Wicked Minds - Witchflower. 2006 Italy

Wicked Minds are unabashedly retro rock. Hammond, Moog, Mellotron, Rickenbacker, Gibson Les Paul, and... cowbell. You know the drill by now: 1971-1973 Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, and a host of obscure hard rock progressive bands from England, Germany, and Scandinavia. And, to Wicked Minds credit, they actually put the prog in progressive hard rock. And there are a few players in it, all worth checking out: Fellow Black Widow recording artist Areknames, Sweden's Black Bonzo, Blood of the Sun from the USA, and a pile more in recent times that come to mind. In some ways, these bands are better than their 1970s ancestors. I believe that's because they're more focused on the sound they want to achieve. The original bands may have experimented with other ideas, or pursued more commercial avenues due to pressure from major label executives. Commercial success almost always altered a band's direction in those days. Today, success for a band like Wicked Minds would be to keep playing 1970's retro progressive hard rock.

The acoustic piece 'The Court of the Satyr' followed by the blistering heavy organ/guitar of 'Sad Woman' is absolutely splendid and represents the album's highlight sequence.

Ownership: CD: 2006 Black Widow. 2xCD set plus a DVD.

7/28/15 (new entry)

Wicked Minds - From the Purple Skies. 2004 Italy

I had originally written that Wicked Minds was one of the better of the new stoner rock bands to have happened onto the scene. But as I relisten to this 10 years later (2015), it's clear that Wicked Minds were ahead of the curve when it came to retro prog/hard rock. This is a band that truly captures the essence of the early 1970s, while still moving the ball forward into the modern age. Fantastic hard progressive rock, with great period instrumentation such as Hammond organ, mellotron (samples), and fuzz bass/guitar. Long tracks with experimental bits also point to an adventurous heritage typical of the early 70s. All roads lead to the UK non-symphonic school of progressive rock (aka proto-prog). It's nigh impossible to escape talking about From the Purple Skies without at least a mention of Uriah Heep, who they are most clearly imitating. Deep Purple and Atomic Rooster are in the conversation, but distant comparatively speaking. Along with one killer Heep cover, there's also one from Pentagram's early years. If you're into newer bands such as Tarot, don't miss Wicked Minds while doing your research.

Ownership: CD: 2004 Black Widow

7/28/15 (new entry)