When The Raven Has Come To The Earth

This long-lost 1971 Japanese heavy psych album, with strong Hendrix, Doors, Sabbath and Zeppelin touches, will be nothing short of revelatory to folks unfamiliar with the often-astonishing Japanese rock scene of the '70s. Members of Strawberry Path went on to form the seminal prog rock band Flied Egg, but here the prog elements, while decidedly present, are toned down – detectable in a mellotron that resides just underneath the perpetual freak-out of guitarist Sigeru Narumo's playing. More often than not, the band rolls, due in part to uniformly superb drumming that underpins the mixture of styles. "Five More Pennies" and "Spherical Illusion" could have been on Led Zeppelin II if it was played by Black Sabbath while "Maximum Speed Of Muji Bird" is stretched out, psychedelic garage rock. With its plethora of Western rock styles executed perfectly and messed with just a little bit, When The Raven Has Come To Earth is an excellent example of Japan's particularly inventive experimentation with rock music.