THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Month: January 2023 (Page 8 of 11)

SWORD – Metalized

January 10, 2023 /

Hailing from Quebec, Canada, Sword were only originally around for two albums, of which this was the first, released back in ’96. They reunited last year and released a third album. This pressing is a nice looking and sounding reissue from Aquarius.

Follow The Wheel kicks things off in fine style with a nice riff and pounding groove. Children Of Heaven is more of the same, but with a slight Maiden feel. Stoned Again starts with huge sounding guitars, a pounding drum groove, and a wild guitar break. Great track! Dare To Spit On My Grave has a fat huge chugga main riff, then the killer main song kicks in with superb riff and groove, with a killer instrumental section. Outta Control ends Side 1 and leads you into false sense of security with the strings lullaby intro then it’s pure thrash a go go!

Epic pounding drum intro to Side 2 opener The End Of The Night. This baby pounds along at a killer pace. Runaway is up next, and boy what an opening. A superb guitar and drums piece then BOOM… the main heaviness assaults your ears. This is definitely my favourite track. Where To Hide pounds on in  with a great fill and then it’s rock night special all the way. Stuck In Rock kicks in with a huge Metallica riff and groove. The guitar sound is massive on this track. Evil Spell closes out the album and after the eerie evil intro, the main riff is something straight out of the Sabbath handbook.

So, what happened, Sword? After a killer album like this you should have had a decent career at least. Shame!

9/10 from The Grooveman.

O.R.K. – Screamnasium

January 10, 2023 /

This O.R.K.’s fourth album and it continues the heavy Prog vibes from the band’s previous efforts. Coming out in the same years as Porcupine Tree’s album without Colin Edwin, I have to say this is a better sounding album. I think this band are the most underrated prog/metal band around. They make incredible albums that seem to pass people by and I’m at a loss as to why. With the amazing vocal talents of LEF this band should be huge. This guy is a star and if I’m pushed, I would say he is prog’s version of Chris Cornell.

I love every inch of this album its just superb, every song is a gem and the production is stellar. Just play Consequence with guest vocals from Elisa, it is so epic it’s a goosebumps moment, and is my favourite track. Don’t Call Me A Joke  is a wonderful odd time beast with some great harmonies. As I Leave reminds me of another great band, the Von Hertzen Brothers. Very similar vocal phrasing and feel, but with added punchy guitar. I would highly recommend this album.

10/10 from The Grooveman.

ARMORED SAINT – March Of The Saint

January 9, 2023 /

Whereas a lot of American kids at the time were tuning in to all things NWOBHM related, my group of friends were really interested in everything that was coming out of the US. I remember getting this album the week of its release and couldn’t wait to get home to play it. There was a huge buzz about this band and I had only read articles and seen pictures, they certainly looked the part and I was eager to hear the sounds they made.

The title track opens up the album and it sounds very NWOBHM with the main riff and the gang chorus, but with added melody. Can You Deliver has that classic metal riff that every band has used at some point. I love John Bush’s vocals on this track as he has that very sinister tone to his voice. Mad House is my favourite track on the album. Double kicks pounding away with a killer riff and this is what was awesome about the (then) US metal scene. Take A Turn is (I guess) a power ballad with the emphasis on the power, and Bush’s vocals sound huge. Seducer closes out Side 1 and the vibe I get from this is Judas Priest Killing Machine era.

Mutiny On The World is another of my favourite tracks off the album. A simple chugga riff and that groove that just makes you want to bang that head. Glory Hunter is up next with a very medieval sounding opening riff, and what is otherwise a straight up rocker. Nice drum groove and riff to Stricken By Fate to add a bit of flavour and variety, I love the middle section. It’s hands in the air anthem time with Envy, did Motley Crüe steal that riff and groove? Album close out track is False Alarm, and we are going out with a bang. Nice change of groove after the intro moving into a Maiden-style gallop, then back again.

Armored Saint should have been a whole lot bigger than they were, and maybe they should have spent more time in Europe as their sound is more akin to British bands of the time. Happy daze!

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

EUROPE – Walk The Earth

January 9, 2023 /

It’s quite easy for people to write Europe off as a one song wonder, and a lot of rock fans do. The Final Countdown was massive and rightly so, it’s a good tune but it was like a poisoned chalice for the band, just like Survivor with Eye Of The Tiger. The band called a hiatus after their Prisoners In Paradise album, and no one knew if that was it. Well, in 2004 the band got back together for their Start From The Dark album, and ever since then they have released some of their best work with a slightly harder edge to the songs, Last Look At Eden is one of my favourite Europe albums.

This album was released in 2017 and it’s an awesome record. Walk The Earth sets things off nicely with that harder edge that I mentioned, and there is a Deep Purple vibe to the song mainly due to the Hammond organ. The Seige follows and I love the riff and groove, we are almost in Prog metal territory here. Kingdom United is very similar, a killer classic feel to this one with a great solo from John Norum. Joey is singing in a lower register on the album, which suits the material very well. Pictures could be from a 70’s Bowie album (a very eerie comparison indeed), a very emotive tune and you can hear the frailty in Joey’s voice a very epic sounding tune. Side 1 closes out with Election Day, an uptempo romp with a very quirky riff and the Purple comparisons are very strong.

Wolves opens up Side 2 with a very modern sounding guitar riff and groove. A slow paced tune but with that epic feel, and the solo is killer. GTO is very old school as it’s about fast cars and the open road, the vibe and groove are also very mid-seventies. A huge, fat, dropped, and tuned riff opens up Haze, and this is my favourite track. A very classic sounding tune with that heavy retro vibe. Beast of a tune! Whenever You’re Ready is just a straight up four to the floor classic rocker. The album close out with Turn To Dust. A classic power ballad where lyrically it’s looking back on life and pointing to the fact that we all have the same end. A great production by Dave Cobb giving the album a modern edge to a very classic sound.

9.5/10 from The Grooveman.

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