Arcadium - 1969 - Breathe A While - 01. I'm on my way 1

ARCADIUM were a late 60's psychedelic band fronted by songwriter, 12-string guitarist and lead vocalist Miguel Sergides. Sergides was joined by Graham Best on bass and vocals, Allan Ellwood on organ and vocals, John Albert Parker on drums and Robert Ellwood on lead guitar and vocals. Like many, they played the clubs until a small label by the name of Middle Earth - who released a whopping total of five albums - finally approached them. In 1969, "Breathe Awhile" was issued on an LP, the only album the band ever recorded. It has lately been reissued in cd format by German label Akarma.

ARCADIUM's ominous, cathedral-like organ, distorted guitar and anguished vocals are clearly derivative of bands such as the DOORS, IRON BUTTERFLY and VANILLA FUDGE - very much in the 'downer-heavy' school of the genre that was popular at the time. Their album is something of a bad-trip soundtrack that relies on minor-key melodies, ghostly harmonies and anguished vocals. What with all its flaws - bad production, sloppy vocals and doomesday atmospherics - its historical significance is immense. The music's intensity and sense of urgency, the blazing acid-drenched guitars, the tortured vocals and heavy nightmarish sounds all perfectly convey the late 60's atmosphere.

Fans of heavy psychedelia in search of a genuine dose of 60's nostalgia will love this band.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Arcadium
• Heavy
• Prog
• Space
• Rock
• Breathe
• While

[sigmapleide]

@FuzzandDistortion

True. And it's hard to find something original in that era.

[fucheduck]

2:18 sitar?

also that twelve string is very signature from Miguel, he plays it like that throughout the albumn.

like the was Chris Squire plays bass in "Going for the One" and "Tormato" and "Fish out of Water" signature.

[robcmoseley]

Far out. I had this album nicked at a party in 1970 and Ive not heard it since. A certain place and time. You just had to have been there...

[fucheduck]

get out of that mason labrinthine of wizard's arcane lore or whatever it is and breathe for a while.

[Impression08]

holy hell, that's some really good pink floyd influence.

[FuzzandDistortion]

"historical significance is immense"? Say what?

After reading ur comments I was eager to listen to this (I read another similar review elsewhere) so I listened to the whole album here and it didnt make an impression on me that it seems to have made on some others. I didnt find it particularly creative or original or simply real good of its type. Its ok, but nothing stands out to me; it just seems typical for the era and quite honestly rather repetitive if not tedious at that.