Andromeda - Andromeda (1970)

German group unknown, record a solo disc for a French label for you then definitely miss their mark. The style is a hard-rock-inspired jazz-blues, where in some points very similar to the COLOSSEUM. Perhaps with some more hard you could watch a band interesting.

The disc opens with the homonymous track Andromeda, already presenting a hard-rock with keyboards in the spotlight. There is no shortage of ideas especially in jazz where the final round of the bottom seems borrowed from Valentyna Suite.
Cosmos Main Road following the introduction performed by the classical piano for one song in a half a pulled very hard rock. Beautiful work done by the keyboards.
Galaxy is a blues-rock more conventional although there are also some interesting changes with melody in choral style.
A World On A Star is a slow song for piano and organ once again in classic style.
Space Trip breaks again with a very hard-rock pulled out is where the long drum solo finish which highlights the technical qualities of Steinborn absolutely not be underestimated.
Rockets is one of the best evidence of the disk being the longest track. The starting point is the jazz-rock but scattered inside you can hear psychedelic cues that make the track more deep and fascinating.
Closes Lady Silver Star, the most pop track that adds little or nothing to the rest of the disc.

Track Listing...
01. Andromeda - 5:25
02. Cosmos Main Road - 4:57
03. Galaxy Of Beauty, Galaxy Of Nightmares - 8:05
04. A world On A Star - 4:40
05. Space trip - 7:33
06. Rockets - 8:27
07. Silvery Lady Star - 4:39

Lucifer's friend - Lucifer's Friend (1970)

This German hard rock machine, with British belter John Lawton, (later of Uriah Heep) gave birth to one of the best heavy rock albums of the early 70's. From the screaming vocals of "Ride In The Sky" (with its brass opening reminiscent of Zeppelin's "The Immigrant Song" and an almost "thrash metal" riff) to the progressive/ hard R&B of "Toxic Shadows", to the lumbering, Sabbathish doom of "Keep Goin", this album never lets up for a second. Fans of Black Sabbath, Uriah Heep, Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin must have this in their collection! Lawton is one of the best singers in hard rock, and the musicianship of the group is tremendous. Very heavy indeed for a 1970 release.

Track Listing...

1. Ride in the Sky
2. Everybody's Clown
3. Keep Goin'
4. Toxic Shadows
5. Free Baby
6. Baby You're a Liar
7. In the Time of a Job When Mammon was a Yippie
8. Lucifer's Friend

Release Music Orchestra - Garuda (1975)

Release Music Orchestra was a pretty fusion/jazz rock band coming from Germany which recorded some nice albums; the second one of its discography is this Garuda, issued in 1975, with such line-up: Wolfgang Lindner - drums, vocales; Holger Dunkel - bass; Margitta Haberland - guitar, Percussion, vocals; Norbert Jacobsen - pianpo, vocals, wind; Johannes Alto Pappert - saxophone; Jochen Petersen - saxophone; Manfred Rurup - synthesizer, keyboards, vocals; Snappy Stortebaker - bongos. Enjoy!

Track Listing...
1 Slapstick (10:18)
2 Zwischenspiel: Holger (0:45)
3 Torso Im Sommerwind (4:20)
4 Zwischenspiel: Norbert (0:47)
5 Rallye Dallye (2:18)
6 Zwischenspiel: Zabba (0:25)
7 Zwischenspiel: Manne (0:53)
8 Garuda (12:20)
9 Zwischenspiel: Margit (0:58)
10 Mama Kubu (8:10)

Gift - Blue Apple (1974)

Gift were one of those "no compromise" heavy progressive bands, who've now achieved a considerable cult status. They started up in 1969 as the school band Phallus Dei. Three years later they recorded the first Gift album at Union Studios in Munich, produced by Otto B. Hartmann. Nick Woodland was listed on the sleeve of their first album, but he had quit Gift before the recording session began to join Subject Esq., later Sahara. The album comprised eight songs with no flutes, no woodwinds and no keyboards, just plain hard guitar riffs, to be compared to Hairy Chapter.
Blue Apple (1974) was basically a heavy guitar album, but also featured keyboards courtesy of Dieter Frei (organ, piano, moog, mellotron, vocals). The album was recorded in Hamburg at Teldec Studios with Hartmann and Thomas Kukuck engineering.

Track Listing...
1. Blue Apple
2. Rock Scene
3. Don’t Waste Your Time
4. Pslam
5. Everything’s Allright
6. Go to Find a Way
7. Reflections. Part 1
8. Reflections. Part 2
9. Left the Past Behind

Weed - Weed (1971)

Between the release of Uriah Heep's albums "Salisbury" and "Look At Yourself", in 1971, Ken Hensley went to Germany to record an album for a project simply called "Weed".
This "concept" album related to an infamous rock'n'roll habit! Unfortunately the album sleeve didn't list the line-up. Aside from Ken Hensley, some members of the 1970/71 Virus line-up were also involved, Bernd Hohmann and Werner Monka at least and possibly their rhythm section as well. All six tracks were composed by the concert promoter Bobo Albes and Phillips' household producer Rainer Goltermann made sure the sessions in the Windrose Studios in Hamburg were preserved for posterity. The album comprised straight-forward heavy progressive blues-rock with twin guitars and organ to the fore, culminating in the excellent, long instrumental title track. Weed can be compared to other German heavy progsters of the era, such as Zarathustra, Blackwater Park, Epitaph and Armaggedon, as well as Ken Hensley's similarly obscure (Head Machine) album Orgasm dating from 1969 or 1970.

Track Listing...
01. Sweet Morning Light
02. Lonely Ship
03. My Dream
04. Slowin' Down
05. Before I Die
06. Weed

Wind - Seasons (1971)

West Coast 60’s inspired German psych rock band Wind's debut album, "Seasons" is a monster of the genre, for it combines a heavy Stooges rock sound complete with aggressive Iggy Pop-ish vocals, as well as a heavy dose of that Pink Floyd organ atmosphere ala Cirrus Minor.
The album leads off with 'What Do We Do Now', a track combining both of the aforementioned influences, it shifts back and forth between straight forward aggressive rock and dreamy instrumental passages. The next track, "Now It's Over" brings a softer mood to the album; an atmosphere reminiscent of King Crimson's 'I Talk To The Wind'. Following this is the beautiful piano piece 'Romance' which sounds as if it were prepared for a silent film. "Can you see the wind if blowing" asks the powerful chorus of the track 'Springwind". This track teeters between softer verses and explosive choruses and is sure to get your foot a tappin'.
'Dear Little Friend' has a main riff which is sure to remind listeners of Mountain's 'Mississippi Queen', Wind's balls-to-the-wall take on the riff is great. Finally, the album closes with the sixteen-minute 'Red Morningbird'. From its eerie acoustic guitar, vibes and harmonica opening to its equally eerie Cirrus Minor organ sound, to the primal rage Stooges rock, and its Saucerful-esque closing vocal section, this is a powerful track and should be heard.

Track Listing...
01. What Do We Do Now - 8:27
02. Now It's Over - 4:25
03. Romance - 1:34
04. Springwind - 7:10
05. Dear Little Friend - 4:16
06. Red Morningbird - 15:54

Epitaph - Epitaph (1971)

In the early/mid seventies, the German and English Rock band Epitaph was one of the "big ones" in the German Rock Business. Their feeling for good and irresistible melodies paired with powerful Rock soon made them a name to be reckoned with. Comparisons to their Anglo-Saxon idols like Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and Uriah Heep soon vanished with their own style and panache delivered on their 1971 debut album, Epitaph. Of particular note is the impressive ability and musicianship of the individual band members, giving this record a memorable and lasting presence.

Track Listing...
1. Moving To The Country
2. Visions
3. Hopelessly
4. Little Maggie
5. Early Morning
6. London Town Girl (bonus track)
7. Autumn (bonus track)
8. Are You Ready
9. I'm Trying (bonus track)
10. Changing World (bonus track)

Tyburn Tall - Tyburn Tall (1972)

Tyburn Tall is a german heavy progressive album in 1972.
If you claim yourself as a krautrock eager, then you must hear this gem. If your ears are interacted with organ frenzy, this one is a must. This is comparable with king krauter Amon Duul II’s Tanze der Lemmings, Yeti and Wolf City or Colosseum complexity; this is solid progressive. Imagine, Amon Duul II or Colosseum plays at their most dynamic and skillful stuff on entire album with only 5 personnel. Blending classical aggressiveness, organ orgasm, majestic high-pitch falsetto vocal, haphazard emotions and rock penetration. All songs are terrific; no unprog shit, no time-wasting ballad intermezzo. This album is crazy as hell. One of Deutsch great obscurity in rock n prog passage.

Track Listing...
1 War Game 13:07
2 In the Heart of the Cities (Broken People) 10:35
3 I Am Amercian Too 5:24
4 Strange Days Hiding 17:09
5 Lost Angeles [Bonus Track] 6:22
6 Bring Out Your Dead [Bonus Track] 4:19

Download links
Part 1
Part 2

Virus - Revelation (1970)

More of a classic music with progressive rock and hard nuts of course, but without saying, krautrock. The band is very competent and it was only with these two discs, where perceived influence of a psychedelic also in their sound. Lovers of Deep Purple are welcome.

Track Listing...
1. Revelation (12:14)
2. Endless Game (12:17)
3. Burning Candle (5:27)
4. Hungry Loser (10:30)
5. Nur noch zwei Lichtjahre (7:50)
6. Confusion (3:18)
7. Facts Of Death (3:38)

Night Sun - Mournin' 1972

Night Sun's only album! They mixed up frantic prog and early doom metal to create something really unique. This band was way ahead of their time, and probably one of the heaviest band in the early 70's.


Track Listing...
1 Plastic Shotgun 2:35
2 Crazy Woman 4:16
3 Got a Bone of My Own 7:49
4 Slush Pan Man 4:25
5 Living With the Dying 5:29
6 Come Down 5:49
7 Blind 4:23
8 Nightmare 3:15
9 Don't Start Flying 3:06

Armaggedon - Armaggedon (1970)

This band is from Germany.This is pretty standard hard rock. The guitar tone sounds really cool on tracks like "Round", but, overall, it just doesn't stand out from any other hard rock band. But their Spooky Tooth cover is absolutely amazing. It's rare to see a cover of a really good song improve so much upon the original. It's heavy as hell, and their improvement on the last three notes of the original main riff make it sound so much better (instead of ending with the same note three times, they play an ascending set of notes ending with a bad ass low note.). It's the difference between "damn that's a good riff" and an ear orgasm.

Track Listing...
01.round
02.open
03.oh man
04.rice pudding
05.people talking
06.better for you, better than me

Jane - Together (1972)

This debut album from this German band has very passionate and sincere music on it. The influences of blues and organ driven harder rock are treated in a psychedelic manner, and the result should please the fans of krautrock. My favorite tracks are the slow, bluesy opener and the very impressionistic song "Spain". Also the surrealistic covers of this album are very pretty, and I have seen two quite similar versions of it. I have understood, that the other albums by this band should be approached with a caution, as they do not share the style of this.

Track Listing....
1. Daytime (8:05)
2. Wind (4:52)
3. Try to find (5:24)
4. Spain (11:53)
5. Together (3:43)

6. Hangman (9:58)