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The Proto Metal Appreciation Thread |
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IndianaJones 
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 Posted: 11 Feb 2011 at 11:57am |
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What a cool thread! Lots of interesting stuff to dig in, and I've only got to the Ace Kefford bit so theres a lot more to explore. Some of these are acually pretty good, like Ancient Grease, pity that I probably will never get a hang of "Women and Children First", for it seems to be quite a collectors' item. Also it's always nice to hear Cozy Powell thrashing out the drums, thank you very much!
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Certif1ed
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Posted: 14 Feb 2011 at 2:17am |
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^You're totally welcome!
You can pick up the Ancient Grease album on CD from Amazon; http://www.amazon.com/Women-Children-First-Ancient-Grease/dp/B000Z6WZU2%3FSubscriptionId%3D1XQB0RHSKVPAJR0A1F82%26tag%3Dmetalmusicarchives-20%26linkCode%3Dsp1%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB000Z6WZU2
...although if you're a purist like me and want the vinyl, you're looking at 10 times that for a playable copy.
Apologies for going AWOL - but let's dive straight back in;
Today I have the first of many Australian bands for you - although the name suggests North American Indians to me;
Blackfeather
Blackfeather featured Fraternity vocalist Ronald Scott on the cover of Fraternity's "Seasons of Change", a nice, melodic but mostly non-metallic song - with maybe a nod or wink to Deep Purple's "Child In Time" in places. Ronald, or Bon to AC/DC fans appears as percussionist only, before you get too excited! If you know Fraternity's version, then check out Blackfeather's - I think it's better in many ways.
They played a fair amount of straightforward hard rock, infused with melodic folksy-proggy music, but dabbled in all sorts of musical areas, as did many bands in the late 1960s-early 1970s, really rocking out when they wanted to. Their influences seem to come from just about everywhere - I detect some Wishbone Ash, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Gentle Giant - but there's all sorts of stuff I can't put a definite finger on.
This cover of "Tomorrow Never Knows" is really striking - and about 3 minutes in or so, the piece starts to rock out, emerging from the very sparse arrangement of this very familiar song - there's some good shredding for 1970 too;
Their cover of "Gimme Shelter" is a much more obvious candidate.
I really dig this piece for the "Arabic" flavours brought about through use of the Phrygian mode / harmonic minor scale - which makes a welcoms change from all the pentatonic noodle so typical of the time, and the underlying bolero rhythm links in well with metal - it reminds me of some of the Scorpions early material (1974 on), although the musical flavours dart about and change madly;
This is the heaviest song by far, though - check out this doomy track, entitled "Rat Suite" (a tribute to Black Sabbath's "Rat Salad" from "Paranoid" of the previous year, no doubt - but a good one);
I would recommend staying away from the title track - it's "heavy", but only in the same way that most of "Twink's" "Think Pink", or The Deviant's "Ptooof!" are heavy... ie, in a somewhat lysergic manner, man... not good to bang your head to at all!
So I hope you'll agree, Blackfeather are a worthy addition in their own right - mostly for the outstanding guitar playing of John Robinson - and not just because Bon Scott played tambourine for them...  Edited by Certif1ed - 07 Mar 2011 at 3:02am |
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Certif1ed
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Posted: 15 Feb 2011 at 6:49am |
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Blackwater Park
Nothing whatsoever to do with Opeth, to the best of my knowledge, this German act emerged from the heavier sector of the Krautrock scene only to fade into obscurity after a single album, the charmingly titled "Dirt Box".
Bassist Andreas Scholz also features on another heavy Krautrock obscurity, "Murphy Blend", by First Loss, released in 1970.
To answer the question "why this heavy Krautrock band and not 100 others", here are a couple of YouTubes;
Stirring stuff!
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harmonium.ro
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Posted: 15 Feb 2011 at 9:52am |
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^ Opeth's album is a tribute to them (in what regards the title, not more).
These guys are great, and indeed I can sense the metal sneaking through the hard rock / heavy prog. |
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harmonium.ro
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Posted: 15 Feb 2011 at 10:30am |
So far this is the best sample on this page. And you gotta admit the tambourine is outstanding.  |
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Pavlos
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Posted: 15 Feb 2011 at 12:49pm |
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This is some really incredible stuff that you�re posting here.
Keep�em coming!!! |
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The Angry Scotsman
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Posted: 15 Feb 2011 at 9:44pm |
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Well, I'd say Sabbath are traditional heavy metal and not proto, but since they're listed as such here....I really love em
 Also been listening to a lot of 60's rock as of late, made me remember how AMAZING Blue Cheer's "Vincebus Eruptum" is! |
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Megadeth, Metallica, Slayer and Testament. The real Big Four of thrash metal!
Listen to doom metal, worship Satan |
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Certif1ed
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Posted: 16 Feb 2011 at 2:05am |
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This one is about as late as proto metal gets - in fact, most bands with releases after 1974 I would be tempted to push towards "Traditional" rather than proto, simply because of the date.
However, Sweden's BL�KULLA were so amazingly progressive in approach that I feel they were ahead of their times in many ways, hence I hear them as having a proto-progressive metal sound. Even if you don't agree, exposure to this awesome and unique band is necessary - I'd bet even the most ardent obscure metal fan is unfamiliar with this lost gem.
Start with this one - after you've been bowled over by the synth-heavy doomy atmosphere, with flavours of Mountain and possibly early Priest, check out the guitar solo around 2:50 - it's something Tipton or Downing would have loved to have been able to play in 1975;
Then check this one out as it meanders through all manner of styles, with more of a prog focus than a metal focus, similar to some of Rush's (LATER) outings, with flavours of Yes and Genesis - there's plenty there for prog AND metal fans, even though there's not an awful lot of headbanging nirvana, the guitar soloing is supremely melodic and epic, particularly in the last 3 minutes or so;
...just goes to show that Proto metal isn't just a simple metallic extension of vanilla hard rock - it's a very rich and varied field indeed.
 ...and is it me, or does the band's logo kinda resemble Metallica's?  Edited by Certif1ed - 16 Feb 2011 at 2:08am |
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Certif1ed
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Posted: 16 Feb 2011 at 3:52am |
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Another one today - but only some YouTubes, as I will revisit them later in their better-known incarnation, Pentagram.
Bedemon were formed as a kind of side project to doom legends Pentagram by horror movie addict, Randy Palmer (RIP) - but read more about them on http://www.bedemon.com - the story is fascinating. The really jaw-dropping bit for me was reading that Bedemon weren't really considered a band, despite recording an album - it was just a project.
A pretty awesome one though - turn this puppy right up!
A Sabbath tribute, maybe, but still worthy of an extra notch on your volume...
COWER, MORTALS!!!!
Great Title...
The best for last...
Edited by Certif1ed - 16 Feb 2011 at 3:59am |
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Certif1ed
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Posted: 17 Feb 2011 at 2:40am |
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The problem with an awesome act like Bedemon is that they're impossible to follow - I mean music THAT heavy recorded in 1974?
So today's band are from 5 years earlier in history - and possibly need no introduction, as they had considerable success for a hard rock act in the early 1970s who weren't Zep, Purple, Sabbath, Heep or Atomic Rooster.
Bloodrock
These guys get no prizes for original album names - Bloodrock, Bloodrock 2, Bloodrock 3, Bloodrock USA and Bloodrock Live???
The prizes go to just a handful of the songs really, which are fine examples of proto metal, particularly their hit single "DOA", with its awesome lyrics;
"Life is flowing out my body
Pain is flowing out with my blood The sheets are red and moist where Im lying God in Heaven, teach me how to die" The remainder tend to be over-long jams and riff collections with heavy flavours rather than a true metallic edge - but nonetheless, the proto-metal is there to be heard. The debut is the really interesting album - the follow-ups all seem to want to reach the wider (read "poppier") audience and don't come across as particularly metallic, but I think that's largely down to the production. The examples I've posted from the later albums will probably take a listen or two - there are good, gloomy metallic ideas in there submerged in the somewhat happy mire. Bloodrock 3 is better than 2, as an album, IMHO, but the debut rules.
The album covers are fine(?) works of gory art, with, predictably, loadsa blood. The debut has even got a rock on it as well - do you see what they did there? The cover of Bloodrock USA is my favourite, with some guy having his brains blown out by the huge, green demonic finger of the White House (you need to open the gatefold sleeve right up to see the demon coiled around the famous building!). Little bit of politics there.
DOA (Bloodrock 2, 1971)
Timepiece - about a guy on Death Row on the verge of meeting his doom (Bloodrock, 1970)
Melvyn Laid An Egg (Bloodrock, 1970)
Also recommended from Bloodrock "Fantastic Piece of Architecture". Not particularly metallic, but dark and beautiful.
Dier Not A Lover (Bloodrock 2, 1971)
Jessica (Bloodrock 3, 1972)
Breach of Lease (Originally on Bloodrock 3, this version from Bloodrock Live, 1972)
Magic Man (Bloodrock USA, 1972)
Edited by Certif1ed - 17 Feb 2011 at 2:46am |
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Certif1ed
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Posted: 18 Feb 2011 at 3:00am |
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Everyone who's ever listened to metal for any length of time has surely heard of Blue Cheer, the so-called Godfathers of metal, right?
Most cite their cover of "Summertime Blues" from "Vincebus Eruptum" (1967) as the earliest heavy metal song.
Guess what?
I disagree!!!
I think Blue Cheer got more metallic on the next album, "Outside Inside", while Vincebus is distincly hard rock / blues, and punk in spirit.
"Just a Little Bit" is proto grunge, emphatically heavy psyche (and I mean HEAVY) and all those other things, and I don't want to try to put my finger on what makes it more metal than "Summertime Blues" - but here they both are for you to compare and contrast.
Check out the crazy drum beat in the verses, and the mayhem during the guitar solo and in the final burnout - how they kept that lot together I'll never figure.
"Gypsy Ball" is another great (and possibly even more) metallic track from "Outside Inside" that I had to share -
Blue Cheer are hardly obscure any more, and their albums are relatively easy to come by - there's no doubting their position as important pioneers in the world of HEAVY, but no more than Hendrix, Cream or The Yardbirds - or The Doors, come to that.
But crank their first 2 LPs up good and loud, and let the headbanging commence!! Awesome (if unbelievably sloppy) stuff!
"Outside Inside" remains my favourite of the two - it just improves with every listen. "Vincebus Eruptum" has one of the best album titles ever, but I find the music only has the "wow" factor on the first coupla listens. As ever, YMMV - enjoy! Edited by Certif1ed - 18 Feb 2011 at 3:04am |
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Certif1ed
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Posted: 21 Feb 2011 at 2:48am |
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I'm going to skip over Blue Oyster Cult - surely everyone knows them?
Oh, go on then - here's the awesome "Workshop of Telescopes" from their 1972 debut;
Today's proto-metal band is another Blue one altogether - Blue Phantom, an Italian hard rock act, who released their debut in 1970 - and sound uncannily like some of the earliest Blue Oyster Cult material.
...although this song sounds suspiciously like Iron Butterfly to me;
I save the best for last - "Distillation" is almost more Sabbath-like than Sabbath, but not a direct clone by any stretch;
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Certif1ed
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Posted: 22 Feb 2011 at 2:19am |
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Today's unpromisingly named band hailed from Japan, and were releasing material as far back as 1969.
The Blues Creation features maestro Kazuo Takeda, and managed to release 4 albums in their short career.
The most interesting one, from a proto metal point of view, is the second, entitled "Demon & Eleven Children", with amazing titles like "Atomic Bombs Away";
Then there's the somewhat Sabbath-inspired title song of the album;
...and it never gets old - this is a band/album to explore;
Dig into their back catalogue - the debut is a kickass heavy blues album;
- I mean, all it really needs to be utter perfection is to have a nice Ritchie Havens tune a progressive arrangement and a beautiful woman added to the mix, right?
Voila!
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Certif1ed
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Posted: 24 Feb 2011 at 2:53am |
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Ever thought that keyboards can't be metal?
If Billy Joel's Atilla didn't convince you, then maybe this Scottish group will.
Bodkin isn't really the most metal band name I've ever come across - even if it does mean a Mediaeval armour-piercing arrow.
Listening to the music, there does, indeed, appear to be some armour-piercing going on - although an arrow would suggest a precision instrument, while the music is very much of the blunt, crushing and cudgelling variety;
My favourite piece of theirs is "Aunt Mary's Trashcan" - a real bludgeon-fest.
The rest of the music (that I've been able to track down!) is more progressive-oriented, but still with that underlying monster-heaviness - and some nice tune titles;
Three Days After Death
...and some less metal names, but nice Purple/Rooster influences - you just can't have enough of that massive, filthy Hammond... can you?;
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Triceratopsoil
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Posted: 24 Feb 2011 at 2:58am |
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Oh man, that is cool
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MAVIIIVAM
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Posted: 05 Mar 2011 at 8:59pm |
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Hey Certif1ed (and yes, you are certifiable with that 1st page intro
)!Dont mean to rock the boat . . . Are we "not worthy" MMA members allowed to post some bands or is their another thread to do so? Because I too am really enjoying this thread (I think Mikael Akerfeldt would really get-off on this thread-he being such an Audiophile as well) and discovering some un-charted waters  .I'm still reeling in shock at "Atilla (w/Billy "The Piano Man" Joel)" . . . AMAZING! (I had heard of this band in his history but never heard them), and to hear some early Cozy Powell (before he joined The Jeff Beck Band) and his amazing drumming is really cool! It seems he's had that spiked wrist band before Rainbow  .I wanted to add some "Modern" Proto/Retro-Prog Metal, but didnt want to disrupt your Alphabetical order or step on any toes  .Looking foward to more of your ABC's!  You certainly know your stuff!(. . . are we to be treated to Budgie soon? Possibly the original "Rush" ).Edited by MAVIIIVAM - 05 Mar 2011 at 9:34pm |
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"If you're happy to be an Ant in the Sand Box, you're welcome to it!" -Forbidden
For Progressive Metal and Prog Rock, come visit, request songs and explore at PrOgulus.com |
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Certif1ed
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Posted: 06 Mar 2011 at 9:11am |
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Hey, this old boat has weathered many storms - it doesn't mind a little rocking - in fact, it's best when it rocks hardest in this case...
As far as I'm concerned, this thread is a free-for-all, and anyone who is capable of Googling up the proto metal bands listed here in our awesome archives is welcome to dig up as much info as possible and post YouTubes of the best material by these hitherto forgotten proto metal bands. See, I'm not as much of an expert in these things as Google is...
 I seem to have had a bit less time than I'd like for this recently, so if anyone wants to find out information about a band - and tie it into the rest of metal's genealogy, if possible, then locate a copy of their album (sometimes a very tricky task!) and share the amazing music for others to discover, then that's the purpose of this thread - go for it!
Anyone that can discover bands that Time Signature and I have missed gets muchos kudos - but only if they're really proto metal and not just some old hard rock / blues / psychedelic act... oh, where to draw the line!
As far as modern proto or retro metal is concerned, I think those would be worthy of their own thread, since there are hundreds of "genuine" (pre 1975) proto metal bands and albums for which this thread was intended - it's not an elitist thing, just a way of keeping it specific to an area of interest. I was thinking of creating a similar one for NWoBHM and "Traditional" metal.
The latter is especially interesting, as it would include many modern Trad bands as well as Classic ones, so there'll be plenty for everyone to discover.
The main difficulty for me is time - but I guess such threads would be good for other specific metal genres - I pinched the idea from the Slow Metal thread - but threads dedicated to tech, extreme, black, death, whatever, would all be interesting to genre fans, I'd think.
As far as Budgie - I wasn't going to do a post for them, as I'd think everyone knows at least some of their music, and, more pertinently, a thread on Budgie would take a lot of research, as they've released so many albums - the same can be said for Atomic Rooster and Blue Oyster Cult, both of whom are massively important proto metal bands, but I've missed them out.
Doesn't mean someone else shouldn't do a well-researched post on them, of course!
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MAVIIIVAM
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Posted: 06 Mar 2011 at 12:54pm |
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Hehe . . .
I understand completely . I also have things to attend to, so time is hard to find these days and in thecoming months. So we await patiently for more entries and possibly- branches of threads to enjoy .Edited by MAVIIIVAM - 06 Mar 2011 at 12:55pm |
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"If you're happy to be an Ant in the Sand Box, you're welcome to it!" -Forbidden
For Progressive Metal and Prog Rock, come visit, request songs and explore at PrOgulus.com |
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Certif1ed
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Posted: 07 Mar 2011 at 2:53am |
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Boomerang
Formed by former Vanilla Fudge keyboardist Mark Stein, when drummer Carmine Appice and bass player Tim Bogert formed proto metal legends Cactus, Boomerang smashed their audience's senses with no less than 2 albums, one of which was not issued until recently - or so the rumour has it. Pretty amazing, given that their fresh-faced guitarist, Richard Ramirez was only 16 years old when they released their debut in 1971.
And that's about all the Interweb will tell me about the band - so here are the tunes to know and bang your head to;
Juke It
The Peddler - sounds just like Coverdale/Purple/Whitesnake to start with, then starts sounding like Riot!
Edited by Certif1ed - 07 Mar 2011 at 2:53am |
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Certif1ed
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Posted: 07 Mar 2011 at 3:17am |
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Boulder Damn - no, I don't have extra time today, it's just that not much info is available about these guys, so it's a nice, quick post.
The band came from the heavier end of the Psychedelic rock scene in Florida. Their sole album, Mournin' is widely regarded (among the very, very few people who have actually heard it) as a seminal Doom recording. The Black Sabbath / Alice Cooper influences are strong, but, as is often the case, only on one or two songs. Everything else is the predictable bluesy psyche-flavoured rock which pervades / invades the lovely doomy riffing of the two parts to Dead Meat.
Dead Meat;
Very apt... Monday Mournin - and check out the very, very familiar riff!!!
...after me... "Angus" . . . "Angus" . . . "Angus" . . .
Dead Mear Coda;
Edited by Certif1ed - 07 Mar 2011 at 3:19am |
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Certif1ed wrote: