The name Atomic Rooster should be very familiar to many as one of the godfathers of early metal in the beginning of the 1970's. Formed by Hammond organ player Vincent Crane, drummer Carl Palmer, and guitarist John DuCann, the band put out a dark and doomy debut album that showcased hard rock, progressive rock, and early metal sounds. After Palmer jumped ship to start ELP, Rooster recruited the services of drummer Paul Hammond, and the classic line-up of Atomic Rooster was set. This "best of" collection features many classic tracks, remastered, some in demo and live formats, along with a few never before released songs, that makes a perfect companion to Volume 1.
Many Atomic Rooster staples are here in some format, including "Friday the 13th", "A Spoonful of Bromide" and the intense instrumental "V.U.G.." Many of the rare tracks from the bands reformation in the late 70's are also included here, which may be a first exposure to these songs for many listeners. The bands sound, which combined evil Hammond, DuCann's distorted and slashing guitar licks, and the maniacal drumming style of Hammond, was really original. While they were always lumped in with other great bands like Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, and Black Sabbath, Rooster had a unique sound that influenced many prog and hard rock bands of today. So for those new to the sounds of this once great band, this collection, and the first volume, are a great place to start.
Printer Friendly Page
Send to a Friend
