BAND OF LIGHT-TOTAL UNION-

This Hard/Blues rock outfit had their hayday between 1972-1974 and originates from Australia. This is their debut album and is a sought after vinyl in original pressing. The “Key” member Phil Key brought along partner Peter Roberts who got fired after Three gigs and then replaced by Ian Rilen on bass. The splendid slide guitar work is provided by Norm Roue.

The album was released in 1972 by WEA and is a top notch produced funky hard driven blues album. The songs are all by Peter Key and his wife (the collaboration under the name “Wheel”). The interaction between the drums and bass together with the excellent slide guitar is the most memorable about this album. The songs are there but as Always with the blues it is hard to evolve without slipping into Another genre.Talk about the boomerang effect.

Whatabout the drummer, Tony Beuttel?? This is like a Swiss Clockwork and there´s never a slightest bit of misplacing a single stroke. This is as boring,( or good?), as listening to a piece of machinery in a workshop. Nothing is deliberatley pushed, driven or for that matter put in a Another dynamic perspective. This guy is good but so boring that his impact will never will step into the light..sorry..  🙂

This Hard/Blues rock album got a hefty pricetag on it and the numbers are shifting. If you Think this the best album ever released than there´s no hesitation for purhasing it. For all of us that do see the benefit of great records from Australia maybe just should consider the CD reissue for the time being. There will be better albums further on up the road. You just gotta have the patience…. 🙂

VINYLRATING/GRADE

-5-OK!-WORTH EXPLORING-

AEROBLUS-AEROBLUS-

This album is nowadays much more common due to great recordsites all over the World. This does not take the edge of the obscurity of the record and here´s why. The Word “Powertrio” should be accompanied by an album of this Group.

As Pappo, the great Argentinian guitarist, wondered around for an Another outfit to go beyond the borders from Pappo´s Blues band this is what finally materialised. A Heavy/Blues/Prog rock record with bass player Alejendro Medina and Brazilian drummer Rolando Castello Junior released in 1977. This is probably one of the best Hardrock driven albums of all time. The Production is rough with the right “live” feeling with few overdubs and terrific interaction between the drums  and the bass. Vocals are a bit over the top but as I don´t know what the lyrics are about thats more of a small notice…. 🙂

Whatabout the drummer, Rolando Castillo Junior??? As Pappo had to find the drummer for this outfitin Another country, he got what he was looking for. This hard driven drummer with exceptional hit ratio and out of this World striking abilities is just what  gives this album it´s soul. All songs are strong but it is the drumming that just brings them over the top and with a furious interaction with the bass this is just unprecedented in the Heavy/Hard /Prog rock scene by this time. This is such a good record in this genre that very few will come up to it´s standard…EVER!! 🙂  Argentina ROCKS!! 🙂

As this album is the holy grail for many collectors the price tag is insane. The advice is to go for the CD reissue and spread the Music to a wider Community so we can get some good reissues on vinyl. THAT´S AN ORDER!!! This is one of the ultimate beer and BBQ party records of all time.

I´m out of words…..Just fabulous….. 🙂

VINYLRATING/GRADE

-9-DIVINE!-A MASTERPIECE, WOULD MAKE YOU WANNA LEAVE YOUR GIRLFRIEND-

CWT-THE HUNDREDWEIGHT-

As this album hits the turntable you just crack up in a funny face and then it hits you once more. WTF!  Why haven´t I Heard this Before?? A Heavy input with gruesome guitar riffs a insane bassplaying style and then like icing on the cake, Brass arrangements to twist this album into total obscurity!! Just fabulous!! Never Heard anything like it!! This is mixed, not stirred, in the best way possible!! Cheers!

This outfit from Great Britain formed in 1972 and made their only album in 1973. They split up the same year. The production is fuzzy and it fits right in time with Hard/Prog/Psych/jazz rock. All instruments interact in a timetypical way and there´s no chance I would have it Another  Way. This is a time document that just nod´s your head and brings the feet to tap along. The songs are strong with growling sincere vocal input and some fine line passages that almosts get corny. The more you spin this goldmine on the turntable the more you get involved. That is a supergrade in my book!! 🙂

Whatabout the drummer, Collin White?? This achievment on this record is perhaps one of the most strong one´s ever recorded. There´s  tons of material to copy cat and the drive together with the bassplayer is just smashing. The technical abilities are top notch together with the striking and hit ratio just make you wanna wish it was you who played the drums on this beast of a an album. Everybody just goes all in and that is all that Counts in the end!! Super performance!!

Take an advice and skip the refurbishment on the livingroom this time and put your Money on this album instead. There are great reissues for no Money at all and will bring timeless more satisfaction than new wallpaper…Original copies are expensive but then you will get it released on Kuckuck records and I´m not gonna tell you what that means in Swedish…:-)

VINYLRATING/GRADE

-8-EXCELLENT-HEAD ON RIGHT BETWEEN THE EYES COLLISION WITH A FREIGHT TRAIN-

MURASAKI-MURASAKI-

As this outfit from Okinawa does what it can to Copycat the sound and style from first of all , Deep Purple, there´s much to be discovered underneath the layers of terrific songwriting and personal expression. As Murasaki means “Purple” in Japanese there´s no doubt where the biggest influence come from. Yet there are several passages cleverly borrowed from both Uriah Heep and maybe, a bit from Camel.

This release from 1975 is great in the production with splendid interaction between the guitar/bass and organ. The Twin riffs just never fails to deliver and the lyrics are familiar with a personal Okinawa seasoning to it. This outfit would be the frontrunners comming up with the sound known as the Okinawa rock movement and frontman George Murasaki is a big, if not the biggest, influence. This is probably the greatest Deep Purple pretenders ever, and that is ment as a compliment!! 🙂

Whatabout the drummer, Eiichi Miyanaga?? Well, Ian Paice got some stiff competition here. Mr Miyanaga got both the ability to drive hard with high striking abilities and terrific hit ratio. The dynamics are solid and superb and there´s not much more to ask for. As this outfit almost could be taken for a high end Deep Purple cover act, this is not the solid truth. The songs are in some passages just Blueprint copies of the original but that tend to sving into to more sophisticated arrangements which in my book are damn good impressive. I like this a lot and who saw that coming?? 🙂 Thumbs up!!

There are splendid copies out there for decent buck and why not, just give yourself a chance to spice up you Purple Collection with the next best thing..and might I just add.. “Made In Japan!”  Just hilarious… 🙂

VINYLRATING/GRADE

-6-VERY GOOD!-WORTH BUYING-

DEVIL ELECTRIC-DEVIL ELECTRIC-

As the true rulers of steady and firm Stoner/Doom/Blues rock oriented Music are fading away from the Music scenes, there´s a fresh breath of newcomers that will kick your balls in the same category and have had the benefit to learn from the masters (read Black Sabbath, Candlemass) and bring this genre a step forward. Australia´s Devil Electric can be filed under the same band´s like Electric Citizen, Electric Wizard and Ruby the Hatchet but here we do have more doom and gloom in the package.

This debut release is just of the presses(2017) and brings a new perspective with led-Heavy riffs and enchanting vocals by Pierina O´Brien. The production is top notch with great interaction between guitar/bass and drums. The band drives the vocals forward and it sounds pretty good.. 🙂 The blue print songstyle invented by Black Sabbath is very present but then again every Heavy stoner blues outfit will get that comparison…

Whatabout the drummer, Mark Van de Bleek?? Well this is just like the five o´clock train, steady on the rails with great delivery and good striking abilities. As this is a debut album you almost could expect a bit of caution and “held back” in the drive and technical department. This is not a bad drummer but I feel  he´s got a harness and will certainly deliver more on the road. I just have to wait and see!! Exciting!! 🙂

This is a very good album in the genre that erase´s the clear border´s between true stoner acts like Asteroid, Kadavar and Uncle Acid. The album flavour things up with catchy songwriting and toetapping passages without going to Deep into that bottomless swamp of darkness and misery…

Hurry up and Catch a limited copy for a decent dollar and turn the volume knob far right and just enjoy some great familiar Music on high volume!! This is just Splendid….. 🙂

VINYLRATING/GRADE

-7-VERY GOOD!-GAME,SET AND MATCH-

BLUE MAX-LIMITED EDITION-

As teenager´s back in the middle of the 70´s, Robert Graves and Brothers George and Andrew Douglas put together Blue Max and they landed the achievment to put out an album Before they even finished high school. Originated from Amherst Nova Scotia the only option for this task was to travel to Halifax during  a christmas holiday and record this truly obscure Hard/psych/blues rock album with great pop influences. They self released it in 1976. The pressing was limited to only 1000 copies so the titled served them right. Heavy touring during summer brakes and weekends really tought these guys to be Brothers in arms… It all ended in 1978 when they decided to go their seperate ways.

The production is a Little hollowed but overall a clear and crisp sound with great bass sound and pounding drive on the drums. This is a great what´s to come in Canadian rock Music later on. I do feel the Anvil vibe with great strong songs but a bit of hesitation in the delivery department. Not bad but this could be driven much further. A solid ground!!

Whatabout the drummer, Andrew Douglas?? Well, a standing ovation for the balls to play your first gig at the age of 12!! But, the juvenile overall impression is that there is no direct style to refer to. Solid striking abilities is mixed with anxious passages and some hesitation. All is forgiven due to the low age of Mr. Douglas, the kid nearly had hit puberty when this album was released..To bad there was no follow up. 🙂

For all you lover´s of early 70´s hard/psych/blues rock with an almost AOR direction this is a true milestone and filled with youth and freshness. Good luck of finding an original copy but there are some reissue CD´s out there for about 10 euros so that is a solid tip. You won´t get disappointed for that price!!  🙂

VINYLRATING/GRADE

6-GOOD!-WORTH BUYING-

SOLID GROUND-MADE IN ROCK-

There are albums out there that truly, in the sense of obscurity, are lost forever and then suddenly rediscovered by enthusiasts. This is one of those rare moments. This Swedish outfit released their sole album in 1976 and vanished two years later. Coming from a Scandinavian prog-background guitarist Gösta Hjelmqvist and drummer Anders Berge got tired of that Music scene and wanted more cutting edge and heavier sound. Peter Eklund and Björn Uhr completed the setting and suddenly one of Sweden´s more Heavy rock acts where in business. Signing to SCAM records they persued an early single with making of this album in January ´76.

The production is a not up to the timetypical standard and the songs are in the Hard/Psych/Heavy/Blues rock department. As this album was cut in ONE day I´ve have to say that it is impressive to achieve this much attitude in one day…very impressive work!! As all songs are strong and this raises some concern why this album never really got the recognizion it deserved. Peculiar..as Always..

Whatabout the drummer, Anders Berge?? As this fellow certainly tries to deliver in the most convincing way, the lack of technical skills shines through. The striking abilities are fine and the drive together with Dynamics are just splendid. Perhaps juvenile inexperience are the keyword here?? The drums are charming but there´s nothing to bring back to the table on this album. Matching the outfit?? Of course!! 🙂

Finding a original copy would be like a lottery ticket high score so why not just settle for a cool reissue/picturedisc for a descent dollar. This album is so rare and if you do find someone who got hold of the original, treat that friend with respect and you will find out you´ve got a lot in common…Music wise that is.. 🙂

VINYLRATING/GRADE

6- VERY GOOD!-WORTH BUYING-

RAMATAM-RAMATAM-

As this is an American Project created by Mike Pinera with Mitch Mitchell on drums and April Lawton on lead guitar this might just tickle your senses a bit. This album was released in 1971 and is a Hard/Psych/Prog/Blues rock album with the intention to steer towards a jazzy/funk feel with a lot of Jimi Hendrix seasoning blend in to it.

Perhaps one´s should have higher expectations  when producer Tom Dowd is involved but here we got living proof that the producer must step in and say no and not let the band be left to their own devices.  Instead there´s a lot of brass/horn arrangements that tilt with the whole soundframe. The problem is what to focus for. It´s hard to digest the musical input due to the what is happening all around you. It´s like they are trying to top Everything and just go full throttle, everywhere!! Messy is the impression here.

The song´s are good fundamentaly but are so f**cked up with strange loops, effects and experimental vocal inputs that they don´t reach through. To bad because there are some gold nuggets buried in here.

Whatabout the drummer, Mitch Mitchell?? There´s a lot that doesn´t shine through and sometimes it is almost as they don´t extract the potential out of Mr. Mitchel. The striking abilities are great and the hit ratio is there but sometimes he´s stuck in “Loop” playing without anyway to get out of it. This is not one of Mitch better performances and very much so, he did leave the Project soon after this album was released.

Well If you´re interrested in an American disoriented Hard/Psych/Prog/blues record, this is up there as contender for first Place. The only benefit is the great guitar playing by April Lawton, with splendid riffs and technique. Great copies are out there and as you might just figured out the price tag is low for descent albums. There are reissues also but I just might give a head´s up warning that this is not that great of an album you thought it should be. Just a very  strange one.. 🙂

VINYLRATING/GRADE

3-BAD-A DISAPPOINTMENT-

GOLIATH-HOT ROCK & THUNDER-

Having the oppression from the Music scene in Chicago breathing down you´re neck, you must just confess that this outfit from Terre Haute Indiana delivers a pretty Amazing album.On a shoestring budget and no expectations of succes. The certain drive to play and record Music for the after World is just what I like to recognize. This album have a Hard/blues/prog rock approach with an uneven mix of both killer Classic rock till you drop tunes to pubrock shuffles standards.

The production is above avarage with a great interaction between the guitar and the high pitched vocals. Singer Jim Kitchen´s high note delivery is one the albums most memorable moments together with the high drive performance put into every song. To bad that the material is torn in half between an undecided path. This is for sure a management problem but it is so obvious on this, all in all, terrific recording.

Whatabout the drummer, Steve Peters?? The overall impression is that Mr Peters is concentrating very hard to leave a spotless mark on this recording. The result is a strained, boring listening adventure that really doesn´t reveal much. The striking abiliries are fine but there are a great lack of drive and determination. Nothing to complain about but the personality are all gone here. A very pale grade for this fellow.

This recording is so unusual that this should make the searcher´s for new frontiers interested. If you´re into Hard/blues/prog rock with totally own ideas and Little input from the record labels this is a precious gem. Great copies are out there for a hefty price tag. The recommendation is that this is something you shouldn´t miss by purpose. It is to good to dismiss without a proper listen and that is what it´s all about?? 🙂

VINYLRATING/GRADE

-6-GOOD-WORTH BUYING-

FAT-FAT-

Well if your where brought up in New England Massachusetts and if your in the right age span this is a familiar name in the Prog/Hard/Blues/Psych rock scene. This tremendous popular band, in New England that is,  got a record deal from RCA and where sent to the opening slot for Allman Brother´s band. The album didn´t make it  commercially but it created a Buzz amongs the critics and off with the band to record album number two.

This is the sole release by the band from 1970 and the production is timetypical with an edge towards the more “pop” oriented soundframe. The vocals are strong together with the material. There are no top ten hits but yet no rock bottom findings either. And why didn´t this outfit release more albums?? Well Before the second album were released they where caught in a drug bust and then, dropped by the label and never recovered. Busted!! 🙂

Whatabout the drummer, William Benjamin?? This is as boring as watching paint dry…Cautious is the shining light here and there are few suprising moments during this album. The striking abilities are ok but there is so much to wish for. In the hit ratio department and the lack of drive make´s you wanna scream at the speaker´s:” WTF come on!!” Sorry but this is one of the weakest input so far…..very depressing…

Yet if you are in for Prog/Hard/Blues/Psych rock records this is definitely one to investigate. Nice songs with a some hard edge but perhaps a bit non personal, to make the tipover for the other side of popularity. Prices tend to bend in every different direction and my advice is put your Money on a reissue if you´re interested. There are better gem´s out there and this one´s never gonna reach legendary status in the eye´s of the collectors. Hold on to your wallet, you don´t wanna lose the oppertunity when the “album” comes your way.. 🙂

VINYLRATING/GRADE

4-CHEESY-AVARAGE-