HANUMAN

HANUMAN were a band out of Berlin, Germany and this is their sole release from 1971. The band did though carry on under the different name LIED DES TEUFELS and released 2 more studio albums. Keyboardist Wolf-Rudiger Uhlig had just left the band MURPHY BLEND before joining HUNAMAN. The music has German vocals which I'd call fairly charming, maybe an acquired case so some say. We get plenty of organ, flute, sax and drums with not a guitar in sight.

"Schadelstatten" features drums and some beautiful sounding organ runs as the flute joins in. The organ pulses as the drums pound and the flute plays over top. Vocals before 2 1/2 minutes but they stop before 3 minutes. A calm with flute leading the way before 5 minutes but then the organ and drums return back to the fore. Vocals are back briefly then the sax leads after 7 1/2 minutes. Another calm after 9 minutes but a minute later they are ripping it up. My favourite song right there.

"Machtwechsel" has a dark atmosphere to start as bass, flute and clashing cymbals come and go, organ as well. Some dissonant sax 2 minutes in then we get piano, sax and drums before it all settles in with flute, drums and piano leading. Vocals 5 minutes in then it turns more powerful as the organ kicks in. Vocals continue then back to that bass, flute and drum section. The sax replaces the flute for a while. Sounds like an upright bass along with drums before the vocals and flute return after 8 1/2 minutes.

"Lied Des Teufels" has a nice drum solo to start before the piano and flute join the drums as it mellows out. Vocals before a minute. This song reminds me of JETRO TULL. "Taue Der Fremdheit" opens with piano as sax, drums and vocals join in. An organ solo after a minute then a sax solo before 3 minutes.

"Sonnenaufgang" is the closer and the longest tune at 11 1/2 minutes. It's experimental to start with organ, sax and drums coming and going. It's building after 2 minutes then kicks in before 4 minutes with the sax out front. Then these determinded vocals join in. Nice bass before 5 1/2 minutes as it turns instrumental again. Vocals are back after 6 minutes as we get a calm. The sax is back after 7 minutes as it all picks up. Vocals too. I like the drumming here. The organ leads after 8 minutes.

I think this is really well done and they mix it up enough to keep me interested.