Wicked Lady - Psychotic Overkill (1972)

Although little is known about this trio on fire, the reports are mainly limited to the shenanigans on stage, the use of extreme feedback and, more generally, of a quite experimental sound to the limits of psychedelia, mean?ng that there should’nt be audiophile who appreciates bands such as Black Sabbath, Motorhead, Cream, and others who enjoy a wider assessment, to not be aware of their existence, let alone because it is a mix of the three, if you are going to put them in a mold for us to communicate. This reference is therefore imperative, precisely because they are considered quite underestimated so to speak. An era far enough away, in which far from finger-pointed were musicians who lived unconventionally, as long as their overall attitude was reflected in their music, which was happening in a highly entertaining and positive way, I must say.
The music, well, this second sample of the band, which was the same year they released the album and after split up, has a strong early psy rock element, an equally green dbeat let me say (for those who understand how Motorhead have influenced the sub-genre) in ‘I’m A Freak’, a doom aesthetic and the resulting fuzzy guitars of Martin Weaver to give the pulse to the whole masterpiece, hopefully we reach ‘Voodoo Chile’, a cover of the well-known one, hence the slightly altered title, that should ‘tie the sweet’, and then, ‘Sin City’, a statement of the soul for what rock ‘n’ roll is all about, written by guys who have experienced it with all of them, quite low-key, probably in order to share it profoundly, quite confused by the lifestyle maybe in order to persuade it more, or not, I don’t know. Former drummer, Dick ‘Mad’ Smith, after the dissolution of the band, I learn, about 28, goes crazy, and the rest were probably a little too dazed and, unfortunately, couldn’t make it, there’s always the impediment of mere luck that comes with it, however they had a cult following of bike gangs, who certainly had a great time seeing them live so, I suppose I envy them ...
Next huge highlight, although from beginning to end the record is to be taken as a life experience, is the 21minute epic ‘Ship Of Ghosts’, which I read they played repeatedly in the same set, enough times to get them off stage by the owner of the venue and the public, that couldn’t take it anymore…Either way, the character of the band and the reason to be interested in listening to them are summarized very successfully in the following, from the first track of the album, if the stupid prologue is not enough for you:

No ones knows the way that I feel
Life today seems so unreal
All thoughts turn from white to black
Well, leave your number I’ll call you back
I’m a freak baby, on a losing streak
And I’m coming after you

(metalinvader.net/wicked-lady-psychotic-overkill) (by Stefanos Panopoulos - December 17, 2019)