Necromandus - Orexis of Death 1973

Necromandus were formed in 1970 in England. In 1968 two West Cumbrian bands broke up and members from both bands Barry "Baz" Dunnery (guitar), Dennis McCartan (bass), Frank Hall (drums), and singer Bill Branch Formed the band. They were discovered by Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi in 1972. They recorded one album in '73 and then broke up. This album wasn't released until 1999. In 2007 Classic Rock magazine mentioned them as a "lost pioneer" of Heavy Metal, and author Ian Christe has cited them as one of the earliest doom metal bands. They were briefly named Taurus before settling on Necromandus when a radio show asked their audience for name suggestions. Iommi Managed the band and overseen their recording as well as laying some guitar tracks on the title song. The band sounds more like progressive rock as opposed to metal or hard rock. A deal was arranged with Vertigo and the band began opening for Sabbath, but when Barry "Baz" Dunnery (guitar) left the band in '73, Vertigo shelved the album. They continued to gather praise and support, such as Ozzy Osbourne initially wanting their guitarist, bass player, and drummer for his "Blizzard of Oz" project. Dunnery and Hall went on to play in the N.W.O.B.H.M. band Hammerhead. Sadly, Frank Hall is the only living member left.

Article No.1

Article No.2

Poobah - Let Me In 1972 + Biggy Rat - Look at Yourself 45 1970

Prior to forming Poobah with his high school buddy Phil Jones, Jim Gustafson started a band called Biggy Rat and released a 45 "Look inside yourself" b/w "I'm a woman." The band toured a lot and became quite popular. Even recording and album with Jimi Hendrix's bass player Billy Cox as producer. The album never saw release as the label slated to put it out folded, and so did the band soon after. That's when Jim and Phil took out an ad for a drummer and settled on Glen Wiseman and the trio was born. Financed by Jim, the band recorded "Let Me In" which contains a number of songs written for Biggy Rat and newer material. The band was an immediate hit with D.J.'s and recieved a butt load of air play making them a very popular act.They brought the album to Columbia, but were tuned down due to lack of management. After a period of "musical drum thrones", 1973 saw them back in the studio to record a second album which ended up on a C.D. called "Rock Collection" much later. Two years of touring ended with another lineup change and two more years of touring ensued stopping only to record "U.S. Rock in 1976. (a more thorough band  history.HERE)

The album sold out in a New York minute, but low and behold, the label tanked.The band was still constantly on the road and split up two years later. However, by '79, they had another record "Steamroller", but Jim and Phil were at odds with each other and the new lineup folded after 8 months or so. Another reformation in 1980 didn't last very long either.However, Poobah has stuck it out through all that and more (including the death of bass player Joe Mowrey) as well as multiple lineup changes. For more in depth details and complete history and members roster check out their official bio from the address below.The band contiues touring and cranking out CD's to this day. Look for them in A VENUE NEAR YOU!!!

Check their page out on facebook HERE

And don't forget: www.poobahband.com/

Seompi - Awol 1970 (re:1998)

Seompi, an acronym for "Self Expression On Musically Potential Instruments" was formed in Texas by Dave Williams who had just done a year in the pokey for pot posession. A few years prior, He was the founder of cover band The Headstones from McAllen Texas. They did a few singles and busted up in '68 even though they had a lot of interest from major labels. In '69, Dave founded a short lived band,The Meat, (awesome name!) just before he went to jail. Seompi was formed after. A "no guitar" three piece with Dave and Patrick Rockhill both on bass, and Bill Reid on Drums. They started off with a single "Summers Commin' on Heavy", but re-recorded it when they finally broke down and got a guitar player. Most likely to make the band more commercially viable. Their custom gear made this band LOUD! They Called it quits in 1974. The album was released in '98/'99, but was recorded in '70/'71. It's a compilation of their singles.

Silver - Children of the Lord 1975

First off, nobody knows SHIT about this disc. According to Discogs, it was pressed in a run of 300, it's of the heavy psych, hard rock type, and many have speculated that this band never even got off the ground. Comes in a plain white cover with a sticker stating that it is a reviewer copy, "Confidential. "It is also of the Christian flavor (it's been called Christian Rock in some cases) It obviously contains 7 songs, however I can only find one. Anyone own this and want to rip it for me? The only thing I can find about it on the web are tiny snippets of of sites that have it for sale (around $50 and higher). And they don't know much either.YOU be the judge.

Astaroth - Satanaspiritus b/w Lady Of The Moon 45 1968-69? 1975?

I love stumbling across shit like this! Three different sources have reported there is NO INFORMATION on this band! A total fucking mystery and it is believed this 45 is the only known  specimen available of this band.

Nobody even knows for sure what date it's from. It was speculated to be from around 1968 or 69, but apparently it has also been pegged from 1975. Who knows?!

The video doesn't help as it all footage of other shit, like stock footage, films of the Stooges, other bands, and movies. So I bring to you everything I could about this one. Satanaspiritus is an energetic rocker with a lot of Satanic type lyrics and loud guitars (LOVE that shit..) Where as the B-side Lady of the Moon is a bit lower key and judging by the recording and style it was written in, I'd be willing to bet on the late '60's time frame as opposed to '75. The opening track to the "Michigan Meltdown" Compilation

Sir Lord Baltimore - Kingdom Come 1970

From Wikipedia: "Sir Lord Baltimore is an American rock band formed in Brooklyn, New York in 1968 by lead vocalist/drummer John Garner, guitarist Louis Dambra, and bass player Gary Justin. Some have cited the review of their debut record Kingdom Come in Creem magazine as the first documented use of the term "Heavy Metal" to refer to a style of music." Not to shabby! It's just that too. If there's ANYTHING metal, it's this album. However, again, from Wiki: "the truth is, the same reviewer used the same term reviewing a Humble Pie record in Rolling Stone six months earlier." D'oh! Gotta say this album doesn't sound like Humble Pie. They have also been Sir Lord Baltimore III Raw. The album featured a Cristian focus and lyris. An element not found on their earlier works.

referred to the "godfathers" of stoner rock. Hmmm... I seem to recall reading a few reviews of a handful of other bands that I've profiled on this blog given the same credit. Damn! Lord Baltimore cant catch a break eh? Truth is, this record is metal as shit. Between 1968 and 1976, the band released two albums and began work on a third. In 2006, Garner and Dambra reunited as Sir Lord Baltimore and put out "III Raw."

Kleptomania - 1967-1975

Kleptomania was a total kick ass stoner rock band from Brussels, Belgium. Formed in 1967, the band was a heavy-as-hell comparison to Black Sabbath. They were known for monster live shows and became an important element of live music in Belgium of the time. The band also had a revolving door of members and really bad luck! The only album they ever recorded was in '71, but never got released due to the record company going broke. By 1979 it was unofficially bootlegged to the tune of only 500 pressed. They managed to put out 5 singles throughout their time and one under the name Lee. By 1995, there was a double C.D. released that contains the album from '71, all their singles (except the one under the moniker of Lee.) and various outtakes. You can read all about the lineup changes, as well as other off-shoot bands HERE

and there's a discography right here: Belgian Metal History

Dead End 5 - Dead Ends 1976

Formed in 1975 from Finland, female fronted Dead End 5 released two albums in 1976 and 1977, along with two singles. Their debut album "Dead Ends" included covers of Blue Oyster Cults's "Me 262", Janis Joplin's "Mercedes Benz", ZZ Top's "Francine", and "Let Me Go (Rock and Roll) by Kiss. A single released in 1977 titled "James Dean Pop" was in fact a cover of "Blitzkrieg Bop" by the Ramones. Their second opus, "Lapilyonti" featured another Ramones rendition in "Judy is a Punk" re-branded "Judy Et Jackie Punk"
They disbanded in 1977.

Some selections from "Dead Ends" 1976

"James Dean Pop" a.k.a. "Blitzkrieg Bop" 1977

Shinki Chen - Shinki Chen & Friends 1971

Shinki Chen was formed in 1970 by Shinki Chen and Ikuzo Orita, the president of Polydor records, and was one of the leading figures of the Japanese psychedelic rock scene in the early 70's, seen as a Jimi Hendrix type figure in Japan at the time. 

This was their first release and another followed the same year with the band under the moniker Speed, Glue, and Shinki. If you haven't heared this, you're in for a treat. This shit is BAD ASS. Most definitely one of the heaviest lost psych masterworks. Chen is one of the most renown figures in Japanese psych history.

Gatefold inlay

Bunalimlar - 1969-72

Bunalum or Bunalimlar was underground hard psych from Turkey. (All the lyrics are in Turkish). Here's some info I found on the interweb. "Turkey's most notoriously dirty and psychedelic band. They were formed in 1969 with the intention of having underground music reach wider audiences. They couldn't succeed well as their approach was much wilder and more uncompromising than any o f their pees at the time. God they were crazy!  Running all nude down Istikal Street, psychedelic light shows, crazy paintings all over the stage wall, and the screaming of "LSD!!LSD!!LSD!!!" at their live shows" The band, from what I can tell, released only singles. About six of them between 1970 & 1972. and their records are of "Holy Grail'' status now.

Recent compilation L.P.

Recent compilation CD

Old single

Hartlepool Rock Festival 45 1971

A collectors wet dream in regards to rarity. This privately pressed 7" was made to publicise the 1971 Hartlepool Rock Festival. Four local artists appear on the 45, all of them in the Hard Rock vein of the time period. Some great riffage!

Obscure as hell...

Bedemon - "Child of Darkness" 70's tapes - 2006

Bedemon was an off-shoot of Pentagram. The band was an outlet for the songwriting sometime Pentagram guitarist Randy Palmer. Palmer and drummer Geof O'Keefe recorded a series of demos throughout the 70's. Most featuring bassist Mike Mahews and singer Bobby Leibling, but because Palmer never wanted to pursue Bedemon as a serious act, the group never recorded a proper studio album. After years of having tapes bootlegged, a proper collection was issued in 2005, 3 years after Palmer had been killed in a car crash. Geof O'Keef and Mike Mathews plan to continue the band.

The Name "Bedemon" was formed from a combination of "Behemoth" and "Demon", which had been Palmers initial ides for the groups moniker.

Sudden Death - Suddenly 1971

Recorded in 1971 and posthumously released by Rockadelic in 1995, Sudden death remains extremely obscure. Their LP "Suddenly" released kinda 25 years later, questions arise. Were they too heavy and gloomy for their era? For some strange reason, the band was unable to catch a buzz with their music and get that illusive album contract. It's a shame really, and a sad indication that the music industry wasn't much less retarded back in the early 70's, than it is now because the material presented here is outstanding.  

This is the most gut-wrenching, slamming heavy rock I've had since first hearing the once obscure but now classic "Satori." Unbelievably heavy proto-NWOBHM with totally over the top caterwauling banshee vocals. This is just dripping with evil. Like pretty much all heavy bands of the era, there are at least some noticeable traces of the blues rock that metal evolved from, but for the most part this is much closer to a late 70's metal sound. The 1972 vintage makes it a major historical curiosity in the history of metal.  

I have a special affinity with the exaggerated ,wailing raw vocals, and raw 70's jamming sound of this album. But it is an essential listen for anyone who drools over the likes of Flower Travellin''Band, Pentagram, Budgie, Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, Blue Cheer, etc.    

Frijid Pink - "Defrosted" 1970 / s/t 1970 / "Earth Omen" 1972

Frijid Pink is a Detroit area blues rock band formed in 1967, best known for their version of "House of the Rising Sun" released in 1969. The initial lineup of the band included drummer Richard Stevers, guitarist Gary Ray Thompson, bassist Tom Harris, lead singer Tom Beaudry (a.k.a. Kelly Green), and later added Larry Zelanka as off-staff keyboardist. 

Frijid pink was formed when members of the Detroit Vibrations Stevers, and Harris, were joined by guitaist Gary Ray Thompson ,(who convinced Vibrations manager Clyde Stevers that he was a better candiidate for a guitarist), and singer Tom Beaudry, who later took the stage name Kelly Green. They spent their first two years touring throughout the southeast Michigan/Detroit area and eventually signed with Parrot Records. Their first two singles, "Tell Me Why"and "Drivin' Blues" (both released in 1969)ailed to attract much attention, but their third 1969 effort, a distorted guitar driven rendition of ''House of the Rising Sun" reached the top ten on the U.S. Billboard "Hot 100" Chart in winter of 1970. This disc sold over one million copies, thereby earning a gold disc.

The band was so popular in their native Detroit area that a fledgling Led Zeppelin (who were just then getting started from the remnants of the Yardbirds) opened for them at Detroit's Grande Ballroom. Frjid Pink often shared billing with the likes of The MC5, The Stooges, The Amboy Dukes and others.