FLOWER TRAVELLIN BAND - Satori

Possessing the vision to select Akira Joe Yamanaka as their vocalist, the Flower Travellin boys elevated themselves above other Japanese bands of the time, whose efforts were largely confined to imitating British and American bands of the era. Satori , which was released in 1971, is a conceptual hard rockpsych album driven by Hideki Ishimas furious guitar licks which erupt and explode over the harmonic heart beat of the drums and bass and Yamanakas banshee-like vocal style which was turning him into an occidental Iggy Pop or Ozzy Osbourne while the band itself was rapidly becoming Japans answer to Led Zeppelin or Black Sabbath. Satori is a huge album in every way. From power chords to Easterntinged North African six string freak-outs and crashing tom-toms, the band flexes its collective muscle from start to finish.