This is a Spanish band that was founded in the early Seventies when three young guys met at school in Seville, the cradle of flamenco. But their music had nothing in common with Prog Andaluz (like Smash, Triana and Medina Azahara): they started to play covers from The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Cream and Guess Who. But soon after a fourth member on organ had joined and the band had changed their name from Los Tormentos into The Storm, everybody was impressed by the progressive hardrock of Led Zeppelin and especially Deep Purple. Then Storm changed their musical direction: a heavy rock sound with omnipresent Hammond organ work. They joined gigs with known Spanish rock bands Smash and Maquina! and gradually The Storm became pretty popular among the hardrock aficionados. In 1974 the band released their eponymous debut album, the single Ive To Tell You Mama/Its Allright even reached the top in the Spanish charts! And The Storm impressed Freddy Mercury when they were support-act for Queen during one concert, the sky looked very bright .... but unfortunately due to different reasons like work overload, miliairy service and a changing musical taste in Spain, things didnt work out as planned and foreseen. In 1979 their second album entitled El Dia De La Tormenta was released but with a new bass player and a hardly recognisable sound, a bit of a sad goodbey. Perhaps we can cynically conclude that The Storm was a heavy but short one.

On their debut album The Storm delivers mainly rock songs with simple (mainly) English lyrics, heavy guitarwork and cascades of Hammond organ (great solos in Woman Mine and Its All Right), often Atomic Rooster (John DuCann line-up) comes to my mind because of the swirling Hammond organ, fiery electric guitar and exciting heavy climates. At some moments The Storm surprises the listener with interesting musical ideas like in the long and progressive Crazy Machine (biting wah-wah guitar and jazzy interlude with outstanding Hammond work), I Dont Know (break with swinging rhythm guitar and lush Hammond) and Experiencia Sin Organo (Black Sabbath meets Led Zeppelin with heavy guitar runs and .. no organ as the title suggests).

If you like Hammond drenched progressive hardrock like Atomic Rooster, Uriah Heep and Deep Purple, this band is worth to check out.

Erik Neuteboom