CAPTAIN BEYOND

I've been interested in this release ever since I've read about the supergroup behind it. The idea of a cross-up between the ex-Deep Purple vocalist Rod Evans and two key members of Iron Butterfly really sounded like a mix that should have felt right at home with me. This is why I began actively seeking out this CD a few years back and finally had a copy of my own by 2007.

Let me start by saying that the Heavy Prog genre isn't among my top sub-categories of the progressive rock movement but there have been quite a few nice surprises along the way. The closest stylistic comparison that I can think of in order to describe this album is that of a mixture of Atomic Rooster and Quatermass. But what I'm ultimately saying is that Captain Beyond sounds pretty much like they should for a band active in the early '70s. There isn't much that differentiates their music from those two other bands, meaning that they don't bring anything completely new or original to the table with this material. Still, if you're into this type of material then you're bound to find a hidden gem in this release.

The album's material is split into many interconnected compositions and songs divided into smaller portions which definitely appeals to my progressively-inclined mind although I really don't see much point to it in this particular case. In retrospect, it would definitely have made more sense to keep the compositions as complete pieces since I personally tend to lose the connection between them.

Overall it's a nice little piece of Heavy Prog from the early days of the style's existence. The music is far less trippy than that of Iron Butterfly but, at the same time, has little connection to the symphonic escapades that were explored by the early Deep Purple lineup. It's a very pleasant, but ultimately non-essential release that will appeal to its audience and fans of the early '70s rock music.

***** star songs: Armworth (1:49) Frozen Over (3:46)

**** star songs: Dancing Madly Backwards (On A Sea Of Air) (4:02) Myopic Void (3:31) Raging River Of Fear (3:51) Thousand Days Of Yesterday (Intro) (1:19) Thousand Days Of Yesterday (Time Since Come And Gone) (3:57) As The Moon Sparks (To The Waves Of The Sea) (2:26) Astral Lady (0:16) As The Moon Sparks (Return) (2:14) I Can't Feel Nothing (Part 2) (1:14)

*** star songs: Mesmerization Eclipse (3:49) I Can't Feel Nothing (Part 1) (3:07)