THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Month: September 2023 (Page 6 of 11)

FIFTH ANGEL – When Angels Kill

September 19, 2023 /

So here is another band that disappeared for nearly thirty years before rising like a Phoenix. This is their fourth and latest album, and the second since reforming. If you were into the band originally, this will come as a big surprise as it sounds nothing like the first two records.

What you get here is a big chest pumping power metal assault, which I have to say I really love. Even the theatrical voice overs in between each song lend to the atmosphere. The twin guitar onslaught of Steve Conley and Ed Archer is epic with both laying down monster riffs over the pounding groove, and Steven Carlsons vocals are superb. The approach is quite old school as they put huge emphasis on the melody of the vocal, and the hook and chorus are a huge part of the album. My favourite track is When Angels Kill. That twin guitar intro is awesome and that pounding groove and riff just drives it along…METAL!

A highly enjoyable album that just delivers.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

FRANCIS DUNNERY – Man

September 19, 2023 /

I’m sure most of you will have heard of It Bites. They are a British pop/Prog band that had one huge hit with Calling All The Heroes from their first album. However, Once Around The World (the band’s second album) is regarded as a masterpiece, and you should definitely own that. This album is a lot different to that. The one connecting factor is Francis’s voice. It’s such a distinct and powerful thing that it dominates all before it. There are no drums on the album, just programmed beats. I think acoustic is the type of album you would pigeon hole it in, although it is much more than that.

It’s definitely a heartfelt personal record and at times, you will have tears appear randomly in your eyes as things become personal to you. The track Hometown means something to me as I used to visit the town in question everyday as part of my then job. The surrounding area that he sings of is indeed a beautiful place and instantly I’m taken back 25 years when I hear this. I’m In Love, Me And Francine, In The Garden Of Mystic Lovers, and Blinded By The Memory are such beautiful songs and waves of melancholy sweep over the listener.

It’s not a sad record, it just pulls at the old heart strings. I can’t recommend this album highly enough as everyone should experience its beauty.

10/10 from The Grooveman.

THIN LIZZY – Johnny The Fox

September 18, 2023 /

How do you follow up a masterpiece that is Jailbreak? It’s surprising they even did anything after it, with all the issues they were having at the time. Phil being hospitalized with hepatitis, and the ongoing confrontation with Brian Robertson. In fact, this would be Robbo’s last album as part of the band. He only co-wrote one song (Borderline) on this album so he wasn’t bringing too much to the table anyway, but the solo on Borderline is beautiful.

The big hit on the album and one of my all time favourite tunes is Don’t Believe A Word. It’s a perfect rock tune. Killer main riff and groove with Phil’s vocals just superb and the solos… oh my! It’s a true goosebumps tune! The other big track was the title song Johnny The Fox. A great funky under groove that was so different from anything else they were doing at the time. Let’s not forget Massacre, which was a return to the Jailbreak feel with the Celtic overtones.

I think you can call this a treading water album with flashes of Lizzy brilliance spread around, but it is still better than what most bands were putting out in ’77.

8/10 from The Grooveman.

LEE AARON – Elevate

September 18, 2023 /

So, here’s another blast from the past for ya! Well not actually. She has been around near enough constantly, just taking a break between 2004 to 2012 and giving up the rock to do some jazz. Since 2016 with the Fire And Gasoline album, she has returned to rock. I had the pleasure of seeing her and the band live this Canada Day and she put on a kick ass show, the voice still has all the power. Produced by Lee herself and mixed by Mike Fraser you get ten tunes of melodic rock goodness for you to digest that range, from straight up rock, to pop, and a few diversions in between.

She sure knows how to write a great hook that just drags you into the song. Freak Show is a perfect example of that, a great pop rock groove and believe me you will be singing the hook and chorus for days. Highway Romeo is power pop at its best. A simple chord progression, a flat four groove, and a so infectious hook and chorus; if this was ’85, radio would have been all over this. My favourite track is the last tune on the album, Elevate. I think it’s about the hell that is social media and the evils that it pushes. A slow but sleazy groove seems to fit the subject matter perfectly, and you will singing this baby all day as well.

Since she came back to rock, the records have all been great and this one is no different.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

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