DEDICATO A FRAZZ

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Another jewel from Italy's 70s prog rock. Intense and melodic, this album is at the same level of the monsters of the style. Very original, it's a hard job can find influences or similarities with another bands. "Frazz" is the highlight. SEMIRAMIS album is a forgotten winner, plenty of emotive intensity. Highly recommended.

Here is yet another major classic Italian prog rock album sure to please all fans of the 70's Prog genre. SEMIRAMIS blend lots of guitars (Classical and electric) with lots of excellent keyboard work. This album does get a bit heavy (which I like!) at times but always returns to the gorgeous settings promised. Considering the age of this recording , this album offers great stereo seperation and sounds even better with a good set of headphones on......Highly recommended !!!

How could I go about describing SEMIRAMIS? They have one of the most unique sounds from the Italian prog scene. Well, the music tends to emphasize fast, dynamic, yet quirky playing that is unique compared to most other prog albums. Most of the compositions feature dozens of instruments which include everything from guitar, bass, and drums to vibes, synths, and mandolins. There is a cartoonish element to the band's sound that indicates that they didn't take themselves seriously. But, several sections, especially towards the end of the album, are emotional and serious. For a 1973 release, the guitar work is sometimes quite heavy thanks to great guitar work by a futuristic 16 year-old. This guy was playing heavy metal guitar years before the genre became popular. Their vocalist shouldn't bother most people, but his style is rather eccentric. "Dedicato A Frazz" is an unusual album that should be in every prog fan's collection.

This is an "ante-litteram" heavy progressive album in the vein of METAMORFOSI, with a remarkable guitar and moog interplay, but the focus is more on such heavy guitar than on the keyboards, unlike Metamorfosi... a sort of compromise between the style of "IL BALLETTO DI BRONZO" and a sense of melody, often in the vein of the early PFM. Well I don't like this genre very much nor that one by "IL CAMPO DI MARTE","METAMORFOSI" and "BIGLIETTO PER L'INFERNO", nevertheless I recognize the importance of all these works. The songs are somewhat prolix and at times redundant, but for those times their ideas were fresh and as much interesting as the performance at the vibraphone.

Recommended, even though it is not completely essential and the production - as usual - is also weak.

Another one-shot Italian prog album, SEMIRAMIS was lead by guitarist/vocalist Michele Zarrillo, who was just 16 at the time of this album. Some people consider this one of the greatest Italian prog albums, but actually, I more rank it with the likes of NEW TROLLS' "NT Atomic System", LOCANDA DELLE FATE's "Forse Le Lucciole Non Si Amano Più", and IL BALLETTO DI BRONZO's "YS", that is, overrated and not living up to the hype, but still worth having. While the music is very well played, and there are plenty of aggressive passages, and nice, lush string synths (actually played on an Eminent), courtesy of Maurizio Zarrillo, Michele's older brother, the music also gets bogged down with some rather cheesy synths. Maurizio, instead of using a Moog, used a Davoli synth (same type of synth David Sinclair used on CARAVAN's "For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night"), which apparently has more limited features. Regardless of my complaints of the album, it's still excellent Italian prog, and you have to bear in mind Michele Zarrillo, being only 16 at the time, he was quite accomplished on guitar for someone so young.

The album contains some bizarre artwork, with that face on the front, and Salvador Dali-like artwork in the gatefold. The original LP was released on the Trident label (which was unfortunately conterfeited in the late '80s), so you have to be careful when you buy - that is, if you can find a copy, as originals don't exactly grow on tree. Luckily Vinyl Magic, back in 1989, reissued this on CD. But, still if you like music like MUSEO ROSENBACH, IL BALLETTO DI BRONZO, J.E.T., CERVELLO, BIGLIETTO PER L'INFERNO, and such bands, you'll also like this one.

Semiramis is one of the most bizarre and talented one-album Italian acts from the 70s, and 'Dedicato a Frazz' is one of my absolute favs of Italian prog. Their prog offer is astonishingly "schizophrenic", since it is founded upon a trategy of brutal contrast between the very heavy (delirious guitar solos and riffs, red hot rhythm patterns) and the realms of acoustic sensibility (acoustic and classical guitars interludes, gentle drops on vibes, string synth layers). The musicianship is top-notch, flawlessly responding to the demands of the complex compositions and fast paced rocky sections: sometimes I feel like this is the background music for a demented circus of sorts! Semiramis' sound is reminiscent (to a certain degree) of Balleto di Bronzo, UT-era New Trolls, PFM and Metamorfosi, though you can tell that Semiramis has got a peculiar musical "insanity" of their own, an "insanity" that allows them to push the boundaries of symph prog to extravagant levels of tension, contrast and dissonance. Michele Zarrillo's vocal range is very similar to that of Leone's (Balletto di Bronzo), which helps to enhance the band's heavy side. But then again, Gianpiero Artegiani makes good use of nylon and steel string acoustic guitars (the interlude of track 4, the intro to track 3, the second part of track 5) to keep the pastoral flame alight, all in the sake of contrast. He also doubles on some synth parts, which complement effectively the baroque inspired playing of Michele's brother, Maurizio (pay attention to Maurizio's first chords in track 4 - he sounds like Mozart reincarnated). The rhythm section is solid and precise - a special mention goes to drummer Paolo Faenza, whose various interventions on vibraphone are really exquisite, capable of hitting the plates with both fast paced accuracy (the intro to track 1) and relaxed solemnity (the closure to track 7). The repertoire is full of spectacular surprises - well, I feel like some of the varied musical ideas could have been explored more thoroughly, but the management of contrasts is definitely a very high point of this album and the main asset of Semiramis' music. A masterpiece indeed!

3.5 stars really. Yet another 70's italian band with talent that only released one album. This one sounds like your typical Italian prog record of the times and it is a bit like your standard run-of-the-mill (however good was the genre) albumof that genre. I enjoy that Italian prog , but most band sound terribly alike (few exeptions , though) and somehow most of these bands are never far away from your typical pop singer such as Zucchero or Ramazzoti - don't get me wrong , I am not comparing this album with top 40 muse pouring out from your average ristorante- pizzeria speakers , but this pop trend has ruined the unity of more than one prog album. This does not really happen on this album , though and you will enjoy this if you are into the genre. Hunting the vinyl down should be recommended simply to get the stupendous art work of the inner gatefold sleeve.

They made only one album, what a pity because this Italian band sounded so strong and promising. The album contains pleasant and melodic compositions featuring a lot of strings and fiery electric guitarplay. The parts with twanging acoustic guitars and mellow keyboards has obvious echoes from early Genesis. Highlights are some spectacular breaks delivering organ and propulsive guitar riffs, a flashy synthesizer solo and swelling keyboards, followed by a church-organ-guitar. This emphasizes how original Semiramis sounded, this album is one of the most acclaimed Italian progrock gems from the Seventies, discover why!

It's a weird experience to find out that Michele Zarrillo was involved, somehow, in the wonderful italian prog scene of the seventies. And it was a great surprise for me to listen to Semiramis. Couldn't imagine such a prog behaviour since he nowadays writes, produces and sings only melodic and romantic pop music. What a change! By the way, at the time he recorded the Semiramis unique album, he was only sixteen years old. What a young prodigy he was: he wrote the musics, he played electric and acoustic guitars and sung!

The band was also formed by Maurizio Zarrillo, Michele older brother, who provided eminent, classic and electric pianos, harpsichord, sistrum and synthesizer. Other band members; Paolo Faenza on drums, percussion and vibraphone (vibraphone is the Semiramis fascinating trademark); Marcello Reddavide on bass guitar and bells; Giampiero Artegiani on "Di Giorgio" classic guitar, 12 strings "Ovation" guitar (the same guitar used by Riccardo Zappa for his wonderful instrumental dissertations) and synth.

One of the things I've never understood is who is this "Frazz" to whom the whole album is dedicated. Maybe he is a sort of imaginary character in a surrealistic world. In the booklet's inner image there is a picture in this vein. There is the "fantastic Arlequine" named in the opener track "La Bottega del Rigattiere"(Junk Shop) and also the winged horse.

What about the music? Despite the production, which is clearly not the same of important bands such Yes, Genesis, PFM, Banco and others, the arrangements are simply wonderful!! The whole structure is some of the most fresh I ever listened to in the italian scene. Fresh and mature at the same time. Considering this is a debut album, it was a tragedy for all the progheads the band split up so soon (what a pity!).

The guitars' parts are very inspired and with the correct balance between aggressiveness (electric) and kindness (acoustic). I like in particular the vibraphone sound which often takes the scene. Just listen for example the final part (the last two minutes) of "Uno Zoo di Vetro" (A Glass Zoo): an interesting duo between vibraphone and bells. Synths and keyboards are very weel played but they never seem to have the most relevan role.

All in all the result is near the masterpiece' status. The correct evalutaion should be at 4.5

A great one-shot Italian Symph band that is a notch below being labeled a Masterpiece. They have a wonderful guitarist in Michele Zarrillo who has a tendency to play it heavy and loud ala Deep Purple, or in their native country, Balleto Di Bronzo. Singing is done well, not soaring ala Banco, or pastel ala PFM, but Zarrillo's voice fits the music well. Keyboards are tasteful, not mimicing ELP, or other English bands, very Italian and baroque. My only gripe is that the drummer at times can't keep up with the frantic pace of the music, especially with Zarrillo's guitar historonics. I guess when your 16 years old and making your first record, you kinda throw caution to the wind and go full speed ahead. Yet, that approach is the albums highlight. It's fast paced, frantic and oh so Italian. Everything I like in prog. A 4- star album that just barely makes it under five. Another can't go wrong one for those crazy Italians!

I found this one a tough album to rate.The sound quality isn't very clear,and i wasn't bowled over by anything except the guitar playing at times.On the other hand there is so much to digest,so much going on here.The tempo and mood shifts happen often and at times quickly.The vocals are in Italian and well done.It's hard to believe these guys were all teenagers when they recorded this. "Luna Park" is probably my favourite as it opens with a lot of energy,slowing down a notch before the one minute mark.The scorching guitar solos are what draw me to this song.A nice contrast between the acoustic guitar melodies and the ripping solos on "Uno Zoo di Vertro".It ends with an experimental and atmospheric soundscape.Another highlight is "Dietro una Porta di Carta" a mellow song that sounds great.Tasteful guitar,great sounding keys as drums and organ all eventually contribute to the sound. I can't help but think this is a little overrated,but i still believe it's an excellent addition to your prog collection.Chew on this one slowly,as i said there is a lot to digest.

There are a few albums in the rock universe written and recorded by younger teenagers and this is one of them. While those albums can sometimes be immature there is often an inherent excitement and passion that only the young, naïve, uninhibited spirit can conjure. Once a musician becomes older and more seasoned they may well produce better work but there is a certain spark to youth that can be imitated but not authentically captured again. Semiramis is one of those magical products of youth that is worth hearing. It also comes from the height of the classic period of Italian prog and lives up to the competition of the great work surrounding it.

The music of Semiramis is not easy to describe. I suppose if I had to try I would say its crazy theatrical edge brings to mind Ange. Gnosis reviewer Tom Hayes gives the best description I've ever read: "So it's an established fact that in Italy during the period between 1971-1974, a music movement existed where bands would challenge each other to see who could be the most imaginative, who could create the album for the ages. They were all painters and sculptors just as in Renaissance Italy. Dedicato A Frazz is Michaelangelo's 'David'. Combining elements of Italian folk, circus, hard rock, Baroque church music, jazz, classical, and a good dose of insanity, Dedicato A Frazz pounds every sense, challenges every synapse in a flurry of ideas. After literally hundreds of listens, I still hear a different album each time. There is no weak link, no attempt at copying others works, no tries at banal commercialism. Just uninhibited reckless abandon of the imagination combined with musical expertise. Most tracks have a few hundred ideas and change moods faster than a bipolar woman left in the cold. Acoustic moments are quickly offset by heavy electric ones. Quiet moments of solitude are blasted away by militaristic might. It's never enough to have one striking contrast. No, Semiramis pile it on from every angle. Synths go awry, voices scream, guitars go a hundred miles a second, drums jettison you across the room. How could a group compose so many ideas? There are literally 15 albums on this!" [quoted paragraph by Tom Hayes, 2001]

The boys from Rome started around 1970 playing covers of Sabbath, Zeppelin, Stones and Italian groups. Younger brother Michele Zarrillo, a 15 year old musical prodigy joined the band and wrote the material on this album. The band then started playing the Italian festival scene. Drummer Memmo Pulvano fondly remembered the Villa Pamphilli festival in this 2003 interview: "We had a 24 minute song to play there, at the sound check Michele made an astonishing solo, and all the technicians stopped their work to listen to him, you know he was only 15! But I remember noticing that some popular guitarists said to the sound engineers to turn the volume down....Then the show began, and when our turn came we were very excited: we had just played in front of small audiences, and there were lots of people there! People sitting on the grass and you couldn't even see the lawn! We started playing, and I had behind me the best italian drummers, and they were watching me. It was incredible; my favorite drummers were listening at me! At the end some of them came to me congratulating, it was very satisfying because I was a self-taught drummer. Our song ended with a long guitar solo, it was common at the time, and Michele played it perfectly, but the engineers turned down the volume, it was due to the other guitarists' pressures I had noticed before! Michele was really angry for this, but they told us we had played too much. I was very sad then, but after a while Banco del Mutuo Soccorso started playing and it was a pleasure!" [interview with Memmo Pulvano, by Augusto Croce, september 2003]

It's true as mentioned by others that the production is not perfect and the sound somewhat compromised but it's really not so bad. Poor sound is a turnoff to me but I have no trouble dealing with this album. The vocals are fine robust Italian at their lively best. The guitar playing is energetic on the electric side and expressive on the acoustic side. The rest of the band are fine musicians but not the best I've ever heard. Composition is amazing for a 16 year old kid, this is material you will have to play many times to fully appreciate. A definite grower. It is a great example of the kind of spirit that makes me love these classic Italian albums so much.

This is an essential classic for anyone pursuing an Italian prog collection. For the wider website I rate the album excellent but can't claim it essential to everyone. The Trident Records mini-lp sleeve reissue is fabulous with its faithful reproduction of the gorgeous inner gatefold art, and the fine booklet with band history and rare photo of the group playing live at a '73 outdoor festival. I would give anything to have been able to witness those large Italian festivals in 72-74. If anyone here ever had the pleasure of being there, you'll have to start a thread in the forums and write a review.

Hey, these guys are no jokers; they don't play with the cards. SEMIRAMIS are really powerful and amazing. Could someone believe that many many years ago I disdained "Dedicato A Frazz"? Well, a sad story but I thought initially they were a mere pop band and later some silly soul whispered in my ears that this release was only a kind of jazz jam recording, and then I had to drive my savings to another direction. For my surprise I found them (band & album) here in the Archives and I decided to get this album and. if repent could kill, I'd be dead for years. A jaw-breaking experience, believe me!

You're not supposed to take a rest; all tracks are nervous, explosive, and catchy in the finest progressive vein. Here one will find a cluster of tunes, harmonies, and textures that compose the cream of our beloved genre and most specifically the Italian scenario: a flurry of synths, guitars, drums and vibes working accordingly, supported by non-spoiling vocals. It's a pity that the production isn't exempt of flaws and sometimes the sound looks like coming from a distant place, disturbing the hearing a little bit.

The atmosphere settled in the symphonic rock, is completed by jazzy intermezzos, folk touches, classic elements and generous portions of hard-rock which can be easily perceived within the opening track, 'La bottega del rigattiere', where quaint intro chords give room to a short folk section soon replaced by mesmerizing tunes, absolutely stunning - you're picked and starts to salivate just waiting the next song, 'Luna Park' that keeps the mood and goes even more frenetic and exquisite.

'Un zoo di vetro' starts chilling a bit the overall warmth but immediately the temperature rises again and the seesaw movement persists throughout the track astonishingly. 'Per una strada affollata' fastens the bond - you're definitely imprisoned. 'Dietro una porta di carta' brings some of the softer moments in the album, but it's elusive, the power is still on! 'Frazz' and 'Clown', the last tracks, summarize everything you heard before and adds even more spices to the dish. And then it's over and you'll need a bath to wash out the sweat.

Memorable.

Never judge solely on appearance, for beyond the ugly face that stares at you with a mix of smugness and surprise, await one of the most rewarding releases ever to come out of the Italian musical hotbed.

Take some of Osanna's frantic, lacking-in-respect asylum-RPI with their peculiar love for sudden changes in tempo and style, some of PFM's acoustic sensibility and the usual keyboard lushness (and fondness for unique sounds from those instruments) of the sub-genre to get a feeling of roughly how this record sounds, only to later sit through the surprise of how unique this record feels. Refreshingly daring and imaginative, it may take a few spins before you can start to enjoy the music, rather than just study and observe its components.

One album is all we got from Semiramis, but it is a lasting legacy after all. Not just because it is masterfully performed music, but also because of the fact that the composition and playing is all in the hands of guys in their mid-late teens. And while instrumental prowess sure is impressive, the most meriting about Dedicato A Frazz is that it always feel like a unique piece of work, with the skills being applied on - and with the help of - own ideas and joyous creativity. With that come focus, confidence and natural energy of a very contagious sort, guaranteed to grab you, even if it ultimately fails to hook you. It's just so youthful!

In many ways a guitar-oriented album (and still not!), with distorted, heavy and sometimes angular playing giving some of the parts muscle and speed, while it may be soaring way above the rest of the music (even delivering some scattered, beautiful Gilmour-esque tones), almost lonely, in others. The acoustic pieces are just the way I want them, in excellent PFM style. Classical AND folky, just slightly edgier and packing more punch. But what I really, really like with the sound on Dedicato A Frazz are the profound layers of music that often shape-shifts in the background, yet remains intact enough not to reach solo characteristics. Guitar, bass and keys have a way of working together in a textural firework that is loose in nature, but surprisingly stable in effect. Those moments are true bliss.

And then there is that one thing that reaches really, really, really high ear-pleasing levels; the vibraphone. Amazing usage of it here. While it hardly adds much weight, it has quite a fascinating and beautiful tone in the midst of the chaos here. Innocent, childish and fragile, the vibes contribute with amazing contrast to the hard guitar parts, and propels the streak of charming inconsequentiality. It smooths rough edges and sometimes it just overwhelms you in a shocking and painfully beautiful way in one of the sudden mellow passages.

Some dislike the production qualities of this record and, granted, they aren't the best, objectively speaking. However, I think they add a lot of character to the music, and that works especially well with the music on Dedicato A Frazz. At times, some of the instruments appear distant, or just a little too separated from each other, but with the generally disparate feeling conveyed by the music, it's actually more of an asset as I see it.

Even with all this speak of inconsequentiality and abrupt changes in mind; this is a record that flows remarkably well considering it. Once again much of the credit goes to the compositional and structural skills of the musicians, for actually pulling it off. They're not doing it the easy way, but it pays off. If you're interested in a swirling, twitchy and intense ride, catching breath and gaining power in delicate acoustic and majestically symphonic parts along the way, this is what you need. Think of a place between Osanna and the Big Three, and that's where you'll find Semiramis. Keys are ranging from nervous and digital-sounding via melodic lushness à la Le Orme to sweet piano parts.

The vocals are of the Italian style, and being slightly rougher they may not please everyone. But if the timbre isn't your cup of tea, the fire, passion and honesty of them (and the music) most definitely will be.

5 stars. Perfetto.

//LinusW

An interesting album with so much interesting idea. The first I would like to say is the fact that some of the songs contain psychedelic moments with circus music elements.It is extremely seen in Uno zoo di vetro and Per una strada affollata. I think the ideas are not compact enough and the transition between the elements in a song are not logical enough.On the other hand I like the vocals because of the opera influence from the tenor voice. The sound production is not very good.I only will tell something about the song - Dietro una porta di carta - a true masterpiece,really the best song on the album.The songwriting and the harmony of the song is really perfect.It is the only track on the album the sound is not burden with too much elements.A mark for Dietro una porta di carta only - 4.5 stars.3.5 stars really for the album overall - I choose the lesser mark because of the sound production and the transitions between the passages.

It would be interesting to count how many bands from this genre have released one album in the early/mid seventies and then disappeared. Without any doubt, you can add ''Semiramis'' to the list.

A classic Italian symphonic music is caressing your ears while listening to this fine piece of work. IMO, the proof of time passed fairly well on this album and I feel like it sounds quite fresh for an album been released such a long time ago (thirty-five years by now).

One of the best assets of the band is the fine guitar play of Michele Zarillo. This is not so frequent in the genre and deserves to be mentioned.

The only weaker track '' Uno Zoo Di Vetro'' sounds very much experimental and not structured at all. But it is only one song (also the shortest one of all). This shouldn't refrain you to have a listen to this album. Some very good surprises are awaiting you here; like '' Per una Strada Affollata'' which hesitates between classic music (the opening part) and hard-rock (for the closing one).

Some Crimsonian accents are to be found as well (''Dietro Una Porta Di Carta'') and some frenzy during ''Frazz'' is quite disconcerting in the midst of such a beautiful melody. It is one of my favourite songs from this album. But so was the great opener ''La Bottega Del Rigattiere''

My top fave though is the fantastic closing ''Clown''. A fine classic guitar opening, some sweet and melodic vocals sustained with wonderful mellotron and all of a sudden, the track leans again towards KC and some frenetic beats. To have incorporated so many theme changes in less than five minutes is quite a feat.

This album is harder than the average Italian prog style (''Luna Park''), but it is combined with such delicacy that it shouldn't bother the purists of the genre. Four stars for this one shot fine achievement.

Of all the Italian progressive rock albums, I think this is one of the most naughty (good meaning for us proggers) and most least refined and polished albums.

What a great album this is, I'm amazed, made by young artists! Without this sense, this product is very great. As mentioned above, there is so little connection between each of the songs in the album, and we can feel scattered feeling just in one song. We can't realize which the reason is...were they unskilled then, or did they play roughly under their strict thought? Well...both are okay. Whatever we think, we can enjoy the excellent album. The heavy play, the chorus-work, and the composition of songs are terrific.

It's regret point that there's little refinement and polishment but we can evaluate this work enough.

At the pick of progressive rock fame in Italy,a group of young musicians published a thrilling album in 1973.SEMIRAMIS were found in Rome by keyboardist Maurizio Zarrillo around 1970.The band also played at the famous Villa Pamphilli festival along with BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO before releasing their first (and only) album ''Dedicato a frazz''.Listening to this album,you can feel the energy and lust of the band coming out of the majestic compositions.Their sound is based on Michelle Zarrillo's harsh vocals and his raw guitar attacks,supported by the atmospheric,symphonic double keyboards of Gianpiero Artegiani and Maurizio Zarrillo.The final result comes like a cross between MUSEO ROSENBACH and ALPHATAURUS,a sound balanced between symphonic rock music and frenetic jazzy interplays with a muddy production.Considered as one of the best italian prog discs of the 70's,''Dedicato a frazz'' unquestionably deserves a front place among your collection's items.

One of the more difficult yet rewarding albums I've ever heard. Prog albums are well known for keeping their secrets hidden until multiple intent listenings unlock their treasures. This is one such album. There is so much to discover here (see Finnforest's and Linus's reviews above) that I don't think I'll ever tire of this album. What an incredible work this is--and to think it was conceived and performed by teenagers! All are excellent musicians, each one given his moment to shine. At times the guitar takes the lead, other times keyboards, even vibes. Throughout, the amazing rhythm section provides both anchor and accentuation.

The music is definitely on the wilder side of RPI, perhaps giving "Ys" and "Palepoli" serious competition for the wildest in the subgenre. There is an intriguing schizophrenia present here. At times there are angular, jarring riffs played by the guitar, accompanied by dissonant or minor keyboard soundscapes. Elsewhere the music is beautifully, hauntingly melodic, with lush arpeggiated guitar augmented by symphonic sounding keyboards. Perhaps the most disconcerting sound is the incredible use of the vibraphone, which is employed to great effect.

I like this post by Luca on a forum thread: "The title of their album, comes from the acronym of the surnames of the musicians (F)aenza, (R)eddavide, (A)rtegiani, (Z)arrillo, (Z)arrillo. It's a concept album, about the story of a clown, who sees life with ingenuity: his only joy comes from appearance and satisfaction for the beauty of things. Then, when he discovers the sad truth of existence, he commits suicide by hanging himself."

Even the album cover is jarring, with a beautiful, surreal picture of a man with a green face, the aforementioned clown Frazz. The inner artwork is even more surreal and matches the music perfectly! The BTF version is a gorgeous mini-lp that faithfully reproduces the artwork and provides some biographical information. The sound production is subpar, which is the only negative from my perspective. But that is not enough to detract from the status of this album as a masterpiece of not only RPI, but of prog in any genre.

Perhaps my interest in the RPI genre distorts the facts, but to me Italy seems to have produced more excellent one album progressive rock bands than any other country I can think of. Add Semiramis to that list, their album Dedicato A Frazz, released in 1973 was an album I only came across last year, but I'm certainly glad I did as it's one my favourite purchases of recent times.

The compositions are very mature for a band so young as is the musicianship. Dedicato a Frazz sits at the heavier end of the Italian prog spectrum, reminding me at times of Biglietto Per L'inferno, though overall creating a musical onslaught more intense and unrelenting, played with the fire of Il Balletto Di Bronzo. Yes, despite moments of mellow restraint this is a very busy album with fast and furious lead guitar runs and riffs against powerful synths, which while not necessarily a thing of beauty much of the time, create an exciting sound. A dexterous rhythm section follows the many twists and turns of the compositions and the vocals of Michele Zarillo (also providing the guitar) also bring to mind Biglietto Per L'inferno. What's remarkable is the way the band manage to fit so much in to each song without it turning into a disjointed mess, particularly considering that all the songs are so short, the longest being 6 minutes. Add to all this the customary amount of passion that Italian bands seem to play with and you have on your hands one hell of a good album.

It's a real shame that we only have one album from Semiramis; I believe Zarillo went onto mainstream success in Italy in a more pop orientated direction, but Dedicato A Frazz remains an album I can't fault and essential listening to those who enjoy the wilder side of Italian Prog.