Lethean (Italy)

Superb instrumental feast, the Italian Eclat?

Hailing from Carrara Italy, the band Lethean is one of my favorite discoveries of late.  The four piece band released their self-titled debut as Mellow Records MMP 412 in the year 2000.  They are described by their label as "Anekdoten with a violin and without their too dark influences?  A music with rare intensity which leaves any listener breathless. Completely instrumental, the band develops a melancholy and at the same time tortured music."  I can't say they remind me too much of Anekdoten so I'll try to describe what I hear. 

I would describe Lethean as a space rock/fusion band with a dual-guitar assault over a tight rhythm section, employing flute, sax and violin for additional effect.  There is no singing and no keyboards.  A reviewer for another site that I generally respect lamented the lack of keyboards and claimed there was little direction on this album.  Nonsense.  There is a bumper sticker out there that says "not all who wander are lost."  That applies here and I would add not all prog rock bands aspire to be Spock's Beard.  Lethean forges ahead with a blissfully beautiful exploration of what two guitars can accomplish, winding and melding through space both violent and peaceful.  There are moments that recall Porcupine Tree, Eclat, or Djam Karet, there are other times where acoustic folk influences are blended with Meddle/Obscured by Clouds-era Floyd.  The jazzy sax accompaniment of opener "Subinconscio telefonico" is the most openly fusion that I hear them profess after which they shift to more of a space/art rock outlook.  The production is a bit "tin canny" in this first track but it improves as the other tracks proceed.  This opener is OK but not the strongest track of the six…it only gets better from here on out.  "Alchimista" begins with lovely violin over clean melancholic guitar and big bass that picks up until absolutely blistering leads are hurtling through your brain like rockets.  Very exciting.  This is the kind of track that will perk the ears of Ozric fans for sure.  "Marmo di Luna" starts off so cool.  Over dreamy acoustic and flute you have these strange, eerie chants like those present of the Floyd track "Fearless."  It then progresses into a mystical acoustic guitar improvisation with dual acoustics and breezy flutes for a woodland folk vibe.  After two more great rock tracks the closer "Autunno" is another gorgeous introspection of acoustic and violin. 

What I like most about the Lethean debut is not any kind of linear storytelling or technical aspect per se, it really is all about the emotional "feel" of the tracks and the sense of adventure inherent to their kind of instrumental jamming.  Instrumental rock is not always a sure thing for me which is why I occasionally use the word "w**kery" to describe bands with more testosterone than creativity—I am happy to report that word is not applicable to this great album.  The Progressor sums it up nicely with "Most of the arrangements on the album are in the state of constant development, and nevertheless, they always remain coherent and beautiful. "Lethean" is one of the most original guitar-based Art-Rock albums I've ever heard. It is filled with a truly inspired, quite an extraordinary music and doesn't contain any weak spots."

Highly recommended to fans of instrumental guitar-based space rock that covers a wide range of emotional terrain.  

[Jim Russell, 6-1-08]

For more info and music samples:  http://www.myspace.com/letheancarrara