If there are any aspiring musicians out there reading this right now that might be contemplating adopting a role model or guru, someone to help you steer their path through the highs and lows that will hopefully lead them to the promised land of fame and fortune, then I suggest you look no further than Damon Fox and his band Bigelf.

Formed in Los Angeles back in 1991 the band, through its various incarnations, have stuck by their own sugar coated vision of doom dipped psychedelia through think and thin, refusing to conform with whatever the mainstream rock scene had to throw at them in the absolute belief that one day their time would come.  Having released their 'Cheat the Gallows' album in 2008, they subsequently toured the globe in support of Dream Theater's Progressive Nation tour throughout most of 2009.  Bigelf could be more recently found at just about every rock festival there was worth playing this summer, and suddenly you start to get the feeling that perhaps right now is the time for the world to discover the delights of Damon and his crew.

Expertly timed to maximise the wider exposure garnered through the band's hectic touring schedule, the bands UK label have revamped and repackaged the band's back catalogue for those of us curious enough to want to dig deeper into their long unavailable recorded past.

The band's first tentative steps into underground infamy came with the Sylvia Massey co-produced 'Closer To Doom EP' which is expanded here from its original six track length to a whopping fourteen tracks.  For me this 1995 release is perhaps the most potent mix of the band's influences, with Damon and his cohorts effortlessly bridging the gap between Sixties Psychedelia and Glam Rock, never losing the focus of the song (no track breaks the six minute barrier here) in a blur of Hammond driven rock splendour.  Of the abundance of extras on offer here you get a choice selection of demos and live tracks, with 'Smell The Daisies' and 'I The Jury' being the candy covered best of the bunch. 'Closer To Doom' was indeed a clear message to all comers that Bigelf were in this for the long haul and were no fashion victims, well other than maybe via their own line in hats and boot cut satins and silks.

By the time the band's second album 'Money Machine' was being recorded in the summer of 1997, the band had not only moved to being a trio but were also building on their underground status through a deal with Swedish record label, Record Heaven, a deal that would ultimately see the band through the next stages of their career and ultimately into big label territory.  Capturing the more Progressive side of the band's song writing, the nine track original version of 'Money Machine' is here boosted by five additional tracks including a rip-roaring studio run though of Think Lizzy's 'Bad Reputation' within a slew of live tracks from the band's 'Goatbridge Palace EP' that once again gives you the chance to hear their take on Black Sabbath's 'Sweat Leaf'.

It's rather fitting that the two influences that help bring the expanded version of the band's debut full-length album to a close also helped shape the Bigelf sound for the next stage of their career.  Indeed as the new millennia dawned the band would soon become the half Finnish half American band we all know today.  Cue their first major label deal with Warner Music Sweden, and their second full length album release entitled 'Hex' that graced us with its presence in 2003.  The original twelve track version of the album is expanded here into a sixteen track behemoth of all encompassing Progressive Stoner Glam, and is the album that would ultimately lead to the band's current US deal with Linda Perry's Custard Records.  Unfortunately as the sleeve notes and press sheet that accompany this CD do not list any of the extra tracks, I'm at a bit of a loss as to what to tell you about this other than to say that they all sound like demos from the 'Hex' era and feature a great run through of 'Bats in the Belfry II', which could almost be entitled 'Bats in the Belfry III' I guess, as it's the third version contained on this CD.

Trying to do justice to a band's two decades of existence on one side of A4 is never an easy task, but when it's a band like Bigelf, a band who have developed their sound and audience without pandering to the mainstream, a band who remain passionate, yet humble in their art, the consistent quality of their back catalogue and ultimately these reissues really do make the job that little bit easier

Go on treat yourself and get yourself some Wonka Metal ...NOW!!!!!!

http://www.myspace.com/bigelf