ZARATHUSTRA

One of the better "one album wonder" releases from the RPI scene in the 1970s. (Of course, Museo Rosenbach would eventually release more material, but it'd take a few decades and the prog boom of the early 1990s before that happened.) Apparently the album caused a bit of controversy when it was first released because of the inclusion of an image of Mussolini in the cover collage, which combined with the Nietzsche theme of the album, led to accusations of fascism. The accusation itself doesn't really hold water - Nietzsche's work was horrendously misrepresented by those fascists and Nazis that adopted it - but I have to admit that the cover was a stupid mistake on the part of the band, who should have realised that it would have opened old wounds.

Still, the cover art is the only significant flaw to this album - what you get here is a delicious mix of progressive influences, most of which are typical of RPI from the period (hello, early Genesis), but which also includes a more aggressive keyboard approach reminiscent of classic Banco del Mutuo Soccorso. I wouldn't elevate it to the top rank of RPI albums from this period, but I certainly think it deserves consideration for anyone exploring the genre beyond the obvious classics.