Blue Cheer Vincerbus Eruptum

Blue Cheer 'Vincerbus Eruptum' (Philips, 1968)

When I first started buying Kerrang!, back when it actually featured metal, although I do remember the Prince and U2 controversies, there was a rundown of the bands and records that could be considered the genesis of heavy metal. All the usual culprits were there from MC5 to Led Zeppelin. At this time they were bands that didn't interest me in the slightest as I was hungry only for thrash metal. I recall that a fortnight later, it was fortnightly back then, somebody won star letter, or similar, for suggesting that there had been a fairly large omission in the magazine's list of metal's progenitors because Blue Cheer' s debut had not featured. Again this passed me by, but the band and the album's Latin, and thus metal, volcanic sounding title always stuck in my mind.

On occasion I would catch footage of Blue Cheer performing their minor hit, a cover version of Eddie Cochran's 'Summertime Blues', on a documentary about rock/metal and I would be impressed by the volume and distortion achieved by a pre Sabbath band. There were hints of Hendrix but it definitely sounded much heavier than your standard 60's San Francisco fare. However, I was still not tempted to seek out their records or take my mild inquisitiveness any further.

In 2007, Fray convinced me to accompany him to Tilburg to attend the Roadburn festival for the first time. The main reason Fray wanted to go to Holland was to see Blue Cheer performing and I thought it sounded like a good laugh so I was happy to go along. Ricky cancelled so Yates came instead and thus began an almost annual pilgrimage.

Of the many bands I have seen at Roadburn Blue Cheer easily occupy a place in the top five. They may not have featured original guitarist, Leigh Stephens, but everything on that afternoon in April fell into place perfectly. Unlike many other venues the sound is always immaculate in the purpose built 013 and the view is uninterrupted no matter where you stand which always leads itself to a good gig experience, but when you are watching band after band of pretty similar stuff it needs something special to shine, even in such great surroundings.

Blue Cheer hit the stage at a sensible hour before Holland's many pleasures could really take hold and I was blown away. Dickie Peterson was a great frontman, whose voice was, and this is the really the only way to describe it, 'badass' and his bass was distorted to Shane Embury levels. The drumming was a perfect Ward/Bonham mix and the guitar flooded the room in distortion and downtuned dirtiness. At last Blue Cheer clicked with me and I had to get myself a copy of 'Vincerbus Eruptum' as soon as possible.

Luckily Vinyl Villains had the 2007 Japanese reprint in stock on my return and it was promptly purchased. The reprint is lovely with exact replica cover and vinyl labels so it looks great and the music is just as pleasing. The trademark wash of overdriven distortion hits you like a Coogee Beach wave and carries you away for six heavy tracks. The guitar sound has been used as the blueprint for 90% of stoner and sludge bands with Acid King, another highlight of my first Roadburn, and even Electric Wizard borrowing from Stephens four decades later.

There are three cover versions so I'm not sure if you can really view this record as a complete artistic vision but as a foundation for heavy music this record is pretty much unparalleled when it comes to its sound and vibe. If you want to know how important this band are then sit back, crack open a PBR and put on the nearly nine minute sludge jam of 'Doctor Please'. Awesome.

Peace