FROM THE PURPLE SKIES

WICKED MINDS are from Italy and they play a URIAH HEEP / DEEP PURPLE style of music although they throw in some psychedelia. Lots of Hammond organ and guitar in this one. It took me a long time to track down this album, but was it ever worth it !

The first track "From The Purple Skies" starts out spacey, but is soon dominated by the Hammond organ, and check out the guitar solo before 4 minutes. This sounds like it came right out of the seventies. "The Elephant Stone" starts with the focus on the vocals and organ. Nice guitar solo before a minute. I like when it slows down before 2 1/2 minutes with psychedelic vocals. It kicks back in. "Drifting" as the title suggests is dreamy at times with some beautiful flute. Some aggressive moments too though. "Across The Sunrise" begins with mellotron as drums beat. The guitar starts to solo as the organ joins in. Great sound. Vocals don't come in until after 4 minutes. "Forever My Queen" is sung by the lead guitarist and is a heavy, SABBATH-like song. Nice. "Rising Above" has a DOORS sound to the organ, a real 60's psychedelic sound to this one. Love the guitar after 2 1/2 minutes and later. "Queen Of Violet" opens with distorted SABBATH-like guitar as drums pound then the organ kicks in. A calm with almost whispered vocals before they kick in. Some amazing guitar in this one. "Space Child" is dedicated to Lucio's two children. Overall it's pretty mellow with soft vocals and lots of flute. It does break out at times though. Ripping guitar before 7 1/2 minutes that goes on and on. "Gypsy" is a URIAH HEEP cover. It sounds like Jon Lord on the organ though, an infectious beat to this one.The last song, the epic at over 18 minutes in length and the best song title i've heard in a long time. It's called "Return To Uranus". This song has lot's of time changes, some psychedelic guitar playing, as well as an awesome Gilmour-like guitar solo. Lot's of organ and flute too. Just a monster song from the purple skies !

Highly recommended if there was any doubt.

I remember a year ago I received the name of this Italian band as a result of my forum request on finding a URIAH HEEP/DEEP PURPLE-related NEW band. A year passed, I’ve found their album and I’m shocked!!! This is the best presence a fan of 70s Hard Prog can make to himself!

I must say this is the best album from this Spring I heard so far. Imagine TRUE old 70s sound and manner, a-la URIAH HEEP, DEEP PURPLE, BLACK SABBATH, LED ZEPPELIN, even JETHRO TULL and PINK FLOYD! Also related bands are 2066 AND THEN, KHAN, IRON BUTTERFLY, BIGELF etc. Awesome mixture of genres, which is usual for early 70s but pretty rare in our pragmatic days. Good Lord, I love those times, though I was born much later.

The album lasts for 78 minutes, and personally I see it as a 2LP (6 tracks vs. 4 tracks). These guys have both atmospheric and rocky parts in their long songs, they even covered UH’s “Gypsy” – and I prefer it to original so far!!! Closing “Return to Uranus” 18- min long epic is the most psychedelic stuff here, THE DOORS-related at times, but it’s mostly heavy, u’know ;) . Amazingly melodic (though riffy), brilliantly played and recorded, album has LOADS of analogue instruments (lovely fuzzy Lordish/Henslish Hammond!). And the band themselves are analogue! I mean I expected sissy boys with hair cut short in booklet (like some Retro-Prog bands look), but hella no! They are extremely hairy and posing in almost SABBATHish scenery and clothes! I like bands WITH appropriate image, and WICKED MINDS are brilliant in all aspects. Now I want their DVD!!!

Don’t even try to explain your doubts now. Don’t make this album even more overlooked, it’s a shame!!! Write or call to BLACK WIDOW label, purchase “From the Purple Skies” and welcome back to 70s!!! Utterly recommended and not be missed! A Must for every fan of good old days!

This album is the second one from the band , but since their debut had a very limited distribution (only 500 copies), it can be considered as the first one, in terms of availability.

This is really a good album. Surprisingly enough for an Italian band, their music is on the very heavy end. Even if thEet are contemporary in terms of release, they play an early seventies heavy rock with loads of SPLENDID keyboards.

The opening and title track is named From The Purple Skies, but it has all in common with the best Heep's songs. And the album is a vibrant homage to this great band. It can be effectively considered as too much derivative (which is in a way true) but I'm so glad to listen to these sounds back again.

You should listen to Drifting and these wonderful keyboards: you are submerged by the beat, the great musicianship. It is a wild song (like most out of this album - if not all). The vocalist is insisting too much though on the Byron side.

Each track is a gorgeous piece of music. This album is a real good damned one: not a single moment of relaxing: it is wild from start to finish (and it last for about eighty minutes). Bloody dynamic and inspired as well. It is extremely rare to have such a long album without any dull moments.

I have had a real good time to listen to this fabulous recording. To name highlights would consist to name almost each song of this great album. These organ sounds are truly exceptional. I just love them. A whola lotta.

Even the bluesy oriented Rising Above is worth (and I do not particularly like the genre). Thanks again to the HUGE work of Paolo Negri on the keys. But he is shining on the entirety of this excellent album: Space Child being another great song.

They even covered the great Gypsy in a very respectful way, just to show where the influence was. Wicked Minds is very much more Heep than Purple oriented IMHHO.

The nirvana is almost being reached with the epic Return To Uranus which was featured on their first album. But again, I can't compare the versions (although I have seen their debut for sale on the net for 20?+postage). I might well do this investment since I am so impressed with this release.

This long track sounds more improvised and less structured but the same GIGANTIC organ is present during these eighteen minutes+, and they sound as an enchantment to my ears. This must be the eight highlight from this album.

You might know that I'm not keen on rating with five stars, but this a great, a fantastic return in the early seventies I love so much. I can't think of another rating.

What's purple and that hums?

An electric grape.

Or, maybe Wicked Minds' album, 'cause from start to finish it's purple-1974 baby, yeah! The color purple suits so well this album: Deep Purple influences, dawn of the day atmosphere and the art cover. It's true, even the song titles are evocating violet, purple and mauve!

Big fat Gibson Les Paul and Marshall stacks, macho 70's vocals, frenetic vintage drumming and tons of blistering Hammond, this album will satisfy the 8-track-player-in-your-El Camino-nostalgia in you guaranteed. But this album is not all testoterone and biker moustache, some soft rock with flute passages can be heard and a lot of space-age attitude also...but it's mostly pedal to the medal.

Although Black Bonzo did it before (and pretty well I might ad), this italian band is giving it all out, and I mean all out.

Give Wicked Minds a big round of applause for total commitment to make this album a great and hair- messing-loud-old-school-rock-fest.