THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Month: February 2022 (Page 4 of 12)

PERIPHERY – Hail Stan

February 21, 2022 /

I still haven’t managed to work out if the album title is a reference to the passing of Stan Lee, or if it’s some sort of Satan play on words. Whichever it is, it does point to the band’s collective sense of humour.

Side 1 is given over to the epically heavy, Reptile. Spence’s vocals are split between the clean and scream, plus there is so much going on within the track musically, from straight up djentyness, to ambient interludes – awesome stuff! Blood Eagle is off the charts heavy right from the get go, with Matt Halpern’s blast athletics on the kit and some serious low end groove. If you thought that was heavy, Chvrch Bvrner takes everything to the next level. This the heaviest the band have ever been. As a complete contrast, Garden In The Bones, is a chilled out track in comparison with some very cool grooves. It’s Only Smiles is the band at their most commercial sounding, with a nice choppy riff and a really cool melody and hook. Follow Your Ghost is a slow low-end behemoth monster of a tune with some awesome clean interludes. I love the electronic grooves to Crush – quite a different vibe for the band. Sentient Glow is freakin’ epic and is my favourite track on the album – the guitar parts are insane, plus how is Matt Halpern still alive?! Satellites closes out the album and starts off quite chill and builds with some killer vocals from Spence, and ends with that repetitive chuggas.

This band just keeps getting better and they keep pushing themselves to keep the creativity flowing.

10/10 from The Grooveman.

MR. BIG – Lean Into It

February 21, 2022 /

This is an absolute belter of an album from a band gifted with all the tools to make one. This is their 2nd release and it’s the one that put them in everyone’s living room – due to the single, To Be With You. This track wasn’t even the lead off single – it was the third single. Sometimes record companies just haven’t got a clue! The band were already out and touring the album when the single went huge, and it kept them on the road for forever.

The first album was a much more bluesy affair, mirroring the band from which they took their name. This time, they went for the throat right from the off with killer opening track Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy. What an opening track ! A great riff, hook, melody – the whole nine yards. Alive And Kickin’ has a very sleazy groove, but man are this band good! Killer vocal, great guitar and bass – what more could a guy ask for? Green Tinted Sixties Mind was the second single and I really love the harmonies and vocal on this track. Lucky This Time has a slow rock groove with an awesome short snappy Paul Gilbert solo. Voodoo Kiss closes out Side 1 with an acoustic intro and a funky groove that keeps the toes a tappin’.

Never Say Never has a heavy blues rock vibe with a great swing to it, and as with all the tracks on the album, it has superb harmonies and melody. Just Take My Heart was the last single from the album and the follow up To Be With You and treads the same path. I love Paul Gilbert’s big rock guitar sound on My Kinda Woman. A Little Too Loose has a superb slow blues swagger and Eric Martin’s voice was made for songs like this. Road To Ruin has a killer vibe and superb harmonies and vocals – and what a great chorus! The album closes out with To Be With You, and the band will be dining out on this tune till the end of their days.

They have moments since where they have written killer songs, but this album is their best.

10/10 from The Grooveman.

VAN HALEN – Women And Children First

February 19, 2022 /

As with all of the rest of the first six Van Halen albums, Women And Children First is a classic. Again, utilizing tracks that they had written and were playing in their back yard party and club days. Eddie Van Halen was a genius guitar player and composer for sure, and join that to a badass rhythm section comprising of his brother on drums and Michael Anthony on bass, then add to that mix the ultimate front man in Dave Lee Roth – ladies and haemorrhoids, we have a winner!

This album has a looser feel to the previous two albums, and with the two opening tracks of And The Cradle Will Rock and Everybody Wants Some, you won’t hear a better opening – believe me, no other band in existence could sound like that. The guitar intro and riff, plus the groove to Fools is so infectious it makes COVID look like a mild sniffle. The end to this song where the riff and chord pattern drop down is just the best. Romeo’s Delight is one of the forgotten VH tracks that doesn’t get mentioned a lot in peoples favourites, but this a killer tune full of attitude and great playing with a superb solo. There ends Side 1!

Tora Tora and Loss Of Control start up Side 2, and this as fast as the band go – all pedals are to the metal! The acoustic intro to Take Your Whiskey Home with just Eddie and Dave is pure joy, till the main sleazy riff kicks in – what a killer solo. The surprise on this album is the acoustic blues barroom groove of Could This Be Magic with awesome vocal harmonies. The album closes out with In A Simple Rhyme, another one of the “forgotten” VH tunes that I really love – especially the vocal harmonies. Just when you think it’s all over there is that weird intro that eludes to the next album.

Just 34 minutes of all killer no filler – and yes – every home should have one.

10/10 from The Grooveman.

BONFIRE – Fireworks

February 19, 2022 /

Believe it or not, the band released four albums under the name of Cacumen before the record company advised them to change the name to something a bit more catchy. They made the change for the Don’t Touch The Light album in ’86. The Fireworks album was the follow up release.

It’s a classic sounding hair metal album with all the clichés present and correct, and has a killer production by Michael Wagener. Ready 4 Reaction opens the album up in fine style with a killer riff and double kick groove. Nevermind follows and has a choppy riff with a sing-a-long chorus and superb guitar solo. Sleeping All Alone slows the pace down with a slow stomp beat, and a Journey style chorus with all the harmonies. Hans Ziller (who is the only member to be on every album) is one hell of a guitar player and his solos lift every song. Champion has a very metal riff and groove with a ripping solo. Don’t Get Me Wrong is very reminiscent of their countrymen the Scorpions with a very familiar feel.

Talking of the Scorpions, You Make Me Feel, which was also on the band’s previous album, has a very Winds Of Change vibe going down. The keyboard intro to Sweet Obsession sees the band at their melodic best – this should have been released as a single, especially in America. Rock Me Now has the big production vibe – it starts real slow before the galloping riff and beat kick in and could be my favourite on the album. American Nights has a very simple riff, a big chorus and melody, and as the title suggests, is very much aimed at the US. Fantasy is one of two ballads on the album and is tolerable with the big guitar chorus section. The album closes out with Give It A Try which is the other ballad – I don’t really like this much, as with all ballads from metal/rocks acts, they are mostly record company driven.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

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