FLOWER TRAVELLIN' BAND — Satori (review)

FLOWER TRAVELLIN' BAND — Satori album cover Album · 1971 · Heavy Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
siLLy puPPy
FLOWER TRAVELLIN' BAND is a Japanese heavy psych band from Tokyo that were connected to the counterculture movement. SATORI is their second album but the their first to contain all original material. Despite not selling very many albums in their day the group gained a large cult following over the decades mostly due to this album which blends a mix of Black Sabbath inspired doom metal with the fuzz guitar of Blue Cheer and some Hendrix sounding guitar riffs and leads. That describes the tones and inspirations for the parts but the sum of the parts that creates the music itself reminds me more of Krautrock guitar oriented jams. This early mix of metal with progressive and psychedelic rock is a real treat because it is simultaneously rockin', bluesy, spacey and tripped-out.

The thing that really stands out is that FTB seemed obsessed with everything Western and incorporated few Japanese sounds into their mix. The only thing I can discern is the occasional gong and a few scales that sound Eastern-tinged at times. For the most part this will remind you of the 60s drugged out hippie bands that emerged from the LSD culture. There are monotonous bass riffs, tripped-out echoed guitars and full-on freakouts but the sound is heavy and the contrast between the hard rock and the psychedelic ways in which they play it is what makes this sound so different from everyone else of the day. I agree with the hype surrounding this album but it falls short of a long lost masterpiece for me however it is a very well played album that will keep your interest throughout its entire run.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Metal Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

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

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
The Suns of Perdition - Chapter IV: To Shadow Zion Black Metal
PANZERFAUST
Buy this album from MMA partners
Facilis Descensus Averno Death Metal
SAEVUS FINIS
Buy this album from MMA partners
Merciless Crossover Thrash
BODY COUNT
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

DAWN OF REVENGE - Sanctuary [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 5 days ago
DAWN OF REVENGE - Farewell [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 5 days ago
DAWN OF REVENGE - Curtain of Death - [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 5 days ago
DAWN OF REVENGE - Vengeance [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 5 days ago
DAWN OF REVENGE - I Need You [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 5 days ago
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
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed