Wicked Lady - The Axeman Cometh / Psychotic Overkill 1969/1972

Wicked Lady exemplifies the "record collector" bands that gain new life through re-issues. In this case Wicked Lady's "The Axeman Cometh" & "Psychotic Overkill." Their appearance marked some belated recognition for the power trio, which Northampton singer/guitarist Martin Weaver formed  with drummer "Mad" Dick Smith, and bassist Bob Jeffries.

However, Wicked Lady never came within a whisper of the stratospheric status attained by bands such as Cream, or The Jimi Hendrix Experience. The bands liberal use of feedback -- and large biker following -- kept the regulated to clubs, even during the twilight hours of the psychedelic era. Awash in drink and drugs, Wicked Lady split up in 1970, but Smith and Weaver regrouped with new bassist Del "German Head" Morely.

The new lineup duly set about documenting it's existence, as captured on "Psychotic Overkill" --who's feel is looser than "Axeman". The effect is a shotgun marriage of Black Sabbath-style riffmania, supported by a less risk-taking rhythm section. Weavers vocal style lacks charisma, but his fuzz/waa-waa guitar style carries the day. The highlights include a bluesy cover of Hendrix's "Voo Doo Chile", the "sex & drugs" snapshot of "Sin City", and the howling, 21 minute epic, "Ship of Ghosts."

But Wicked Lady's erratic ways proved too difficult for club owners, who eventually refused to let them play. (At one gig, the band reportedly played the same song over and over until an irritated management pulled the plug on them.) Wicked Lady imploded in 1972, but Weaver rebounded that same year by joining The Dark , a more psychedelic and progressive outfit their "Round the Edges" album became a Holy Grail for collectors- because only a handful of copies were made for band and their associates (Kissing Spell re-issued the album in 1991)

Waver next teamed with classically trained keyboardist Dave "Doc" Wadley, who'd worked with a per-Sabbath Toni Iommi in The Mind Doctors. Kissing Spell also re-issued the "On the Threshold of Reality", an album of laid-back instrumental "head" music. Weaver most recently surfaced on the re-formed Dark's Anonymous Days (1996), which featured material writtin in the 70's and 90's.

All in all, this British band was rocking a particular heavy strain of proto-metal that fell into some familiar late 60's and early 70's wave of the beginnings of Metal/Doom.

Written with material from Allmusic.

2016 Box Set -- 500 copies

2016 Box Set -- 500 copies