Ashkan ● In From the Cold

Martin Popoff, in his The Collector’s Guide to Heavy Metal, Volume I: The Seventies, has this to say in regards to Ashkan’s In From the Cold: “Recommended for those who think vintage is desirable at the expense of desirability.” He could be talking about record collecting in general, of course, but his critique here is particularly valid. Ashkan’s 1970 debut is highly sought after not for the musical contents contained within—fairly pedestrian B-grade blues rock—but for the album’s status as the first-ever record released on Deram’s Nova imprint. “Take These Chains” and “One of Us Two” both justify the label’s support, two songs aided greatly by the guitar work of future Fleetwood Mac member Bob Weston, but the remaining six tracks are fairly dismal stabs at blues-flavored heavy metal. The more than 12-minute-long “Darkness” is a muddy, fairly depressing entry into the progressive rock sweepstakes, while “Stop (Wait and Listen)” and “Practically Never Happens” reveal a group still honing its songwriting skills. In the end, it didn’t much matter—Ashkan broke up before the album was released. Incidentally, a recent eBay search shows an original copy of this album selling for a mere $24.99. I guess that qualifies as neither vintage nor desirable.

Notes: Ashkan guitarist Bob Weston recorded two albums with Fleetwood Mac between 1972-1973 (Penguin and Mystery to Me). Here is “One of Us Two” from In From the Cold: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnE3kSEOeyQ.