MARCO POLO - SOGNI E VIAGGI

After the impressive ''Aquile e scoiattoli'' Latte E Miele kept the thing going until the early-80's, their sound became more commercial with each year and this has been taped on the third unreleased album ''Vampyrs'', recorded in 1979, but released only in 1992 on Mellow Records.Drummer Alfio Vitanza collaborated with Vottorio De Scalzi on a New Trolls' revamped version named La Storia dei New Trolls, but to great surprise Latte E Miele reformed in 2008 with the original line-up of Vitanza, Lacagnina and Dellacasa plus guitarist Massimo Gori from the ''Aquile e scoiattoli'' core.The following year the band prooved to have fully returned recording a new album for the German label Edel, named ''Marco Polo - sogni e viaggi'', apparently a concept work, refering to the adventures of legendary traveller Marco Polo.

So, what we should expect from a bunch of great musicians, returning after 30 years of silence?The answer is some great Symphonic Rock in the best Italian tradition, which does not top the greatest moments of the band's history, but offer some 50 minutes of beautiful, elaborate musicianship with lovely Italian nuances and delicate symphonic arrangements.You can still find the strict Classical influences, the elegant orchestrations and the dramatic/romantic twists in Latte E Miele's new effort, which still contains the band's trademark alternations between isolated piano themes, bombastic keyboard interludes, lyrical expressions via standard vocals or choirs and generally all the unique twists they were offering back in mid-70's, minus the experimental jazzy breaks.The album is split in 14 short tracks with balanced guitars, some string parts and lots of powerful and more laid-back keyboard lines, highlighted by the use of the mightly Hammond organ in an E.L.P.-style.The atmosphere becomes very calm and emotional in a couple of ballads, serving the flow of the story, the next moment the grandieur rises through your speakers, pretty excellent use of melodious themes, virtuosic keyboard showering and an Italian-flavored Classicism sounds like heaven to my ears.

One of the very decent comebacks of an old Italian Prog band.100% Prog/Symphonic Rock with the consistency of the past Latte E Miele album's, just delivered in a slightly updated sound and production.Strongly recommended...3.5 stars.