THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Month: July 2022 (Page 6 of 8)

DOWN – Nola

July 7, 2022 /

This is the band’s first album released in ’95. Style wise it’s very much a stoner rock album, hailing and promoting the use of the leaf. The band consists of members of Pantera – Anslemo, Corrosion of Conformity – Pepper Keenan, and Crowbar – Kirk Windstein and Todd Strange. The inspiration is obviously early Sabbath with the big riffs and grooves, and the emphasis is very much on those two things. Anselmo’s vocals are his usual angry and brutal self, but at this point he could still hit the screams, unlike now where is voice is pretty much destroyed.

There are some killer tunes on this beast of a record and Pillars Of Eternity is one of the best; massive riff and groove, and the fade out is epic. Hail The Leaf with the riff that is more Sabbath than Sabbath. Eyes Of The South will have you bouncing round your space with the catchiest of riffs and simple grooves. Losing All which is the best thing the band have done. It has a monster riff and vibe, with a huge slice of the South thrown in. I like and appreciate this album a lot more now than when it first came out. It definitely grows on you more as time goes on.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

WHITE LION – Pride

July 7, 2022 /

Of the four albums that the band issued in the 80’s, of which this is the 2nd released, this is my favourite. Great songs and some unbelievable guitar playing from Vito Bratta.

Two singles from the album Wait and When The Children Cry were huge (especially on MTV), and they were riding high until the change in the musical landscape did for them as it did for most of the hair bands. This is such a great record I will just mention my favourite tracks (which is nearly all of them 😂).

Hungry is a monster opening tune with a great hook and ripping guitar. Lonely Nights again with a great hook and melody, and incendiary guitar. Lady Of The Valley, which I think is the best track they ever did, has a brilliant intro and some insane guitar. All You Need Is Rock N’ Roll with its monster riff and groove. The vibe is very early Van Halen throughout but with their own twist, which is fine by me. If you only own one White Lion album then it has to be this.

10/10 from The Grooveman.

ROXY MUSIC – s/t

July 6, 2022 /

As a very impressionable young 12-year-old seeing these glammed up space aliens playing Virginia Plain on Top Of The Pops, it was a ground zero moment for me. Everyone else seemed to be playing to a formula, but Roxy Music were just doing what they wanted and if you liked it or not then boo ya!!

Virginia Plain and the follow up the amazing Pyjamarama (which weirdly never appeared on an album) just ticked every box imaginable for me, and Bryan Ferry, Eno, and Phil Manzanera were just so damn cool. Every art/rock band that came after were inspired by them, right through to the frilly shirts and haircut brigade of the eighties. For a short period of time they were the centre of the universe and this album is pure nostalgia for me.

8/10 from The Grooveman.

220 VOLT – s/t

July 6, 2022 /

This is the band’s first album, released in ’83. An original copy is going for silly money so when MOV announced they were releasing the first three albums, it was a no brainer. Coming across as a late seventies version of UFO, mixed with all the good bits of NWOBHM, they managed to get a deal with Epic records after the track Prisoner Of War was released in the US. The band was put together by guitarists Thomas Drevin and Mats Karlsson, who are still in the band today.

Lonely Nights is a great opening; melodic hard rock with plenty of guitar. No Return is very UFO with the riff and rhythm being very Michael Schenker. The End Of The World is very NWOBHM with some very tasty licks from both guitarists. Side 1 fades out with Gypsy Queen, and no prizes for guessing where they stole the intro riff from. Nightwinds gets things going and I’m a big fan of the twin harmony guitars that graces the intro and middle eight. The one thing that isn’t so great on the album is the vocals of Joachim Lundholm, who isn’t the strongest vocalist in the world. But, it’s the guitars that carry the album and Child Of The Night has a great fast riff and is very NWOBHM in style. Stop And Look Back has a nice opening riff and pounding beat and groove. Prisoner Of War was the single that got the band signed, and I’m guessing the label were looking to sign up any metal/hard rock bands they could get their hands on. Woman In White closes out the album and it’s classic NWOBHM, and I guarantee you will have heard that riff before.

If you take the vocals out of the equation, it’s a decent first album and it’s worth getting just for the guitars; plus the two albums after this are great records.

8/10 from The Grooveman.

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