Stone Cold Merda Posted by Junior

Black Merda: The Prophet and Good Luck From: Black Merda [Chess, 1970] One of the most depressingly familiar phrases you hear when investigating bands that slipped under the radar is "They were ahead of their time". Often used as an excuse for bands that didn't sell well this cliche can also sometimes hit the nail right on the head. One of these select groups where the statement runs true is Black Merda. Cropping up in between the fall of Hendrix and the rise of Funkadelic, Black Merda were, in their own words, the "1st Black Rock Band". Heavier than the average group of the time with a mixture of Hendrix influenced funk and Pink Floyd-esque instrumentals the band were simply not got by the buying public. You wonder how they would have been received if they had appeared on the scene after Funkadelic had broken down the expectations and perceptions of what Black rock could sound like. Anyway, being ahead of your time is pointless if you don't have the music to make a lasting impression and this band certainly have it. The Prophet kicks off their debut album with some bluesy funk, VC L.Veasey's vocals reminiscent of Hendrix as the band combine the bass heavy guitar work with soulful, political, vocals to powerful effect. I love the gritty, muffled production on these tracks, adding to the overall feel. Good luck features even more heavily dirty guitar, once again check out the harmonising the group bring over the groove. It may not be the most obvious of comparisons but the band's vocal style reminds me of Stark Reality in the way that they bring their harmonies over and outside of the basic melody structure. I can't believe this was slept on on initial release; this is deeper than deep funk rock and it's fucking fantastic. Oh yeah, almost forgot, the band have their own website and are still going strong. You can read more about them here.