Though Chicago's Medusa1975 have been around since the '70s, their latest Svart Records release Rising From the Ashes is only their second album, and follows 2013's First Step Beyond. Founding members Gary and Donna Brown still remain on guitar and keyboards/vocals, and they are joined here by Randy Bobzien on vocals, rhythm and lead guitar, Phoenix Johnson on bass, and Dean McCall on drums. Blending early proto-metal, prog, and hard rock, Rising From the Ashes will instantly appeal to fans of Atomic Rooster, Black Sabbath, Pentagram, Amon Dull II, Uriah Heep, and Deep Purple due to a wealth of heavy riffs and searing Hammond organ. "Armageddon" rocks hard with plenty of guitar/organ riffs, and the energetic "Rage On" tosses in some sizzling wah-wah solos into their headbanging brew. Donna's ethereal vocals appear on the creepy "Fall of the House of Usher", complemented nicely by piano, organ, and beefy riffs (think Jefferson Airplane meets Black Sabbath), while "Turn to Stone" is full blown Uriah Heep worship, and gorgeously done, the dual vocals from Randy & Donna drifting over massive Hammond organ & guitar bombast, topped off by some sizzling twin guitar solos. The Heep/Purple love continues on the hard rocker "Into the Night", and the lengthy closer "Circles of Hell" is sort of a massive head on collision between Pentagram and Death Walks Behind You era Atomic Rooster, complete with doom laden riffing and ominous Hammond organ.
It's always great to hear an underground '70s band continue to keep at it decades later, and especially creating new original material of this magnitude. If you love all the vintage groups mentioned above, Rising From the Ashes will be a tremendous amount of fun. More please!
Track Listing
1) Armageddon
2) Rage On
3) Fall of the House of Usher
4) Turn to Stone
5) Into the Night
6) 9 Circles of Hell
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