Steve Roach ~ USA ~ Tucson, Arizona

Artifacts (1994)

Steve Roach has had an incredibly prolific career, releasing 100's of albums (Discogs lists a total of 257, which is insane). Today, he's essentially doing the Release-Of-The-Month circuit. It wasn't always this rapid, though already by the end of 1994, Roach had an impressive 19 albums under his belt. I've never heard a bad album from Roach, but with such a huge catalog to choose from, I find myself having to be very discerning. An artist can continue to recreate themselves, but they have a brand as it were. That driving muse, which colors an artist's work. No one can escape that because that is what makes them who they are! 

Artifacts catches Roach mixing his two passions. One is of the desert and the native instruments that define the landscape. The other is electronics, almost the polar opposite from a technology perspective. So you get didgeridoos integrating with Korg's, Yamaha's, and Akai's. Artifacts came along in the era of the CD where many artists felt compelled to fill the entire disc. 77 minutes is a lot to absorb for this kind of thing. 

It would be easy to keep them all, but it's not practical. I intend on picking up every single one of Roach's albums that I see in the wilds (this was a thrift shop find). Whether I choose to hear it once or multiple times will be case by case. And if fate puts me and Artifacts back together, I will re-engage. Perhaps I will come to a different conclusion (or not).

1994 Fortuna (CD). Rough paper booklet with philosophical meanderings and recording details.

9/23/26 (review) 
 

Robert Rich / Steve Roach - Strata (1990)

Another thrift shop find. No surprises from two veterans of the ambient scene. Rich brings the percussive elements while Stearns is the master of sleepy electronics. Hit play and doze into dreamland. I can see where cassettes are a good format for this kind of music. Flipping the cassette is the effort needed to get through it all.

1990 Hearts of Space (MC)

9/6/24 (review)

Michael Shrieve / Steve Roach - The Leaving Time (1988)

Picked this one up for a dollar at the Austin Record Show. The sterilized sound from the beginning is a bit off-putting. However it gets more interesting as it goes, and David Torn's guitar is perfect for recordings such as this. Plenty of sequencers as well. Michael Shrieve was on a world tour joining famous synthesists in the 80s apparently. Holding onto this one.

Ownership: 1988 Novus (LP). Acquired in 2023.

8/16/23 (review)   

Empetus (1986)

Arguably this is Steve Roach's definitive Berlin School album before moving on to more ambient realms. There are plenty of inventive sequences that owe some debt to Schmoelling-era Tangerine Dream, but for the most part he retains a completely original sound. Focus is on structure rather than solos. I have way too many Berlin School albums as it is, but this one remains.

Ownership: 1986 Fortuna (CD). Acquired in 2005.

4//05; 9//05; 11/18/20 (review)

Also own: Dreamtime Return; Structures From Silence

Previously owned: Traveler; Now; Soma; Groove Immersion

11/18/20 (new entry)

Myrth ~ USA ~ Phoenix, Arizona

Myrth (1969)

---5/12/15

I'd say within the horn rock spectrum, Myrth tracks closest to Ides of March. The vocals are gruff, and the music is hard charging. The horns are tight and well charted. And, yes, there's a commercial slant to some of the material, that is wonderfully offset by more progressive leanings. This is exactly the style of music you'd find on Ides of March's Vehicle, a much under appreciated album in my eyes. It remains debatable if the horn rock era will ever find a new fan base after its initial run. But if it does, Myrth should be an early consideration.

I haven't been able to discern where Myrth originated. The album was recorded in Hollywood, and it would seem given the logistics of a large ensemble, that southern California would be the logical source. But I've also found references to Utah and Arizona, that are possible but not conclusive. 

---5/4/26

That was the CDRWL entry and now the album makes its debut into the UMR. At one point, I kept albums that needed a reissue separate on that blog, even if I owned the item. I'll be moving quite a bit of albums over here, as I'm now getting to that part of my collection.

My original review still stands. I would also submit that the reason many of these horn rock albums didn't make it, and Myrth is no exception, is the lack of a memorable song. While the ten tunes on display are well written, the obvious chart tries fail to deliver. Not everything is geared for the radio, and there you will find the better compositions. As you will see in the video below, the producer also suggests that RCA had no idea how to market the record.

As for the origins of the band, we now have the complete story from their producer John Florez. This is well worth watching, and it also explains the annoying bird lol. Myrth story.

1969 RCA (LP). Gatefold. Acquired in 2015.

The album remains without any kind of reissue as of 9/27/26.

2008; 5/12/15 (review); 5/4/26 (update / new entry)

Flotsam and Jetsam ~ USA ~ Phoenix, Arizona

No Place For Disgrace (1988)

I figured it wouldn't be too long before I became reacquainted with No Place For Disgrace, and that day has finally arrived. I talk about this album in the Doomsday For the Deceiver review as being the only real time exposure I had to Phoenix's finest Flotsam and Jetsam.

This was the era that was transitioning from straight up thrash to more progressive realms, in particular the technical metal movement, sometimes known as progressive thrash. I remember being pleased with the album upon first listen, but as time went by, I began to hear it as more ordinary thrash. Today the phrase "ordinary thrash", especially from the late 80s, is a much welcomed guest. I was rather certain I would enjoy this album far more than my contemporary rating suggested. And that prophesy has held true.

The opener packs a wallop, and I think even when I was at my lowest point with the album, I would concede it was the highlight here. No Place For Disgrace catches the band at the professional Metallica level, perhaps two years too late to truly cash in, but certainly a great addition to the second wave of bands coming through like Testament and Death Angel. It's definitely heavier than their debut, and arguably more technical. The songwriting isn't quite at the Metal Church level, but it's certainly thought through. Listen to 'Escape From Within' as but one example. This isn't bonehead metal in the slightest. I think a few more curveballs per track would have placed them at the vanguard with the more proggy thrash bands of 1988. Regardless, still an excellent representative of 80s thrash.

Ownership: 1988 Elektra (LP). First acquired in 1988. Reacquired in 2026.

1988; 2/5/26 (review)
 

High (1997) 

As noted below: "These are the type of albums I hope to find in a thrift bin CD pile." And here we go! I only knew the first two F & J albums, and I documented Doomsday for the Deceiver below. High is their 6th album released at a time when thrash was completely out of vogue. As such there are some trendy groove metal insertions. Eric AK isn't screaming anymore, sounding more like Hetfield during this era. Plenty of wah wah pedal bluesy solos and stoner rock moves. Back cover shows song titles using famous band logo fonts (Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Metallica, Van Halen, etc...), but it doesn't appear the music matches the style of these bands. In any case High is fairly ordinary heavy metal, an all too common problem for the late 90s. It's good, but nothing more.

Source: 1997 Metal Blade (CD)

8/29/23 (review)

Doomsday For The Deceiver (1986)

My only exposure to Flotsam and Jetsam real time was No Place For Disgrace (1988), an album I picked up and enjoyed but it never bowled me over. I kept it for a long time before ultimately letting it go. I wouldn't have done that today, but it's not a big deal. Only in the last few years did I finally obtain a CD of their debut. Of course I knew who the band were back in the day. If you were a thrash metal fan, who didn't? As any dedicated fan knows, this is the album that bassist Jason Newsted debuted on. Within that same year he would famously replace Cliff Burton in Metallica after he died in a tragic accident. But when this debut album was released, it was a rather obscure and typical Metal Blade thrash release, of which one a week were coming out back then. Doomsday For The Deceiver is meat and potatoes thrash. It's not particularly heavy for 1986, certainly nowhere near Master of Puppets. The dual guitar lines are crisp and melodic, and Eric A.K. breaks glass with the best of them. Newsted does show his massive bass chops here, and at times it seems he's the lead instrument. The guitar solos are a slight cut above, as Flotsam and Jetsam always had an ear for melody. As the years roll by, I do get a nostalgia pull out of this era of thrash, so I enjoyed a +1 listen.

This along with No Place are still the only two albums I've heard by the group, and they are still around to this day. These are the type of albums I hope to find in a thrift bin CD pile. Or vinyl in some cases, but of course they are now price prohibitive if paying retail.

Ownership: 1986 Metal Blade (LP). Lyric inner bag. Acquired in 2022.

First copy and since sold: 1994 Metal Blade (CD). Acquired in 2016.

9/1/16 (first listen); 12/23/22 (review)

Flotsam and Jetsam continues to this day with 15 original studio albums under their belt. As noted above, I'd be up for hearing any that have yet to cross my stereo.

12/23/22 (new entry)

Ashbury ~ USA ~ Tucson, Arizona

Endless Skies (1983)

Ashbury South were a hard rock band from Oklahoma that relocated to Tucson, Arizona before hitting the studio to release their sole album until modern times. Though released in 1983, the band's appearance, their overall sound, and album cover all look like it's still 1977. Musically Ashbury were all over the map, not atypical of the 70s aesthetic. A3 to A5 demonstrates this. 'Twilight' is a short instrumental acoustic guitar number. This is followed by 'Vengeance' that sounds every bit like Black Sabbath circa Sabotage. 'Madman' is similar to a more rocking America and then breaks into a sharp Outlaws styled guitar jam. 'Hard Fight' starts off the B side with what could pass for one of Kansas' more introspective compositions complete with an excellent guitar solo closer. 'No Mourning' is a very Southern rock instrumental with heavy emphasis on the guitar. It's this latter element that ultimately makes Endless Skies such an endearing album. The title track brings both the dog and the butterfly, with a nice mid-song heavy riff, plus a strong closing. I hear Ashbury as something quintessentially American and of its era. The can-do spirit of the 70s, with musicians putting everything they had into one private recording and hoping for the best. Ultimately Endless Skies was too late for the early 80s hard rock buying audience, one that had moved either to slick MTV styled rock, or embraced more aggressive metal positions. The varied approach Ashbury chose wasn't enough to catch the ears of those that mattered.

Ownership: 2019 High Roller (LP) Green vinyl. Has a lyric insert with a brief band history, plus a giant poster of the cool cover art. Also has an insert with the rather impressive amount of albums the German label High Roller had released up until that time. Acquired in 2025.

6/24/11; 9/11/25 (review)

Ashbury reformed in the 2010's but I haven't heard anything else by the band.

9/11/25 (new entry)

Kennelmus ~ USA ~ Phoenix, Arizona

Folkstone Prism (1971)

Folkstone Prism is one of the more unusual albums coming from the American underground, and that's quite a statement considering the competition. Side 1 is something special: An instrumental mix of Can and The Beat of the Earth baked into the 120 degree Arizona desert, then cooled into a Morricone soundtrack for a Clint Eastwood 60s western. Highly melodic, yet very psychedelic. The instrumentation is all underground sounding, including organ. Essential listening.

The B side is more problematic, though no doubt it's just as unique. It's a mix of vocal folk psych numbers containing some cartoonish vocals with instrumental interludes that King Crimson might come up with. The final track is its own thing, more of a hard psych composition and some narration of Edgar Allan Poe.

A tough album to evaluate given its inconsistent nature, yet anything this different deserves a place in a well researched collection.

Ownership: 1999 Sundazed (CD). Booklet contains historical essay, photos, and recording details.

1999 (first listen); 6/24/15; 11/20/24 (review / new entry)

Twentieth Century Zoo - Thunder on a Clear Day. 1968 USA-Arizona

From Phoenix, Twentieth Century Zoo were the first psych band to light the local desert on fire. They managed to put out 3 singles and this one album in a short 3 year time frame. What stands out most is the ferocious guitar tone, complemented by the melodic organ, and snotty vocals. It's the Strawberry Alarm Clock on a bad trip. Best of all is the songwriting is top notch. In particular their marquee single 'You Don't Remember' is one for the ages. This is one of those songs you wish a band like Many Bright Things would have covered and extended to 20 minutes. Very unique, filled with "angry harmony", which might seem like a contradiction on paper. Final lengthy track 'Blues with a Feeling' is a bit typical of the era, but otherwise Thunder on a Clear Day is a rumblin' and a tumblin'. All aces here.

Ownership: CD: 1999 Sundazed. This is one of those albums that by the time I decided I wanted it, it had become OOP and already in the hands of pirates. Finally in 2013 I was able to secure a copy at a reasonable price. It's still a difficult CD to source. The CD front loads two of the 45s (4 songs), making it a chronological release. The highlight being 'You Don't Remember', which is much more kinetic than the LP version - though both are great. The Monkees could have made this song good. Following the album is one more single (2 songs) and 3 unreleased tracks, making this the definitive reissue. Also comes with full liner notes, photos, and memorabilia images. Originals are expensive. This is not an album I would mail order for, but I do hope to find one in the wilds. I just did that with Neighb'rhood Childr'n so there's always hope.

9/3/19; 11/29/22 (new entry)

Skinner Box ~ USA ~ Tucson, Arizona

The Playhouse (1990)

Now this title brought back a flood of memories. Not that I ever heard of Skinner Box before. But the style - and the label / backdrop - that's where the memories came in. There was a time roughly between 1992 and 1995 that I had a fondness for the "4AD sound". Now we have terms like Darkwave, Ethereal Wave, Ambient Pop, Dream Pop, and so on. I doubt I could tell you the difference from one to the other. In any case, my favorite band of the style back then - probably like everyone else - was Dead Can Dance. It's a sound I associate my early Colorado living experience with. I even went to a Lisa Gerrard concert in Boulder in 1995. And then... I just stopped. No particular reason really, just went back to my comfort zone of progressive rock. This music and scene was like a different side of me that I had buttoned up and stuck in the attic. Until now.

As for the label, Bobok were part of a larger collective known as Toxic Shock. This was the pre-internet age, and grassroots music labels were sprouting everywhere. To get the message out about what they were issuing, albums often times had newspapers (or flyers) included with detailed descriptions of other releases. I remember when Cuneiform did this, and they were very much similar during these years. These detailed description would often times take a quote from the leading underground DIY magazine of the day: Option. If you were looking for something new to hear - whether it be on cassette or LP (CDs were still considered too expensive for startups), Option was the go-to source. They had no particular genres they specialized in - but just about every underground band from the US found their way to Option. It was how I discovered Black Sun Ensemble for example. 

Black Sun Ensemble ties us back to the origin of Toxic Shock - that is, Tucson, Arizona. This fine southern Arizona town, not too far from the Mexican border, is also the home of the University of Arizona. Universities - in particular back then - were the hot spots for new sounds and styles. While of course there was a lot of repetitiveness, genuine exploratory music was being created. And since social media didn't exist, much of it happened in local silos. This is how something could be the "Seattle Sound" with grunge or the "Tampa Bay Sound" with death metal. It was an exciting time, one that is not likely to be repeated again. As an aside, Toxic Shock also had a brick and mortar store - that I visited in 1994, in the middle of this period.

As for Skinner Box, they perform the style of music in question quite well. The angelic female voices, the percussion and bells, the synthesized sound, flute, and even some psychedelic guitar - all of it transported me back to that time of my life. I wouldn't mind finding other albums like this again. Good times.

Ownership: 1990 Bobok (LP). Has a label newspaper and lyric inner sleeve. 

11/25/20 (review)

11/25/20 (new entry)