Dover, Kent based Progressive Rock act MIRKWOOD was forged during early 1971 by Jack Castle and Mick Morris. Quite surreally the pair had met in 1961 when Morris joined Castle's then band, the 1957 created ROLLING STONES (not the Jagger / Richards combo). When confronted with the soon to be legends led by Jagger and co., Dover's ROLLING STONES evolved into the PLAYBOYS and duly supported the likes of JIMI HENDRIX, CREAM and JOHN MAYALL'S BLUESBREAKERS. When the PLAYBOYS disbanded in 1967, Castle and Morris stuck together for TAKE FIVE. A single was recorded, 'In the Meantime' on the A side plus a cover version of THE MOODY BLUES 'Ride My Seesaw', but this never went beyond acetate stage and TAKE FIVE folded in 1970.

In early 1971 the Castle / Morris axis assembled MIRKWOOD in a Heavy Rock direction with lead vocalist Derek Bowley, Andy Broadbent on bass and drummer Steve Smith. During early 1972 Dave Evans was brought in to replace Broadbent. In January 1973 MIRKWOOD cut album tracks for a local imprint owned by John Scott Cree. Although Smith had left the band, for a London based Reggae outfit, he returned for the sessions. Only 99 copies of the album were manufactured.

Changes behind the drum stoll would see Smith usurped in succession by Nick 'Topper' Headon, who was to subsequently join THE CLASH, Terry Prior and Dave Blakey. However, MIRKWOOD called it a day following a final gig in June 1975.

Ex-members Morris, Bowley, Blakey and Evans created SPRINTER, active from April 1976 to December 1978. MIRKWOOD came together once more in 1978 for a reunion concert at the Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury. The songwriting alliance of Castle and Morris then reunited with Dave Evans to form EASY ACTION, recording demo tracks at Diploma Studios, Chelmsford in November and December 1983.

MIRKWOOD re-assembled in 1985 counting Castle, Morris and Bowley. With Castle's relocation to Wales in 1987 the band was re-billed as ICEBREAKER.

With interest in obscure British Rock acts burgeoning across Europe, in 1993 the 'Mirkwood' album was re-pressed as a limited edition of 500 numbered copies. German label Amber Soundroom approached the band in 2003 to re-issue the album once again. However, with the band members in possession of no master tapes and the originals having been lost, it came down to a lucky find by publican Jackie Bowles of The Louis Armstrong pub in Dover, who located a mint, unplayed 1973 original.

Another German imprint, Garden Of Delights, re-issued the album on CD format in 2008. That same year Red Admiral Records issued a download version of the album.