The title of the second album Volcanic Rock by the Australian band Buffalo, released in August 1973 on Vertigo, sums it up perfectly: explosive, stormy hard rock. Led by the distinctive and raw vocals of metal singer Dave Tice, the furious riffs of guitarist John Baxter thunder over a massive soundscape created by bassist Peter Wells (later founder/slide guitarist of Rose Tattoo) and Jimmy Economou's excellent drumming. The cover, designed by Ian Brown – who also designed their debut album – also visualises this musical power very impressively. However, this had negative consequences due to the controversial motif– the depiction of a naked female torso with menstruating molten lava, upon which a Promethean figure is lifting a phallus-shaped rock. As a result, the album was banned from record stores. As it was not played on the radio either, sales were zero. Nevertheless, Volcanic Rock has become a cult classic for many fans of early metal and is therefore extremely sought-after today as an Australian original.
