LA FINE NON ESISTE

Even in the modern era where we can expect to see artists who have been long considered down and out to make a comeback some decades after their initial run in all honesty, the Rome based SEMIRAMIS which was a crucial part of the initial progressive rock scene in Italy wasn't exactly a band that i ever expected to hear from again. After all, the five members were all teenagers when they unleashed their classic prog rock masterpiece "Dedicato a Frazz" in 1973 and like many other now classic albums was a complete flop at the time of release. Add to that, none of the members really continued on in the music world and seemed to just disappear into the ethers as quickly as they emerged. 
But the 2020s is all about curveballs and proves that even an act like SEMIRAMIS can be resurrected from the dead but is it really SEMIRAMIS? We all know that one member often held legal rights to the moniker and often continues the band with a completely new cast of characters animated their vision. Well just as i suspected, this is not the classic lineup of FRAZZ (the word referred to band members' surnames: Faenza, Raddavide, Artegiani, Zarrillo, Zarillo and if we were to extract which letters remain from the classic lineup then i'm afraid to tell you that it would only be the F for Faenza. Yes, it's drummer / vibraphonist Paolo Faenza who has resurrected the SEMIRAMIS band name and assembled a completely new younger team of eager beavers to unleash his retro sounds of the 70s.

Coming a staggering 51 years after the band's one and only album, "Dedicato a Frazz," the sophomore unit LA FINE NON ESISTE (The End Doesn't Exist) perfectly symbolizes a band once considered a mere anomaly in history to a brand new resurrected musical entity. Truth is stranger than fiction, that's for damn sure. The new band consists of Giovanni Barco as the new vocalist, Emanuele Barco on electric guitars, Marco Palma on acoustic guitars, Ivo Mileto on bass and Daniele Sorrenti on keys, organs, synth and flute. Paolo Faenza is back on percussive duties and LA FINE NON ESISTE comes across as a 70s album revisited with six tracks at about 38 minutes of playing time. Needless to say, this sounds nothing like the first SEMIRAMIS album but what i wasn't expecting is that it's actually pretty good!

There actually are some similarities to the classic SEMIRAMIS sound. This is after all classic RPI from the early 70s timeline in style and it wouldn't even surprise me if many if not all of theses tracks were originally designated for a sophomore album that was to emerge after the debut but for commercial reasons was completely scrapped. The music is a bit heavier than the average RPI album with feisty guitars but still rocks all those classical piano runs and of course features the romantic operatic vocal style however this is no group of teenagers and all the excesses that made the debut so phenomenally good are nowhere to be heard. This sounds like a seasoned RPI band that has grown comfortable in its skin and simply set to autopilot. The tracks are all melodic and memorable and the musicians are quite competent in tackling this classic style of 70s RPI. Of course lyrics are in Italian and the tracks all stand on their own because this is not a concept album the way "Dedicato a Frazz" was. Chock filled with lots of rhythmic shifts and dramatic deliveries, LA FINE NON ESISTE is a classic progressive rock in every aspect and focuses more on faster tempos and heavier guitar heft than many Italian proggers did in the past or implement in the present. The guitar often takes the lead with heavy power chords, feisty licks and the occasional solo. Of course the keys and organ give it that period piece retro sound.

"Dedicato a Frazz" is one of my absolute favorite releases of the original Italian prog scene and even when i got wind of this second album emerging in 2024 i had no expectations that it would even come close to the sheer magnum opus nature that the album has exuded over the ensuing decades. These half century later comebacks rarely amount to anything other than a good publicity stunt but in this case i'm surprised that i like this album as much as i do. The compositions are well thought out, extremely beautiful in their performances and Giovanni Barco has the perfect classic RPI vocal style! Yes this is retro but this is retro done right and while these types of bands are a dime a dozen in the modern world, there's something about the quality of this album that actually makes it feel like a legit 70s album in the modern day. This is actually more than a novelty, this is music i actually enjoy! Those feisty guitar parts really put it over the top so all i can say is bring it on Paolo!

What is it with this year having bands coming back after years without any new releases? We got a new Sleepytime Gorilla Museum record, the seventh Bondage Fruit album, and now a new recording from an Italian prog band that only released one record 50 years ago.

Semiramis is one of many prog bands that would only make one record back in the 70s, much like Opus-5, Crack, and Cervello. Some of these bands have either come back for a live show or two, maybe an archival release, or in rare cases such as this, go back into the studio to make some new material. Out of any comeback to come about this year, Semiramis wasn't even at the bottom of my list. I practically forgot about them to be honest, but them showing up now has brewed interest in me for the group.

I think with the invention of the internet, many people were exposed to the lesser known side of prog rock, and music in general. I am guessing Semiramis noticed some of the attention that their old 1973 record was gaining on sites like Progarchives or Italian Prog, which revitalized the remaining members to start the group up again, with some new pals to complete the band. However, the old members would leave, whether it be due to fatalities of illness, or not wishing to make a new album. This left the Semiramis name in the hands of a completely different line-up then what Dedicato a Frazz was. Despite this, I find this new line-up to keep the Semiramis name in a very stunning light, maybe a bit more than their debut.

A lot of modern day symphonic prog ideals usually fall into 1 of 2 categories, slightly symphonic tinged contemporary prog (Big Big Train and Phideaux), or retro prog (don't really need to give examples of this). There are also old bands that have lasted through to the 21st century and thus have tried to make symphonic prog records for their old audience, but they sound a bit more in-line with retro prog, and not what they have done in the past, like Kaipa for example. Semiramis, surprisingly enough, has done neither of these types of ideals, instead managing to sound a lot more like what they would make in the 70s, without managing to sound like every other retro prog, or even contemporary prog band on the block. To me, this was immediately apparent after the first song, and it was really surprising too. At first I thought I turned on the wrong album and was listening to a different Italian band, funnily enough. I was expecting a modern Yes, or a Kaipa type of deal here, so this was a really pleasant surprise.

The music here is also awesome, in my opinion. You aren't getting something super crazy here in this 35 minute venture. Like, you aren't getting a 20+ minute suite, or a 2 hour rock opera, but what you get here is still some high class prog. Filled with lots of emotions and beauty, with the last song here having a rather beautiful finale type of feel, and a lot of rather great vocals from Giovanni Barco makes this record a bit of a repeated listen for me, ever since it was first released. It even made me revisit their first record, and I know this may now be an unpopular opinion, but this certainly blows that record out of the water.

I also really like the production here. While the music sounds very classical in terms of prog rock, the production still manages to make everything sounds quite new and fresh, almost like this record was created in yesteryear, but only now had it been fully produced in its best output. It makes the record very enjoyable in my mind.

I suppose if I had a critique, I feel as though some of the songs do not leave as big an impact as others. Non chiedere a un Dio and Tenda rossa are good examples of this, with me not really finding much memorability for them, as compared to some of the big tracks like Sua Maestà il cuore and Cacciatore di ansie. The record also feels a tad short, but I have come to expect Italian prog to be a lot more on the shorter side, but still it leaves me feeling as if there is something rather missing in the album's length that could tie things a bit better.

Speaking of Sua Maestà il Cuore, that song is amazing. It starts off with this rather aggressive guitar melody, with Giovanni singing rather lushfully, yet with a rather harder mix. As it makes its way to the middle, it does a 180 and becomes this rather somber sounding--piano led medley that brings me a bit more emotion than I never expected, and ending off with this before it swings right back to the flavors the band is known for at the last few seconds. This track is honestly one of my instant favorites, and certainly a favorite from the Italian prog scene. It's the reason why I chose to review this record, and it's a masterpiece of sound, and emotion. Plus it has a very fun guitar solo, so what more could you want out of your finale to your comeback album?

All in all, a certainly entertaining record that was certainly unexpected. However, sometimes the most unanticipated releases can come about as a certain favorite, at least for me. Give this one a listen, especially if you really liked the group's record from 50 years ago.

Best tracks: Cacciatore di ansie, Donna dalle ali d'acciaio, Sua Maestà il cuore

Worst tracks: Non chiedere a un Dio, Tenda rossa