Fantastic, superbly played and recorded progressive rock by Diabolus, with an atmosphere reminiscent of the early work of Court of the Crimson King (both the raw and the delicate aspects) and a strong krautrock vibe. Their superb, rare and highly prized 1972 LP, released on the German label Bellaphon, is well known amongst collectors. What is not widely known, however, is the full, incredible story behind it. Their manager persuaded Shel Talmy to finance the studio sessions in July 1971. When Shel heard the result, he was furious; he said it had ‘no commercial potential’ and sent the band back to the studio at the end of August 1971 to try again. He thought the result was even worse, sacked the band and eventually sold the recordings from the second sessions to Bellaphon in Germany in an attempt to recoup some of his money. For 35 years, the band had no idea the album had been released! The record you now hold in your hands is the original, previously unheard July session, which has been lying in a vault for over 50 years. Only ONE track (the title track) appears on the released LP, and that is a completely different version.
