The Norman Haines Band was the follow-up project to Locomotive by the legendary keyboardist and singer Norman Haines from Birmingham. Under his leadership, a band with a completely new line-up was formed, comprising lead guitarist Neil Clarke, bassist and singer Andy Hughes, and drummer Jimmy Skidmore. His record label, Parlophone, initially gave him another chance to record an album. The recordings took place in the spring of 1971 at the famous Abbey Road Studios in London, with Tony Hall as producer, who had also worked on the Locomotive album.

With Haines’ powerful vocals and keyboard playing, and Clarke’s expressive guitar work at the forefront, they showcased a stylistic diversity ranging from razor-sharp hard rock, distinct progressive rock, blues and psychedelic elements right through to pure folk. However, like some other bands of that era, the Norman Haines Band also struggled at times to establish a sound all of their own.

Their debut album, Den Of Iniquity, was released in September 1971 with a grim cover illustration by the German artist Heinrich Kley. Unfortunately, the record label lost all interest in marketing it, and many British retailers refused to stock the album because of its grotesque cover. As a result, this progressive rock classic sank without a trace and is now extremely rare and, consequently, very expensive. One of the true progressive rock giants and one of the world’s most sought-after LPs for collectors!