HELL BELOW (BOX SET) by EAST OF UNDERGROUND

After the Wax Poetics reissue- Now Again comes ultra heavy! Soul, funk and rock recorded by US Army Servicemen during the height of the Vietnam War and released as albums by the US Army as recruitment tools !United States Army soldiers made the music contained in this three box-set during the politically turbulent early 70s, towards the end of the Vietnam War. East of Underground, The Black Seeds and The Sound Trek were bands comprised of soldiers stationed in bases across Western Germany. While little is known about the bands, the players, and the milieu they came from - other than what can be pieced together from a handful of photos and documents found in a box in the New York Public Library, and the vague recollections of some of those involved – Now-Again Records have worked diligently with the United States Army and researchers the country over to present this important document – and some damn good soul and funk music. Only one former band member has come forward during the assembly of this anthology, which has lead us to question: where did these talented performers land after their winning performances in Army-sponsored Battle Of The Bands contests afforded them (musical) tours across European Army bases? Perhaps some are still around somewhere: perhaps some are still involved in music, perhaps some were killed in action, perhaps some passed on after returning to the States. We’ve assembled vestiges - a show band contest entry form, a list of names, a couple of photographs, a playlist – to embellish this sonic time capsule, a capsule that functions as a snapshot of American culture during this politically charged era. Each of the albums contained in this box-set is presented as an exact reproduction of the original United States Army issue. The extensive, full-color 20 page booklet features essays, annotation and a collection of Army ephemera from the creation of these albums. Also included is a full-color, exact reproduction of East Of Underground’s 1971 tour poster.