Review: Various Artists ‘Yeah Man, It’s Bloody Heavy!! Volume 2’
I’ve not reviewed anything from Rise Above Records for a fair while, the last time being way back in 2020 when I covered Barnabus’ Beginning to Unwind. Since then, my focus has shifted primarily to post-punk, hardcore punk and noise-rock (to name three). However, my love for all things hard rock, proto-metal and psych never really subsided; it was just put on hold, shall we say?
Yeah Man, It’s Bloody Heavy!! came out last year, and I shamefully only recently picked up a digital copy. What makes this series of compilations interesting is that not only are all the artists British, but also that the overwhelming majority of them didn’t have any kind of commercial release during their lifetime.
Mind Exchange from the Isle of Wight formed around 1968 and were distinctive for driving around in a grocery van adorned in psychedelic patterns and colours. This seems to have crossed over to Vale Of Time, making the whole thing on the surface appear a bit campy, groovy baby Austin Powers-esque BUT the fuzz-laden guitar-work helps make it a good deal more menacing than their more hippy-ish, flower-power west coast American contemporaries, a superb opener.
Nottingham’s B.O.M.B. (Band of Mental Breakdown) take a much bluesier approach on Like A Dreamer in the vein of the Edgar Broughton Band, The Groundhogs and their like. In other words, it’s a lot harder-edged than, say, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers or Fleetwood Mac, but still swings like a mother, brilliant. Unlike the preceding two bands, I struggled to find any info on Grind (I’m guessing this will be a common occurrence from here on out); however, their track Revenge is breathtakingly magnificent. The offbeat, screeched vocals have an Alice Cooper feel, while the heavy proto-doom is as pioneering as anything Sabbath put out.
decidedly heavy but with a Zeppelin and Leaf Hound stomp…
Wicked Nun and their track Love So Bad, with its organ sounds, prog flavours and David Byron-style vocals, evoke images of Uriah Heep. As someone who digs the Heep, I was right on board. Brighton’s Fusion Farm proved quite popular in Germany, supporting Bad Company at one point. However, Keys To Hell showed they were a far different prospect to Paul Rodgers bland post-Free boogie outfit. Think more the garage psych/hard rock of The Stooges, though much sloppier than Iggy and co. Pretty damn good!
Bonehead’s Free To Escape is a good deal more melodic; there are some very nice Jimi Hendrix Experience touches, reminiscent of Hey Joe in places. Meanwhile, London’s Peaceful Persuasion and their track Hoping To Be Someone Totally Different Tomorrow is delightful, decidedly heavy but with a Zeppelin and Leaf Hound stomp as well as some Zappa eccentricities sneaked in for good measure.
Good Knight’s Loving Scream has a very cool The Doors vibe, and it could easily fit in on Morrison Hotel, what with its mix of blues and jazz style experimentation, a standout for yours truly. Evil Woman by Joy is melancholic and surprisingly soulful thanks to the exceptional vocal work, reminding one of The Animals and their cover of Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood, impressive. Finally, Cat Iron’s You Know You’ve Been Wrong is an intriguing mix of Trapeze-style funk and Deep Purple’s more progressive moments ala Child In Time.
I take my hat off to Lee Dorrian and Rise Above for all the painstaking research, time and effort involved in putting together this exceptional piece of work. Stoner, doom and psych are more popular than ever, and therefore this compilation serves as an important document for those interested in said genres.
Label: Rise Above Records
Scribed by: Reza Mills
