.CDDR006) and 300 copies box set (cat.LPDR006BOX) with red splatter vinyl.
Profondo rosso - LP |
Roller - LP |
Suspiria - LP |
Il fantastico viaggio del "bagarozzo" Mark - LP |
Zombi - LP |
Perché si uccidono (by Reale Impero Britannico) - LP |
Profondo rosso - 7" single cover (German issue) |
Click on the pictures to enlarge
|
New Goblin Prog Exhibition 2011 - Rome 22-Oct-2011 |
The official New Goblin website is at www.goblinhome.com and www.newgoblin.com.
Keyboardist Claudio Simonetti has his own site at www.claudiosimonetti.com
Drummer Agostino Marangolo has a MySpace page at www.myspace.com/agostinomarangolo
A website/blog full of information dedicated to Goblin is at www.terradigoblin.it
Thanks to Roberto Attanasio, Valerio D'Angelo and Lorenzo Pittan for information