Buffalo - "Dead Forever" 1972 'Volcanic Rock" 1973 & "Only Want You For Your Body" 1974

An Australian rock band formed in August, 1971 by founding mainstay Dave Tice (ex-Head) on lead vocal. Fellow founders also from Head were Paul Bazbi on drums, John Baxter on guitars, and Peter Wells on bass guitar, and Alex Millano on lead vocals (only for 1972's Dead Forever). Balby was replaced on drums by Jimmy Economou. Their next two albums Volcanic Rock, (July, 1973), and Only Want You For Your Money (June 1974), were also issued by Vertigo Records. After 1975, lineup changes resulted in a more commercialized sound and the band broke up in 1977.

Australian musicologist Ian McFarlane noted: "there was nothing subtle about Buffalo's primal heavyweight sound, but it was delivered with a great deal of conviction ...combining dense, occult riffing ... with the progressive blues chops ....the band certainly captured the arrogant disposition of the times with a thunderous fasion." Along with billy Thorpe and the Aztecs, and Blackfeather, Buffalo pioneered Australia's heavy metal, pub rock, and psychedelic rock movements. Peter Wells died on 27,  March, 2006. Aged 58.

Dead Forever is Buffalo's debut album of pure Australian proto-metal  Recorded and released in 1972. It is considered the first Australian Heavy Metal album, displaying not only the bands pension for hard rock jam's, but their more psychedelic traits as well. Significantly, this was the first release of a non-European band on the legendary Vertigo label. The album was re-mastered and reissued on Australian label Aztec in 2006 with additional bonus tracks including an A side and B side from the pre-Buffalo band "Head. "It's just as good as their follow up, only mixing more psych into the fold.

Volcanic Rock is the second album in Buffalo's catalog recorded and originally released in 1973 on the Vertigo Label. The album, is stylistically harder, heavier, and much more raw than their first.-- marking a turning away from the bands progressive style of their sound. Volcanic Rock had successfully been recorded in a "live in the studio" fashion, with only the vocal and guitar overdubs added later in the sessions.
The album courted controversy when it was released. Illustrated by J. Phillip Thomas, the artwork was designed as a vertically opened gatefold cover, with the the top half of the cover (i.e. The front cover) depicting an androgynous human standing atop of a volcano holding a very phallic rock, with the lower half of the cover (i.e. the back of the cover) as the lower half of a female torso (from the rear) menstruating molten lava. Inevitably, it led to accusations of misogyny towards the band and stores either refusing to stock it, or display it on their shelves as a result. Despite this, the album is regarded by critics and fans as the bands most musically accomplished  effort, and as a result is a very sought after item in the collectors market. The album was remastered and re-issued by Australia's Aztec Records on CD with additional tracks. (It also happens to be my personal favorite of the catalog)

I Only Want You For Your Body is Buffalo's third album. Again released on Vertigo. It's much harder and heavier than their second L.P. "Volcanic Rock." By this album, Buffalo had all but abandoned the psych and progressive aspects of their music and delivered a more modern heavy metal style. On the aspects of this album, Buffalo took heavy metal away from it's blues rock beginnings, with some passing similarities to future bands, including those of the NWOBHM. For the second time, Buffalo courted controversy with their album art, featuring a partially nude obese woman tied to a torture rack. Though this was hardly new territory for Buffalo having been through controversy over the artwork featured on "Volcanic Rock." Adding further fuel to the accusations of misogyny, and a lyrical shift such as "I'm a Skirt Lifter, Not a Shirt Raiser." a formula that would later be adopted by other Aussie bands AC/DC, The Angels, and Rose Tattoo.
As with the above entry, the album was remastered and reissued on Aztec in 2005.