I TURNED TO SEE WHOSE VOICE IT WAS

Gomorrha was a german heavy psych band who released two albums in the early seventies (actually three since the debut was recorded with german lyrics and then re- recorded with english lyrics). Was the debut mainly sixties blues mixed with psychedelics, the second album was more adventurous. Not only were the tracks much longer, but they also had a more progressive nature. Maybe the music on this album is best described as Black Sabbath with organs.

The album opens with the long "Dance on a vulcano", which starts very heavy but has a very quiet part in the middle with acoustic guitars and a pastoral organ sound. Singer Peter Otten sounds like your average hardrock vocalist, bluesy when it is good, shouting when it is not so good. Good opener though. Another good track is "I try to change this world". It has a great psychedlic, jammy part with solos for both organ and guitar. I also like "Titish child", a bluesy track that jumps around.

This is a good album for everyone who likes some good early psychedelic, hardrock with progressive tendencies.

After the disappointment of their debut I wasn't expecting much here, but they surprised me big time.There are a few reasons for the improvement. On the debut these guys could only afford to use the studio from midnight to 3am, which they did over a two week period. No producer was helping them either, so they were on their own and it showed. In fact the band quickly disassociated themselves from the debut because they just weren't happy with the results. By the way there was the original German version of the debut then an English version ("Trauma") recorded the following year. On this album they were helped by legendary producer Conny Plank who was a major help, but also Brain Records saw the potential in this band and signed them to their label.This was important as well because they gave them complete artistic freedom and the studio time to create the album they wanted.

"Dance On A Volcano" rocks out pretty good early on and vocals join in at 1 1/2 minutes. Aggressive guitar a minute later. A calm 3 minutes in. Organ 4 1/2 minutes in as it stays laid back. It's building 6 1/2 minutes in then the tempo picks up as the vocals return. Some nice bass late. "Opening Of The Sealed Book" opens with guitar, tapping and vocals only.The guitar eventually takes over making some noise.Vocals are back after 2 minutes then the tempo picks up again as drums and guitar take over. "Dead Life" picks up when the vocals stop.The keyboards before 3 minutes sound great then the vocals return.

"I Turned To See Whose Voice It Was" is a quote from the book of Revelation and they are the words of John. Strummed guitar as reserved vocals join in.This is fairly uptempo too. Percussion takes over 2 minutes in then the guitar joins in as they jam. "I Try To Change This World" opens with relaxed drums and guitar. It's heavier 2 minutes in when the vocals arrive.When the vocals stop the guitar lights it up. Nice. It settles back before 7 minutes. So good. It's dark as the vocals return in a reserved manner. "Titish Child" is uptempo with drums and guitar leading.Vocals after 1 1/2 minutes.The keyboards before 2 1/2 minutes are great.The guitar sounds amazing too after 4 minutes.Vocals are back late.

This will be joining my favourite Krautrock discs. An impressive album.

Gomorrah is a heavy psych prog german band, consisting of no less than six musicians although i must say their sound is not so diverse, i heard 4 piece bands that were much more diverse sounding than them, but that's not saying anything about their music. This, their second album and also their last, released in 1972 only a year after their debut is a big improvement in every way, in song writing, production and playing. Out goes the 60's influences of their previous work, the music now is a mix of hard rock, blues and heavy progressive. The writing is not so complex although the playing is very good and you know you are facing a very capable band. The band emphasis is on the excellent guitar and the heavy rhythm created by the rhythm section. There are some very good ideas carried out like they should and some mediocare ideas where the band chose to go to a controversial direction. They also include some improvisation into their music and there is a slight feel in about half the songs that the band is jamming, more than following something written. The songs are never bad but they are also not that great, they fail to reach any great heights, that would really raise the album from mediocrity. Keys are also incorporated but they are not evident at all and doesn't add anything special to the music, although it really could use that help. Vocals are the weakest link of the chain, singer Peter Otten doesn't have a great voice and neither can he really sing, his vocals ranges from ok to not good. Although in some cases I feel like a band can do better than what they did, in this case I feel Gomorrah pretty much gave us everything they could. It seems the band is not interested or should i say couldn't write complex prog songs, but settled on writing a few ideas and giving them extended versions while improvising on them.

Highlights in the album if i must say is maybe the closing track 'Titish Child' featuring excellent guitars on top of a good rhythm and some very good drums too. 'Opening Of The Sealed Book' is another goodie featuring a cool guitar riff, but i think with a little more work they could make it a real killer song. Other songs, all contain very good moments but the overall song, as a whole suffers from mediocare vocals, boring improvisation and mediocare material. Overall it's a good addition to your collection but hardly essential, that would maybe appeal more to guitar freaks that can't get enough of that 70's guitars, like me!

I adore the organ. That I do. It is one unbelievably versatile instrument capable of anything from tender caresses to thundering disintegration of your bones. Wonderful! So, being a follower of the Church of Organ I dived headlong into this album. It has taken me some years getting my head 'round it. How good is it really? Am I seduced by the organ or is there more to it than that?

Released back in 1972 it harks back to the glorious days of majestic organ and I am not at all disappointed in the massive amount of that particular instrument. It is there in abundance. On top of that the sound of the organ is very impressive, heavy and all conquering. The ground on which the music is built is one of heavy rock. This is really heavy music, for the most part. It is the missing link between Deep Purple and Uriah Heep, with a healthy dose of Black Sabbath as icing on the cake.

At times I think it is dumb-heavy. It is almost heavy to the brink of being dumb. I don't know. I haven't really made my mind up as yet. Anyway, heavy. That is the keyword and all sort of basic in approach. The music really is a mixture of hard rock and traces of blues rock can be heard, as on "Opening of the sealed book". Gravy Train-ish, in a way. That don't mean there isn't enough progressive leanings to please me or anyone else into prog. The oopening track, "Dance on a volcano", is to me the best track and that one really is the finest example of this band's approach. You have the omnipotent organ smashing it's way through the speakers while the distorted guitar wreaks havoc on the listener. It is heavy but groovy. Built in sections the song goes into a solo piece on spanish guitar, just prior to a piece of gentle and very pleasing organ over soft drums. This gentle passage is soon dealt with and the opening heavyness takes over again. This is a very good track. Progressive, heavy and varied. It also displays the closeness between hard rock and progressive, as displayed by other bands in that genre. Both Deep Purple and Black Sabbath grew more progressive as times went by. (The latter even more so.)

Most of the other tracks are good stuff but fails to reach the heights of the opening track. "Dead life" is an ominous piece which yet again brings back the Gravy Train-ish influences, also going into some jazzy latin part. It is quite a good one. The title track is a bit more mellow, heavy on percussion. It suits the overall sound and offers some release, being a bit slower and gentle in nature. "I try to change the world" is very jamming but is a good one aswell. The ending "Titish child" has similarities to the opening one.

As a whole this is a good album but not really excellent and certainly not essential. It is a nice slab of heavy prog and I enjoy listening to it, though it's mostly down to the organ. I suppose that my search for depth is over. There is prog to be found in Gomorrah's second album and there is vision but it is not enough to give me the goose bumps I am looking for. I feel at times it drones on. Like a hesitant guide in a landscape he or she is not entirely familiar with, Gomorrah stumbles around in the faint hope of reaching the final destination. Certainly good but definately not an excellent addition to any and all prog collections.

Rough and tumble stuff from these Germans, a recording that could only have occurred in '72 with its bargain-basement heavy psych, rumbling brown guff, deeply stoned performances and "you had to be there" trance-jams. One of those sets that must've seemed transcendent at 3 am but wholly questionable in the light of day, I Turned to See Whose Voice it Was is a progressive mess. That said, it does have a modicum of rock 'n roll street cred with Peter Otten doing a poor man's David Clayton-Thomas and a decent, honest heavy organ base, ten-minute 'Dance on a Volcano' faltering but hitting the spot in a guilty pleasure sort of way. It must be said even this grimy mix required a good bit of prep and practice to pull off and, for a very brief moment, surely fit right in with the exploratory nature of jam-rock. But 'Opening of the Sealed Book' doesn't up the stakes and goes on for...ev...er. Eberhard Krietsch provides a pleasant ground with a wet & warm Hammond as the backbone, Claudi & Ochel having a good time on their steelstrings as on the title cut. Though 'I Try to Change the World' is so overdriven and grainy that it makes its 9 1/2 minute run ridiculous.

If producer Conny Plank had had a greater vision for the six-piece, the LP might've shone brighter. As it is, the amount of hash you'd have to smoke to even begin to enjoy this swamp of an exercise would probably induce a brain hemorrhage.