The Giant Hogweed Orchestra

"Wow man....play that record again..." - Lady Bezalel, after hearing TGHO for the first time




OK now, right from the start, don't you Genesis fans get too excited. Despite the name, this Finnish band has nothing in common with the band that more than likely inspired their name. With a sound that is best classified as space/prog rock, the influences are quite clear. The band jetties forth, making some better than average progressive instrumental rock, the biggest comparisons will probably be to Pink Floyd, Camel, Frank Zappa's instrumental free jazz albums, Ozric Tentacles and even jazz legends like Stan Getz and Miles Davis. While not the most innovative band to come along this millenium, TGHO have let their influences mesh well into their sound while not coming off as mere copycats.

This is one of those rare prog bands that come along who use almost no keyboard. Some synthesizers can be heard, but very sparsely. But don't let think for a second it is in any way lacking. The overall sound of the album is still surprisingly rich as they have replaced keyboards with flute, Didgeridoo, and other world tribal instrumentations and the ever present two guitars that dominate their sound. Jyri Traskelin's flute playing is very beautiful and I see a resemblance to Andy Latimer's playing, evenIan Anderson's in a couple of places. The mood of the album is somewhat melancholic, as well expected for the genre, but it's not that dark to be honest. Most of the songs are quite mellow, only "Terästulli" is much heavier, almost space-metal on some of the parts.

"Arabia" is a very short acoustic track (0:49), the guitar has a fat great tone and the melody is quite enjoyable. However, it's the second song, "Spirals" that really gets the album going. My personal favorite from this album, although it's the most Floydian track here. Very melancholic, with lots of flute and great, emotional guitar playing. In the end there's a great climax, with a bit heavier guitar riff. "Terästulli" is clearly the heaviest track here, I don't like it as much as the other two longer tracks, but it's still quite enjoyable. There are hints of fusion and space-metal in this track. "Pelham" is a very beautiful and jazzy tune, the flute really shines here. "Halogen" is the longest track here. It's based around a simple bass-line, with the two guitars and flute almost improvising, great jamming from start to finish. There's a great moog solo in the song, approaching the canterbury/fusion field. The album ends with "Exit", which is very similar to "Arabia". A nice song with lots of flute and acoustic guitar.

This sort of music is right up my alley, and I enjoyed the album tremendously. I hope you do, too.

Band: The Giant Hogweed Orchestra
Album: S/T
Label:Mellow Records
Genre: Space Rock/Prog rock/Progressive metal

By Bez

TGHO - self titled by Bez for SurrealSoundZ

Robert Calvert - Captain Lockheed and the Starfighters

"oh, for the days of stick and string."


At the close of the 60's, the psychedelic rock scene was at its pinnacle. With the likes of Led Zeppelin, Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, The Doors, and Steppenwolf leading the way, radio basically ignored a virtual smorgasbord of lesser known bands that in some cases it can be arguably said were just as good if not better than what the mainstream hippie had to listen to. Bands like Hawkwind, Blue Cheer, Audience, H. P. Lovecraft, and the subject of this particular review, The Robert Calvert band.

Remember those cartoons about gremlins terrorizing Bugs Bunny? Well, this disc is full of them and with these guys at the wheel defective airplanes is where it's at! The debut solo album of Hawkwind vocalist/poet Robert Calvert finds as its inspiration the apparently true story of Germany's purchase of the Lockheed Starfighter jet. Due to the modifications made in Germany's appropriation of the jet (the "F104G") that proved to be fatal, the Starfighter later achieved the dubious monikers "The Flying Coffin" and "The Widowmaker."

Captain Lockheed switches back and forth between monster rockers in the classic Hawkwind vein and Monty Python-like pieces that carry the saga along. For the songs, since all the key members of classic Hawkwind are actually on here (though Dave Brock is only present once), this is a veritable Hawkwind album in all but name, with strongest moments including "The Right Stuff" and "The Song Of The Gremlins." Lemmy Kilmister, the man so many in the heavy metal community refer to lovingly as GOD, plays bass in his own dutifully aggressive style. Brian Eno also is on board, and as Paul Rudolph and Simon King were with him to record his debut solo album, folks will notice an obvious resemblance in sound to Here Come the Warm Jets.

At their best, the vignettes are delightfully dark in their surrealism ("Ground Control to Pilot" would have made a classic interlude on Space Ritual) and humor ("Interview"). In the center of it all is Calvert, turning out a manic characterization of the Über-Teutonic Defense Minister with a crazed German accent that might make even Keith Moon slink away.

In the end it must be said that this album is a must have for the fans of classic rock, space rock, prog rock and Motorhead fanatics alike. Ranging in sound from early industrial (early foreshadowing of Brian Eno's solo work perhaps?) to experimental to even a Pink Floyd-esque moment or two. Alas, since this album is so meshed in British humor typified by Python that peaked in the early-mid 1970's, it probably won't tickle everyone's funny bone but in the end who really cares?. In my ideal world, however, an album with such a bizarre idea as its concept gets points just on principle....and this one does.


Robert Calvert - Capt. Lockheed and The Starfighters
Artist: Robert Calvert
Album: Captain Lockheed and The Starfighters
Genre:Space rock, prog rock

By Bez

3 speed automatic - nomans land

In the modern hard rock and metal scene their is a new trend to hearken back to the days of yore and take the stylings of the psychedelic bands from the late 60's/early 70's. 3 Speed Automatic is no exception. laden with enough heavy blues influenced power trio sound to even turn the ear of the most die hard Cream, Blue Cheer, and fans of the other gods of the hippie rock past as well.

To be totally honest, this is a reasonably generic slab of the modern stoner rock genre (that sounds harsher than it is meant), with the most noticeable point of reference being Karma To Burn, but 3 Speed Automatic are no mere imitators. Hailing from Rotterdam, Holland, they're a relatively new band, having recently released this, their first independent CD "noMans Land".

"painKILLer" is one of the main highlights of the album(although the way they spell out the names annoys the pc nerd in me). With obvious salutes to bands like Sabbath, Clutch and Leadfoot, this song is a winner.

"strANDed" is another highlight, harking back to the early (good ) days of Queens Of The Stone Age",
Guido DeBrichy is an excellent slop guitarist, belching out psychedelia laden riffs with much ease, while Stefan Persaud bombs your aural senses with his fretless basswork, while Willem Stevenes holds the songs together with his bonzo-esque free form stylistic drumming . Also from time to time the use of the Hammond Organ and Sitar is thrown in to brighten the song and add to the overall psychedelic flavor of the album. All in all this debut ep is better
than the glut of what I am hearing these days on the radio and I highly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the genre.



Artist: 3 Speed Automatic
Album: NoMans Land
Genre: indie/stoner rock
label: DIY (self released)

3 speed automatic no mans land brought to surreal soundz by Lord Bez

by Lord Bez