Monday, December 8, 2008

Elias Hulk "Unfinished Business"

In October of 2007 I received an email of thanks For airing a piece of music from a gentleman by the name of Bernie James, drummer for a great and long gone English quintet called Elias Hulk. I thought this was pretty cool as I have been a fan of the groups lone 1970 release for quite sometime. I first ran across Elias Hulk as an aficionado of early 70's hard rock on a comp tape in the early 80's that a friend had made for me. Re-issued 1st in the 80's it wasn't until 4 years ago that I finally tracked down a euro vinyl issue on Astrozombie from some dude in Greece I think. BGO records in the UK released an official re-mastered cd version in 2007 which I have been carrying in the shop since and still spin and sell regularly. Elias Hulk were a very short lived band but their album "Unchained" from back in the day is a testament to the many young bands influenced by others and their surroundings who made their mark willingly and presumably for themselves without too many expectations. Their music was a raw combination of fairly blistering progressive-hard rock-blues and you can name drop the comparisons to Sabbath, Leaf Hound, Groundhogs, Ten Years After etc if you need too. Bernie and I struck up a dialogue and lo and behold, 38 years later, I hold a newly released official 3-song cd by Elias Hulk. Now a 4-piece with 3 album period Hulks and guitarist/singer Phil Clough (Elias Hulk '71 post LP), Bernie and the boys kick it old school all these years later with some pretty solid gusto. "Unfinished Business" leads off with "Beneath My Disguise" a great little number with some funky keys and snaking guitar interplay, solid blues leads and a pumping rhythm section. "Rock 'N' Roll Life" has a lazy rocking lope which makes me think a little of Creedence, Stones circa "Exile" and all things R&R! A perfect in the pub, beer drinkin' nugget. The eps closer, a cut entitled "Heroes" has a sadness too it from the opening progression of keys and vocals and the anthemic soaring guitar chords. The song deals with the subject of fallen comrades in arms in music and hits all the rights chords in all respects. Congrats guys and welcome to the new millennium!

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