Blackwater Park - Dirt Box 1971

Blackwater Park was a progressive hard rock band from Berlin, Germany with an English vocalist. They released only one album "Dirt- Box" Which included a cover of The Beatles, "For No One" The album was originally released in 1971 and re released in 1990. The name of the band comes from the gothic mansion setting of Wilkie Collens' "The Woman in White" Mikael Akerfeldt of Opeth named one of his bands albums after the band.

Reaction - S/T 1971

Reaction were a one album German Band, recording early rock/metal at a time when their naton was overflowing with these types of bands. This isn't mind blowingly heavy or anything , but the guitar firepower and sound is certainly there. The mix. which is over restrained Doesn't help. But the songs lack that urgency that would give them that added punch it sort of needs. Still overall good hard rock/early metal. Another album released 20 years after it's inception.

Hell Preachers Inc. - "Supreme Psychedelic Underground" 1969

A big classic from the psychedelic era, the "Supreme Psychedelic Underground" exploitation album is said to have been recorded by Deep Purple, which band members John Lord, Ritchie Blackmore, and Ian Paice have all denied. It's very close to the "Shades of Deep Purple" album, it contains some great hammond and awesome guitar jams and plenty of wah pedal and distortion. The whole album is a sonic blast that will appeal to Deep Purple fans, collectors, and afficianados alike.
Deep Purple fanatics strongly maintain that this is indeed Purple, although the cover offers no band members, production notes of any kind. Those who differ with the Deep Purple argument seem to think it is anonymous German session musicians. You be the judge.

Cover advertising Deep Purple members

Jun Kamikubo - "Nothingness" 1972

Jun Kimikabo's sole work, Nothingness is a bit reminiscent of Blue's Creation's Demon & Eleven Children album. That is, a mix of blues and heavy psych. There's also some naive '60's style pop, awesomely drenched in fuzz and stock organ, and yes, they had to throw in an "I got the blues reeeeaaal bad"song for protocol, and even a Greatful Dead kinda Truckin' type number. A diverse album that represents a compendium of the U.S.A.'s 1960's scene. Through a Japanese filter of course.

Steel - S/T 1971

Pretty interesting stuff, good melodies, and a surprisingly great production. A good bluesy/hard rock American quintet with a mixed racial lineup of 3 black guys and one white, which went almost totally unnoticed. They released only 1 album, in 1971 on the Epic/Douglas label (just a pity the album is so short @ 33 min) and 1 single "Never on a Sunday/Rosie Lee"
In the same year that they formed, recorded, and broke up.
Really upbeat progressive rock sound, featuring Duane Hitchings on Keyboards who played with Rod Stuart, Kim Carnes, and Steve Perry among others.
The music is hard and clean. Combining a Heavy rock canvas with a soul singer for lead vocals. The fact is, the musicians were all very talented.Bass player Roland Robinson went on to be a session player for Stax records and played on Hendrix's "Nine To The Universe" album. Right after they disbanded, Duane Hitchens went to join Cactus.