Quatermass' only album is a must-have for
prog rock enthusiasts, especially lovers of the keyboard-dominated style which flourished in the early '70s. Although there are only three members of the band, their histories are just as colorful as the music they produced. Keyboard player
Pete Robinson and bass man
Johnny Gustafson met drummer
Mick Underwood and founded
Episode Six, a band which included
Ian Gillan who later fronted
Deep Purple.
Underwood was also involved with
the Outlaws as well as
the Herd, only a few years before
Peter Frampton arrived. When the band finally formed
Quatermass in 1970, they had set their sights on a
power rock format which would use
Robinson's keyboards to shape their sound. Both
"Black Sheep" and
"One Blind Mice" were released as singles which fell mostly on deaf ears, but the band's sound was equally as moving as
the Nice's repertoire, for example, at around the same time.
Quatermass' sound is far from sounding hollow, isolated, or directionless, but all of the cuts are rather
rock-sturdy and instrumentally voluptuous from all points. The string work that swoops in is encompassing,
Underwood's drumming exhibits personality, and the keyboard portions are remarkably striking and distinct. Even
Gustafson's robust vocals work well within the music's structure, subsiding and ascending when called for, and all of the cuts result in worthy examples of well-built
progressive rock, in both
ballad and
power rock form. Following this album, the band broke up, with
Gustafson later doing session work for
Kevin Ayers,
Steve Hackett, and
Ian Hunter, among others, while
Robinson found new life within the
jazz-prog band
Brand X. Beautifully packaged with informative liner notes,
Quatermass sounds as resounding today as it did in 1970, and upon hearing it, one can only wonder why it was so overlooked during its release. ~ Mike DeGagne
![Quatermass [Deluxe Edition]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/5013929439740_p0_v2_s90x140.jpg)
![Quatermass [Deluxe Edition]](http://img.images-bn.com/static/redesign/srcs/images/grey-box.png?v11.13.4)
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![Pulse [Bonus Tracks]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0888751709928_p0_v4_s90x140.jpg "Pulse [Bonus Tracks]")
