THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Day: January 20, 2022

HAMMERFALL – Dominion

January 20, 2022 /

This is album number 11 from Sweden’s finest exponents of traditional power heavy metal. Metal with a singer, not a growler or screamer. Twin guitar melodic guitar harmonies and double kicks all the way – that’s the recipe that HAMMERFALL have built their career on (much the same way Accept have) and it works just fine. I became more interested in the band when Pontus Norgren joined on guitar from The Poodles and Talisman – I am a big fan of his style.

Never Forgive Never Forget opens up as you would expect with double kicks blasting and big riffs. The title track is more of a Judas Priest riff fest. The overall vibe of the record is medieval from the imagery and lyrics on a few of the songs. Testify is a near mirror image from the opening track and has a very Metallica “die by my hand” vibe to the chorus. There is even an ode to fellow heavy metal bands and metal in general on We Make Sweden Rock. My favourite tracks are Scars Of A Generation, which really pounds along with some killer guitar, and the riff heavy Chain Of Command. A really great metal album.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

THE HOAX – Big City Blues

January 20, 2022 /

The Hoax are one of the best British blues bands to have ever existed. They released their first album, Sound Like This, in ’94 and after ’99’s Live Forever they would call it a day, until this comeback album in 2013. An absolute killer band led by vocalist Hugh Coleman, twin guitars of Jesse Davey and John Amor, and rhythm section with Robin Davey on bass and Mark Barrett on drums. They tread a line between modern blues and a more traditional sound and vibe.

Opening track, Hipslicker, is just superb with a great hook and groove, and some killer guitar playing. The title track has a more traditional feel, but grooves along great with a fast shuffle. The big fuzz of Let It Shine follows with a killer groove and hook. Stick Around is an evil sounding shuffle with a great vocal from Hugh Coltman – one of the best blues vocalists you will hear. The superb, Give Me A Drink, closes out Side 1 with a wonderful swing to the groove and some killer guitar from Jon and Jesse.

Two Steps Back is in the great tradition of blues story telling, a very slow blues with a really stunning vocal from Hugh. Keep Messin’ is more traditional in arrangement, and even complete with some great harp playing. A very dirty slow fuzzed up riff to Talk Is Cheap is next up, and that leads into the boogie of Can’t Do Right For Doing Wrong. The traditional shuffle of Roll On Up is next, and the album finishes with Tes Nuits Insolits, a slow jazz blues crossover sung in French. A really awesome band that deserved so much more than they got.

9.5/10 from The Grooveman.

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