Biography : Antrobus were formed in early '71 when Britain's heavy progressive rock underground scene was in full flight. The band exsisted for only one year, and they had no real rehearsel place and that's hard to believe while listening to the nine tracks that were never offical released. They are playing on an amazingly high standard and got accomplished song-writing abilities.Like some of their comrades, they are using also flute and organ but the songs are more focused on heavy riffs and bluesy vocals. A hard-driving rock approach, similiar to that of Stray mixed with Alice Cooper Band and early Pentagram, was adopted but the ability to contrast their sound with classy melodic harmonies is apparent too. And when ANTROBUS are playing hard and heavy, they were just an awesome force. Mixed up with a few sound-effects and a lot of guitarwork, this band had created an effective creepy heavy ass-kickin' sound in their short lifetime. The sound quality isn't high fidelity, but good enough for an enjoyable listening and sometimes I wonder, that this recordings are dated back from the early 70's, due to their refreshing energy.
The second band on this split-CD is The Flying Hat Band. This was the group where Glen Tipton played, before he left to join Judas Priest. TFHB exsisted only for a short time and the featured four songs are dated back to '74. The songs are also released here for the very first time,so that one can listen to some ferocious guitar leads and intense riffing. But this band doesn't sound like a Priest forerunner. "Lost Time" is fine acoustic bluesy song, with a slight Latino vibe, while "Reaching for the Stars" got a groovy rythm-line and the album closes with exsessive guitars in "Coming of the Lord". This powerful outfit weren't around long enough to gain the respect that the energy and drive of their music demanded. They've got the chance to record an album for a proposed LP on the WWA label and had entered a London studio where they began recording songs. But due to unknown resons, this album was never released. "Buried Together" comes with a very doomy cover-artwork (remember "Die Healing"?) and if you're discovering this disc somewhere than get it. My personal winners are the heavy Antrobus,but TFHB have also their highlights.This CD was release between the German re-issue label SPM International , who have also re-released bands as Groundhogs, Janus, Bodkin, T2 and more, and the English label World Wide Records. allmusic.com
Antrobus 1972:
01.Loving You 2:36
02.All I Really Need 3:15
03.Take Me Back 5:05
04.Pavement Artist 5:18
05.Straight Jacket 4:53
06.Winter 5:58
07.Rock Band Blues 4:08
08.Gonna Be Free 3:39
09.Lightning 3:36
The Flying Hat Band 1974:
10.Seventh Plain 2:49
11.Reaching For The Stars 4:34
12.Lost Time 2:36
13.Comming Of The Lord 6:42
flac cue log scans
RispondiEliminaVery cool. I head the Flying Hat Band on the Downer Rock Genocide comp and loved them. Thanks!
RispondiEliminaIn the past dozen years, the market appeared many publications premiere plate on which the music was recorded in the late sixties and seventies. In my humble opinion, most of them brings a musical revelation. I am not surprised that the former producers and owners of record companies skeptical about the achievements of the multitude of musicians and rock groups. However, from time to time, after hearing this type of board, waking up at me different thoughts, emotions and associations.
RispondiEliminaListening to the recorded material by the band, still have the feeling that the musicians had a lot of potential creative and instrumental. A few years ago I came across no acciden . The song is called "Winter" and recorded by a group of IRON CLAW.
Interesting story. ANTROBUS NEVER EXISTED. I noticed something unusual when I heard the song "Lightning" for the 1st time. It was exactly the same song attributed to a band named IRON CLAW on the DOWNER ROCK GENOCIDE COMPILATION that I own! On the comp. the band is said to be Canadian, which is not true, but the rest of the information given about them and their only album "Dismorphophobia" (1971) is correct. On the other hand, there is a bunch of information regarding Antrobus on the liner notes of this album.
The 1st 9 tracks are by IRON CLAW, NOT Antrobus, as I will explain, and the last 4 are by The Flying Hat Band who had Glenn Tipton of later Judas Priest fame on guitars.
They were published in 1992, 1996 and 2001 on the CD, without the knowledge and consent of the musicians who made these recordings. "Flavor" added the fact that the disc publisher SPM-WWR-CD-0041 in 1992 did not even know exactly how to call a group, they decided to call it ... Antrobus.
So how do I know that Antrobus is really IRON CLAW? Well, while on a metal message board the question was brought up by some heads who have a lot of time on their hands like me. The bassist of IRON CLAW replied (of course I can't PROVE it was him but who would go to that length to lie to some internet geeks?) remarking that "Antrobus is a fabrication of some bootlegger who didn't know who we were but wanted to make money by selling our music". While the liner notes here say the band were English, formed in 1971 and broke up in 1972, according to the bassist they were neither English nor Canadian as the comp. had suggested but rather were a Scottish band formed in 1969 and who broke up in 1974, the same year The Flying Hat Band broke up (so the cover with the graves giving the dates for the bands' respective ends should have marked 1974 for Iron Claw/Antrobus as well as the grave marked for FHB does). Although Iron Claw's release is also available, the bassist remarked that it doesn't explain the Antrobus/Iron Claw mix up, and that he and the former band members have plans to release the album again with full liner notes explaining the story. when Britain's heavy progressive rock underground scene was in full flight and they had no real rehearsal place and that's hard to believe while listening to the nine tracks that were never officially released. They are playing at an amazingly high standard and had accomplished song-writing abilities. Like some of their comrades, they are using flute and organ but the songs are more focused on heavy riffs and bluesy vocals. A hard-driving rock approach was adopted but the ability to contrast their sound with classy melodic harmonies is apparent too. And when were playing hard and heavy, they were just an awesome force. Mixed up with a few sound-effects and a lot of guitarwork, this band had created an effective creepy heavy ass-kickin' sound in their short lifetime. The sound quality isn't high fidelity, but good enough for an enjoyable listening and sometimes I wonder that these recordings are dated from the early 70's, due to their refreshing energy.
So the music,actually, I would call Iron Claw an early doom band, but a bit of a more upbeat one at times. They use saxophone which is unusual for the genre, but they make it work (think of Sabbath's song "The Wizard" written when they were Earth and you'll get the idea.) The music is quite bluesy but also has that quality hard rock edge. My favorite IRON CLAW (ahem...clearing throat) song on this collection is "Pavement Artist" which sort of has a bit of a proto punk feel even though it is really early metal. The first song "Loving You" as well as "Straight Jacket" and "Winter" are the other tracks I'd recommend.
RispondiEliminaThe second band on this split-CD is THE FLYING HAT BAND. This was the group where Glen Tipton played, before he left to join Judas Priest. The FLYING HAT BAND was a Birmingham club act that during the early 70s ranked alongside JUDAS PRIEST as the hot Midlands favourites to succeed. The band had evolved from SHAVE N' DRY, an outfit that comprised of GLENN TIPTON, initially on keyboards and guitar, bassist Dave Shelton, vocalist Pete Hughes and drummer Barry 'Spence' Scrannage. This act switched names to MERLIN before becoming THE FLYING HAT BAND.
THE FLYING HAT BAND, originally a quartet featuring vocalist Pete Hughes (who quit to join the army), went through numerous line-up changes with a turn over that included bassists Andy Wheeler and Frank Walker and drummer Trevor Foster. The latter joined folksters THE ALBION BAND. Vocalist Steve Burton (later to front STARFIGHTERS) also sang lead albeit briefly before the band split with Tipton opting to carry on with the name. Scrannage meanwhile had a brief stint (3 gigs) with BULLION, another Hard Rock act coincidently created by JUDAS PRIEST men guitarist Ernie Chataway and bassist Bruno Stapenhill.
Bassist Mars Cowling later joined Canadian guitarist PAT TRAVERS and would turn up briefly in the late 80s in the ranks of the Miami based GYPSY QUEEN, a female led group fronted by the identical twin Mattioli sisters Pam and Paula. Drummer Steve Palmer joined FRAGILE and later MANTLE/SWALLOW/PALMER. Tipton, of course, achieved wider recognition as JUDAS PRIEST gained international recognition and multi-platinum status.
THE FLYING HAT BAND existed only for a short time and the featured four songs are dated back to '74. The songs are also released here for the very first time, so that one can listen to some ferocious guitar leads and intense riffing. But this band doesn't sound like a Priest forerunner. "Lost Time" is fine acoustic bluesy song, with a slight Latino vibe, while "Reaching for the Stars" got a groovy rhythm-line and the album closes with excessive guitars in "Coming of the Lord". This powerful outfit wasn't around long enough to gain the respect that the energy and drive of their music demanded. They'd got the chance to record an album for a proposed LP on the WWA label and had entered a London studio where they began recording songs.
RispondiEliminaWWA had already signed BLACK SABBATH and other successful acts like GROUNDHOGS and GENTLE GIANT followed If all had gone according to plan THE FLYING HAT BAND would have had these four tracks contained on a debut album release However, after took a hand in the proceedings resulting in the project being aborted. An offer too good to refuse was about to befall their lead guitarist, and as it turned out, it seems he made the right decision ! GLENN TIPTON left the band to join JUDAS PRIEST and proceeded to carve out highly successful career for himself with a band that became on of Britian's favourite metal acts THE FLYING HAT BAND largely inspired by TIPTON'S fearsome guitar, couldn't recover and promptly folded. The resulting four tracks that they left behind are a testament to their short and turbulent existence time.
Again, much like IRON CLAW, they weren't an amazing band, but to be perfectly honest I like "Seventh Plain" probably more than almost any Priest song except "The Ripper" though I am not a huge Priest fan. The main differences between them and IRON ClAW is the lack of sax and I would say that at once IRON CLAW has more blues, jazz and even a little proto punk in their sound. These guys are basically an early hard doom outfit that couldn't continue without Tipton on guitars. So their major contribution to metal is in fact Judas Priest, though in my opinion if they'd stayed together they might have become better than Priest in time.
Overall, if you like to experiment, you might want to give these bands and this SPLIT/ALBUM a listen. And remember to remind people that Antrobus never existed and was really IRON CLAW!!!
@Marco,as usual thanks for sharing,cordially greet!
Many thanks for your great information Adam! Your information as always clear and comprehensive from genuine connoisseur!
RispondiEliminamerci !
RispondiEliminaHello Solidboy, great blog. The link are dead. Could you reupload the album, please?
RispondiElimina