Leviathan were an English band from the late 60s with quite a backstory and a decidedly sad ending. Rechristened from the more mod sounding Mike Stuart Span, Leviathan were like many bands of the era, who were moving from catchy pop oriented singles into more heady album material. Oddly the band's demise appears to have come from a confusing promotion wherein Elektra decided to issue 2 singles at once, and both failed to chart. The first two tracks on this album represent the better of the singles, and demonstrates why Leviathan should have been a force on the psychedelic / upcoming progressive rock scene. Fantastic guitar leads, psychedelic infused vocals, and solid melodies are the name of the game with Leviathan. The other single contained 'The War Machine' and 'Time', and were both a bit dated for the cutting edge 1969 mindset, though still quite good. My pick for the best track is 'Through the Looking Glass', which is that rare breed of true "psych prog" as one might hear on the Pussy Plays album for example.
In any event, the album was pulled by the label president, for reasons that are still not clearly understood. It is suggested that the band still needed to improve on the album, but funding was going to have to come from within if the album wanted to see the light of day. This of course was not possible, and the band disintegrated on the spot. As noted by the title, the album indeed had gained legendary status via the record buying community going back to the 1980s. It took almost 50 years in total, but finally we can all hear this most promising group. It's bitter sweet though, as we'll never know the what-if scenario.
Personal collection
CD: 2016 Grapefruit / Cherrry Red
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