THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Month: April 2025 (Page 1 of 6)

DRIVE – Characters In Time

April 30, 2025 / / 0 Comments

This is the first of only two albums that Drive released at the end of the eighties. They played all the usual places on the Sunset Strip but at this point in time that scene was a total glam fest, and for an out an out power/prog metal outfit with a shredder (Rick Chavez) on guitar, maybe LA wasn’t the place for them.

The vocals and accompanying harmonies do remind me of Impellitteri, David Taylor has one hell of a set of pipes. The first two songs on both sides are really good and the rest is just filler. The favourite of these for me is The Entity. Double kicks all the way, a very busy riff, and a tasty solo.

It’s all about good songs no matter what genre you are in, and if you don’t have them, then life gets hard. Four out of the nine are good, but when there are a ton of other bands competing for the same audience, as there was back in ´88, it all needs to be killer.

6.5/10 from The Grooveman.

JASON BIELER AND THE BARON VON BIELSKI ORCHESTRA – The Escapologist

April 30, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Album number three from the crazy world of Jason Bieler and the Baron Von Bielski. It’s very hard to pigeonhole the kind of sounds and grooves emanating from the speakers from JB’s latest release. We are straddling multiple genres and styles here and if I’m cornered, melodic prog is the one thing that takes front and centre in my feeble little brain.

The one thing I love, other than the music, from JB’s albums is his wild and wonderful sense of humour. Check out the special guests and mentions on the cover. Apparently Beatrice Bracegirdle is an assistant to JB and his legal representation is Hedwig Von Litigious.

This is an album you will comeback to again and again as there is so much to take in. There are supremely heavy moments like on Industrious, with those heavy low end guitars. And then there’s beautiful, delicate, and melodic tunes like Hollow. There is even a touch of hybrid drum and bass Prog with the wonderfully awesome No Real Goodbyes.

I don’t think anyone operates in the same musical sphere as JB and he is refreshing change from the norm. Cool record!!

9/10 from The Grooveman.

BUDGIE – Bandolier

April 26, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Budgie are a grossly underrated band who influenced a ton of bands, especially a lot of the NWOBHM bands, with their heavy groove sound. This was album number five from the band that came out in ´75, and of course being the 70’s, there was a lot experimenting with sounds and vibes especially for “album” bands like Budgie.

As well as the heavy grooves that everyone remembers them for, we get a hint of Prog/funk and even AOR before it was a thing. Who Do You Want For Your Love/ Never Turn Your Back On A Friend is just so cool with a that funky riff and groove that no heavy rock band of today would dare put on an album. They were also famed for their sense of humour with song titles and this album’s contribution is Napoleon Bona- Part 1 and 2.

Cool band that are greatly missed.

8/10 from The Grooveman.

MEGADETH – Rust In Piece

April 26, 2025 / / 0 Comments

This album is when I sorta checked out of Megadeth because they became too shiny and clean. I preferred the angry, nasty, and snarling Dave and the heavy groovefest he conjured up. I understand why he moved in the direction he did. I guess he wanted to move away from the basic Metallica groove and establish his own sound.

By Megadeth standards, this album contains the most commercial song (up until this point) that they had done: Hangar 18. Great song with a great groove and some killer playing from Marti Friedman, but it’s the more basic approach of Poison Was The Cure that flicks my switch the most and is my favourite tune on the album. Definite early Megadeth vibes from this one, and I wonder I how long Dave had this one in his pocket.

For me, the first three albums are what made Megadeth and they will not be beaten. The older I get, the more I have grown to appreciate this one though.

7.5/10 from The Grooveman.

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