Steamhammer
Speech

The Steamhammer is a blues rock band born at the end of the '60s. When they started blending with progressive and certain acid guitar suites, the few audiences that followed them thinned out even more. Abandoned in their homeland of Albion, they managed to survive thanks to fans in Northern Europe. Especially Germans, with whom they signed a new recording contract after some members of the group had left due to the very poor sales of the previous album. This is the band's last album. Dedicated to drummer Mick Bradley, who died of leukemia while the mixing phases of the tracks that would make up this work were being completed. There are three tracks. The first, Penumbra, lasts almost 23 minutes, divided into various segments. The other two are 12 and 11 minutes long. Released in early '72, it went practically unnoticed, also because it was slammed by critics.

In 2003, it was re-released by Akarma Records. I must publicly thank this label because little-known works are being offered today, cleaned up and perhaps with the addition of some tracks thanks to its research. I must also thank them for introducing me to this album, which, in a period of truly boring releases, so much so that it made me think that rock is about to give up the ghost (although I sincerely hope not), made me escape the present in every sense. First, because it brought me back to classic sounds: drums, electric guitar, bass, which may be retro, but which stimulate the hearing more than so much electronics and samples and let's face it, many arrangements that instead of enhancing the sound of individual instruments, flatten them into background music. Second, because this blend of theirs progs not so much in the instrumentation as in the composition of the tracks, now with entries and interludes of only bass, now with heavy acid runs, now with almost jazzy vocal passages (few to be honest), is never boring. The third track is almost entirely a drum solo with which Mick Bradley wants to bid farewell to the life that the disease will take away from him in a few days. Then nothing more. Steamhammer will dissolve. Even today critics call it a disjointed album. Maybe they're right. Comparing it to what is marketed. I recommend it only to those who love taking risks and believe that there is something else.