Why the hell not? Let's delve deep into darkest psychedelia and prog-rock, so deep in fact, that we go Greek, in the company of Demis Roussos before be became a tent-sized kaftan-wearing behemoth solo artist, and Vangelis Papathanassiou before his brilliant period of film score fame. Joined by Loukas Sideras and Silver Koulouris, this, their final album, 666, an epic double released in 1972, was a tour de force of experimentation, reinterpreting the Book of Revelation, of which the Four Horseman is probably the best known. It may even be their best work.
What stands out is Roussos's high vocals, Vangelis's chiming bells and synth sounds, and the dramatic drumming of Sideras. The sound has influenced many artists and has been echoed on everything from Beck's Chemtrails with a similar structure, to the vocals on the The Verve's The Rolling People. And in classic prog-psych mode, the lyrics retell the apocalyptic story in Revelations 6 of the lamb of God opening the four seals to the horsemen of pestilence, war, famine and death. Magnificently otherworldly and admirably indulgent, as well as groundbreaking.
And when the Lamb
Opened the first seal
I saw, I saw the first horse
The horseman held a bow
Now when the Lamb
Opened the second seal
I saw, I saw the second horse
The horseman held a sword
The leading horse is white
The second horse is red
The third one is a black
The last one is a green
The leading horse is white
The second horse is red
The third one is a black
The last one is a green
And when the Lamb
Opened the third seal
I saw, I saw the third horse
The horseman had a balance
Now when the Lamb
Opened the fourth seal
I saw, I saw the fourth horse
The horseman was the pest
The leading horse is white
The second horse is red
The third one is a black
The last one is a green.
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