Debut from Dystopia Is Coming, a Project Backed by Bassists Alberto Rigoni, Michael Manring and Stu Hamm
Dystopia, a progressive rock project backed by three outstanding, world-renowned bassists — Italy’s Alberto Rigoni (the driving force and main visionary behind the project) and Americans Michael Manring and Stuart Hamm — will release their self-titled studio debut on February 27, 2026. Melodic Revolution Records and Musea Records will handle distribution of the album.
Pre-orders for the album “Dystopia (A Progressive Bass Journey)” are already available via their Bandcamp profile!
Dystopia is an ambitious, bass-driven progressive album created by three of the most influential and stylistically distinctive bassists in the world: Alberto Rigoni (Italy), Michael Manring (USA) and Stuart Hamm (USA). The project blends progressive rock, metal and rock-jazz fusion, strings together cinematic soundscapes and is packed with experimental textures, giving it a real touch of boldness and innovation!
There’s a story behind the album. It expresses a tension between collapse and rebirth — a sonic portrait of a fractured world in desperate need of regeneration. Layered compositions, interplay dynamics and the influence of different genres lift the artistry of Dystopia to a level of eclecticism nobody’s heard before.
About the bassists:
Alberto Rigoni (Italy)
Bassist, composer and producer, known for his solo career, which spans a whopping 14 albums, and for collaborating with international artists (among others Jeff Scott Soto, Jordan Rudess, Marco Minnemann, Gavin Harrison). Rigoni is also known for his membership in bands such as Burning Black, BAD As and Twinspirits. Rigoni brings a distinctive groove, musical sensibility and a modern progressive approach.
Michael Manring (USA)
One of the most iconic and innovative solo bassists of all time. Known for his expressive techniques, hypermelodic style and groundbreaking solo albums released on Windham Hill Records. Manring adds depth, emotion and otherworldly textures to the Dystopia album.
Stuart Hamm (USA)
An electric bass legend, known for working with Steve Vai, Joe Satriani and Frank Gambale, as well as for his outstanding solo albums.
The album was produced by Alberto Rigoni. All the music on the album was written by Rigoni, Manring and Hamm. Drums on tracks 4, 6 and 9 were contributed by Tim “Herb” Alexander (ex-Primus), while David Menoudakis handled the drums on tracks 1, 2 and 7.
The album cover was created by Mark Barrett.
Album tracklist:
1. Genesis (4:24)
2. Echoes Of the Machine (4:12)
3. The Algorithm (Michael Manring) (3:15)
4. Entropia (3:54)
5. Limbo (Stuart Hamm) (4:00)
6. Born from Ashes (5:45)
7. Solar (3:36)
8. Ethereal Horizon (Alberto Rigoni) (2:34)
9. Dystopia (8:46)
Alberto Rigoni:
albertorigoni.net
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