Heavy

The members of Iron Butterfly were still finding their footing as heard on these songs from their 1968 debut. The main reason they sounded so different on all following albums is because they lost three members shortly after the album was released. Although these didn’t resonate in the same way as the music from their sophomore album, Heavy makes good on its title with unapologetically psychedelic rock played at loud volumes. Their trademark organ sets the tone on “Possession” before plodding riffs and rhythms cast spooky tones under Doug Ingle’s haunted-sounding vocals. “Unconscious Power” puts a little of the era’s go-go charms into the mix making for something that girls in paisley mini-dresses could groove to under a liquid light show, while the darker “You Can’t Win” lets loose some of that good old-fashioned acid-rock with heavier guitar riffs, foreboding lyrics and menacing keyboards that all come together to sound like a sibling song of a Doors tune. They saved the best for last with the instrumental “Iron Butterfly Theme.”