from the LP Death Walks Behind You, Elektra Records, 1971Had it been up to me, these guys would have done the soundtrack to the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre; for real, there is no better example of macabre prog rock than Atomic Rooster, and though the ambiance is pretty fucking heavy, one cannot deny the level of musicianship found here---to be sure, with a name like “Atomic Rooster”, you had better damn well rock! Even though the band became a repository of sorts for transient British prog musicians, never holding onto the same lineup for more than one album, you’d never know it from hearing them play. From the bombastic guitar riffing, to the werewolf-ish leprosy-having dude on the album cover, to Vincent Crane’s glorious and terrifying church organ, everything they do here falls precisely into its creepy place.
