THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Day: September 30, 2021

HELLANBACH – The Big H

September 30, 2021 /

This is the second and final album from Newcastle’s Van Halen influenced beat combo, HELLANBACH. I don’t think I have heard a guitar player this close to Edward himself. Sure, everybody copied tricks and runs from Edward, but no one got as close to his style and sound as Davey Payton did. In fact, Patton and vocalist Jimmy Brash made a great team, and I was dumbfounded they never made more from their talents.

This is such a good record, as was their first album, and it’s a shame they never sold more. I think everyone in Britain was more into straight ahead metal than flash awesome rock music. I have begun to appreciate this second album more over the years as I always thought the first album was the better of the two, but I now love them both. Tracks like The Main Man and Bandits Run are really good with some superb playing from Patton, but my favourite track on the record goes to SPGC (Street Punk Go Crazy). It has a great riff and the guitar sound is freakin’ awesome. Somewhat ironically, the track Daddy Dig Those Cats is a homage to the Stray Cats. I think Davey Patton still plays in stripped down rock n roll band around the north east of England. Great album!

9.5/10 from The Grooveman.

IMPELLITTERI – Venom

September 30, 2021 /

The one thing I do miss about most modern metal is the lack of melodic vocals. Nearly every modern metal band has the the guy growling down a drainpipe style vocal. I get there is a time and place to fit that into a song to accentuate the light and shade of a tune, but unless the music is absolutely killer I switch off and move on.

Melody is high on the agenda with Impellitteri without compromising too much on the metal. Chris is a great guitar player in the Malmsteen mode but with more of a metal edge. Rob Rock is a great vocalist although some of the lyrics I find a bit too much with the bible content. If I want to be preached to I would go to church.

Anyhoo, the songs are all great with amazing playing and huge fat riffs, which is always a plus for me. Venom, the title track, is a perfect example of a killer speed metal track. Fast chugga riff, over the top guitar, and awesome vocals. No song lasts more than 4.30 – in fact – there is only one track over 4 minutes making every track straight to the point and making you want more. My personal favourites are Nightmare and Reach For The Sky, both are killer tracks with monster riffs. The production is fat and in your face and sounds super clear. Impellitteri don’t make bad records and this is no exception.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

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