Biography
Gnidrolog are one
of the more overlooked bands that took part in the progressive
rock explosion in Britain around 1971 -73. Why the band is nearly
forgotten nowadays is a mystery to me. When Mike (the other
guy behind this site) first played me Lady Lake, my jaw
literally dropped. Expecting some banal proto-progressive stuff,
I was pleasantly surprised to hear powerful, full-blown progressive
rock with an dark, original feel. The best comparisons I can
make would be to groups like Van der Graaf Generator, Jethro
Tull and Gentle Giant, and Gnidrolog often meets the same level
of brilliance as those bands. Of course, it would be a mistake
to say that Gnidrolog were simply heavily influenced by these
bands, since the group was coexisting, and rose to prominence,
in tandem with them.
In fact,
judging from their gig history, Gnidrolog were fairly integral
to the prog scene at the time, playing shows with everyone from
Colloseum, Wishbone Ash and Greenslade to Gentle Giant, Soft
Machine, King Crimson and even Magma. So why hasn't anyone ever
heard of these guys? Why are they forever condemned to the obscurity,
only to be uncovered years later by only the most intrepid of
prog archaeologists? Well, maybe the fact that they only released
two albums had something to do with it. Besides that, I'll be
damned if I can figure it out. Actually, Gnidrolog recently
reformed and put out a new studio album, Gnosis, which
has gotten some good reviews, though I haven't heard it yet.
Still, pick up In Spite of Harry's Toenail or better
yet, their opus Lady Lake, and prepare to be bowled over.
- Greg Northrup
[July 2001]
In
Spite of Harry's Toenail (1972)
IIn
Spite of Harry's Toenail
contains many of the same traits as its follow up, the masterful
Lady Lake. Colin Goldring's dark, demanding vocal delivery,
which commands attention in much the same way that Peter Hammill's
does. Alongside this are the group's complex, multi-instrumentalist
talents, lending a Gentle Giant-like feel to many of the pieces.
Cello, saxophone and various wind instruments abound, along
with the searing guitar of Stewart Goldring. This album is definitely
a grower however, unlike the relatively immediacy and great
songwriting of Lady Lake. In Spite of Harry's Toenail
is a denser, darker, heavier and more complex beast.
The
two part "Long Live Man Dead" is, to put simply, an utter classic.
This cut utterly smokes, with savage guitar riffs from Stewart
Goldring to accompany a great vocal line and a powerful, percussive
attack as the song shifts through its many phases. "Snails"
is simply frenetic, building up into a closing climax of pure
chaos and crashing instruments. "Time and Space" is actually
quite pretty through its initial verses, but builds into densely
orchestrated chaos later in the song. The closing title epic
is another major highlight, heavy, complex, emotional and aggressive,
like the rest of the album.
This
is certainly a great album, but definitely tougher to get into
than Lady Lake. I would suggest that one start there
first before moving onto their first album. In Spite of Harry's
Toenail is ambitious, complex and energetic, and is just
as often viewed as the better of the two albums. Personally,
I see Lady Lake as the more refined, mature work, with
a greater song writing grasp, making it the preferable entry
point for beginning to enjoy this great band.
- Greg Northrup
[July 2001]
Click
Here for Tracklist and Lineup Info
Lady
Lake (1972)
An obscure classic
from the 70s recently re-released on CD, Lady Lake is
a dark symphonic epic in the vein of other early, blues-inspired
progressive rock. The band draws from the sounds of early Tull,
Gentle Giant and Van Der Graaf Generator, while adding more
folk and medieval touches due to the prominent addition of woodwind
instruments. The keyboard presence is sparse, with the exception
of a small bit of piano on "Same Dreams", but is not missed.
The majority of
the songs start out as do many other typical rock pieces of
the time, but build in intensity and complexity over their respective
courses. This is most evident on "I Could Never Be a Soldier",
which starts out as a rather simple, song-oriented piece, but
is then transformed into a chaotic maelstrom of haunting vocals,
wailing sax and pounding bass. Colin Goldring's vocal delivery
is often reminiscent of Peter Hammill, especially on the powerful
"Ship".
The title track
shows the band at their most complex, instrumentally, featuring
different stylistic variations throughout. This includes a jazz
influenced introduction as well as the appearance of various
woodwinds and brass instruments at various points. The rest
of the song takes on more of a Van Der Graaf vibe, with a powerful
dirge-like feel and chaotic squeaks and squawks from the sax
and cello. The final track, "Social Embarrassment", is also
full of interesting instrumental and vocals ideas, and displays
the most resemblance to Gentle Giant. Lady Lake is a
fine example of dark symphonic prog, with overtones of early
Tull, VdGG, Gentle Giant, as well as distinct medieval-sounding
influences. Overall, the album comes highly recommended to fans
of the aforementioned bands, as well as devotees of early symphonic
prog in general
- Mike Prete [February 2001]
A very surprising and overlooked album of
dark progressive rock from the early 70s. Gnidrolog definitely
sounds like a mixture of early Jethro Tull and Van Der Graaf
Generator, with heavy emphasis on both flute and saxophone.
Much of the songs are structured around fairly conventional
vocal melodies, with cool lyrics backed by familiar song structures,
before breaking into incredible chaotic james full of flute,
sax and guitar interplay. The opening two tracks, "I Could
Never Be A Soldier" and "Ship" are mindblowing, full of dark
melodies led by Colin Goldring, who bears an emotional tone
with a passing resemblance to Peter Hammill.
Overall, this
a vastly underrated album that must have been overshadowed by
other prog gems of the same time. Great work what will
appeal to fans looking for a unique, dark mix of early Tull
and VdGG.
- Greg Northrup [February 2001]
