DESCRIPTION:
The starting line-up of this unique Japanese progrock band is: Tsutomu Izumi (keyboards, Moog synthesizer, vocals), Hisashi Mizutani (guitar, vocals), Toshkazu Taki (bass, vocals), Kazuo Okamoto (drums & percussion) and Misao on violin. They made a serie of albums in the Seventies with every time another sound: the debut album "An Old Castle of Transylvania" ('73) sounds like early FLOYD/VANILLA FUDGE, the third album "Black Hole" (75) is more in the vein of complex KING CRIMSON (nerve-racking FRIPPERIAN play), the second LP "The journey.." sound rather weird and freaky and their fourth entitled "Metal Reflection" is, as the title suggests, pure hardrock/metal.

The long title track of their debut album "An old Castle of Transylvania" (around 20 minutes) is a mindblowing blend of psychedelia and progrock with great build ups and eruptions, very moving! The swirling climate also brings the long live tracks from URIAH HEEP, DEEP PURPLE, IRON BUTTERFLY, VANILLA FUDGE and Krautrock like early JANE and ELOY on my mind. It contains sumptuous keyboardplay (Hammond and Mellotron) and biting guitar. The interplay between guitar and organ is like "Set the controls for the heart of the sun" from PINK FLOYD. The other songs are also loaded with Hammond and Mellotron, a real 'keyboard nirvana'.

-ALBUM INFORMATION:

Tracks:
01. Blackhole (Toshikazu Taki - Tsutomu Izumi) - 8:41
02. The Vague Image (Introduction) (Hisashi Mizutani - Tsutomu Izumi) - 1:15
03. The Hard Image (Naoki Tachikawa - Hisashi Mizutani) - 3:48
04. Crystal Solitaire (Tsutomu Izumi) - 3:37
05. A Wandering Young Man (Naoki Tachikawa - Tsutomu Izumi) - 8:57
06. Days In The Past (Kawaguchi - Toshikazu Taki) - 4:44
07. Mirror Freak (Naoki Tachikawa - Tsutomu Izumi) - 7:58
Bonus:
08. Magic Window (Cosmos Factory) - 4:34

Personnel:
- Tsutomu Izumi - vocals, keyboards
- Hisashi Mizutani - vocals, guitars, percussion
- Toshikazu Taki - vocals, bass
- Kazuo Okamoto - drums, percussion
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- Kei Ishizaka, Naoki Tachikawa - producers