THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Month: February 2022 (Page 3 of 12)

LAMB OF GOD – Wrath

February 23, 2022 /

This is the fifth studio album by the band and was released in 2009. Musically, I really like this band and (as I have mentioned before) they drink from the well of Pantera. They put emphasis on huge monster riffs and unreal beats and grooves. The twin guitar riffage is nuts with such a killer tone and sound, and Chris Adler is a beast on the kit and it has taken it’s toll on him physically.

The opening acoustic soft tones of The Passing soon give way to monster riffs in the form of In Your Words. Next track in, Set To Fail, rips your face off with the monster riff and the other worldly drumming of Adler. I’m aware that drummers who play this fast use triggers, but still, Adler is not human. Contractor is pure Pantera and tries to break the sound barrier for speed. The intensity carries on with Fake Messiah with a superb riff and monster groove. Grace closes out Side 1 and is anything but graceful.

Broken Hands slows the groves down a tad as Randy Blythe screams out the intro vocal line. Dead Seeds as a killer riff with a the double kicks-a-pounding. A very old school thrash style riff opens Everything Is Nothing, before it opens out into a Slipknot sounding groove. Choke Sermon has some more epic Chris Adler drumming, coupled with a fat huge riff that could just make this my favourite on the album. Reclamation closes out the album with the sounds of the ocean crashing on the shore and a very blues acoustic guitar, before the heaviness returns – a killer ending to the album.

I know this is not for everyone, but I have a big soft spot for this band.

9.5/10 from The Grooveman.

ICON – Night Of The Crime

February 23, 2022 /

For some reason this band are always classed as heavy metal, and that tag couldn’t be more wrong. Taking big influences from Journey and other melodic rock bands of the time, this is where they belong. The band revolve around the vocals of Stephen Clifford and guitarist Dan Wexler, and the emphasis is on the songs with big hooks, melodies, and sing-a-long choruses.

There was obviously some big money behind these guys as they had song writer extraordinaire, Bob Halligan Jr., as a co-writer on the majority of the album. Ironically, other than the excellent Raise The Hammer (which is my favourite on the album), it is the tracks that the band composed themselves that I like the best. Shot At My Heart, the killer sing-a-long anthem of Out For Blood, and the superb Rock My Radio (which has a writing credit for Mike Varney) are the standout tracks.

They made it until the end of the eighties, then they were gone. This album and the first self titled albums are the best. This is a nice addition to your collection if you are a melodic rock fan.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

DAVID LEE ROTH – Diamond Dave

February 22, 2022 /

Other than the album that Dave recorded with John 5 that has never been released, this is the forgotten album in the DLR catalogue. Only previously available on CD, and released in 2003, this album creeped out as a vinyl release towards the end of 2021. I think everyone was expecting an old school Dave album, but Dave being Dave, released a blues/RnB album with the majority of the tracks being covers.

Ironically, the best track on the album is the only slight nod to his past, the self penned Thug Pop. The highlights of the covers are Hendrix’s If 6 Was 9 which is a really cool version, his take on Soul Kitchen by The Doors which is a really cool rendition, and Shoo Bop which I think was a Steve Miller tune. Not his best for sure, but it’s quite an interesting insight into the tunes that do it for Dave.

8/10 from The Grooveman.

JOE SATRIANI – Flying In A Blue Dream

February 22, 2022 /

I think all rock fans were surprised when Joe had huge success with Surfing With The Alien, as rock instrumental albums weren’t supposed to be that popular. So there was a bit of pressure on the follow up to see if it was a fluke. Also, the first album was mostly electronic drums so it’s nice to hear a real drummer on this album. If anything, this album is better than Alien.

The opening title track is superb and I love the the melody of the guitar and that driving groove. In fact, the driving factor throughout the record is how well Joe creates guitar melody’s and hooks from what usually would be vocal lines. There are some super creative pieces on here with the use of peddles, sounds, and tones like on the track Headless where it sounds like a harmonica is being used.

Of course the big thing on this album is having tracks with vocals, and the best of those for me is Strange with that off time funky groove. Big Bad Moon has the riff to On The Road Again, only with some serious guitar overload. The best of the instrumental tracks is The Bells of Lal Part Two. The guitar playing is just insane and if you want to know why everyone raves about Joe, then go no further than here. I’m a big fan of Joe and he continues to make great records.

9.5/10 from The Grooveman.

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