A VOLO RADENTE

Lost Tales is a quartet from Venice who began together in the late 1980s. Their lone album to date, 1999's A Volo Radente, was released on Mellow Records. Lost Tales is one of those bands bridging latter-day symphonic and neo-prog, with laid back Italian vocals and lush instrumentation. I imagine that they are probably influenced by later 70s Genesis and similar symphonic bands, along with the historic neo-prog bands. They remind me a bit of the German band Rousseau and their lovely debut "Flower in Asphalt."

Steeped in melody and well crafted songwriting passages, the band mixes the grand symphonic vision with the more dynamic synths and the slower pacing which often occurs in neo-prog bands. Friendly Italian vocals are the main connection to RPI for me personally, otherwise the band sounds like many other 90s melodic prog bands. The sound is absolutely lush and tinged by some bucolic fantasy, conjuring images of natural beauty and idyllic lifestyles. Strummed acoustic guitars and soft-cloud keyboards lay a wonderful backdrop to nice, juicy lead guitar work, often reminding me of Nick Barrett. On other tracks it breaks through with uptempo jamming and more fiery keys and guitars, but for a good chunk of the album, beauty is the word that most describes the music. The piano (always my fave) and the interesting guitar work on "Tu Lascia Che Sia" are marvelous and sweet. The 7-plus minute instrumental "Corona Borealis" is probably the album's highlight, full of so many pleasing sounds and smooth transitions: majestic keys, tranquil keys, power chords, Hammond, atmospheric build-up and climactic guitar solo. Very, very nice! As Chris pointed out the album is not highly original or sassy enough to truly enthrall those of us who like the rough and rowdy RPI stuff, but it is well done and it is sumptuous listening.

A solid album that is highly recommended to anyone who loves the melodic and pastoral side of prog-rock. If you like this stuff, be sure to hunt down that old Rousseau album too!

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