Flower Travellin’ Band really surprised me. With a name like that, I was not expecting to be listening to a Japanese proto-metal record. The band’s guitar work is all about droning distortion, and the singer shouts more than sings, a lot like Ozzy Osbourne. Their first full-length album was all covers, apparently featuring the first ever Black Sabbath cover song. They also did a take on King Crimson’s 21st Century Schizoid Man, and this 1971 record, Satori, sounds like a healthy mix of those two bands’ early work.
In 1973 they were going to be the opening act for the Rolling Stones’ Japanese tour, but Mick Jagger’s visa was rejected so all of the concerts were cancelled. So sad.
