NO MAN'S LAND

Victor grew up in the USA city Detroit, where once Iggy Pop and Alice Cooper were born. In the late Sixties he was a drummer in de band Up, they were the support-act for many legendary formations, like The Stooges, Cream, Janis Joplin, Soft Machine and Jimi Hendrix. After leaving Up he went to Europe in order to broaden his musical horizon, now enjoying gigs from famous progrock bands, from Genesis and Hawkwind to Magma and PFM. After one of these concerts he met Arthur Brown who asked him to replace his keyboard player Vincent Crane (who then founded Atomic Rooster, with Carl Palmer). Although Victor only played drums, he decided to accept the challenge and went on tour with Arthur Borwn's Kingdome Come. And under the name Victor Peraino's Kingdome Come he went back tot he USA, also releasing the album No Man's Land in 1975.

On this album (in 2010 re-released on CD by the Italian prog label Black Widow Records) you can hear the wide range of influences when Victor made music as support-act in the USA and when he attended the concerts in the UK. Especially from Hawkwind (propulsive rhythms, fiery guitar and fat synthesizer flights), Jethro Tull (rock guitar and swirling flute),PFM (flute and Moog runs), Yes (powerful bass) and Atomic Rooster (in the track Demon Of Love). Victor is supported by outstanding musicians, like the dynamic drum work. The most remarkable element is the omnipresence of the majestic Mellotron flute - and choir section, especially in Empires Of Steel and Garden Of Death. But also other vintage keyboards, like the Moog, ARP and VCS-3 synthesizers,along with the Mellotron these distinctive keyboards embellish Victor his music. The sound range from space rock and symphonic rock to hardrock and even a wonderful ballad,Lady Of The Morning (exciting build-up and final part).

In 1981 Victor his band released the EP Were Next (as bonus on this CD): no Moog and Mellotron but again swinging and propulsive rhythms with fiery guitar, like late Seventies David Bowie. In the final track Athena the Hammond organ is the most important instrument, with powerful waves.

In 2009 Victor started to tour again and in 2014, he made another album entitled Journey In Time under the same group name, this time with guest appearances from Arthur Brown on five of the tracks.

If you want to enjoy the typical Sixties and Seventies 'progressive vibe' (layered with The Mighty Tron), this is an album to discover.

My rating: 3,5 star.