BLOODLESS

After the album Aquile e scoiattoli was released in 1976, Latte e Miele kept playing until the beginning of the 80's with an always more commercial sound but the singles they released were not successful. Their last single from 1980, Ritagli di luce, even took them to the Sanremo Italian song contest but was a flop. An album, recorded in 1979, documents this period of the band but it was not released until 1992 when it was picked up by the Mellow Records label. Titled Vampyrs and played by the three-piece line-up of Gori, Poltini and Vitanza, it's not comparable with the band's previous works...

The album opens with “King Of Darkness,” an instrumental halfway between Goblin and the French Rockets. Then come “Master of the Time,” “I Don't Wanna See You,” and “Burnin’ Out”: sung in English, they are melodic pop-rock songs, not particularly brilliant, shyly nodding to the Italo-dance music that was popular at the time. “Life Is Just a Game” is just a whiff of smoke on the water, while “Nobody’s Comin?” is a bland piano ballad that mimics the more commercial New Trolls. The following songs are sung in Italian and are a bit better, but “Stasera” (This Evening) is romantic, light-hearted pop that, while well-played, has nothing to do with prog, just like the other songs, which at times are close to the style of Umberto Tozzi (“Angela” and “Fumetti rosa”) or Pooh (“Dimenticare, ricominciare”). “Immagini di un porto” (Images of a seaport) is a ballad that reminds me a lot of the New Trolls of the eighties, while “Un colpevole mago”, “Rock’n’Roll Star” and “American Time” are, in my opinion, unremarkable melodic-style pieces.

On the whole, an unaccomplished work that perhaps would have been better left in the drawer and very far from essential for a prog collector.

Anyway, you can listen to the complete album HERE and judge for yourselves.

EAGLES AND PREYS

Aquile e scoiattoli is the third studio album by Latte e Miele and was released in 1976 on the independent Magma label with a renewed line up featuring Alfio Vitanza (drums, percussion, 12 string guitar, vocals), Massimo Gori (bass, electric and acoustic guitar, vocals), Luciano Poltini (Hammond, Moog, clavinet, piano, vocals) and Mimmo Damiani (piano, solina, eminent, guitar, vocals) plus some prestigious guest musicians such as Vittorio De Scalzi (flute - from I New Trolls), Leonardo Lagorio (sax - from Celeste), Aldo De Scalzi (sax - from Picchio dal Pozzo), Divo Gori (violin) and Giorgio Karaghiosoff (flute - from Picchio dal Pozzo). Despite the line-up changes, the quality of the music remains high and anchored to the symphonic prog of their early days. The album cover, provided by Maria Vitanza, almost seems to assert the right to a certain underlying naiveté, at least when listening to music in a social context like that of Italy during the Years of Lead, a time of turmoil and rampant violence...

The album opens with the title track, "Aquile e scoiattoli" (Eagles and Squirrels), a brilliant and well-structured, if short, piece. The music and lyrics paint the image of a beautiful forest after a storm. The protagonist can sense the squirrels hidden in the bushes trembling, while eagles circle overhead, ready to snatch their prey. This leads to a comparison with everyday city life, where, metaphorically, vigilant eagles ensure that no one can ever choose between sleep and freedom, where life is scheduled and there's no room for novelty or variation, where you have to run, work, eat, consume the products offered to you, and go to bed early to then resume your daily routine the next morning: if you slip up, sooner or later an eagle will get you...

“Le vacche sacre – Il falso menestrello” (The holy cows – The false minstrel) is a caustic critique of hippie ideals and of those seeking a better world in Indian culture and philosophy. The music and lyrics evoke a person who, upon returning from a journey to India, locks himself into his house and opens a closet of memories, memories provoking a profound disappointment when confronted with the truth of everyday life. The protagonist is then invited to look at himself in the mirror and face the real world. It's clear that life is difficult, which is why he tried to escape, but telling fairy tales doesn't change the situation. The protagonist thinks he's a poet, but he's merely a prophet of falsehood, responsible for those who believe in him. Sacred cows, incense, and necklaces are not what people need; you have to fight for your bread, and it's not right to deceive people by renting artificial paradises...

“Menestrello” (Minstrel) begins with a calm, dreamy atmosphere. The music and lyrics portray a lonely minstrel singing his songs to the moon, trapped by old hopes and past joys that can never return. Then someone urges him not to open his childish eyes, so that if his truth lies in dreams, no one can disturb his inner peace. In the central instrumental section the pace accelerates and a beautiful electric guitar solo intertwined with synthesisers conveys a sense of mysterious unease. At the end, the pace slackens, and the figure of the dreaming minstrel from the beginning of the song reappears...

“Opera 21” closes the first side of the album and is a cheerful instrumental piece that reworks part of Beethoven's First Symphony while the second side of the original LP is entirely occupied by a long and complex instrumental piece of classical inspiration, "Pavana" (Pavane). The pavane is a slow processional dance common in Europe during the 16th century (Renaissance), in slow duple time with a long -short - short pulse, perhaps taking its name from Paduan (Padovana) associations (quote from The New Penguin Dictionary Of Music, London, 2004). In any case, despite starting from classical inspiration, the band here does not limit itself to reworking classical forms and effectively presents its own musical ideas, characterised by great technique and taste, blending classical music with rock and a touch of jazz...

On the whole, an excellent work that deserves to be listened to and which at the time would have deserved more success.

You can listen to the complete album HERE

Latte e Miele: Aquile e scoiattoli (1976). Other opinions:

Jim Russell: Despite the very good sound quality and fine performance, it feels like a prog keyboard exercise that goes on far too long while hitting very few of my musical pleasure receptors. I'm truly surprised by this as I enjoy Basso's "Voci" and certainly tons of albums that are not so far in style from this. I urge RPI and symphonic prog fans to check out this album for themselves because many other like it a lot, some like it more than their two earlier albums. Just not my cup of tea, or rather not my glass of vino... (You can read the complete review HERE)

OF MUSIC AND WIND

Mutazione is the second full length album by Forza Elettro Motrice (F.E.M.), a band from Meda, Lombardy. It was self-released in 2018 with a renewed line up featuring Alessandro Graziano (vocals, violin), Alberto Citterio (keyboards), Paolo Colombo (electric guitar), Marco Buzzi (bass), Pietro Bertoni (trumpet, trombone, euphonium, glockenspiel) and Emanuele Borsati (drums, marimba, percussion, acoustic guitar). The new vocalist is up to the task and the band confirms to have excellent song-writing skills and great musicianship. The result of their work is an interesting concept album about the end of a love and the necessity of change that could recall in some way La Torre dell'Alchimista's Neo and I'm sure that Italianprog lovers will appreciate it.

The opening track, “Il palazzo del chaos” (The Palace of Chaos), is just a short instrumental introduction that leads to the following “Io mi trasformo” (I'm Changing), a wonderful piece about the need to continuously adapt to the constant changes that life throws at us. The music and lyrics evoke the image of the protagonist walking along a path aimlessly, lost in his thoughts. At a certain point, as everything around him changes, the protagonist questions his true essence. He becomes aware he’s changing instinctively, almost without realising it, just as the world around him constantly transforms. The protagonist understands that he must always act and change, transforming himself to become what he really wants. So, he becomes music...

“La cura delle cose” (The care of things) is a bittersweet reflection about how time can change a relationship if you don’t pay attention to your partner. What we don’t take care of it is destined to get lost and this is true in every aspect of our lives. It is also true in love, it is a constant of life. Here the protagonist becomes aware of a relationship that is fading out and that we are nothing but the time we give to ourselves...

The title of the following “Musica di vento” (Music of wind) is a pun that means in the meantime Music of wind and I become music. This track is a slow, dreamy ballad about the need to write music and lyrics, expressing oneself through sounds and words to those who care to listen to. The piece opens with the notes of a piano, then the narrator explains that his songs are born without any self-awareness, simply from the desire and pleasure of writing and singing, a magic of thoughts full of meaning for those who can appreciate them. But once written, these songs have a life of their own, independent of the author. Who will listen to?

“Mai tardi” (Never late) is a great instrumental track with some funky-jazz passages and various changes of atmosphere. Then it’s the turn of “Il cielo di sè” (The sky of our ego), a beautiful piece, complex and heartfelt, describing the emotional turmoil and uncertainty surrounding the end of a relationship. The protagonist is alone under a cobalt-blue sky and he almost seems like a veil ready to be blown away by the wind. The piece begins with a strummed acoustic guitar part, then the music and lyrics take unexpected paths. It's the beginning of an inner journey, with thoughts tangled in nests of wind. Disappointments are like stones, but in the protagonist's head there's a thin rainbow calling him and inviting him to continue his journey...

“Attesa” (Waiting) is a short, melancholic and dreamy piece for solo piano, violin, and vocals. The music and lyrics evoke the furrows that time carves into the protagonist's soul, sowing a dark and tormented wait. The wait for a return to normality. Then it’s the turn of the brilliant instrumental piece, “Mutazione” (Mutation) which at times reminds me of Le Orme and marks the change in the protagonist...

The long, complex “Se c’è una buona ragione” (If there’s a good reason) closes the album. It begins with three minutes of sustained rhythm tinged with electronica and a disorienting, filtered and distorted voice. The piece then evolves in other directions, leading to a finale that speaks to the wind and recalls King Crimson. The lyrics poetically reiterate the concept of the need for change and evolution, even in personal relationships. Change is the future that looms and calls for itself, and it shouldn't be feared. If there's a good reason, change is necessary, even if it means breaking up with your partner and ending a relationship. For the protagonist, the time has come to accept change and move on without worrying about the end of a love that still struggles to fade. The return to reality is marked by the "voice" of a ticket machine...

On the whole, a wonderful work, even if it needs reiterate spins and the comprehension of the lyrics to be fully appreciated.

You can listen to the complete album HERE

More info:

https://www.facebook.com/femprogband/#

A DANGEROUS TURN OUT

La Curva di Lesmo is a project based in Genoa that was born on the initiative of keyboardist Stefano Agnini (La Coscienza di Zeno) and bassist Fabio Zuffanti (Finisterre, Höstsonaten, La Maschera di Cera). In 2015 they released on the independent AMS label an excellent eponymous album with a line up featuring many prestigious guests such as Beatrice Antolini (vocals), Gabriele Guidi Colombi (from La Coscienza di Zeno - bass), Laura Marsano (from La Maschera di Cera - acoustic and electric guitar), Andrea Orlando (from La Coscienza di Zeno and Finisterre - drums), Fabio Gremo (from Il Tempio delle Clessidre and Ianva - classical guitar), Domenico Ingenito (from La Coscienza di Zeno - violin), Loris Lombardo (percussion), Max Manfredi (vocals), Edmondo Romano (from Eris Pluvia - flute), Claudio Roncone (vocals), Luca Scherani (from La Coscienza di Zeno and Höstsonaten - accordion, strings arrangements), Jenny Sorrenti (from Saint Just - vocals), Sylvia Trabucco (from Höstsonaten - violin), Matteo Merli (vocals), Claudio Milano (from Nickelodeon - vocals), Jutta Nienhaus Taylor (from Analogy - narrative vocals) and Boris Valle (from Finisterre - piano). The project's name and album cover pay homage to a comic book character created by Guido Crepax, Valentina, while the music draws inspiration from 1970s Italian prog, vintage electronic music and old soundtracks. In any case, the two musicians’ highly personal creative vein is clearly evident, making this album a must-have for fans of their main reference groups, La Coscienza di Zeno and La Maschera di Cera.

The album opens with “La posa dei morti” (The lying of the dead), a bittersweet piece perfectly interpreted by Beatrice Antolini presenting a dangerous and sensual, seductive and predatory female character. The description of the protagonist is confronted by the image of an undertaker walking with a coffin on his shoulders who takes a break along the path, momentarily easing the heavy burden of the laying of the dead. When the protagonist reappears on the scene, she is preceded by the clatter of her stiletto heels echoing down the corridor. A widow to be burned alive, meditating on the pyre...

“L’isola delle lacrime” (Tears Island) is a long and complex piece that takes us aboard a ship sailing from Italy to America, telling a story of desperation and hope. The voices of Max Manfredi and Jenny Sorrenti masterfully portray the feelings of a young woman and her brother, who seek redemption and a better life by embarking for the New World, leaving behind a present of marginalisation and poverty. She is beautiful and seductive, but she is forced to prostitute herself in the port’s bars where she is the object of desire of many men that she finds disgusting. She can no longer bear a present without dignity and is losing faith and hope. Her brother convinces her to undertake the journey, but difficulties aboard the ship abound, and they will not be lacking in America as well...

The excellent suite “Ho rischiato di vivere” (I risked living) that closes the album is divided into five parts for more than twenty-six intense minutes. The haunting music and heartfelt vocal performances of Claudio Milano and Matteo Merli evoke ghostly atmospheres and nightmares. The suite opens with the description of a man frightened by the reality around him and who prefers to take refuge in a state of unconsciousness filled with nightmares. In the first part, “Ho rischiato di vivere, Parte I”, the music and lyrics drag you like a vortex into the exploration of altered states generating monsters, where you can hear the footsteps and breathing of men who perhaps never existed or are long dead, reaching out to grab you. The second part, subtitled “Ritratto di donna in nero” (Portrait of woman in black), opens with the narrative voice (in German) of Jutta Nienhaus and evokes the figure of a young pianist of twenty, nine of whom had been dedicated to studying her instrument. The girl died suddenly, and the protagonist is left with only memories of her, which fade into the fog of Milan’s canals. The third part, "Memoriale", celebrates the memory of the girl, who for the protagonist represented life. The fourth part, "Gargoyle", describes a statue observing the city life from above, a metaphor for the protagonist himself. Detached from the daily grind, like a silent, resonant stone, he wastes away in anticipation of his transmigrations, burning slowly in his hell of jasper and wind, just as ordinary mortals burn in their hell of flesh and blood. The final part, "Ho rischiato di vivere, Parte II", describes the protagonist's disillusionment and his reflections on life, a cycle that repeats itself endlessly. You set out in search of something and inevitably end up back where you started. A brief reprise of the album's first track concludes the suite, a truly accomplished and engaging work...

Overall, an excellent album that should not be missing from the collection of any Italianprog lover.

You can listen to the complete album HERE

La Curva di Lesmo - La Curva di Lesmo (2015). Other opinions:

Michael “Aussie-Byrd-Brother”: “Full of intricate, daring instrumental arrangements with rich and lively vocal performances, Italian prog doesn't come more confidently grandiose and proudly pompous than this, and it's a thrilling, essential purchase for RPI fans. `La Curva di Lesmo' is not only one of the strongest Italian progressive works of 2015, but it may even prove to become something of a modern classic...” (Read the complete review HERE).

More info:

https://linktr.ee/fabiozuffanti

FROM DISTANT LANDS

Le Terre Lontane are a Roman band whose roots date back over ten years. After many difficulties and a long process of composing, studying and performing on the local scene, in 2025 they self-released their first studio EP, “Il viaggio, Parte I” with a line up featuring Daniela Palumbo (lead vocals, keyboards), Valerio Talevi (bass), Marco Venarotta (drums) and Simone Coria (guitars). According to the band, it is a conceptual work, the first part of a musical story that tells the adventures of a human being (the listener), transported on a journey within himself. From the ordinary madness of his daily life to the very core of his being, he must face countless challenges and temptations to rediscover his true essence… The overall sound of the band is built on acoustic bases and Mediterranean influences, but the ability to compose, arrange and propose personal musical ideas is remarkable and I am convinced that those who love bands such as Corde Oblique will find their music very interesting...

 

 
The album opens with "Cento dune (Panico)" (Hundred Dunes - Panic), which expresses a sense of loss and anguish through music and lyrics. In an ever changing world, a deeply rooted sense of fear emerges in a humanity alienated and accustomed to a life where there is no room for doubts or questions. However, the protagonist's need to discover the true nature of his being forcefully takes root. The journey begins in an inner desert. A hundred dunes loom on the horizon, you can see heavy footprints of unknown shadows and unfamiliar lights in the sky while lightning and thunder strike a fiery land. The protagonist enters a labyrinth whose exit leads to the truth. A hundred voices tell him to continue, and a hundred paths await him...

On the following "Miraggio" (Mirage) the protagonist appears lost in the desert that stretches out within and outside him. The landscape is surreal, with silken dunes and fiery air, empty lands and a hazy view. A snake comes out of the blue, then in the protagonist takes hold the desire to escape to an island of hope, a source of truth. The island can be seen on the horizon, brilliant and precious as the sea approaches. A ship unfurls the sails ready to sail... But it's only a dangerous mirage the protagonist must free himself from. The finale, with the piano in the forefront, is excellent. It's a pity that the instrumental coda wasn't developed more...

 

 “Terre lontane” (Distant Lands) brings up nocturnal atmospheres. The music and lyrics depict strange waters and a land with two clear blue moons. If you find it, drop anchor in the icy water and try to reach it. It's the land of eternity where time stands still. It will quench your thirst and your soul will sleep. But do not trust the call of the mermaids. The heart often deceives...

“Sulla riva” (On the Bank) marks a decisive step to the final destination. The music evokes the colour and smell of orchids as the wind passes between blue amber rocks. The protagonist makes up his mind, he will leave on the shore what he was and what he knows, then he will follow the flight of a hundred fireflies to seek for freedom. There’s a mystery to unravel in his heart, and he finally feels like he belongs to himself again...

The sound of the sea waves crashing on the beach and a delicate acoustic guitar arpeggio introduce us to the last song on the setlist, “Lidia,” where the vocal lines and lyrics evoke a strange female character, a goddess waiting for the protagonist. If she sings, the soul comes out. She flies without wings, lonely, and she leads to dreaming. She's a goddess who’s always waited for the fragile heart of a fragile creature...

On the whole, an album that’s too short and leaves a sense of incompleteness. The story of the journey’s end is missing. Let's hope that the band don't make us wait too long to tell it and complete this truly interesting work!

You can listen to the complete EP HERE