With Melos, the Naples-based quintet Cervello - led by guitarist Corrado Rustici and vocalist Gianluigi Di Franco - crafted one of the most refined statements of Italian progressive rock. Drawing on both myth and memory, the album reflects the band’s fascination with the ancient Hellenic world, presenting songs that evoke enchanted landscapes, ritual, and the mysteries of voice and sound. The group’s lineup featured four multi-instrumentalists adept at flute, saxophone, guitar, and percussion, ensuring a lush, acoustic palette that eschewed the overt reliance on keyboards common in the genre. Instead, the arrangements float on layered wind instruments, rich vocal harmonies, and vivid guitar textures, lending Melos a sound both distinctive and timeless.​

The seven tracks - “Canto del capro”, “Trittico”, “Euterpe”, “Scinsione (T.R.M)”, “Melos”, “Galassia”, and “Affresco” - unfold as poetic vignettes, blending experimental structures with Mediterranean melodic sensibility. “Canto del capro” opens with ritualistic atmospheres and complex choral interplay, introducing themes that recur throughout the album. Both melodically adventurous and structurally severe, Melos moves between pastoral intimacy and exuberant ensemble passages, each moment shaped by the group’s commitment to both compositional sophistication and emotional clarity. Rustici’s guitar bridges classical finesse and distorted bite, while Di Franco’s voice, praised for its nuance and expressive range, anchors the mythic narrative at the heart of the album.​

The reception from critics and collectors has been emphatic; Melos remains an essential listen for fans of Italian prog, a masterwork praised for its conciseness, inventiveness, and evocative power. The enduring legacy of Melos is reinforced by numerous reissues and remasters, including the 2025 special edition on vinyl, which have ensured its place among the most celebrated and influential albums of the scene. For those looking to explore the rich tapestry of Italian progressive music, Melos offers a portal into a world of imagination, artistry, and perpetual curiosity.​