Supernaut

Ok, so I consider myself a fairly open minded metal head, metal isn't the only music I like but most of the music I like at least has it's heavy moments. There really isn't any music which is too heavy, extreme or shocking for me to appreciate it if has some interesting quality. I like a lot of heavy death and black metal but I also like some more mellow stuff. Lately I've been getting into seeking out the very earliest and most obscure metal and heavy doom/psych/prog albums, and I have discovered a number of gems. I would definately call myself a doom head. Love my Sabbath and what not. Well listen up old school heads cause if you appreciate early metal then you better recognize this album!!

Supernaut is a very obsucre band from England that formed in 1973, released this one self titled album in 74' and broke up in 75'. Obviously taking their name from the Black Sabbath song from Sabbath's 1972 release Volume 4., I expected them to sound like Sabbath and the only thing I had heard about them was that they were heavy and sounded somewhat similiar to them.

Well NOT REALLY! I mean, a little, yes they are very doomy-definately doom metal-but they are heavier and more MODERN sounding than ANYTHING of that time!! Beleive me I know. Consider what other METAL came out that year, 1974,:Sabbath's Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, Judas Priest's Rocka Rolla, just to name a couple, and then listen to this album. I dare say it's about five times heavier and more MODERN sounding than either. Now don't get me wrong, these guys aren't really talented, I'm not saying that, cause they arent.First of all,there are hardly any vocals on the album and they dont kick in until exactly minute three of song three(there are only six songs in total), but the singer sounds good, don't know who to compare him to. There are keyboards but they are minimal,and the band has five members. What's suprising though is that the guitar is just SO HEAVY FOR 1974!! It's very simplistic, but guitar in doom metal generally is (also the production SUCKS and around minute 4 of song 3 the track fades in and out for about ten seconds). It's still extremely heavy FOR IT'S TIME. If you can't appreciate that I don't know what to say but you might just not like early metal like me. Before them as early as 68' was a band ahead of their time called Wicked Lady also on Kissing Spell and the ORIGINAL Iron Maiden released the very obscure Maiden Voyage in 1970. Pentagram and Bedemon had heavy stuff as early as 71' but NONE OF THAT IS NEARLY AS HEAVY AS THIS FOR 74'!! Nothing in my opinion till Venom's Welcome to Hell in 1980, 6 years later, is as heavy or heavier than this, (though the two are nothing alike and this has almost no vocals and no satanic imagery). After that in 1982 you had Bathory, Mercyful Fate and Witchfynder General's 1st releases, and the next year Metallica, Slayer,etc...So my estimation is that in terms of HEAVINESS and THE MODERN METAL SOUND this album is about 8 years ahead of it's time with only the exception of Venom 6 years later. I'm not saying they are talented, just way ahead of their time in terms of HEAVINESS. Supposedly the band felt their material was heavier than their label could handle and that's why they broke up. So metal heads, give your friends the Supernaut test...get this album, don't tell them who this band is or anything, TURN IT UP LOUD WITH THE BASS ON and have them listen to it and ask them what year they think it was originally released (on Vinyl of course). I guarantee 85 percent or more will think it was released no earlier than 1984 (10 years ahead of it's time), I personally think it could pass for 1994 given the poor production quality. Give it a spin. I think it's a lost metal gem, a true lost treasure that should be recognized by ALL metal heads, so I give it 4 stars despite the fact that these are not amazing musicians. WHO CARES?!! Did someone say Supernaut REUNION???!!.....