Purple Overdose - Exit #4 (Reissue) (1988/1999)

PURPLE OVERDOSE were founded in Athens, Greece in 1987 by lead guitarist and vocalist Costas Constantinou. The band seeks to recreate the psychedelic atmosphere of the mid 1960's while blending hard rock, jazz, oriental and even some folklore into their music. The lyrics in English written by Constantinou, can be described as poetic and somewhat sentimental, and draw inspiration from the flower power movement of the 1960's. They embrace ideals of nature and freedom of spirit.

The band has released 9 albums: 5 studio albums, 3 live albums and a compilation album. The first album Exit 4 was released in 1988 and received critical acclaim. The arrangements on this debut album are slightly simpler than on later albums, incorporating elements of hard rock with psychedelia. The second album, Indigo (1990) marks a move towards more complex compositions. The next album to follow is the same-titled Purple Overdose introducing the flute (Vasilis Kapanikis) and elements of jazz, and a further move towards more progressive compositions. In the same vein is their forth album, Solemn Visions (1996) which experiments in places with a curious mixture of blues and oriental influences. The fifth studio album, Reborn, released in 1999, is arguably the pinnacle of their career. This album features longer spacier compositions, and again a variety of styles, showing the band at full maturity. Of the live releases of particular note is The Salmon's Trip whose title is taken from the track Reborn, a track which describes the life cycle of the salmon fish. There is also a composition album, Painting The Air which consists of tracks from the earlier years, as well as three previously unreleased compositions.

Purple Overdose have created the sound reminiscent of the 1960's while managing to produce modern, unique compositions to great effect, experimenting with a wide variety of sounds and styles. They are similar in style to The Smell Of Incense. Flower power lives on!