Italian duo Viola and Federico return with their second full length on Cold Meat Industry records. Cold Meat Industry? This album isn’t really a typical Cold Meat offering. With virtually no electronic elements, this sweet and ethereal CD might seem out of place to those familiar with the label’s usual stylings. Peter Anderson of Raison d'être produced the album, further tying it to Cold Meat, despite its differences. Knowing that Projekt Records put out the album in the United States may temper the confusion, a bit.

Vaguely similar to Black Tape for a Blue Girl in their instrumentation, the comparison ends there, as the vocals differ greatly. Viola’s voice is sweet and light, reminiscent of American artist Christa Belle of Hungry Lucy, and Frederico isn’t as powerful a singer as Sam Rosenthal, but his low tenor is delightful in a different way.

The album is thematic, in that every track was inspired by writers that the duo respect, such as Dostoyevsky, Virginia Woolf, Anais Nin, Samuel Beckett and author of vampire novella, Carmilla, Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu.

Having recently staged a production of Carmilla, I can honestly say that “An Early Fright,” based on that novella, is a highlight of the album. With an intelligent and foreshadowing spoken introduction and gorgeous stringed accompaniment, the song is a fitting tribute to the original work.

The entire album is dreamy and light, and features an ambient subtlety that lends a serene and airy quality to each piece. Other highlights include, “House of Incest,” “Notti Bianche,” and “Angelike,” which features Viola’s superb fluting.  “Ivory” is a dark and cold song, featuring Frederico on vocals that, at first, reminded me of the American project, “Procer Veneficus” and made me think again about why the album was on Cold Meat Industry. 

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