THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Day: February 11, 2021

BAD COMPANY – Straight Shooter

February 11, 2021 /

Bad Company are a band that were formed from the remnants of Free and Mott The Hoople. This is the second album from ’75. They take the blues rock of Free and give it a good dose of rock and melody.

Good Lovin’ Gone Bad is a perfect example of what this band are all about – a good rockin tune with a big chorus. Second song in and it’s classic time with Feel Like Makin Love, a slow burner of a tune until that big chorus and chunky riff kick in. What a monster tune. The bar room blues shuffle of Weep No More is next, with a great vocal from Rodgers and some tasty licks from Ralphs. Shooting Star closes out the side with its laid back west coast feel.

Side 2 jumps on with Deal With The Preacher, very reminiscent of Rodgers previous outfit Free. The funky tones of Wild Fire Woman follow, and shows how well Rodgers’ voice and Ralphs’ guitar compliment each other. Penultimate track, Anna, is a primo power ballad before album closer, Call On Me, which has a slow build up with the big rock ending to what is a good album. So that’s it!

Have a good band, some good tunes, a great vocalist, and away you go. Easy isn’t it?

8/10 from The Grooveman.

UNEVEN STRUCTURE – Februus

February 11, 2021 /

The word epic, often used by myself whilst doing these reviews, does not even come close in describing this record of gargantuan awesomeness. I came across these guys by fluke whilst surfing around the tinterweb. I came across British label Basick Records website and all matter of djenty goodness was to be found. The jewel in the crown was this. Uneven Structure are from France, and are purveyors of the finest tech metal/math metal/djent or whatever you want to call it – I don’t care what it is if it’s this good.

Awaken instantly removes your brain and gives it a good kicking with its supreme heaviness, before settling into some melodic goodness, and then the middle section with major off time grooves. BOOM!!! Track two, Frost, kicks major posterior, but with lots of melody, atmos, and yes, even more djenty goodness. Vocalist Matthieu Romarin is just incredible the way he switches from the deepest growls to the most melodic of vocals. The pace does not let up with Hail – again some serious off time grooves and epic vocals. The whole band are just amazing, superb musicians all round. Emmersion announces its arrival as if I have been transported into 2001: A Space Odyssey. Normality resumes with track five, Buds, which is an atmospheric slow builder with a killer vocal and maximum djentyness. Next up is Awe, which just wants to melt your face off with its heaviness. The drumming is just off the charts with some serious beats being laid down by Christian Schreil. Awe flows into Quittance with more polyrhythmic goodness. Limbo is a spacey loop that connects into Plenitude, which is just drum rhythms played until the guitars join with the same groove for 4 minutes until the vocals arrive. Epic in it’s simplicity! Which leads us to the final track, Finale, which has a huge cinematic sound – a fitting end to the album.

This is, without a doubt, one of the best albums of its genre and a must have for anyone who like this type of metal. It comes with a Grooveman guarantee.

10/10 from The Grooveman.

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