Beltane Fire - Different Breed (Review by Windhawk)

British based band Beltane Fire represents something unique in the annals of rock history. Until the early eighties the band was known as "The Blue Cats" and played rockabilly, and did that quite good as well. Then they landed a record contract with CBS, changed their name and their style, released their debut album as a new band; and started getting some momentum going. And then suddenly CBS decides not to follow up the release, and the band sinks without a trace - more or less. Still, the bands uniqueness isn't in their history.

Musically Beltane Fire had a sound I've never encountered either prior or since the release of their debut album. With big drums, a heavily tinged rockabilly bass, guitar picking defining the melody in most tracks in a style not totally unlike early Marillion and carefully used synths in a manner not too dissimilar to what neo prog bands did; only much more sparingly, the combined sound here was indeed something else. Add to that a ... -> show full review