Lately, recordings have been surfacing more and more frequently from bands that recorded music for an album in the seventies but ultimately never got the chance to actually release it. Good examples of this are Cervello and their album Chaire & Live at Pomigliano D'Arco 1973 (2025, see review), and Exit with their album Dove Va la Tua Strada? (2025, see review). Albums whose reviews are now available on our website. In addition, there is also Vesuvius with the album Twisted Tales From Warped Minds. Perhaps the name of the band and their album means absolutely nothing to you. Therefore, I will try to explain who they were and what can be heard musically on this album released through Black Widow Records. Vesuvius was an North American 1970's musical group with Northwest Indiana roots. The band incorporated elements of prog/rock, rock and roll, heavy metal, and industrial sensibilities, Vesuvius combined the theatrics of Peter Gabriel era Genesis and the psychedelic lighting effects of Hawkwind but on a bargain basement budget. Their line-up consisted of Joseph Shingler (Keyboards and vocals) Kevin Lazar ( lead vocals. flute and sax) Tom Havens (guitars and vocals) Roger Hutchins (bass and vocals) Greg Shaginaw (percussion). The track titled Dream of Youth was featured on the WKQX Hometown album with other up and coming musical talents. Joseph Shingler added the role of lead vocals for this song. He was also the one who made it possible that the old recording from the seventies became available almost fifty years later. A complete biography can be found in the booklet which comes along with this release. Here you can read how they used names such as Crimson Cult, Quartermass and Asylum before they became Vesuvius. Named after the famous Italian volcano. You can read about the problems that arose during the band's career and how they missed out on a record contract. Countless photos from that time are included and clearly show that they took things seriously back then. You see them with a Minimoog, Solina String Ensemble and Rickenbacker bass guitar, just like their musical role models and heroes played at the time. The recordings for what later on became Twisted Tales from Warped Minds originally were recorded in 1978. The music which they made at the time can be labelled as Progressive Rock, Hard Rock and Psychedelic Rock. The music was swirling, frenzied, and complex, characterized by heavy riffs, unique storylines, and a raw do-it-yourself energy. The eighteen tracks on this album certainly demonstrate that the band had the potential to become successful in the prog scene. The songs sound good and have a clear beginning and end, good choruses, and beautiful instrumental sections with many breaks and solos. The vocals also sound good, so everything was simply present to make it with the mainstream audience in the prog scene. Musically, the songs bear many similarities to what the English band Yes presented at the time. Just listen to songs like Logic Of The Lunatic, Gazing At Reality, Tales From The Lamplight, Unknown Wonder and the earlier mentioned Dream Of Youth and you'll know what I mean. Especially the keyboard work with lots of Minmoog sounds, and the bass parts might make you think you hear Rick Wakenman and Chris Squire. Sometimes even the harmony vocals sound like they did in Yes. The hard rock of the equally English Deep Purple also seems to have been a source of inspiration. Good examples are Miss Mary and On The Prowl Perhaps Jethro Tull as well, if you include the flute parts like on the opening tune Logic Of The Lunatic and Shipping Through Time. As for the theatrical aspect, as discussed earlier, the band, and especially their lead singer, manifested itself in a song like Grim Reaper and Edward The Mad Grave Digger. On Edward The Mad Grave Digger - Preamble you can hear the gravedigger talking about Ashes To Ashes and Dust to Dust. On stage, while Edward The Mad Grave Digger was being played, a sensational act involving animal blood and entrails was performed, and the wife of one of the band members was supposedly murdered. Photos of this act can be admired in the aforementioned booklet. But also, on the front and back cover of the album those theatrical elements can be seen! In addition to the recordings for the planned album, this disc also includes tracks from rehearsals and the Asylum Recordings. Everything sounds reasonably good in terms of audio quality. The bonus tracks also sound primarily like the aforementioned Yes and once again possess definite musical quality. Album favourites are also clearly present on this album, which is over seventy minutes long. Like the opening piece. The Yes inspired Logic Of The Lunatic with great parts played on the Minimoog and flute. But also, Miss Mary is a favourite with influences of Deep Purple and Yes. Also, the instrumental Gazing At Reality, which starts like Pinball Wizard of The Who is a great Yes kind of tune. The sound of the Minmoog and String Ensemble is beautiful to hear. Tales From The Lamplight with strong Minmoog parts and sounding like Yes is a strong instrumental too. But also On The Prowl, which is another mix of Deep Purple Yes music wise. Shipping Through Time with electric piano and flute parts is great with it's nice mellow break. Finally Dream Of Youth which made it on the compilation album is a great Yes kind of tune. All in all, is Twisted Tales From Warped Minds a great psych-prog-hard rock gem if you should ask me! Especially recommended to people who like Yes and Deep Purple. I enjoyed all the songs a lot and I know many out there will enjoy them too. So please check out this wonderful album released by Vesuvius. Maybe fifty years too late. But you know what they say: Better late than never! **** Henri Strik (edited by Dave Smith) Where to buy? |
