METAMORPHOSIS

Metamorphosis sees Iron Butterfly expand their early bluesy sound witnessed on 'Heavy' into a more Steppenwolf-ish direction (maybe with hints of Hendrix as well). There is a clear 'Easy Rider'-vibe noticeable throughout the album and no wonder since one of the record's standout tracks is named Easy Rider (though it really has nothing to do with the movie of the same name). The most memorable tracks for me here are New Day, Easy Rider (Let The Wind Pave The Way) and the somewhat epic & beautifully moody Butterfly Bleu. Rest of the tracks remain consistantly good as well, ranging from bluesy rockers to relaxed and mellow tunes.

Supposedly this is the band's last 'good' album but I have not heard the later ones. It is a great rock album, though not necessarily quite what you'd expect from the band based on 'In-a-gadda-da-vida'. Iron Butterfly's most experimental album for sure.