Irish Coffee-Irish Coffee (1971)

Irish Coffee was a Belgian hard rock band formed in the early 1970s, emerging from the ashes of a cover band called The Voodoo. In their short five-year career, tragically cut short by the death of their drummer in a car accident and serious injuries to another member, they released only one album in 1971. The lineup included singer and guitarist William Souffreau, drummer Hugo Verhoye, keyboardist Paul Lambert, bassist Willy De Bisschop, and guitarist Jean Van Der Schueren. Their generic hard rock style was driven by a heavy Hammond organ, clear psychedelic influences, and a driving rhythm that drew from funk and blues. Heavy boogie-rock tracks like "Can't Take It" showcase the established hard rock formula of the era, where clever compositions become intoxicating pieces, as is the case with the captivating "The Beginning of the End". Funk invades the rhythm of "The Show (Part 1)", while blues does the same for the second part of the same track. But misfortune would prevent this first and only work from having any further release, beyond a series of singles that years later would be included on the CD reissue of this forgotten progressive hard rock album.