THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Month: September 2024 (Page 4 of 7)

CHINA – Sign In The Sky

September 13, 2024 /

I mentioned recently when writing about a Gotthard album that I was struggling to come up with another Swiss rock band other than them and Krokus. Well, here is another that have been around since ’85 and this is their second album, released in ’89.

The record actually got to #2 in the Swiss charts and was the one that got them up and running. The power ballad single In The Middle Of The Night actually topped the charts. A very radio friendly record, it should have broken America as there is not one song that could have been a single. My favourite track is Don’t Ever Say Goodbye. A kick ass up tempo rocker with a simple cool riff, and what a killer hook and chorus. However, there are sooo many great tracks; The Great Wall, Dead Lights, Animal Victim, and Bitter Cold are all bangin tunes.

You can list this one under “great melodic rock albums that people never talk about”.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

KOBRA AND THE LOTUS – Evolution

September 13, 2024 /

Sometimes even with all the music that surrounds us and the million ways to access it, things still creep under the radar that you should pick up on. Now, I’m embarrassed to say that I only came across these guys earlier this year and they are fellow countrymen of mine, and they have been around since 2009. They fit into the Shinedown-Alterbridge groove, and maybe a tad heavier to boot.

This is their last effort that came out in 2019 and sonically, it’s super crisp and clear and really packs a punch. The focus is all about the stunning vocals of Kobra Paige and the heavy riff groove fest of guitarist Jasio Kulakowski. This is a very modern sounding metal album, but at all times is a very accessible and commercial sounding record.

The track I heard that dragged me in was the title track, Evolution. Great vocal melody with a killer hook and chorus, driven along by a powerful groove and serious low end chunk. That’s not my favourite however, as Side 2 opener Circus has a really cool twisted horror movie vibe, riff and groove to match with Kobra giving it the full beans on vocals.

Great band and great record. I think it’s time to pay a visit to the back catalogue.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

HITTEN – Twist Of Fate

September 13, 2024 /

This is a reissue of Hitten’s third album by High Roller Records that originally came out in 2018. I came across Hitten in one of my down the rabbit hole searches on bandcamp where I lietened to the album that actually came out after this: Triumph & Tragedy. The first thing that grabbed me was the excellent sound and production. If you go back further to the band’s early releases, they pay homage to NWOBHM and obviously use that as a reference.

As they have progressed, the sound has changed to a more US vibe with a lot more melody and harmony, especially in the vocals, although still retaining that metallic edge. That is probably down to the change in vocalist to Alexx Panza, whose style is more in this vein. Though, on tracks like Evil Within, this is pure unadulterated 80’s metal but with a modern production and sound, and this is definitely my favourite tune. Stellar double kicks with max riffage, but that middle eight is just epic with a killer breakdown and solo. The title track is another monster tune with a killer riff and groove, and you are flooded with memories of times gone by as not many modern metal bands make music like this anymore. In The Heat Of The Night feels like Dokken, with more of that US vibe I mentioned earlier.

Great band that have gone from strength to strength.

8/10 from The Grooveman.

TWO BIT THIEF – Another Sad Story In The Big City

September 10, 2024 /

Now, you’d be forgiven if you just looked at the cover and thought that these guys would be a stripped back barroom band, a bit like the Dogs DAmour or Quireboys. Well, that shows you how image is deceiving because Two Bit Theif are more of a hybrid of LA Guns, Bang Tango, and Circus of Power. They are an altogether more hard rockin’ beast.

This is their first album, that came out in ’90. They would record two more before disappearing around ’96. This album was released on Combat, which is more of an out and out metal label so it’s a bit weird to see a glam sleaze band on it, but the band do touch a lot of bases on this record. There is one thrash glam hybrid song, Broke Again that Overkill would have been proud of.

It’s the more hard rockin’ tunes that get my attention such as Love Hate, City Boy, Crime, a belting version of Rose Tattoo’s Remedy, and especially Hard Times which is my favourite song. There is an almost punk rock version of Flosam Prison Blues and a punk/metal crossover tune called Modern Revolution just to confuse the listener a little more. That’s maybe why they struggled for an audience.

They should have stuck to the harder glam sound, as that’s what they do best.

7/10 from The Grooveman.

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