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

FLYING ABOVE THE BORDER

 Sul confine is the second studio album by Aliante and was released in 2019 on the independent M.P. & Records label with a consolidated line up featuring Jacopo Giusti (drums, percussion), Enrico Filippi (keyboards, piano, Moog) and Alfonso Capasso (bass) plus the guest Marianna Vuocolo (violin). It confirms all the good qualities of its predecessor while the art cover by Jacopo Giusti and the liner notes signed by Alfonso Capasso give us a clue about the atmosphere and the subject matter of this work: “When you live in a borderland, you meet different languages and cultures that mix in a universe of contrasts and proximity. Staying on the border is not just a geographical issue and is not always a choice. There are people who play their whole existence with it, while others seek refuge in safe hinterlands, made of balance and certainty, from where they will never see the thin line that separates smile and sadness, wealth and poverty, pain and joy, dialogue and silence, understanding and indifference. The border does not protect those who live there but opens up a range of possible alternatives, where the night of the fear of making choices surrenders to the breaking of the light of courage. Therefore, if there is a place where I want to stay, it is on the border…”.

 

 

 

 The album opens with the long, articulated eponymous suite divided into seven parts, a kind of instrumental travelogue that takes you on a musical journey across the world, following ancient maps. The first section, titled “Viaggio nel vento” (Journey in the wind), sets the atmosphere and with its dreamy mood leads you to “Metzada” for a gaze towards the sky. The title of the second section refers to a mountain-top fortress complex in the Judaean Desert that became the final holdout of the Jewish rebels during the First Jewish–Roman War (66–73 AD). Here the rhythm rises while the music every now and again reminds me of Le Orme and evokes epic rides and endless wars in a ravaged country... The third section, titled “Ai confini del mondo” (To the limits of the world), is dark and slow with the notes of violin painting melancholic shadows on a desolate road while on the following one, “La rana” (The frog), the light turns up again and the rhythm takes off. Then it’s the turn of the section titled “Il cigno nero” (The black swan) where you can hear echoes of classical music suggested by delicate piano parts, Mediterranean flavours with moments reminiscent of the Concierto de Aranujez and jazzy passages. Th title of this section refers to the figure of Odile, the Black Swan, a character of the famous ballet Swan Lake who perfectly embodies seduction and deception... Next section, “Il quadrato” (The square), is a frenzied spacey ride through the dark latitudes of the universe and leads to the final beautiful section, “Tenente Drogo” (Lieutenant Drogo) whose title refers to the main character of Il deserto dei Tartari (The Tartar Steppe) a novel published in 1940 by Italian writer Dino Buzzati that tells the story of a young officer, Giovanni Drogo who spent his life guarding the Bastiani Fortress, on the border with a desolated desert.

 

 

 

After the long, complex 48 minutes suite, a shorter track closes the album. “Nel cielo” (In the sky) begins by a delicate, dreamy piano solo passage, then synthesizers and rhythm section take over and gently lift you up to the sky as a prelude to a new musical journey...

 

On the whole, an excellent work!

 

You can listen to the complete album HERE

 

More info:

https://www.aliantemusic.com/ 

SHARP BLADES

 After the restart in 2014 on the initiative of founder member and main composer Pericle Sponzilli, Lame di luce is the second studio album of Reale Accademia di Musica’s new course. It was released in 2022 on the Sony Music label with a renewed line up featuring Pericle Sponzilli (vocals, guitars) along with Fabio Liberatori (piano, Hammond organ, synth), Erika Savastani (vocals), Fabio Fraschini (bass) and Francesco Isola (drums) plus the guest Danilo Pao (Fender VI). The overall sound is noticeably distant from that of the 1972 debut album, but that doesn't make it any less interesting. Vintage sounds alternate with more modern ones, and the female voice fits particularly well into the sonic textures. Pericle Sponzilli’s songwriting skills have not been tarnished by the passage of time, and the final result certainly lives up to expectations...

 

The opener “Onde di sabbia” (Waves of sand) begins softly by a delicate acoustic guitar arpeggio soon backed by the keyboards. The music and lyrics evoke a strange dream. The object of desire of a real passion appears like a mirage in a strange parallel world where you can see waves of sand and dunes into the sea...

The beautiful “Ascesa al Fuji” (Ascent to Fuji) takes us to Japan for a spiritual experience. In fact, climbing the Mount Fuji is more than a nature hike, as the mountain is not just a tourist attraction, it is a sacred place. The music and lyrics evoke a silent place where time stands still. Along the path, step after step, between oak trees and bamboos, you’re are left breathless as you try to hide the fear of falling. Then, at the top, you can listen to the wind around you instead of the echo of your fears. Eventually, comforted by a friend, you can enjoy the sunrise...

The ethereal “Due pietre preziose birmane” (Two Burmese gemstones) depicts two gems. One reproduces an eight-legged dragon, guardian of the sky, while the other represents a tiger, symbol of earth. The two beasts are fighting each other. The image of the fight evokes the contrast between the desire to chase one’s dreams by leaving for distant places or accepting the reality that the present reserves for us and staying in one’s comfort zone, giving up on adventure. It’s a kind of gambling game where the stake is your time...

 

“Lame di luce (Blades of light) is a melancholic piece about the fear of the unknown. The music and lyrics evoke the image of a man gazing out to sea from his home, transformed into a bunker of concrete and sand. Blades of light reflect off the walls and play with the shadows as the protagonist aims his gun at an imaginary target emerging on the horizon. Painful and tumultuous memories haunt him. Time cannot be stopped and the blue water turns blood red. The finale restores calm on the sea, as nature takes over under a starry sky...

The jazzy “Si parlerà” (They will talk) brings us the image of a hero from another civilization inventing an ageless world, a musician and poet whose sounds and words are not just notes and voices but trees that grow and do not bend. It's the dream of a better world where people talk to each other instead of waging war. Battles made of words and smiles to shed new light and illuminate emotions...

“Una ferita da disinfettare” (A wound to disinfect) is an introspective song that talks about feelings and relationships that are transformed by time. There are wounds that slowly heal, changing perspectives between regrets and thoughts turned to the faded magic of a smile that time has veiled with indifference...

 

Reale Accademia di Musica, 2022

“Ore lente” (Slow hours) is a beautiful piece about a train journey shrouded in mystery. A crowded station on a cold winter's day, a seat next to a silent, sleepy stranger, long hours without speaking, then a look that melts the ice in a breath...

“Incontri” (Meetings) is in the same mood and paints in music and words a love understood as art and perfection, a series of days and experiences to remember forever, a series of moments you wish you could capture and that never grow old, precious memories that will never leave you alone...

“Ossessione” (Obsession) is a lively and nervous track that describes a kind of metropolitan nightmare while the concluding track, the ethereal “Il cavaliere del cigno (L’addio)” (The Knight of the Swan - The farewell), is a touching farewell to someone who disappears forever in deep waters, a shadow that can no longer love, a hero that cannot be forgotten...

On the whole, an excellent work!

You can listen to the complete album HERE

More info:

https://www.facebook.com/RealeAccademiadiMusicaOfficial/ 

A MYSTERIOUS LETTER

Vespro is the third full length album by Mysteria Noctis and was self-released in 2025 with a confirmed line up featuring Alberto Negretti (vocals), Alessio Negretti (guitars), Giacomo Piccinini (drums), Gioele D'Adda (bass) and Mattia Di Lorenzo (keyboards). It marks another step forward for the band, the musical fabric is very rich and variegated blending progressive rock with touches of electronica, synthwave, rap and black metal. According to an interview with the band, “Vespro is a concept album that tells the story of a man who, driven by an anonymous letter, sets out to find the sender. along the way, he embarks on a journey that forces him to confront his past. The central theme driving the entire story is that of choices and their consequences…”. (You can read the complete interview HERE). The art cover by Giacomo Tagnin gives a visual form to the atmospheres of the album...

 

The opener “Ombre dal passato” (Shadows from the past) sets the atmosphere. An acoustic guitar intro and a tormented voice open the album evoking a trembling hand writing a letter full of poisonous questions, addressed to a man who has changed over the years and seems to have forgotten his past. When the rhythm increases the image and perspective change. Night falls and the voice of the person who received the letter can be heard. The evil evoked by the sender envelops the protagonist like a shadow that takes his breath away. The journey in search of the mysterious sender begins, and the departure is described by the following short instrumental “Discesa” (Descent)...

“Anatema” (Anathema), on an apparently cheerful rhythm with echoes of eighties synthwave, describes the torment of the protagonist, visibly shaken by the mysterious call from his past and the shadows it evokes. The protagonist questions himself and questions his glass muse (a sort of woman-city metaphor of his present) on the opportunity to leave and begin a dangerous journey. The need to leave becomes more and more pressing, even if the response of the glass muse is extremely disturbing, a dark omen of perpetual damnation where the synth-wave echoes veer towards black metal hints...

“Ritorno” (Return) paints in music and words the protagonist who, alone and lost, travels along the traces of his past. Faces hidden in the fog watch him and hide the identity of the mysterious author of the letter. Afflicted by too many unanswered questions, by the memory of broken dreams, sacrifices and abandonments on the roads of his past, the protagonist goes on and on with many doubts but without fear...

 

A delicate piano passage introduces the following “Valzer d’inverno” (Winter waltz), a piece that describes the passion of a brief and intense relationship, a romance with a woman soon forgotten by the protagonist, a woman among many. What remains of that love story? The flames of passion have now given way to ashes and disenchantment, to broken dreams and broken promises, deceptions and betrayal. What remains is just a face that fades into the fog and perhaps a veil of nostalgia and regret...

“Ricordi?” (Do you remember?) begins with a short drum passage. It is a caustic piece that evokes the anger of a forgotten friend and rival of the protagonist in the race for success. A friend that the protagonist has ruined and humiliated. A sacrificial victim who has developed a deep hatred towards him. The meeting with his shadow is another ominous omen about the end of the journey that the protagonist has undertaken...

“Il processo” (The trial) opens with a slow and mournful marching pace. A hostile voice introduces the trial and invites the accused to face the charges. A rapped vocal part summarizes the accusations and invites the protagonist to look at that betrayed and forgotten woman who now takes care of her (and his) son and at the trampled and humiliated rival. The price of success is damnation, the verdict is one of condemnation. But the author of the letter is not among the jurors. He is still waiting for the protagonist at the pass...

 

Mysteria Noctis, 2025

The long, complex “La villa” (The villa) tells of the end of the journey. In fact, the journey ends in a dark and remote villa, the tomb of an unforgiving past. The piece opens with strong classical influences and then turns to threatening, heavy atmospheres. Growling, rap, operatic and theatrical voices combine to describe the scenes of an inner hell where you can find resentment and repentance. The protagonist feels that he is not alone in the villa but is welcomed only by dark presences. Four rooms are open. In one he sees the woman he left pregnant with his child, the woman he abandoned, in another room there’s an innocent man who ended up in jail because of him, in the third a neglected friend who hanged himself while he was having fun at a party. In each room screams and damnation. In the last one the author of the letter awaits him...

The disquieting “L’ultima porta” (The last door) describes the protagonist ready to cross the last door and meet his fate. Of all the shadows, that of the author of the letter is the most feared. In the end, the most feared shadow turns out to be that of his soul. Now the protagonist understands that he is the monster who caused so much pain and inside a mirror he sees his soul dying. All the lights go out, between fear and remorse. It is his soul that wrote the letter, it is his hand. The man the protagonist was looking for is none other than himself. But when the final credits roll, the protagonist can still choose between forgiveness and oblivion...

The last track, “L’ombra” (The shadow), opens with powerful electric guitar riffs and a fast pace. The protagonist’s hand still trembles as he writes the final words of a farewell to himself. He realizes he is the monster and condemns himself to death. Perhaps there is another path of penance and forgiveness, but will forgiveness be enough to save him from himself? The conclusion is left to the listener. The night falls among the shadows of the past and an ink-stained letter...

On the whole, a very good work that deserves a try.

You can listen to the complete album HERE

More info:

https://www.facebook.com/MysteriaNoctis/