Fraction "Moon Blood" LP

• One of the most revered private press psych-rock records ever made - raw, tortured, and utterly singular.
• For fans of: The Stooges, MC5, The Doors, Blue Cheer, Pentagram

There are very few albums in the psych/punk/hard rock/private press strata that garner the sort of universal awe and accolades that Fraction's almighty Moonblood album does, and even fewer records dubbed "Christian Rock" that incur such fierce devotion. Some records just meteorically lift themselves out of any genre tag with brilliance and sheer defiance - and Moonblood is surely one of them.

Based in LA, Fraction was a ragged collection of working-class musicians: Jim Beach (vocals), Don Swanson (lead guitar), Curt Swanson (drums), Victor Hemme (bass), and Robert Meinel (rhythm guitar). The Moonblood recording took place at Whitney's Studio in Glendale, CA, early in 1971. On a strict budget, these songs were recorded in less than three hours - all of them "one takes." All five members played simultaneously with no studio effects, no overdubbing, and no additional sound effects.

Particularly noteworthy is Beach's vocals - the spirit of Jim Morrison is conjured in his deep baritone, which gives way to unparalleled pained howls. Lead guitarist Don Swanson's blown-out fuzz riffs set a template for what is now commonly known as "stoner rock" or "acid punk." The album was pressed in a run of but a few hundred to little attention in the day, but now originals command thousands of dollars. Enjoy this all-inclusive reissue.