CAPTAIN BEYOND — Captain Beyond (review)

CAPTAIN BEYOND — Captain Beyond album cover Album · 1972 · Heavy Psych Buy this album from MMA partners
5/5 ·
Bmiler
One of those albums that just won't let up the whole way through. Usually I shy at the thought of a "supergroup", a collection of well-established musicians coming together, but then giving you something like Asia. Not with the case of Captain Beyond, with Rod Evans from Deep Purple Mk. I, Lee Dorman from Iron Butterfly (including In-a-Gadda-da-Vida), Larry "Rhino" Reinhardt from Iron Butterfly (on Metamorphosis), and Bobby Caldwell, a session musician who played for Johnny Winter, amongst others.

Apparently Duane Allman recommended the band to Capricorn Records. The album was released with a lenticular cover, kinda like the Stones' Their Satanic Majesties Request, or the special edition version of Opeth's Heritage. Not like the Southern Rock you might associate this label with. What you have is just some really unbelievable hard rock, lots of great guitar playing, the occasional psychedelic and space rock overtones, even a touch of Southern Rock (more of the bluesy variety than the country-influenced variety). The music segues into each other, so there is no interruption (aside from flipping over sides if you own the LP). Oh yeah, if you were put off by Rod Evans' "cabaret" singing in Purple Mk. I, you'll be shocked at the bluesy/hard rock approach he does here. You can guess that had he sung like that in Purple Mk. I, he would have received greater respect. It's hard for me to pick favorites, but "Raging River of Fear" has a bit of a Cream-like feel, because the vocals remind me of Jack Bruce. It's an album you gotta hear to believe!
Share this review

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
UMUR wrote:
more than 2 years ago
I love this one too. It´s such a great album.

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

I, the Destroyer Black Metal
SVARTFJELL
Buy this album from MMA partners
A Sonication Technical Death Metal
OBSCURA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Hin helga kvöl Atmospheric Sludge Metal
SÓLSTAFIR
Buy this album from MMA partners
The Cycles of Suffering Black Metal
BURIAL OATH
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us