Let us first clear something up: this is not the Armageddon whose name may well have drawn you in. It’s not a befuddled misspelling of Keith Reif’s 70s troupe. To not know of this particular Armaggedon, a short-lived (and they really do redefine such a phrase) German blues-rock collective, isn’t something to be ashamed of – though it’s an issue that really ought to be addressed.
Six hastily-assembled tracks here represent their complete works; that two are covers epitomizes the speed at which they were thrown together. Regardless, these are fluid, tight-knit blues-rock slaloms, with Frank Diez (a relative newcomer here) leading the inquisitive wandering.
You’re obliged to follow, too. His guitar features aggressively high in the mix, the incessant soloing something you’re inclined to believe in, rather than seek an exit strategy from. That’s not to say that it swamps proceedings. Oh Man brings a weaving bassline and driving drum rhythm, while Open dampens everything down to make way for Diez’s finest withdrawn, almost Bowie-esque vocal. Immediate attention might go to the cover of The Jeff Beck Group’s Rice Pudding, but to single out any track would be doing a disservice to a meandering, epic disc that belies its age.
