The Short-Lived Heavy Psych Band Who Accidentally Created Southern Rock

Why It Matters

The album’s emergence rewrites part of Southern rock’s origin story and fuels the growing market for lost‑recordings that reshape music history.

Key Takeaways

• The 2nd Coming recorded *Evaluations* in 1969 for $6,000.
• Album remained unreleased for 57 years, stored in Nashville vault.
• Band’s heavy‑psych sound prefigured Southern rock’s dual‑guitar style.
• Members later joined Iron Butterfly, Captain Beyond, and played with Lucinda Williams.
• Guerssen Records released the restored master in 2026, sparking renewed interest.

Pulse Analysis

The late‑1960s Florida music scene was a crucible of psychedelic experimentation, where young musicians like Richard Price, Larry Reinhardt and Reese Wynans crossed paths with future Allman Brothers icons. Frequent house‑party jams at Jacksonville’s Green and Gray houses blended heavy Hendrix‑style fuzz with Southern blues, seeding the dual‑guitar harmonies that would later become the hallmark of Southern rock. Though The 2nd Coming never achieved commercial fame, their proximity to Duane Allman and Dickey Betts positioned them as an unsung catalyst in that stylistic evolution.

*Evaluations* was recorded in a modest Jacksonville studio over three days, costing roughly $6,000—a steep sum for a teenage band. Limited equipment forced the two drummers to alternate, and the resulting psychedelic tracks leaned more toward acid‑rock than the country‑infused sound the Allmans pursued. After the master tape vanished amid label disputes, the band could not recoup the studio bill and dissolved. Decades later, Price located the tape in a Nashville archive, negotiated a $1,000 purchase, and partnered with Guerssen Records to finally press the long‑shelved album, offering listeners a rare glimpse into a pivotal yet hidden chapter of rock history.

The release arrives amid a resurgence of archival projects that monetize nostalgia while enriching scholarly understanding of genre origins. By documenting The 2nd Coming’s contribution, the album challenges the conventional narrative that Southern rock emerged solely from the Allman Brothers, highlighting a broader network of heavy‑psych innovators. For collectors, historians, and contemporary artists seeking authentic vintage textures, *Evaluations* provides both a sonic time capsule and a reminder that many foundational sounds remain buried, waiting for modern technology and market appetite to bring them to light.