Pagan folk-rockers Comus are now lauded by everyone from metalheads (Mikael Akefeldt of Opeth is a huge fan) to hipsters, but back in the early seventies they couldn’t get arrested. Indeed, they were part of the Dawn Records Peeny Tour, which, as the name implies, cost a princely one (old) penny to get in.
Their brilliant debut album “First Utterance” (1970) is highly recommended. A chilling, hypnotic blend of psych-folk and avant-garde progressive rock, it eschews conventional rock structures for a disturbing soundscape marked by twisted, pagan lyrics, feral vocals, and eerie acoustic instrumentation.
The use of violin, flute, and percussive guitar conjures a dark, woodland ritual atmosphere – equal parts beautiful and unsettling. It remains a definitive cult classic that radically pushed the boundaries of both folk and prog rock
Prog/folk/psych oddballs Comus created an ‘acid folk’ so violent and pagan that it sounds like it was unearthed from a prehistoric burial mound. Using only acoustic instruments – violins, woodwinds, and frantic hand drums – they crafted a soundworld of disturbing psychological themes and ancient, predatory myths.
The vocals are feral and shrieking, completely devoid of the ‘peace and love’ sensibilities of the early 70s. It feels genuinely dangerous, a relic of a pre-industrial era that somehow found its way onto a vinyl record during the height of the hippie movement.
The use of violin, flute, and percussive guitar conjures a dark, woodland ritual atmosphere – equal parts beautiful and unsettling. It remains a definitive cult classic that radically pushed the boundaries of both folk and prog rock.
By the way, the pastoral, haunting track ‘The Herald’ is unlike anything else on the album – and one of the most atmospheric slices of freak-folk we have ever heard. Have a listen:
Start here: First Utterance (1970)
The Fat Angel Sings 