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+------------------------------------------+
| |
| SUKiT Presents |
| |
+----------------+------------------------------------------+----------------+
| |
| Artist : Armageddon |
| Album : Armageddon |
| Bitrate : 211 kbps avg |
| |
+-------------------------------[Release Info]-------------------------------+
| |
| Source : Vinyl |
| Label : A&M Records |
| Catalog : SP-4513 |
| Year : 1975 |
| Genre : Rock |
| Rip date : 2009-03-25 |
| Store date : 1975-00-00 |
| Rip tool : EAC |
| Encoder : LAME 3.97 (-V2 --vbr-new) |
| Size : 64.97 megs |
| |
+--------------------------------[Track List]--------------------------------+
| |
| A1. Buzzard 8:17 |
| A2. Silver Tightrope 8:18 |
| A3. Paths and Planes and Future Gains 4:31 |
| B1. Last Stand Before 8:17 |
| B2. Basking in the White of the Midnight Sun 11:25 |
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| 40:48 |
| |
+-------------------------------[Release Notes]------------------------------+
| |
| Although not so much metal as hard rock, Armageddon's music was as |
| hard-hitting as any of their mid-70s peers. Built around punchy |
| blues-based rock, Armageddon incorporated off-kilter time signatures, |
| startling dynamics, spiritual themes, and effects-laden production into |
| their lengthy compositions. (While short by most progressive standards, |
| four of the five songs exceeded eight minutes in length). The |
| musicianship was beyond reproach: Keith Relf (Yardbirds, Renaissance, |
| Steamhammer) handling vocals and harmonica, Martin Pugh (Rod Stewart, |
| Steamhammer) on guitars, Louis Cennamo (Renaissance, Steamhammer, and |
| inventor of the electric bowed bass guitar) on basses, and Bobby |
| Caldwell (Johnny Winter and Captain Beyond) on drums. Each member |
| contributed to the writing and his own unique musical style to |
| Armageddon's music, all of which meshed nicely to create a sound |
| distinctly their own - violent and forceful, fully deserving of the name |
| Armageddon. |
| |
| "Buzzard" kicks off the album in rocking style, built around a nifty 5/4 |
| guitar riff and some fine, Neil Peart-style drumming. The guitar opens |
| the track, is joined by bass and drums, and then Relf leaps into the |
| fray, bellowing out the lyrics with a nasty edge on his normally boyish |
| voice. The song races along into a straight 4/4 middle, drops the |
| guitars and bass while Relf punches in with searing harp and Bobby |
| Caldwell rides the high-hat, then Pugh and Cennamo crash back in to |
| carry the song out in the original 5/4 time. Violent in message and |
| attack, "Buzzard" races through its allotted eight minutes, never |
| allowing the listener time to be distracted or even catch a breath. |
| "Silver Tightrope" follows, the only track to represent Armageddon's |
| softer side. Again, Martin Pugh opens the song, this time with |
| double-tracked acoustic and electric guitars mixed together in a simple, |
| stately repeating figure. Relf's vocals are treated with echo and mixed |
| behind the guitars, giving the song an other-wordly, ethereal feel. At |
| the mid-section, Louis Cennamo brings out the bowed electric bass for a |
| mournful solo, accompanied by Pugh's guitar and xylophone accents from |
| Bobby Caldwell. Drummer Caldwell kicks in the second half of the song |
| with majestic power, supporting the guitars and angelic vocal harmonies |
| as "Silver Tightrope" fades out on a positive, hopeful note. |
| |
| "Paths and Planes and Future Gains" brings back the forceful, angular |
| rock, grabbing the listener immediately with straight-ahead, overpowered |
| 4/4 rock, then shifting suddenly into a simple, but edgy 7/8 chord |
| change. At just over four minutes, this is the shortest track, but don't |
| be mislead - "P/P/FG" is just as dynamic as its longer counterparts. |
| Next up is "Last Stand Before", a blues-rock work-out that sounds very |
| much like Physical Graffiti-era Led Zeppelin. Driven by Martin Pugh's |
| doubled guitar tracks, "Last Stand Before" is cleanly divided into two |
| separate sections (similar to "Paths and Planes and Future Gains"); the |
| first sounds eerily like Jimmy Page's best riffing, while the second |
| hints at Captain Beyond. Pugh adds some off-the-wall soloing in the |
| latter half, sounding strangely like a flute in places. Oddly enough, |
| "Last Stand Before" is the weakest cut on the album, perhaps because it |
| sounds so derivative of Zeppelin. That said, it is still a very strong |
| track, thanks to the catchy riffing and Keith Relf's harp and lyrics. |
| |
| The album's final eleven minutes are given over to the four-part opus |
| "Basking In The White Of The Midnight Sun." "Warning Comin' On" gets |
| things rolling with one minute of simple, hard-driving chords racing |
| along at break-neck speed that segue into the title track. Built on a |
| frenetic riff, "Basking..." is forcefully driven by the powerful |
| ensemble playing of Pugh, Cennamo, and Caldwell. Bobby Caldwell is |
| especially strong here, sounding like a maniacal mix of Neil Peart and |
| Bill Bruford. Martin Pugh adds some biting solos, effectively using the |
| wah-wah pedal to put teeth into every note. "Basking..." then crashes |
| into a wall and slides down into the molten, riff-driven groove of |
| "Brother Ego." The overpowered instruments dominate, threatening to blow |
| out any speakers daring to project them, while Keith Relf - seeming |
| almost in the background - implores to the titular brother to "come on |
| home - it's time." The proceedings take an atmospheric turn as Pugh's |
| guitar slips into the background for a subdued but ragged solo, while |
| Caldwell and Cennamo carry the song along on hi-hat and bass. Things |
| stop suddenly again, this time for a nasty interplay between Keith |
| Relf's harp and Caldwell's drums. Again, Caldwell really kicks it up |
| with some powerhouse soloing, beating what sounds like the life out of |
| the snare drum. "Brother Ego" then crashes into "Basking (Reprise)..." |
| and the opus races out just as furiously as it began, collapsing |
| abruptly to a violent end. |
| |
| Unfortunately, Armageddon was a short-lived project. Drug addiction, |
| health problems, and Keith Relf's untimely death (by electrocution) put |
| a quick end to the band. |
| |
| Ultimately, Armageddon stands as one of rock's - and progressive's - |
| finest albums. For progressive fans interested in history or just |
| looking for something that genuinely rocks, or for prog-metal fans |
| wondering where it really all began, Armageddon is a must! |
| |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+