The foreboding crawl of the Hammond organ is what made Van Der Graaf
Generator one of the darkest and most engrossing of all the early progressive
bands. On H to He Who Am the Only One, the brooding tones of synthesizer
and oscillator along with Peter Hammil's distinct and overly ominous voice
make it one of this British band's best efforts. Kicking off with the
prog classic "Killer," an eight minute synthesized feast of
menacing tones and threatening lyrics, the album slowly becomes shadowed
with Van Der Graaf's sinister instrumental moodiness. With superb percussion
work via Guy Evans, who utilizes the tympani drum to its full extent,
tracks like "The Emperor in His War-Room" and "Lost"
are embraced with a blackened texture that never fades. The effective
use of saxophone (both alto and tenor) and baritone from David Jackson
gives the somberness some life without taking away any of the instrumental
petulance. H to He is carpeted with a science fiction theme, bolstered
by the bleak but extremely compelling use of heavy tones and the absence
of rhythms and flighty pulsations. This album, which represents Van Der
Graaf in their most illustrious stage, is a pristine example of how dark
progressive rock should sound.
(by Mike DeGagne, All
Music Guide)
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