Bram Stoker
Heavy Rock Spectacular

THE REVIEW

Music has always marked its history with bands that managed to record an album or just a few songs.

In Progressive, one of the many meteoric bands that defined this genre, but should not be underestimated, is Bram Stoker, a mysterious group that in 1972 succeeded in not going entirely unnoticed in the rock scene with their only album Heavy Rock Spectacular.

First, a bit of history about this album: reissued on vinyl by the Italian label Black Widow and re-released on CD by Audio Archives with a different cover and titled Schizo Poltergeist. The information about the group is very scarce, the result of hallway rumors, some talk about a session organized by session musicians and directed by a certain T. Brondson.

The elements for a good listen are all present, Progressive with strong gothic influences and with extensive use of the Hammond organ, somewhat in the style of Black Widow, but not lacking in originality: from the name alone, one can infer a heavy sound, with some tracks where the use of the organ is almost maniacally predominant (a bit like E, L & P's Tarkus), yet despite this, it remains linear, almost "light", 37 and a half minutes that pass leaving you with extreme ease an anguish and a sense of terror worthy of masters like the aforementioned Black Widow or even the Black Sabbath.

This album is proof that rock is a lover of whom you can never be certain you know everything about; it can always catch you by surprise and give you the best (or worst) moments of your life, as this album has been able to do.