Alfonso Lovo ~ Nicaragua

La Gigantona (1976)

Hailing from Nicaragua, Alfonso Lovo has quite a story to tell. In 1971, on the way back home from college in the US, his flight was hijacked. Being a member of the privileged class, specifically the son of the Minister of Agriculture, he became the terrorist's primary target. So when a defiant Costa Rican president comes to their diverted landing place - brandishing an automatic weapon no less - the situation escalated and they shot Lovo.

Fortunately he survived the incident, but not without permanent damage. He attempted to make it work in Nicaragua, but the situation continued to deteriorate, and he had to smuggle himself and his family across to Honduras, and eventually they finally settled in Miami. With a tape reel of La Gigantona in hand. Recorded in 1976, but with no place to press and release, it appeared the album would be lost forever. Until the enterprising Numero Group label shows up in 2012 and releases it on both LP and CD, some 35 years after the fact.

The backdrop is more exciting than the music proper, but nonetheless the album achieved immediate cult status upon release. It's easy to see why, given the eclectic nature of the recording. There's a wide array of sounds to be found on La Gigantona, including Andean folk music, indigenous percussion, salsa, experimental, jazz - and psychedelic hard rock. It's this latter element that drew me to the album in the first place, but it's somewhat limited. But tracks like 'La Bomba de Neutron' with its crazy echoed voice, and the piercing fuzz of 'Firebird Feathers', do make the album a worthy endeavor for underground prog / psych heads. Overall, it sounds more like a recording from the hijacking year of 1971, given its raw emotion and sound, verse the expected fusion of 1976. And that's a good thing.

Ownership: 2012 Numero Group (CD). Housed in a slipcase. Copious historical liner notes. Acquired in 2018.

5/26/18 (review / new entry)

Tako - U Vreci za Spavanje. 1980 Serbia

Tako's second album, christened with the of-the-moment name In the Sleeping Bag, is an almost perfect example of one of my personal favorite styles of progressive rock. That of what we used to call symphonic fusion. Quite simply instrumental progressive rock, but heavy on melody and tricky compositions - and no showboating whatsoever. It's a sound the Dutch perfected in the mid 70s, and was later adapted heavily in the late 70s and early 80s in France, Japan, and points unknown - like Serbia for example. Each individual track can be appreciated entirely on its own, without having to worry about its sequence within the album. The guitarist plays in a decidedly rough manner, a type of psychedelic hard rock sound. The keyboards are vintage 1980, which is a sound one expects to hear for the style. The fact that Tako keeps the album interesting throughout each minute is a testament to how strong they were as a functioning unit. The bonus tracks are just as enchanting as the album itself.

Personal collection
CD: 1998 Record Runner (Brazil)
LP: 1992 Kalemegdan (Germany)

I first heard this album via the Kalemegdan LP reissue. The German label is famous for unearthing and reissuing the best from the former Yugoslavia - and they were responsible for the two bonus tracks found here. Oddly the album was only reissued on CD in Brazil, by the excellent Record Runner label. They licensed the recording directly from Kalemegdan. Definitely recommend either reissue, for the bonus cuts, and the superior sound to the original Eastern European LP.

Chaos Code - A Tapestry of Afterthoughts. 1999 USA-Maryland

Baltimore based Chaos Code's debut is a most intriguing work. It's somewhat inconsistent, and the album does sound like various recordings - even though it appears the personnel remained the same throughout. Very much in line with other late 90s and early 00's prog rock, the album walks the tightrope between retro 70s and more contemporary modern prog. Opener 'The Cave' is a perfect example, coming across as "very American" with radio snippets and social commentary (a bit like The Muffins in that way). The music always seems on the brink of something fantastic, only to see eight and a half minutes slip away without notice. 'Heights of Time' is Chaos Code clearly trying for an Echolyn type sound - once again pointing to their own era. So at the point where it seems the album is inessential, out comes 'Antiodote to Entropy', which channels early Genesis at its finest. 'A Silent Scream' does similar, whereas closer 'The Devil's Trombone' demonstrates that Chaos Code could have been a larger name in the retro prog sweepstakes, doing a fine rendition of the type of sound the Scandinavians are more famous for (Anglagard, Wobbler, et al..). 'Gravy Fries' is a fun instrumental diversion but not going to move the needle. So for me, the track that was going to determine whether or not this would be a 3.5 or 4 star album is 'Days of Reflection'. And I fear to say there's just not enough meat on the bone. There's a five minute track hiding in a ten minute blanket here, and that's too much downtime. Still, it's an album that has held up well in retrospect. 

Ownership: CD: 1999 private. Jewel case. Six panel booklet has lyrics, recording details, and a band photo.

2000 (first listen); 10/6/12; 5/23/18 (review / new entry)

Astrolabio ~ Italy

L'isolamento dei Numeri Pari (2014)

I could say that L'isolamento dei Numeri Pari is Italian prog-by-the-numbers, but that would be rather cheeky of me. See, Astrolabio are not ones to take things too seriously. The album's title means "Isolation of the Even Numbers", and witness the cover as the even numbers are roaming about in a body of water. Meanwhile the tracks are all indexed by the odd numbers (1,3,5....to 21). Musically, the metaphor holds as well - but in a good way. No question Astrolabio have studied their 1970s Italian prog, and though the instrumentation teeters both the 70s and 90s, the overall execution is splendid. If one were to be critical, it's that the album doesn't feature any dramatic highs, nor too many surprises, so in that way they aren't like the very best the genre has too offer. Our good friend Apps79 offers up Jumbo and Biglietto per L'Inferno as a couple of benchmarks, but they aren't near as passionate and experimental as the former, nor as jarring as the latter. And yet, of course, it's a good comparison all the same. I hear more Osanna in the "hard core Italian" aspects of the album, whereas Pink Floyd (cheers Snow!) gives us our Anglo sound (perhaps Mary Newsletter from the home country gets a shout out). Very good album overall. No surprises or head lifting moments, and yet it accomplishes what it set out to do. Hard to complain about that. For fans of classic Italian prog.

Ownership: 2014 Andromeda Relix (CD). Acquired in 2015.

2/4/15; 5/18/18 (review)

5/19/18 (new entry)

Bag - Tripdream / Nothing Will Remain. 1971 Netherlands

On these two tracks, Bag demonstrates that they could go toe to toe with the almighty Group 1850, and they sound somewhat similar. One can only wish more music will emerge at some point from this fine band. A brilliant 45.

My copy comes from comp of Dutch singles called Fantasio Daze. While it's the only release on the label, it does look legit.

5/19/18 (new entry)

Sound Expedition - Ultimate Power / Think it Over. 1969 USA-Nebraska

Add Lincoln, Nebraska's Sound Expedition to your list of killer one-time psych songs. That would be 'Ultimate Power' of course, and a rather lengthy single track at that. The other side is somewhat typical psych pop. Worth checking out.

I have this single on Aliens Psychos & Wild Things Volume Fore.

5/19/18 (new entry)

The Purple Sun - Doomsday / Give Your Life. 1968 USA-Texas

'Doomsday' would have been a perfect fit for the St. Albert's Dream compilation, especially considering the band were from south Texas (presumably that is, given it was pressed in Houston). Excellent heavy guitar psych. I haven't heard the flip side to date.

I have this on the Warfaring Strangers: Acid Nightmares compilation.

5/19/18 (new entry)

The Cave Dwellers - Meditation / Night Runner (single). 1968 USA-California

The Cave Dwellers were a psych/lounge band from Pleasanton, California in the late 1960s. Coincidentally where yours truly had a physical office from 1999 to 2002. Though I'm sure the late 60's Pleasanton was nothing more than an "over the mountain" farming outpost of Oakland verse the mega-million dollar software capital it was to become in my era. In any case, 'Meditation' is the reason you will seek out this single. An absolute monster of a track, which contains a freaky psychedelic mid section that sounds as if Iron Butterfly suddenly thrust themselves into the 1970 German landscape. 'Night Runner' shows another side of the band, pulling off a Doors like sound, via your local Holiday Inn's lounge. It's ladies night, and the women are all plus 40. I wish you luck my friend. They can't all be good.

Available on a couple of compilations.

5/19/18 (new entry)

The Black Sun Ensemble - s/t. 1985 USA

1985 is not the year one starts with in seek of psychedelia. In fact, the music of that era could be considered the polar opposite of such. It is in this environment that Jesus Acedo launches the Black Sun Ensemble in isolated Tucson Arizona, predicting the rise of the neo psych movement by a few years - one that continues to this day in one form or another. For those that have seen Ken Russell's Altered States movie, then The Black Sun Ensemble is the perfect soundtrack that never was. A mescaline trip to the caves of the Mexican desert by way of Libya and Morocco. As good as it gets for the limited palette the band offers, and a beacon of light in an otherwise sterile era of progressive/psychedelic music.

Personal collection
CD: 2001 Camera Obscura (Australia)

Important to note that the CD is not a straight reissue of the LP, nor is it to be related to the 1988 LP on Reckless that shares similar themes and music. What I wrote for Discogs: "Liner notes state: "The music of this album is not exactly what was presented on the original LP. Its mix feels far clearer and two of the LP's tracks ("Cobracalia" and "Red Ocean") have been lost and are replaced here by previously unreleased contemporaries ("Emerald Eye 2" and ""Bleeding Heart")"" I'll need to investigate the original LP at some point.

Medina Azahara ~ Spain

La Esquina del Viento (1981)

I had written recently that Medina Azahara's debut is one of the pillars of the Andalusian progressive rock scene of the mid to late 70s. Now the 80s have arrived, and Medina Azahara did what most bands did back then: Streamline their sound, and added period synthesizers. Have no fear though, Medina Azahara are still focused on the plot here, and there's no mistaking this for anything but what it is - Rock Andaluz. I suppose if looking for a metaphor, think of Medina Azahara as southern Spain's very own Saga. That is to say a band that was able to seamlessly meld the 70s and 80s together, without leaks and cracks. Not sure how I managed to compare Saga to Medina Azahara, but hey. Anyway, unfortunately from here, the band took the metaphor too far, and ended up strictly as a pop group for a few years. But their first two albums are essential for the genre.

Ownership: 1995 CBS / Sony (CD). With Andalucia. Acquired in 1996.

First copy: 1981 CBS (LP). Acquired in 1994.

1994; 1996; 2008; 4/7/13; 5/5/18 (review)

Medina Azahara (1979)

One of the three pillars of the Rock Andaluz scene of the mid to late 1970's, Medina Azahara's debut is filled with the energy of southern Spain. Great fuzzy tones and an urgency similar to Mezquita, and the passionate Arabian vocals recall Triana at their very best. 'Hacia' Ti' is the 5 star highlight, but 'En la Manana' and the closing two tracks are in the running. A brilliant album throughout.

The cover is just as gorgeous as the music itself, and is a permanent fixture on my "wall of albums".

Ownership: 

1979 CBS (LP). Gatefold. Acquired in 1994.

1994 CBS / Sony (CD). Acquired in 1996.

1994; 1996; 12/10/17 (review)

12/10/17 (new entry)

Quintessence - In Blissful Company. 1969 England

Quintessence isn't a band you hear much about when talking psychedelic and progressive rock, and that has to rank among one of the great mysteries of music collecting. I had passed over their albums in the bins for years and years. I never remember anyone talking about, referencing, nor recommending the band. Not via catalogs, nor any like-minded friends. So I just presumed it was a sort of hippy dippy folk rock with maybe a Indian singalong or two.

It wasn't until late 2014 that a friend virtually elbows me and asks: "Have you heard Quintessence before?". And so off I went to some discount seller and retrieved In Blissful Company on CD per his recommendation. How on Earth could this be so obscure - and yet so common? I have no idea. So here we are in 2018 on my second revisit, and I've probably played the album 5 times in a row. It's really an excellent example of the psychedelic / progressive rock crossover blend.

For 1969, Quintessence definitely possessed a pioneering sound. The key sound components are electric guitar (often times fuzzed out) along with flute. And sonorous vocals. It took me awhile to figure out who they reminded me of most - but then it hit me last night. Quintessence laid the groundwork for a similar type sound that Marsupilami pursued a short couple of years later (the vocals were the giveaway). And given this latter band is one of my all-time favorites, then it stands to reason as to why I enjoy In Blissful Company as well. Listen to tracks like 'Manco Capac', 'Body', and 'Pearl and Bird" and compare. Other than 'Chant', which is the obligatory Hare Krishna moment, the rest of the album is divine so to speak. And yes, of course, it has a strong Indian element to their sound, which I see only as a plus.

Ownership: LP: 1969 Island; CD: 2004 Repertoire. The CD is a fine digi-pak with excellent liner notes from Chris Welch and includes 2 bonus tracks which made up the single release. A couple of years ago I also picked up the LP. It comes in a fine gatefold, with a 12 page die-cut book. My copy is the palm tree label (shown here) which dates it to 1970 most likely, but technically copyrighted 1969.

Peter Baumann - Romance 76. 1976 Germany

Even though Baumann joined Tangerine Dream in 1973, he was still only 23 when he embarked on his first solo album. It was Edgar Froese who encouraged him to pursue other creative paths, and Baumann basically setup right where T Dream did. A few years ago I had noted in my review of Edgar Froese's Macula Transfer, that he had diverted a bit from the standard Tangerine Dream sound. That is to say, Macula Transfer was not his interpretation of Stratosfear. Instead, we get Baumann's interpretation of Stratosfear. Side 1 is unmistakably the sounds, themes, and sequences that define one of Tangerine Dream's landmark albums. Which is telling, in that it demonstrates how much influence Baumann had by then on TD's overall sound. Side 2 however is a bit different. Primarily in that he chucked the mellotron and hired his old man - he himself a mover and shaker in the more formal areas of music - to secure a choir and orchestra for his son. So in effect Baumann went Jean-Claude Vannier here. Why bother with a sampling tool when one can just have the real thing? Once the ears adjust, the composition style emerges somewhat the same, minus the electronic equipment. 'Meadow of Infinty' Part 2 confirms this for us, as Baumann was back in the studio with his trusty synths and mellotron, and closes the album in a similar fashion to how it started. Overall an excellent album in the Berlin School tradition, but not one that strayed too far from the script after all.

Personal collection
CD: 2016 Bureau B
LP: 1976 Virgin (USA)

A common album on LP, and was released domestically here in the States, where I first picked up a copy during my original Tangerine Dream discovery phase while still in high school (early 80s). CD's however is a different story, with only the afterthought Virgin release from 1990 going OOP and staying that way for years. It wasn't until 2016 that not only one, but 2 CDs appeared on the market. I picked up the Bureau B version, which comes in a digi-pak, and features excellent sound and informative liner notes.

Triangle ~ France

Triangle (1970)

Triangle were one of the earliest of the French progressive rock bands. At one point they were lead by the diminutive Alain Renaud on guitar, though he left after a few singles, and explored his more experimental tendencies - most notably with Richard Pinhas and Heldon.

Their debut is a consistently excellent album, that mixes French and English lyrics, with a hard psychedelic bite in the guitar work. The vocals have a slightly gruff sound that recall Family, and especially fellow countrymen Ergo Sum, who they share a similar sound overall with. The highlight is also the longest track. 'Cameron's Complaint' sees Triangle take on a more jazzy sound with additional flute, that recalls the Canterbury scene, and predicts the coming of bands such as Moving Gelatine Plates.

This debut is generally considered their best album. I haven't heard the second album, and it's been many a year since I heard Homonymie, almost to the point I don't trust my rating there.

Ownership: 2010 Culture Factory (CD). Papersleeve. Comes with an obi, insert, and a small history (in French). Bonus tracks contain all three of their singles prior to the album proper, and each is just as good as the LP itself. Acquired in 2018.

First copy: 1970 EMI / Pathe (LP). Has a catalog "tab" in the back. Acquired in 2015. Replaced with the above CD.

6/6/15; 4/15/18 (review); 4/23/26

4/15/18 (new entry)

Bodkin - s/t. 1972 Scotland

Bodkin were a major discovery from the mid 1980s, though the album was known to exist prior in very small quantities. The story goes that a German collector had befriended Scottish music engineer and label owner Jim West, and to his amazement, he still had in his possession plenty of vinyl - and no covers. So the story of the LP and the reissues is quite fascinating. See below for further detail.

As to the music, Bodkin hit near the bulls-eye of that organ drenched heavy prog sound. Think of all of those 1971 albums on the German Bellaphon or Philips label. Or the original Vertigo Swirl label roster. Even the Canadian band Warpig. It's got that sound. All 5 tracks here are well played, with memorable melodies and progressions, and fine performances from all. The vocals have that husky "lost" tone, that was popular is those blues infected days. For reasons I could not articulate back to anyone, I didn't care for this album much when it first hit the CD circuit in 1989. My stance softened about 10 years later, and it has grown in stature since then. To me it definitely earns the Excellent rating.

Personal collection
CD: 1991 Witch and Warlock
LP: 2000 Akarma (Italy)

As mentioned above, the story of the album itself is interesting. Popsike lists precisely one copy that has sold with the original cover (in 2012 - photo #1). It went for a cool $2300 and change (not shown on RYM as I write this). Most original copies out there in the wild did not have an album cover, and go for a much cheaper $1k (smirk) (photo #2). Sometime in the late 1980s, the album was released on vinyl in very limited quantities with paste on custom green or orange covers (photos #3 & #4), but weren't widely distributed at the time (at least that I can remember). In 1989, the German label Witch & Warlock debuted their catalog with a CD reissue of the album (with yet another different cover - photo #5). Ah, but you say, I know Witch & Warlock is a pirate concern right? Perhaps they ended up making poor decisions, but they didn't start out that way. Witch & Warlock are in fact the same guys behind the German Oak album. And I think we can safely presume they did not bootleg their own privately released album (though another story emerged in 2018 about this). The next CD on the label was Dom's Edge of Time, and while I later upgraded to the Second Battle versions (LP and CD), it's pretty apparent from the short notes on the CD that the members knew each other. Most everyone accepts this version as legit (though the sound wasn't improved upon at all). This was followed by an archival German Oak album, and then finally they decided to try their hand at needle drops and foregoing obtaining legal permission. (Confession: I still own their CD version of Diabolus and patiently await for a legit version to surface). They also issued two other albums from Scotland: Soho Orange and Tentacle - both of these being archival releases. Most websites consider these to be legit. And it makes sense, when you consider the German connection to the Bodkin album, as mentioned above. In any case, the CD was repressed multiple times, and it was many years later I picked it up again - mine being one of those reissues (originals are numbered with a different backplate).

Next up was the Akarma release (of course they'd get involved with something like this). And now we have our 5th unique cover (last photo)! This time it's quite extraordinary as the LP opens up as a multi part cross (similar to Necronomicon or Heaven's Brass Rock 1). This most assuredly is the definitive edition right? Wrong! What an utter disaster of a reissue. A needle drop (fine), but with skips and scratches (in the mastering!). C'mon, really? How stoned do you have to be? I eventually parted with it...

There is a legit LP that recently surfaced from England on the Acme label (and replicates the orange paste-on cover). I wouldn't have high hopes for a sonic revelation at this point.

Originally reviewed: June 20, 2014

Eduardo Bort ~ Spain

Eduardo Bort (1975)

When I started collecting rare progressive rock in the mid to late 1980s, Eduardo Bort's album was considered by many a dealer as Spain's single best progressive rock album - and mighty expensive too (and oftentimes in the dealer world - most expensive=best). So I pounced on the first reissue commonly available, the Fonomusic CD, and anxiously awaited "this best" prog album from Spain. Huh? My inherent cynicism kicked into gear quickly, and my initial thoughts were more akin to "the xenophobes' choice of best album from Spain". In effect, it was in the comfort zone of your common 80s psychedelic dealer who dabbled in prog, but never could really accept any lyrical language but good ol' Engrish ("What's the point of music if you can't understand the words?"). Yes - I've read genius statements like this in the past. And with Spain, it's not just one language, but multiple, each adding a unique spice to the region they come from.

Over the years, I began to embrace Bort's album on its own terms, ignoring the cultural backdrop. The irony here is that Bort had no business singing in English, and is really the only weak element on the album. The music here evolves greatly from the psychedelic folk rock of 'Thoughts', onto the progressive hard rocking 'Walking on the Grass', and finishes in superb symphonic fashion, with multiple themes, meter shifts, and mellotron galore. Overall an excellent pan-European styled progressive rock album and definitely well worth owning.

Ownership: 1989 Fonomusic (CD). Acquired in 1990.

1990; 4/13/18 (review / new entry)

Feliu i Joan Albert ~ Spain

Feliu i Joan Albert (1977)

Feliu i Joan Albert's sole collaboration puts together two classically trained musicians from Barcelona. Joan Albert Amargos was a current member of Musica Urbana, and played keyboards and woodwinds for them. Prior to that he'd guested on saxophone on the 1971 Jarka album. Feliu Gasull provides the Spanish guitar. For the majority of the album, the music is acoustic, beautiful, and serene, with a big sound and some unusual arrangements. One will hear references to George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, no doubt an influence from their own formal training. There's also a feeling of what the original New Age movement was about, before the term was bastardized. Perhaps a bit like same era Popol Vuh, but without the overt spirituality. Closer 'Els Barbers Indignats' breaks out the electric rock instrumentation (with Musica Urbana in tow), and is quite jarring in this setting, and is a great way to end the album. Though one wonders what it could have been were it a pure play progressive rock album. The reissues to date have not yielded any other recordings, so it will have to be left to the imagination unfortunately.

Former ownership: 2004 PDI (CD). With booklet mainly consisting of photos. Acquired in 2005. Downsized in 2026.

4//05 (review); 4/13/18 (new entry); 4/24/24

Curtis Knight ~ USA

Down in the Village (1970)

Who is Curtis Knight you ask? Well he was a cohort of a one Jimi Hendrix before he became "Hendrix" if you know what I mean. So Jimi plays guitar and Curtis Knight sings is the way the late 60s soul albums were portrayed. And now 50 years later, few know who Knight was. Perhaps you've heard of the other guy?

And that's really too bad, as Down in the Village is quite an aural document. It's also one of those one song albums that will live on long past any of our lifetimes. In this case - as with most of the others I will mention - it has yet to be truly discovered. But even taking out said song, what we have here is a fine psych-blues-soul rock album from 1970. The title track is a good opening, but it's the potent 'Lena' that you will hear the mean psych streak that is an indicator of what to come. 'See No Evil' is another winning track. 'Goin Up the Road' is a decent blues rock song. The other 2 songs are throwaway soul numbers. Side 2 is much more consistent, with the final two tracks 'Hi Low' and 'Goodbye Cruel World' competing vigorously with 'Lena'. As a whole, this would be a 3.5 star album if it were not for...

...'Give You Plenty Lovin'' Oh my, what do we have here? The ultimate combination of freaked out psychedelic jamming with screams of madness, that's what. We are talking what Isaac Hayes and The Bar-Kays did with the face melting 'Do Your Thing'. Or when Del Jones goes deep into the abyss with 'Cold Turkey'. Or John L's pleas for help on 'Flowers Must Die'. We are talking goosebump inducing insanity of the highest order. It's hyper, intense, chaotic, and scary. I almost want to give this 4.5 because of it. I probably will one day. Maybe a proper reissue will unearth similar recordings... Oh we can dream can't we?

Ownership: 1970 Paramount (LP)

4/10/18 (review / new entry)

Cyklus ~ Germany

Planet of Two Suns (1979)

Don't let the goofy-guys-in-the-back-of-the-VW-bus-cover scare you. Cyklus' sole album presents an interesting mix of styles. On one hand there's the typical late 70s funky fusion, with the added benefit of a high melodic quotient. This is then juxtaposed against a backdrop of the early 70s Krautrock freaky underground. In aggregate one can wire Cyklus closest to same period Aera - who they share a band member and label with. This is especially true during the time when Embryo's Roman Bunka was also Aera's guitarist. I also hear a bit of the Real Ax Band and same era Alcatraz, which can only be considered a good thing. There's some nice shredding guitar work here as well, which recalls Syncrisis (yet another fine guitar centered Kraut Fusion act) at their most fiery.

Ownership: 1979 Erlkonig (LP)

Not been reissued legit on LP or CD as I update this post (2/22/25)

12/31/09 (first listen); 4/10/18 (review / new entry)

Goodthunder. 1972 USA-California

At its core, Los Angeles based Goodthunder are a straight up hard rock band, with folk and pop trimmings. If that's all they were about, then they certainly wouldn't be reviewed by me. No, Goodthunder weren't content to settle for lowest common denominator music to strictly appeal to the masses. With a prominent keyboardist in the band, and a wide range of dynamics, time shifts, and colors - Goodthunder somehow managed to create a sophisticated hard rock album when no one was paying attention. And the guitar is pretty heavy for the era, including some nice riffing, in an almost proto-NWOBHM metal style. Not to mention the chunky Hammond organ moments (a bit like the Krautrock Message on their first 2 albums). There's even a bit of late 60s psych carrying over, as found in the vocal harmonies. The progressive breaks are - especially given the setting - quite surprising, and it's these kind of contrasts that makes this album work on a number of levels. In some ways, you could almost compare Goodthunder to what Culpeper's Orchard were doing in Denmark. They never quite reach those highs (and who does really?), but it's definitely in that ballpark. 'P.O.W.' and 'Barking at the Ants' are right near the top of the mountain. Get it.

Personal collection
LP: 1972 Elektra

Originals are housed in a single sleeve and come with a lyric insert. There is also a CD reissue on Wounded Bird (2009) that I might pick up eventually.

Originally reviewed: June 2014

Chasar ~ Scotland

Chasar / Gypsy Roller (1983)

Yes, this. This is exactly the type of NWOBHM music I'm looking for. Ambitious, yet amateurish. A clear product of the early 80s cassette culture. Some lads from Scotland get together in a room, listen to Rush's Permanent Waves, and decide on the spot to create a band in the spirit of Iron Maiden, Saxon, et al, but with a bit more creativity and free flow of ideas. 

Perhaps a label like Neat took a sniff, but couldn't comprehend the complexity of the music, and politely declined (in the vernacular "No fookin' way you bloody wankers"). And so the band went about releasing it on cassette, where it made a name for itself among the trading set of the day. This was then picked up by the confusingly named UK based American Phonograph for LP - except they had no metal history, and less distribution skills. Finally, now four years later, the ultimate bottom feeder Mausoleum decides to release it, but with a new cover and title (Gypsy Roller). And then... off into the mists of obscurity it went. And has yet to be discovered 35 years later, awaiting a proper reissue of some kind - any kind.

As noted about the music above, it definitely wears its Rush patch proudly, as well as adding some metal crunch. Nothing too heavy mind you, and there's plenty of guitar solos in the 70s hard rock tradition. One can hear the same embryonic steps that Manilla Road were taking at a similar time, different place. Another reference would be the obscure Florida based group UHF. Easy recommendation for those predisposed to these kind of sounds. And we know who we are - don't we?

Ownership: 1987 Mausoleum (LP) 

Not reissued as I update this post (9/15/25)

4/10/18 (review / new entry)