Budgie

I don't know if I mentioned this band here before but If you have'nt heard of them check em out. Budgie is one of the first heavy metal bands from the late 60s early 70s. They're from Wales and have influences on a lot of great rock/metal bands including Metallica.

This song starts out kinda jazzy/bluesy and breaks into metal. It's very progressive.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTuvRC6WsMA

Posting from youtube old embedded code doesn't work?

edit - nevermind. it's there!

Here's another. Very metal then goes bluesy!

Earlier than Black Sabbath and Deep Purple?

No. They werent earlier than Black Sabbath or Deep Purple. They started around the same time in 67'. But some of their songs and even their style influenced bands like Metallica, Van Halen and Soundgarden. They weren't flashy or polished but tight and progressive. They incorporated blues, jazz, rock, and psychedelic music into their sound.

Great music. It's too bad that they got stuck in relative obscurity. They deserved international fame more than a great number of huge groups in my opinion.

I dig it man. Thanks for sharing. The sound for me is Clutch meets Porcupine Tree.

Yeah GS124. I like that they did the music they wanted to do way back then. This wasnt music for the masses. It's probably why they werent so popular then but people are rediscovering them now.

I'll check out Clutch and Porcupine Tree. I've heard of both of them over the years but never really took a listen.