WARHORSE

The group was formed around Nicky Simper unfairly dismissed from Deep Purple, and he got some help from record executives. And unfortunately this dismissal will hover over the group's short recording career. Holt, who will go on as the singer on Wakeman 80's albums, provides solid vocals is the main asset for the band although Wilson's sometimes double KB attack (piano-organ) on Solitude is clearly a plus also.

An excellent Hammond-driven hard rock sometimes reminiscent of Vanilla Fudge, but never far away from Purple either, their dynamic but derivative songwriting is both a strength and a weakness in that they will never really manage their own sound. See the second track No Chance and Ritual (a rip-off of Wring That Neck but as if done by the Mk II line-up of Purple) for the all-too-obvious Purple influences. They will obviously try out for commercial success with St Louis cover (actually it sold fairly well as a single) , but the highlight of the album is the closing Woman of The Devil with the Hammond wailing in the pure Mark Stein (Vanilla Fudge) style, before Holt taking over a funky bass then a Lord-Blackmore exchange again reminiscent of you-know-who!

Representative of the average hard rock developed at the time, this first album is definitely not essential but should be in most 70's prog fan's shelves!