FEM PROG BAND are a young Italian five-piece that rose from the ashes of other minor bands and whose musical influences include styles as diverse as classical, jazz, Gospel and Renaissance vocal music. They originally called themselves LA FORZA ELETTRO MOTRICE and their repertoire consisted of performing covers of songs by the so-called big three of Italian progressive rock and their UK brethren.

The band has undergone various changes of personnel since their formation in 2007, with keyboards-player Alberto Citterio and guitarist Paolo Colombo being the only remaining founding members. They quickly added their friend Marco Buzzi (bass) from a METALLICA tribute band and during 2008 they intensified their live activity with a series of gigs at the major venues in Milan. With the arrival of drummer Emanuele Borsati in the following year the group abbreviated their name and switched to performing their own material although they continued to try to recapture the sound of seventies prog.

Giacomo Balzarotti (vocals, classical guitar) completed the current line-up in 2010 and since then they have been working on a concept album based on a short story by German philosopher Kurd Lasswitz. Titled ''Sulla Bolla Di Sapone'' (On the Soap Bubble) the album is ready to be recorded but to fill the gap until its release they have issued the self-produced ''Epsilon'' EP, a highly promising debut that communicates the intensity of the band's deeply introspective lyrics against a backdrop of lush symphonic prog.

On the strength of this release FEM PROG BAND would certainly seem to have all the attributes required to become one of the front-runners in the field of modern Italian prog. Highly recommended.

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