Taking their name from a character in a John Milton masque, Comus was a short-lived yet powerful folk-rock band that seems to have made an attempt to mix elements of progressive rock with the influences of Pentangle, Fairport Convention and other more traditional folk outfits. Their debut, First Utterance (1971), was followed by To Keep From Crying in 1974, moving into even more experimental sounds. Original copies of the first album still command remarkable prices, despite recent reissues by BGO in the U.K. and Si-Wan in Asia.
Their “Complete Collection” has also now been issued on CD, which is well worth a listen , not least for “Children of the Universe”.
Comus reunited in the late 2000s and played several shows, starting with the Mellotronen Festival in March 2008. They have also stated that they are working on new material. |
