NIGHTRIDER

— First review of this album —

Excellent one shot band from late '70's exactly from 1979 . Nightrider is a french progressive rock band who release a single album 30 years before and never gained the reputation that they deserve. They have an english singer Bobby Salazar who has a very powerfull voice who fits very well in this kind of music. They also have an ex Skryvania member (another good prog french band from late'70's) - Oliver Marina on guitar and aswell an ex Soft Machine member - John Woolloff also as lead guitar, so a powerfull duo . They played heavy prog of the highest calibre remind me of Uriah Heep mid '70's period, combined with pomp rock a la Magnum very uptempo and energic, but also have some smooth parts who remind me of yes or Styx in places. Nightrider combined very well the power of hard rock with the smoothness and complexity of progressive music in a unique manner. The CD was re realsed by Musea with a booklet full of informations and details about the history of band: members and other intristing pictures. So, an excellent heavy prog album full of great pieces like the first two A Change in Time and Juggernaut very energic and well played and aswell the mellow pieces are great like Blinded. They never gained much attention, in spite of quite succesful shows in France and solid seling albums in that period, they were quite popular in Scandinavia and Spain, but with all that they disbanded a year after and gone into oblivion 'till label Musea records trace them and re published their album in 1992 on CD. Still very unknown progressive rock band from late '70's but with a lot of potential and great musichianship . Even is a 3 star album I can recommended Nightrider for sure to heavy listners, 3 solid stars, more like 3.5. Although long gone, Nightrider should never be forgotten.