Originally released locally on CD-Rs (30 copies only), here is the 2010 debut LP from Cambridge, England's Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats. The same year, Vol.1 saw a bootleg vinyl release (extremely limited), and now, the wait is finally over, as Rise Above Records properly brings back the coveted 8-tracker. Although it was 2011's Bloodlust that earned the band a larger recognition (including opening for Black Sabbath's 2013 reunion tour), Vol.1 certainly established a fervent, cult-like fanbase for the Kevin Starrs-fronted group. Take a listen to the album and it's easy to see why; indebted to the late '60s and early '70s (the band has been described as "the original Alice Cooper band jamming in a cell with early Black Sabbath and the Stooges"), the band's raw stoner rock/proto-metal/psychedelic sound is an authentic look back at some of the biggest names in classic rock, and fans of that vintage good good will certainly appreciate this welcome repress. Check out "Crystal Spiders," "Dead Eyes of London," "Lonely and Strange," and "Witches Garden" (love the horror-themed lyrics also: "I can feel two spiders in my mind / Tangled thoughts in webs they left behind").

• dark purple / brown / green colored vinyl (please note: vinyl color is very dark, may appear black under normal lighting)
• includes full color printed lyric insert
• original release year: 2010
• music label: Rise Above Records 2024

reviewed by nakaveli 10/2017