Virus-Revelation (1971)

This German band, whose name might sound pejorative by the time we write this post (for obvious reasons that don't need mentioning), was founded in the early 70s and only released two interesting albums, though they had little commercial or media impact at the time of their release. Formed around a core of guitarist Werner Monka and organist Dieter Krahe, the band was rounded out by vocalist and flautist Bernd Hohmann, bassist Reinhold Spiegelfeld, and drummer Wolfgang Rieke. Their style was based on hard rock with psychedelic influences and hints of space rock, a style that could be classified as classic krautrock. Their first album is the most focused on these sounds, with several long, drawn-out tracks that reveal their influences, ranging from the more psychedelic Deep Purple to the more spacey Pink Floyd. Right from the opening track, “Revelation”, the band showcases the lysergic journeys of Phillip Perceptrons, led by Syd Barrett, which surprisingly evolves into a heavy and dark psychedelic version of the Rolling Stones' “Paint It Black”, “Endless Game,” on the other hand, is a dynamic progressive hard rock track with constant tempo changes that ultimately transforms into an extended psychedelic jam. The rest of the album follows similar paths, with tracks like “Burning Candle” and “Hungry Loser”, a clear nod to the sound of Jimi Hendrix, and the psychedelic and progressive “Nur Noch Zwei Lichtjahre”. Shortly afterward, several members left due to musical differences, and the band reformed with new members, releasing their second album, “Thoughts”. This album marked a departure from the musical approach of their debut, leaning towards the more predictable sounds of classic hard rock, a shift that would ultimately cut short the career of this otherwise excellent German band.