Lion Productions US Vinyl & CDs

Review: A veritable sonic warhammer in the unconscious sub-terrain that is British hard rock, Jerusalem's self-titled record was first released in 1972, yet came reissued in 2021 via Lion Productions in the run-up to its almost full half-century anniversary. Fronted by Deep Purple's very own Ian Gillan, Jerusalem's brand of proto-heavy metal was raw and razor-edged in sound, with very little effects or treatment applied to its instrumental parts, a flex that signifies pure talent. Gillan's vocals on the likes of 'Frustration' and 'Primitive Man', the album's highlights, are snarly but tempered by a real 'down for it' emotion, as propulsive electric strums abound in the surround mix, nailing the album's overarching theme of sexuality and tantalisation.