Armageddon - Armageddon (Japan Mini LP SHM-CD 2010)

Armageddon, recorded in England and brought back to the States, was one of the most inspired collaborations ever undertaken, bringing together four extremely talented musicians, three of which hailed from Steamhammer: Martin Pugh, Keith Relf, and Louis Cennamo, and now featuring Bobby Caldwell on drums. Liner notes describe the band’s music as, “breathtaking, intense, and highly sophisticated.”

Armageddon was the only album released by British/American hard rock group Armageddon in 1975. It features Keith Relf of Yardbirds and Renaissance fame, Martin Pugh, lead guitarist on Rod Stewart's "An Old Raincoat Won't Ever Let You Down" and with Steamhammer, US-American Bobby Caldwell who was the drummer of Captain Beyond and with Johnny Winter, and Louis Cennamo who was the bass player for Renaissance and Steamhammer. Armageddon sought to create a style unlike any other in rock. Armageddon was the last band to feature ex-Yardbird Keith Relf. The former lead singer and harmonica player of the band that launched Clapton, Beck and Page, Relf had abandoned his blues-guitar band roots when he founded Renaissance in the late 1960s. Relf left Renaissance after two albums (actually half way through the second album) due to frustrations with the music business and being tired of touring. However, when he created Armageddon, he became involved with one of the best guitar rock albums of the 70's. After the dissolution of Steamhammer, Relf, and ex-Steamhammer members, Martin Pugh (guitar) and Louis Cennamo (bass) came to L.A. and hooked up with ex-Captain Beyond and Johnny Winter drummer Bobby Caldwell to form Armageddon. Although the group's self-titled album was well-received by critics and fans, the band did not tour extensively, and, consequently, sales suffered. This proved to be the last stand for Relf and Armageddon. Relf returned to England due to poor health shortly after the album was released. Relf's health and reported drug use among some band members led to Armageddon failing to release any more material. Relf died shortly after returning to England, when he was electrocuted while playing guitar. He did record one more song "All the Falling Angels" that is included on an album by Illusion called Echanted Caress. (Illusion was the name the original members of Renaissance chose when they reunited. This was because Anne Haslam and her crew had become Renaissance). According to the CD booklet, Frampton recommended Armageddon to A&M Records, and because he was their top selling artist at the time, they listened to him.