Svart Classic Rock 52 Items

Svart Records is proud to reissue the production of Argentinian blues rock legend Pappo's Blues as vinyl versions. Guitarist-singer Pappo aka Norberto Aníbal Napolitano (1950 – 2005) is one of his country's biggest rock legends, who also managed to make a career outside his home country. He was there right from the beginning of Argentine rock, as guitarist of the first version of Los Abuelos de la Nada, Conexión Nº 5, Engranaje and Los Gatos, the band that made Argentine rock a household name thanks to the success of their first single, “La Balsa”, which sold more than 200.000 copies in 1967.

Jorge Álvarez (co-founder of the first Argentinian independent rock label Mandioca) encouraged Pappo to develop his own music. What followed was the formation of the first version of Pappo’s Blues in 1971, a trio that had Pappo himself on guitar and vocals, David Lebón on bass and Black Amaya on drums. Their self-named debut album was an unqualified success among the ever-growing audience of Argentine rock. It contained a bundle of all-time classics such as “El hombre suburbano” (The suburban man), “El viejo” (The old man) and “Adónde está la Libertad” (Where is freedom?).

Pappo’s Blues (1971, also known as “Volume One”) introduced a new element to Argentine rock: a harder rock and blues sound, combined with intelligent and sensitive lyrics with centered on the vicissitudes of a typical young man trying to live life according to his own rules, surrounded by the mores of an intolerant society. The arabesques of Pappo’s guitar, complemented by a solid and yet elastic rhythm section, made for an exciting and daring sound, where his trademark rock and blues sound also extended to embrace blues ballads and even excursions into psychedelia.

Svart Records is proud to reissue the production of Argentinian blues rock legend Pappo's Blues as vinyl versions. Guitarist-singer Pappo aka Norberto Aníbal Napolitano (1950 – 2005) is one of his country's biggest rock legends, who also managed to make a career outside his home country. He was there right from the beginning of Argentine rock, as guitarist of the first version of Los Abuelos de la Nada, Conexión Nº 5, Engranaje and Los Gatos, the band that made Argentine rock a household name thanks to the success of their first single, “La Balsa”, which sold more than 200.000 copies in 1967.

Jorge Álvarez (co-founder of the first Argentinian independent rock label Mandioca) encouraged Pappo to develop his own music. What followed was the formation of the first version of Pappo’s Blues in 1971, a trio that had Pappo himself on guitar and vocals, David Lebón on bass and Black Amaya on drums. Their self-named debut album was an unqualified success among the ever-growing audience of Argentine rock. It contained a bundle of all-time classics such as “El hombre suburbano” (The suburban man), “El viejo” (The old man) and “Adónde está la Libertad” (Where is freedom?).

Pappo’s Blues (1971, also known as “Volume One”) introduced a new element to Argentine rock: a harder rock and blues sound, combined with intelligent and sensitive lyrics with centered on the vicissitudes of a typical young man trying to live life according to his own rules, surrounded by the mores of an intolerant society. The arabesques of Pappo’s guitar, complemented by a solid and yet elastic rhythm section, made for an exciting and daring sound, where his trademark rock and blues sound also extended to embrace blues ballads and even excursions into psychedelia.

Tasavallan Presidentti, along with Wigwam, were Finland’s top export act in the days of the first wave of progressive rock in the early seventies. Svart Records have, in co-operation with the band members, prepared new editions of these classic records on vinyl and CD, for the ages. Originally released on Love Records in 1974 and subsequently licensed to many foreign labels, Milky Way Moses was Tasavallan Presidentti’s last album of the classic seventies era, the band ending their career for the time being not long after. The Svart reissue expands the original jacket to gatefold, with full lyrics printed inside, and also adds a 12 page booklet with new interviews with the band plus rare photographs.

Natural/red marble vinyl, limited to 500 copies.

Official reissue of the second album by Blood Money, originally released on Ebony Records in 1987.

Blood Money were the ultimate Nwobhm cult act, playing frantic thrashing heavy metal at a breakneck pace like no one else. Being active during the latter days of the Nwobhm movement, Blood Money took more influence from speed metal bands like Agent Steel and the unpolished punk metal of early Venom than the classic rock groups and Black Sabbath that influenced their earlier Nwobhm brethren. Recommended for anyone into obscure but great 80's metal in the vein of Agent Steel, Carnivore, Venom, Piledriver, Savage or Tank.

An absolute masterpiece and a must have for all heavy metal fanatics!

A limited-to-300 reissue of this rare west coast psych inspired album from 1972. With all lyrics and liner notes by Jaakko Riihimaa.

Bengt Huhta, known by his nom de plume Kristian, made this unusual album in 1972, after enjoying a pop star career in the late sixties.

As a singer he suffered the same fate as most sixties pop singers - no matter how ambitious the artist, his choice of songs to record was always made by the label, the songs more often than not being Finnish translations of popular international schlager tunes. Most live appearances took place on small stages inside restaurants or at traditional dance halls, with the expectation that the band would perform music suitable for dancing, which meant a selection of evergreen material mostly. The artist could sneak their own material in at the end of a long set or between shorter dance sets.

Winds of change were in the air, though, and Kristian grew bored of his one-dimensional role as a domestic pop star. In 1971 he decided to quit altogether, but as his Finnish cover version of Let The Sunshine In was still in the charts, the record company persuaded him to make one more album. He agreed, but with the condition that the album would record his own English language material only.

For a Finnish singer-songwriter to release an album of English language rock music influenced by the post-hippie psychedelic and progressive movements of the time was a career suicide, and this is what happened with this album as well. What few original copies there are in circulation still have become very expensive. Svart Records are happy to present a new edition of this underrated light psych rock gem to the new millennium.

Oriental Beat by Hanoi Rocks gets the redux treatment, officially mixed and revived from the original sessions, and released on March 17th on deluxe vinyl, CD and digital formats. The CD and vinyl come with the song lyrics, checked and approved by Michael Monroe.

Dubbed the “re(al) mix”, this 40th anniversary edition was mixed by Petri Majuri at E-Studios in Finland in collaboration with the band. Vocalist Michael Monroe calls this release “the longest and slowest album project ever,” stating that “40 years in the making, it's not just a remix, but the Real MIX supervised and approved by Hanoi Rocks”.

Recorded in London, UK in 1981, for 200 pounds a day, Oriental Beat was made during the height of the British punk + New Wave movement, when the band was hanging out with everyone from Phil Lynott to the Damned. Hanoi Rocks’ original drummer Gyp Casino says of Oriental Beat that: “Back in the days we gave heart, soul and a bit of pain to make this record something else” but the sound of the album, originally released in 1982, did not match their efforts at the time. Bassist Sami Yaffa called it “the worst sounding album of our career” and Michael Monroe said that “the producer of the album didn’t have a clue what the band was about and his mix of the album was horribly wrong”.

Oriental Beat’s original engineer Peter Wooliscroft, was not a rock producer, and according to Hanoi Rocks’ manager Richard Bishop he “tried to mix the album to sound like Spandau Ballet”. Released before the band could remix or rerecord it, as the label had run out of money, and the master tapes had gone missing, the band has always considered the original mix of Oriental Beat to be a “disaster”. With the tapes mysteriously showing up in the Universal vault recently, the band was finally able to mix and resequence the album the way they wanted it to sound.

Oriental Beat is a defining masterpiece made when Hanoi Rocks was about to explode onto the world scene and written at the absolute peak of lead guitarist Andy McCoy’s creativity as a songwriter. Rhythm guitarist Nasty Suicide says “only now, with stripping it down to the bare essentials and tweaking it to bring out what was really laid down it became our dream come true! This is what it's all about” as this definitive edition of Oriental Beat now fully displays the ultimate arrogance and attitude which defined the band. Monroe says: “now, 40 years after its original release in 1982, we finally got the album sounding as great as it deserves, with no overdubs or samples,” and McCoy adds that: “It's better now than ever. This is what it was meant to sound like. So enjoy it...Another shot of Hanoi Rocks”.

Oriental Beat by Hanoi Rocks gets the redux treatment, officially mixed and revived from the original sessions, and released on March 17th on deluxe vinyl, CD and digital formats. The CD and vinyl come with the song lyrics, checked and approved by Michael Monroe.

Dubbed the “re(al) mix”, this 40th anniversary edition was mixed by Petri Majuri at E-Studios in Finland in collaboration with the band. Vocalist Michael Monroe calls this release “the longest and slowest album project ever,” stating that “40 years in the making, it's not just a remix, but the Real MIX supervised and approved by Hanoi Rocks”.

Recorded in London, UK in 1981, for 200 pounds a day, Oriental Beat was made during the height of the British punk + New Wave movement, when the band was hanging out with everyone from Phil Lynott to the Damned. Hanoi Rocks’ original drummer Gyp Casino says of Oriental Beat that: “Back in the days we gave heart, soul and a bit of pain to make this record something else” but the sound of the album, originally released in 1982, did not match their efforts at the time. Bassist Sami Yaffa called it “the worst sounding album of our career” and Michael Monroe said that “the producer of the album didn’t have a clue what the band was about and his mix of the album was horribly wrong”.

Oriental Beat’s original engineer Peter Wooliscroft, was not a rock producer, and according to Hanoi Rocks’ manager Richard Bishop he “tried to mix the album to sound like Spandau Ballet”. Released before the band could remix or rerecord it, as the label had run out of money, and the master tapes had gone missing, the band has always considered the original mix of Oriental Beat to be a “disaster”. With the tapes mysteriously showing up in the Universal vault recently, the band was finally able to mix and resequence the album the way they wanted it to sound.

Oriental Beat is a defining masterpiece made when Hanoi Rocks was about to explode onto the world scene and written at the absolute peak of lead guitarist Andy McCoy’s creativity as a songwriter. Rhythm guitarist Nasty Suicide says “only now, with stripping it down to the bare essentials and tweaking it to bring out what was really laid down it became our dream come true! This is what it's all about” as this definitive edition of Oriental Beat now fully displays the ultimate arrogance and attitude which defined the band. Monroe says: “now, 40 years after its original release in 1982, we finally got the album sounding as great as it deserves, with no overdubs or samples,” and McCoy adds that: “It's better now than ever. This is what it was meant to sound like. So enjoy it...Another shot of Hanoi Rocks”.

0th Anniversary Vinyl Reissue! With the original gatefold layout plus all lyrics, new liner notes plus an interview with vocalist Harri Saksala. The album has been remastered for vinyl by Finland's premier progressive rock specialist Pauli Saastamoinen at Finnvox.

Kalevala and especially their debut album People No Names is a prime example of a record that should've been big, sold only a handful and only later on was reappraised as the masterful progressive rock epic that it is. Originally released 50 years ago on Finnlevy, then one of the largest labels in Finland, and not marketed at all, there were not more than 500 copies of the album pressed. When people finally realised the quality of the music on this piece of wax, prices for original copies on the second hand market went blasting through the roof and eventually into four figures.

Kalevala's story began at the turn of the new decade in 1970, and they played Cream-style hard

rock with a power trio lineup. The band's founding member Remu Aaltonen was kicked out the following year, and a renewed lineup immersed themselves in progressive rock. People No Names was released in 1972, and eventually Finnlevy had no idea what to do with this kind of difficult new youth music.

This 50th Anniversary reissue is put together with the approval of original vocalist Harri Saksala The album is remastered for vinyl by Pauli Saastamoinen at Finnvox.

One of the last pieces in the vast discography of Link Wray not available on vinyl previously, this album captures the Rumble Man live on two dates in London and Manchester on one of his last tours in 1997.

Over an hour of primal rock'n'roll from one of its absolute pioneers, captured in front of a live audience in the UK! The set lists feature brutally loud renditions of a select number of Wray classics with added cover tunes here and there.

With updated cover art, the Svart vinyl edition comes in a gatefold sleeve and features liner notes.

In 1973 progressive rock group Tasavallan Presidentti's career was going forward on a high note: the band had in 1972 released the critically acclaimed album Lambertland with their new vocalist Eero Raittinen, and the following year the band embarked on a successful UK tour.

In 1974 things would take a downward turn which ended in the band splitting up, but what this compilation offers you is a snapshot of the year 1973 when everything still seemed possible. The band were returning home from the fabled UK tour in March 1973 and played a show in Gothenburg, Sweden on the way home. The Swedish national radio were there to record the show with professional equipment, so sound quality is excellent. A high point of the show is a vocal version of Ramblin', which guitarist Jukka Tolonen recorded on his instrumental solo album in 1971.

This album also features two tracks culled from the Swedish TV show Opopoppa, which featured many legendary bands over the years. Tasavallan Presidentti performed in the same episode with Frank Zappa, whose performance has been circulated as a bootleg. Tasavallan Presidentti's material has never been bootlegged, but luckily this official recording was preserved in the Sveriges Radio archives.

In 1973 progressive rock group Tasavallan Presidentti's career was going forward on a high note: the band had in 1972 released the critically acclaimed album Lambertland with their new vocalist Eero Raittinen, and the following year the band embarked on a successful UK tour.

In 1974 things would take a downward turn which ended in the band splitting up, but what this compilation offers you is a snapshot of the year 1973 when everything still seemed possible. The band were returning home from the fabled UK tour in March 1973 and played a show in Gothenburg, Sweden on the way home. The Swedish national radio were there to record the show with professional equipment, so sound quality is excellent. A high point of the show is a vocal version of Ramblin', which guitarist Jukka Tolonen recorded on his instrumental solo album in 1971.

This album also features two tracks culled from the Swedish TV show Opopoppa, which featured many legendary bands over the years. Tasavallan Presidentti performed in the same episode with Frank Zappa, whose performance has been circulated as a bootleg. Tasavallan Presidentti's material has never been bootlegged, but luckily this official recording was preserved in the Sveriges Radio archives.

Tasavallan Presidentti's 1st incarnation with vocalist Frank Robson performed their last studio session at YLE Broadcasting Company in Helsinki, 1971. This session was, however, completely buried by time and forgotten, until Svart Records accidentally stumbled upon an archival copy.

This studio session recording from the autumn of 1971, found from the archives of the Finnish Broadcasting Company, is a sensational discovery in many ways. It is a studio live session which the band recorded just before parting ways with vocalist Frank Robson, which may be the reason why the tape was left unused.

Otto Donner, one of the three founders of Love Records, the band's current label, had become the head of the Finnish Broadcasting Company's entertainment unit, which produced this studio session. Perhaps he was planning to release it on Love Records?

The release features extensive liner notes by writer Petri Kuljuntausta, who provides background details which hint to the fact that had the band not decide to find a new vocalist a few months later, this tape could indeed have been the Tasavallan Presidentti album number three.

Tasavallan Presidentti's 1st incarnation with vocalist Frank Robson performed their last studio session at YLE Broadcasting Company in Helsinki, 1971. This session was, however, completely buried by time and forgotten, until Svart Records accidentally stumbled upon an archival copy.

This studio session recording from the autumn of 1971, found from the archives of the Finnish Broadcasting Company, is a sensational discovery in many ways. It is a studio live session which the band recorded just before parting ways with vocalist Frank Robson, which may be the reason why the tape was left unused.

Otto Donner, one of the three founders of Love Records, the band's current label, had become the head of the Finnish Broadcasting Company's entertainment unit, which produced this studio session. Perhaps he was planning to release it on Love Records?

The release features extensive liner notes by writer Petri Kuljuntausta, who provides background details which hint to the fact that had the band not decide to find a new vocalist a few months later, this tape could indeed have been the Tasavallan Presidentti album number three.

Kummitus (Finnish for “Ghost”), a band from Tampere who were active in the mid- ’70s, is certainly one of the strangest entities in the history of Finnish rock music. Their original vision was to create a mystical band that builds on horror or hysteria and performs in costumes, frightening their live audience. The band had also considered remaining completely anonymous. However, the concept proved inadequate for various reasons. Keyboardist Hannu Latva-Hakuni recalls: “We quickly ditched the masks and costumes because we had to show up before the show during the load in.” Drummer Seppo Tammilehto has speculated that in the ’70s, musical skills were even more important than in later eras of rock music. “We were laughed off the stage because of these extra musical elements.”

The concept for Kummitus came from Heikki Kauppinen who had managed a booking agency called Ohjelmamiehet and sold Matthews’ gigs. “He proposed this idea to me in the very beginning”, Seppo Tammilehto recalls. Jussi Niemi from the town of Nokia became the band’s guitarist. Despite their young age, Niemi and company accompanied both Sammy Babitzin and Johnny Liebkind and played in Muska’s band for one summer. A stint in Arto Sotavalta’s Häkäpönttö was followed by military service. After that also Niemi had time to play in Matthews. “Then we moved on to plan Kummitus.”

As the band’s manager, Heikki Kauppinen designed Kummitus a light show together with Pekka Heinänen who was responsible for the costumes. Flyers saying “kummitus IS Coming” were distributed all over Finland. When the band hit the road in the summer of 1975, the light show was of course ruined by sunshine. Besides their then unreleased original material, Kummitus played cover songs mainly from British rock bands such as Rolling Stones and The Beatles.

Later on Heikki Kauppinen was contacted by Kari Kantalainen and Vesa Majanen, both coming from a journalist background, who wanted to produce Kummitus’ album. The record label Basf, who were more renowned for their cassette tapes fit for home recording, was found through Kauppinen’s contacts. The album was made in Pekka Nurmikallio’s Microvox studio in Lahti. Jussi Niemi recalls there being “two stereo recorders, so almost everything was played live. Even the choir sections were sung while we were playing. The vocals, however, were recorded separately. It was challenging, since there’s all sorts of soundscapes especially on side B.”

True to its name, Kahdet kasvot (Two Faces) clearly consists of two different sides. The straightforward and rocking side A is kicked off with ‘Paranoia’, composed by Niemi and featuring lyrics written by Tammilehto. The murky synth parts are a fine addition to the “robust rock music”, as the original pressing’s liner notes describe the song. As an uptempo rock song, Juhani Kivistö’s ‘Tuonen rock & roll’ may bring to mind early Coitus Int, whereas ‘Taivaassa taas’ and its devoted vocal performances share DNA with Kontra’s Finnrock. ‘Nauru haamuille’, written by Tammilehto, features proggy guitar patterns and a ghastly synth solo. ‘Se on ok’ was written by Niemi while the rest of the band was dining, with the purpose of making the album long enough to be sold at a full price.

The more experimental four-part entity of side B was, according to the liner notes, dedicated to “Spike Jones and an Englishman named Waters.” Pink Floyd influences are apparent in dramatic sound effects and certain details in the arrangements. ‘On the Run’ from The Dark Side of the Moon can be seen as one of the role models for the nightmarish track ‘Ilme’. The title track, written and sang by Tammilehto, is a catchy rock composition, and Kivistö’s ‘Kuudes päivä’ effectively mixes Floydian prog and blues nuances with saxophone-filled soul. The guest blower Lucjan Czaplicki played in Uranus, whose sole album Aamun hauta (1975) was also released by Basf.

The story of Kummitus continued for a while, albeit with obscure twists. “Due to certain difficulties, the band split up in the early summer of 1976,” Seppo Tammilehto recounts. “The group continued with a lineup that consisted of me, Olli Kivistö and Eero Peltonen. We backed up Mikko Alatalo under the moniker Manserock-76. This came to an end late in the summer when I reassumed the position of Alwari Tuohitorvi’s drummer. The group had become quite popular.” After the original Kummitus had split up, some other individuals played gigs under the moniker. Seppo Tammilehto has met a recently deceased musician and person of reduced mobility from Tampere, named Jukka Törmä, who used to play in the fake group. “With all due respect, he was a great guy. Törmä looked back on the gigs, where musicians were gathered before the performances, with a smile even if they didn’t work out at all. Kummitus’ manager Heikki Kauppinen had no idea who was arranging these shows. According to Törmä, the shows weren’t arranged for long and he stepped aside quite early.”

Even without the band’s unusual history, Kahdet kasvot would deserve a second coming as an original and interesting album. To cite Hannu Latva-Hakuni, “listening to the album now, almost 50 years later, I think we did a hell of a good job.”

Limited red vinyl, gatefold sleeve

Probably very few people today have ever heard of the Finnish band called Uranus. In the short time of their existence in the mid-seventies, the group recorded their sole album Aamun hauta (“The Grave of the Morning”) which remained mostly unnoticed by the music consuming public. As drummer Jari Unha says, “the time just wasn’t right for the kind of music we were playing”. The more rewarding it is now, nearly half a century later, to dig the album up from the grave of oblivion and let its happy soul groove reach our ears. With the help of historical perspective, it’s perhaps easier now to appreciate this extremely well played and rare early Finnish dive into the vibrating musical territory inhabited by legendary figures such as Otis Redding and Stevie Wonder.

In the autumn of ’75 Uranus drove to Lahti and recorded Aamun hauta in Pekka Nurmikallio’s Microvox studio. Jari Unha is amused to remember the pink Volga of the trombone player Hannu Lehtonen. “We went to record American soul music with the pride of the Soviet car industry. Almost like a detail from an Aki Kaurismäki movie!”

It is presumed that Aamun hauta was too daring a deviation from the mainstream of the time to get the attention it would have deserved. On top of that, Basf had no guts or will to promote the LP. It was an optional subscriber’s gift in Popfoto magazine, together with albums by Kummitus, Kyklooppi and Horseshoe, but due to the lack of money, the short-lived magazine failed to succeed.

As for Uranus, things folded soon after recording the album. Soul music didn’t sell in live circuits either. For some time the group continued accompanying Markku Aro on dance venue gigs. The members have since made long and versatile careers in music.

Meanwhile, the original vinyl of Aamun hauta has become a rare collector’s item. Majanen has noticed someone in Italy is selling the LP for the price of 70 euros. Svart Records is proud to re-release this delicious and invitingly groovy album. Happy listening!

An explosive compilation of Finnish underground rock from the late 1960's and early 70's.

Debut album from Finnish folk-kraut-suomirockers!

Debut album from Finnish folk-kraut-suomirockers!

Kalevala’s classic third album “Abraham’s Blue Refrain”, came out with the band’s revamped, more international name “Kalevala Orchestra”. The album was recorded in the spring of 1977 and produced by Tommi Liuhala together with the band, with lyrics by Jim Pembroke of Wigwam, who also plays the piano in the title track. The overall sweeping tone of this progressive and monumental record is dark and sombre with a spiritual weight to it. The songs themes and lyrics, sung in English which is rare for a Finnish band of the day, are on a grand scale imbued with deep sentiment and sacred intention. According to Lido, the album’s title track: “… actually describes my relationship to spirituality, and the song “Silver Fish” is also a self-portrait: “I’m a Pisces in the horoscope and I made this song to describe myself.”

“Marketbox Street” and “Highland Temple” are Prog rock bangers that illuminate slightly different corners of the world taking the listener through far off valleys of feeling and meaning. With roaring hammond organ and crunching guitars that heap on the fuzz and then take flight into intricate but highly emotional solos from one beat to the next and back, Kalevala Orchestra mean business. “Abraham’s Blue Refrain” won’t let the keen listener down for one second and is altogether much more soul-searching and grandiose than their more obviously rocking “Boogie Jungle” album and remains an underrated cult favourite for that reason. Heavyweight Class-A Prog from Finland, sung in English with lyrics by one of the genre’s originators, Jim Pembrooke, with beautifully soaring guitar and piano, “Abraham’s Blue Refrain” is an unmissable thrill. On a par with bands like Camel, Bo Hansson and countrymates Haikara and Elonkorjuu, Kalevala’s music is an overdose of sentiment and spiritual emotion hammered out through epic Prog for those who know or soon will.

Out on May 6th 2022 via Svart Records, Finland’s own masters of frenzied Proto-metal, Kaleidobolt, bring the past up to date with a new album that perfectly elevates all the promise and flair their reputation has been boiling over since their 2015 debut album. “This One Simple Trick” packs more punch than most bands with far larger lineups, the deadly trio of Sampo Kääriäinen on guitars, lead vocals and keyboards and Marco Menestrina on bass, vocals, keyboards, percussions are reinvigorated by recent new recruit, drummer Mårten Gustafsson.

Gustafsson, according to Menestrina, brought his own “very creative musical mind, drumming chops for days and a great sense of humour” to “This One Simple Trick”. Kaleidobolt have never sounded this ferocious and exhilarated, that their joy makes the songs on “This One Simple Trick” as infectiously contagious as the pandemic they were created under. Gustafsson’s relentless drumming matching every beat of Menestrina and Kääriäinen’s genius instinct for bad-ass rebellious Hard Rock, it feels like “This One Simple Trick” is Kaleidobolt hitting the bullseye in every enthralling moment.

Kaleidobolt’s incendiary humour and sense of fun that the band had in the studio with the injection of new blood, transfuses straight through the jugular into a powerhouse collection of explosive songs, and relentless energy that’s impossible to deny. Kaleidobolt’s ascension to the zenith of “This One Simple Trick” has been mounting like wildfire, where Finnish bands of this caliber haven’t been seen since the 1970s. “This One Simple Trick” was mostly recorded at E-Studio (a very fancy and large studio in southern Finland) in August 2021 and a bunch of overdubs and vocals sessions at Wastement in September/October (a well worn rehearsal place in Tampere that has been birthplace of some of last decade’s best Finnish Psychedelic Rock music).

All the sessions were supervised by Niko Lehdontie (best known for Oranssi Pazuzu & Kairon:IRSE!) who produced and mixed this blistering album of stone-age Blues and crushing riffery. Rabble rousing tracks like “Weekend Warrior” give Scandinavian Blues-Rock titans Hellacopters, Graveyard and Witchcraft a serious run for their money with psychedelic riff-mountains like “Ultraviolent Chimpanzee” bringing to mind the purple–hazed deserts of Josh Homme on acid suddenly gone all Tame Impala. References hard to come by when a band this inspired hits full throttle but must be witnessed and experienced to believe. Not just our favourite underrated live band of timeless song-smiths, plenty of Psych-Rock afficionados and Prog Rock freaks the world over are starting to wax lyrical about how stupendously potent Kaleidobolt’s hard rock magic–brew really is.

Out on May 6th 2022 via Svart Records, Finland’s own masters of frenzied Proto-metal, Kaleidobolt, bring the past up to date with a new album that perfectly elevates all the promise and flair their reputation has been boiling over since their 2015 debut album. “This One Simple Trick” packs more punch than most bands with far larger lineups, the deadly trio of Sampo Kääriäinen on guitars, lead vocals and keyboards and Marco Menestrina on bass, vocals, keyboards, percussions are reinvigorated by recent new recruit, drummer Mårten Gustafsson.

Gustafsson, according to Menestrina, brought his own “very creative musical mind, drumming chops for days and a great sense of humour” to “This One Simple Trick”. Kaleidobolt have never sounded this ferocious and exhilarated, that their joy makes the songs on “This One Simple Trick” as infectiously contagious as the pandemic they were created under. Gustafsson’s relentless drumming matching every beat of Menestrina and Kääriäinen’s genius instinct for bad-ass rebellious Hard Rock, it feels like “This One Simple Trick” is Kaleidobolt hitting the bullseye in every enthralling moment.

Kaleidobolt’s incendiary humour and sense of fun that the band had in the studio with the injection of new blood, transfuses straight through the jugular into a powerhouse collection of explosive songs, and relentless energy that’s impossible to deny. Kaleidobolt’s ascension to the zenith of “This One Simple Trick” has been mounting like wildfire, where Finnish bands of this caliber haven’t been seen since the 1970s. “This One Simple Trick” was mostly recorded at E-Studio (a very fancy and large studio in southern Finland) in August 2021 and a bunch of overdubs and vocals sessions at Wastement in September/October (a well worn rehearsal place in Tampere that has been birthplace of some of last decade’s best Finnish Psychedelic Rock music).

All the sessions were supervised by Niko Lehdontie (best known for Oranssi Pazuzu & Kairon:IRSE!) who produced and mixed this blistering album of stone-age Blues and crushing riffery. Rabble rousing tracks like “Weekend Warrior” give Scandinavian Blues-Rock titans Hellacopters, Graveyard and Witchcraft a serious run for their money with psychedelic riff-mountains like “Ultraviolent Chimpanzee” bringing to mind the purple–hazed deserts of Josh Homme on acid suddenly gone all Tame Impala. References hard to come by when a band this inspired hits full throttle but must be witnessed and experienced to believe. Not just our favourite underrated live band of timeless song-smiths, plenty of Psych-Rock afficionados and Prog Rock freaks the world over are starting to wax lyrical about how stupendously potent Kaleidobolt’s hard rock magic–brew really is.

A Svart Mondo release. Black vinyl, gatefold jacket.

First released by Britain’s then foremost folk label, Transatlantic Records in 1970, Storyteller’s first album is a forgotten gem of Psychedelic Folk Prog Rock. Warm and silky production courtesy of Andrew Bown and Peter Frampton, fabulous dual vocals and a wistful arrangement of top-drawer UK Folk Prog, make Storyteller a diamond worth digging into.

Around 1969, after being a part of the band The Other Two on Decca Records, working with people like Chuck Berry, Duane Eddy and Jerry Lee Lewis, and touring with Chuck Berry and The Animals, Caroline Attard joined a new band that was being formed; Storyteller. A quintet who followed their own inclination, ignoring current fashions and just doing what seemed to come naturally, Storyteller is a crate-digger’s delight. Up there with Fairport Convention, Jefferson Airplane and Steeleye Span, Storyteller were steeped in folklore tales such as on ‘Ballad Of The Three Laps’, bringing the true spirit of folk alive in their own unique way. With songs written primarily by Roger Moon, and Terry Durham as muse of inspiration with his paintings and wonderful Yorkshire stories, Storyteller’s debut has the authentic and honest vibe of the real McCoy.

No longer confined to being coveted by collectors and those in the know, this lush remastered reissue via Svart Records comes on gatefold vinyl with updated liner notes and interview. If you treasure Folk, Prog and Psychedelic Rock, make sure this is a tale you don’t miss out on!

Debut album from Finland's Dust Mountain!

Energetic 10 track debut album!

A brand new album from the finest current torchbearers of the Scandinavian Progressive Rock tradition

A brand new album from the finest current torchbearers of the Scandinavian Progressive Rock tradition

2nd pressing on limited yellow vinyl

Finally on vinyl!

The Savonian occult rock behemoth Jess and The Ancient Ones have emerged with a new album! Their brand of heavy guitar and organ-led swagger has progressed from the twin guitar metal blast of yesteryear to Jess and The Ancient Ones’ very own take on soulful late sixties garage psychedelia. Titled Vertigo, the new record is set for release on Svart Records on May 21st this year with a foreboding sound of lysergic doom.

What began on the previous record, ‘The Horse & Other Weird Tales’ is taken further and deeper, towards a conclusion on Vertigo. Songwriter and guitarist Thomas Corpse comments, “To me this album sounds like a dark horse – a brother to the previous album. There’s a strange ominous feeling that hovers upon the entire album, maybe it’s the feeling of nostalgia that’s arising from the lyrics.”

Wrapped in a crude tornado-adorned old school sleeve, the album’s eight tracks bubble in a boiling cauldron of vintage pop culture influence and occult-tinged paranoia. Ranging from the softly fiery opening track ‘Burning of The Velvet Fires’ to the almost heavy metal -ish nihilistic banger ‘Born To Kill’, Vertigo is a spiraling journey of heavy Finnish psych rock at its finest.

Svart Mondo presents an official reissue limited to 500. Highly sought-after gem of Argentinian prog/psych, Cuero’s second album Crecimiento (1974) is a turning point for the band. Latin jazz-rock style in the vein of Carlos Santana, with abundant instrumental themes of Afro roots, mixed with diverse percussion styles and arrangements, gives you an idea of the outlandish territory the band traverses. A Prog and Jazz Fusion oddity of the finest calibre, reminiscent of records like Zappa’s Waka/Wazoo with some free jazz touches and the occasional jazz flute thrown in for good measure. Heavy bass grooves (“Viéndome a trasluz” “Pisando el suelo”), with a few brief percussion interludes (“Forrado de cueros”) to mix it up a bit, makes Crecimiento an enthralling listen. Resurrected by Svart with booklet and liner notes, so that a future generation can appreciate this piece of Argentinian music history without paying the high prices that the rare original vinyl now fetches.

Svart Mondo presents a limited edition of 500 copies on black vinyl. Highly influential debut album of raunchy and energetic psychedelic early garage punk by Finnish legend Virtanen, originally released on the infamous Love Records label in 1974 and now presented as a first ever vinyl reissue. With a reputation of having wild stage shows, Virtanen’s Hal-00 was touted as the first Finnish punk rock album not only for the raw music but also for the band’s scruffy, outsider image. If Virtanen’s music needs classification, it is a brand of early garage rock, with proto-punk influences, inspired by Bowie, The Who, T-Rex and The Kinks. Ahead of their time in sound and style, Virtanen’s showmanship was unseen for a rock group at the time in Finland, and Hal-00 is nothing short of a timeless classic. Revitalised for a new era, with photo and lyric booklet with extensive liner notes.

“With Polysomn we emphasize psychedelic chaos. Each song creates their own reality, filled with surreal visions and ethereal soundscapes. “an Bat None” introduces the heavier side of the album. Its purpose is to be a wall of sonic bliss.” Formed in 2009 by four inner-space travellers from western Finland, Kairon; Irse! is a rare bird, near-impossible to classify. The Wire describes their music as a “viperous cocktail of space rock, Greg Lake-era King Crimson and free jazz”, and ever since their debut album, Ujubasajuba set Bandcamp buzzing in 2014, their records have been hidden classics of modern psych-rock for those in the know. It was their sophomore release, Ruination, in 2017 that established Kairon; Irse!’s place in the canon of Finnish genre-bending freakout fusion, bringing them widespread critical acclaim and a multitude of wild-eyed devotees to their astral-magic live-shows. Prog Magazine referred to their “propulsive storm of psych rock hiss’n’fizz”, and Kairon; Irse!’s carefully crafted song structures came to the fore on Ruination, flexing a newly-forged pop sensibility for reshaping past influences into a futuristic tour de force of consciousness expansion. The Guardian found their music “as invigorating as a dip in a Finnish lake”, with “a sense of the visionary and sublime”, featuring Kairon; Irse! as New Band Of The Week . Following a European tour in 2017, Kairon; Irse! set sails for a performance at Roadburn Festival 2018, securing their name in the heart of the underground as rising stars of psychedelic post-rock. As the new decade unfolds, Kairon; Irse! prepare to pour down their multicoloured dreams thru your cerebral cortex on their highly anticipated new 3rd album,Polysomn. A treasure-trove of glitching, elated sounds, that takes psychedelia into a new dimension, Polysomn brings to mind the melodic lightning of bands like Dungen, the chainsawing alternative guitar fuzz of My Bloody Valentine, the sparkle and dreamscape of Slowdive, and the technological envelope-pushing of Radiohead’s outsider works.

Stunning synth-heavy prog rock from ex-Magma/Heldon/Dan Ar Braz member. Free-jazz elements mixed with rocking synth and piano and drums, the album is a wildly eclectic fusion of atmosphere and moods. Joined by a whole menagerie of the French prog crème de la crème, such as musicians like Patrick Gauthier, Clément Bailly, Guy Delacroix, Jean-Pierre Fouquey, Bruno Menny, Benoit was a free-wheeling synthesizer demon. A cosmic caper of multifaceted dimensions with some real Heldon-esque and Magma vibes peppered throughout. This album is every bit as entertaining and delightful as the day it was released, a stellar example of the diversity of the synth-driven prog of the age. Now dusted off and refreshed with liner notes to head into another future.