Nicely executed Crimson-ian Avant Prog with some Psych underlines.Mr. Euphoria was a guitar/bass/drums trio from San Diego (with occasional use of synthesizer), performing a guitar-driven Techno Rock, as proposed by the masters of the kind KING CRIMSON, based on complex guitar rhythm changes and incredible solos and some really upfront bass lines.The first few tracks are more stripped-down with occasional period psych pinches, but the latter pieces are very dynamic with eerie plays, more bombastic drumming and trully complex moves.Guitarist Tim Sanz has his own bandcamp page, while the band (at least briefly) reformed in 2015.
Midnight was an obscure band from Chicago, IL. Their only one album, released back in 1977, offers an US hard rock of the second half of the seventies, with a quite underground and garagey sound, wasted lead vocals and some hypnotic keyboards. roquecolorep 25 2023
Albuquerque, New Mexico based Message were an excellent example of the progressive hard rock style that had a small niche audience in the late 1970s and early 80s. It's mainly hard rock at the core, but is slightly complex and has a few more ideas than the usual run of the mill bonehead albums of the era. The tracks are mostly compact (with only two going past 6 minutes), so no elaborate themes nor delusions of grandeur here. Think Side 2 of Rush's 2112 as an example. The Texas band False Prophet is another good reference (an archival CD that Shroom put out a few years ago). One can only hope that a full canister of recorded music awaits discovery. A superb album that is still quite unknown.ashratomJan 25 2011
Numero not only know how to do it right in their own way, they also have enough of a pulse on the market to know who to copy when necessary. This release, a departure from the label's usual strong points of obscure funky or soulful grooves, is a private basement proto-stoner jammer with plenty of amateur vibes and Sabbathesque riffage and Brit-70's hard rock style jamming. Taking their cues from Southern Lord, Rise Above, Lion, Rockadrome, etc... who repeatedly specialize in releasing such sounds and usually sell out their various colored vinyl and special package releases, we get Numero's attempt to out do them all with a fat velveteen gatefold and gold embossed lettering. Inside we are further treated to a nice tangerine orange pressing. The music's pretty good for the stuck in the vault for 30+ years variety. I like. Another winner from Numero.NewarkpsychApr 24 2013
Foot Stomping Bluesy Southern Rocker Private Southern hard and melodic rock from Florida similar to Lynyrd Skynyrd with boogie moves and beefy guitar leads.
They even bring out a little synthesizer action on the killer "Tell You". This puppy rocks.recorddiggerNov 10 2022
Bruce Kulick is one of those guitar players you've heard of, but can't quite remember why. He's most known for his long stint in post-makeup Kiss during the 80s and early 90s. Today you're likely to see him in a reality show, helping Kiss out somewhere, or doing the nostalgic circuit with none other than Grand Funk Railroad. Yea, he's that guy.
But before all of that, when still in his early 20's, he formed an unnamed band in 1974 (KKB was a later appellation) in his resident Queens area, with a couple of neighborhood acquaintances. They had set out to be a cross between "Cream and Yes". Well they failed on both fronts, and the latter will never enter your mind. With that out of the way, what you do get is a tightly woven hard rock album, with decent songwriting. The rhythm section is fantastic here, and Kulick lights it up with some fuzz and wah-wah. And the production is excellent for something like this. If there's a downside, it's there's not that much material here. 'Someday' is kind of throwaway, and 'You Won't Be There' is represented twice, the latter with more jamming. So you're really looking at about 26 minutes of quality music, which is a solid EP length. On the whole, an excellent archival release.
Joshua was an obscure band from Sacramento, CA. This archival includes material recorded in 1969-1970. Garagey and bluesy psychedelic rock with wasted vocals, some guitar fuzz and psychy/west coast atmospheres.
Imagine a mix of Quicksilver Messenger Service, Tripsichord and Cristopher.
How in god's 'effin name did this bad boy languish in the vaults unreleased all these years? This is stupendous hard rock for the 70's hard rock loving crowd. And I mean stupendous.
Impeccable's Live on the Rox is an amazing artifact from another time and place. We’re talking Lubbock 1979... Roughnecks and Longnecks, spur cuts... sawdust floors. Tall Texans with black hats - walking in lockstep. Beautiful cover girl models who work on Daddy's ranch in towns with names like Happy and Muleshoe. Uh Johnny! I wouldn’t lose sight of that Lone Star can and drink it! Probably contains Billy Joe’s Happy Days chew and spittle. This is a cowboy crowd too wasted and pissed off to know that destiny has them strapped to a mechanical bull while supposedly enjoying them some George Strait. No sir Mr. Urban Cowboy, not here, not now. No John Travolta here sonny - he's a weeny disco boy anyway. Rather have some of that bad ass hard rock and roll, which incidentally Marshall Stacks nicely with their Midwest brethren in places like Michigan and Ohio. Album cover even says "Disco Sux', Johnny Travolta punk. Disagree with me? Wanna take your beef to the parking lot? Hell, let’s just fight anyway.
Guitarist Darren Welch absolutely shreds (riffs and solos) on this monster of underground rock. Vocalist Don Allison selected Geddy Lee as a influence circa Fly By Night to obtain just the right high pitch, to soar over the hoots and hollers of this rodeo crowd. There’s even an intelligent break or two to add to the Rush metaphor. One track is even called Lizzy, so now you know.
Bored tonight? Join Willie, Danny, Bubba, Gary, and me while we head to The Rox and check out those tight jeans on those sexy West Texas mamas. We’ll even buy another round for our boys in Impeccable. See the hazy smoke. Smell the broken beer bottles. For tomorrow is another day at the cotton mill. ashratomMar 18 2017
Great debut album by this Japan Hippie folk rock band. Many reviews use to label them as a nippon CSN&Y version, and even the fact is clear, i would say i find this quite unfair.. These guys really had his own personality, all the compositions are superb, the work with Japanese-language armony vocals is really remarkable, and sure some pioner to other folk rock bands around the island. Every track is a winner, i especially like the mix of the soft vocals armonies with extended fuzz guitar parts that is present here and there around the whole thing. VINIEGRAApr 03 2019
Glass Harp is a great Psychedelic band from Youngstown, Ohio. Their sound is very unique and so very flowing. The three band members are actually very skilled and creative musicians. Their first album, _Glass Harp_, was an amazing first effort from the group. Very mature. Some of the compositions that really stand out are "Can You See Me?," "Children's Fantasy," and "Changes (In The Heart Of My Own True Love)." Funny thing is, those are the first three tracks on the album. Basically, _Glass Harp_ is great from start to finish. I never really gets boring like many albums, especially in the Psych genre. Most definitely worth a purchase.
The soundtrack of the hippie dream giving way to nihilism and disillusionment. We're stoned, but we're not free. Don't give up though, the cynical and the pessimistic never accomplish anything great! For the time being however, I'll gladly drop out and let this downer rock storm drench me to the bone. The lyrics are thoughtful and well-written, the guitar solos are perfect to get lost in (all 17 minutes of Child Of Nations go by in a flash), the hazy production is fucking perfect, and the band just nails thedrugged out dirge sound that the UK was so excellent with in the early 70's. And check out Glory Boy's main riff, which is one of the horniest things I've ever heard produced from an electric guitar. This is a depressing album for a depressing reality, and gloomy drug rock has rarely sounded better to my ears. Drop some acid, take Charge, and let the negative vibes creep all over you!
There are archival releases, and then there are archival releases. My god, this one tops their entire released catalog, and mind you there are some good LP's in that bunch. Nothing however to fully rival this hard and heavy, and melodic, masterclass of pure early 70's US HEAVY PSYCH with a bit of a rural edge. The closest thing these guys did to this was the Greer LP which is also stupendous, but this is right up there, if not better. Numero is a great label when it comes to rescuing forgotten or unreleased gemstones, and this is no exception. No brainer for the psych crowd. NewarkpsychOct 07 2021
A pleasant not boring album of this obscure band. If you like early Crosby, Stills & Nash , or Crazy Horse guitar (without Neil's voice) on 'Everybody Knows this is Nowhere' , the funkier parts are more similar to early Little Feat and the softer parts are rather in the range of Matthews Southern Comfort.... but all recorded years earlier . So in retrospective an underrated , renovating country -rock act... In the 80's and 90's there was a band called ' Dumptruck ' that sounded very Country Funk. Also bands like 'Armageddon' or 'Earth Island' could be mentioned on the more psychedelic tracks. Recommend stuff. beestieNov 09 2011
Excellent second album by Yu Grupa from Serbia. Crude and essential hard rock, with very tasty lead guitars. A mix of Ginhouse and May Blitz, but with an ex-Yugo identity, included the lead vocals in serbian. Use of synthesizer. Maybe a little bit "heavier" than the debut LP.
Heavily Grateful Dead and Allman Brothers influenced hard rock, with their trademark dual guitar sound and some subdued and tasty organs. Originally released 1976 in the US as a private press. Fantastic and superrare privately released hard guitar psych from Boston.
Voltz was a british rock band often cataloged as NWOBHM band. Their music is actually a cross between hard rock and early heavy metal. Arcane sound and a bit prog-ish and psychy. The singer has characteristic harsch voice. Sharp and painful lead guitars riffs. There are some slower passages. A quite strange album, difficult to compare with others, but it may perhaps come close to Judas Priest's "Sad Wings of Destiny" or Legend (the british band).
Rara avis, even for the Argentine rock scene, Vox Dei were formed as far back as 1967 in Quilmes, a remote suburban area of the Greater Buenos Aires. Their career was marked by anomaly almost from the start: after a weak, poorly produced, 60s-sounding debut LP released in 1970 ("Caliente"), they came up with an ambitious rock opera, "La Biblia", which sold over one million copies, not bad for the second album of an Argie rock band.
In 1972 they re-recorded that first LP with a more straightforward, rocking sound, and marketed the record with a pirate flag on the cover: "Cuero caliente". Despite the raw production quality and being a partial re-recording, this album is graced with great songs, and signals a definitive stylistic departure for the band, compared with the primitive sound of "La Biblia" and the prominently acoustic "Jeremías, pies de plomo".
"El regreso del Dr. Jekill" channels Black Sabbath's nefand heavy rock sound with a horrific end, haunted by the phantasma. "Reflejos tuyos y míos" -sung by drummer Rubén Basoalto- is a gritty crossover between Led Zeppelin and Grand Funk Railroad, while "Azúcar amarga" comes like a more standard blues rock tune. "El momento en que estás (presente)" closes side one, a gorgeous ballad which turned out to be one of the most popular songs of the band.
"A nadie le interesa si quedás atrás (total qué...)" and "Tan solo estás recordándome (cuero)" bring that Sabbath feel back, thanks to Willie Quiroga's groovier-than-life bass and Ricardo Soulé's potent riffdom, perfectly backed by R. Basoalto's somewhat jazzy drums.
The Beatles-esque ballad "Canción para una mujer que no está", and W. Quiroga's bluesy heavy rock "Compulsión" complete "Cuero caliente": such a brilliant hard rock LP and an archetypal testimony of Argentine rock from the 70s: its flaws, its idiosyncrasies, its zeitgeist.
"Good southern rock from Jacksonville, Florida, in the vein of Lynyrd Skynyrd and Mammoth. The lead guitar's sound is very nice, deep and impressive. Occasional use of harmonica. roquecolorNov 24 2020
"This is actually a compilation of rare recordings by 3 different Venezuelian bands featuring guitarist Joseito Romero: Tsee Mud (What's the Matter with You Jane/Amandote Esta Dios/Mundo/This Natural Place), Bacro (If You Want to Be Alive/Odelin/Down with the War/I Am a Happy Man) & LSD (When I Was a Boy/One Day to the Week)."
"Released at the tail end of the progressive rock movement, but prior to both the neo-prog and New Wave of British Heavy Metal eras. A no-man's-land style album, with primarily straight ahead rock songs with a slightly raw and hard edge. One 12 minute+ track (title song) with more involved songwriting and instrumentation (including keyboards) points to a band with a more ambitious past trying for recent commercial success, but all too late on both fronts." ashratomOct 01 2010
Previously unreleased heavy acid-rock / proto-prog album from 1972!
Asgard (initially known as Osgoode, named after the street where Blue Cheer had their headquarter) was a San Francisco band featuring ace guitar player Bob Hardy (a veteran of many Bay Area bands since the early 60s) and Jake ‘Gelon’ Lau (Gideon & Power, Mary McCreary, Tribe…) on electric violin and vocals. This is their lost album, registered at Roy Chen Recorders in 1972, now released for the first time.
“For Asgard” features nine original tracks, perfectly recorded and played, dominated by Bob Hardy’s outstanding fuzzy lead guitar and the cool touch of Gelon’s Lau electrified violin that recalls UK prog-psych bands like the similar named Asgærd or High Tide at times.
Hard to believe that such a pro-recorded, top quality album like this was never released at the time. After playing a celebrated free concert at the Provo Park in Berkeley alongside bands like Mother Cat and Summerhill, the band slowly disintegrated.
Download card includes one studio track from the same album sessions plus three raw rehearsal tracks.
