Keyboardist J. Peter Robinson, bassist and singer John Gustafson, and drummer Mick Underwood were three experienced musicians in the London music scene who founded the promising band Quatermass there in 1969. At the height of the progressive rock era, they pursued a style of hard prog rock built on a foundation of keyboards rather than guitars, which was quite unusual at the time. Only a few bands, such as Dr. Z or ELP, worked with this instrumentation. Thanks to their good connections, they soon secured a record deal with EMI. The power trio recorded their eponymous debut album in the spring of 1970 at EMI’s Abbey Road Studios. High-energy, heavy keyboards drive this power-rock album, skilfully supported by a strong rhythm section and a bassist who also served as lead vocalist with a powerful voice. A few tracks are enhanced by string arrangements.

The LP was released in May 1970 on the progressive label Harvest, featuring a superbly designed, surreal gatefold cover by Hipgnosis, depicting several pterosaurs soaring between two futuristic, metallic skyscrapers. The album received good reviews and was already considered one of the best on the Harvest label at the time of its release. Nevertheless, it failed to achieve commercial success despite several promotional tours in Europe and the USA. A lack of financial support from the record company ultimately led to the break-up of the band. However, the cult status of the band and their sole album has grown steadily over the decades since its release.