THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Day: June 1, 2025

GIANT – Stand And Deliver

June 1, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Is this just Frontiers records using the Giant name to push just another one of their ”projects”? Well, they have brought Dan Huff in (who wrote and plays guitar on two of the tracks) so that makes it legit right? Well, let’s just look at the music first shall we.

The whole album is a very well written and played record that sounds really top drawer, and I understand why all the AOR anoraks are drooling over this one. Does it matter what name that sits atop of the thing? In Jimmy Westerlund they have a killer player who certainly has all the chops, so you don’t miss Danny boy too much. That is until you play Holdin On For Dear Life, where Mr. Huff sprinkles his magic onto the song and it instantly becomes my favourite track on the record. I mean, class is class right?

There are a couple of rockers on the album, but overall it’s a classy AOR romp that sounds great and as an album it’s very good. Maybe if they called it Sons Of Giant or Giantess people would accept it more. Anyhoo, I jest somewhat! If you like your rock all shiny and clean then this is for you.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

SANTA CRUZ – Bad Blood Rising

June 1, 2025 / / 0 Comments

A lot of “modern rock bands” leave me cold with the all to prominent computer generated sounds, gizmo, and effects. Now, this album was Santa Cruz’ third release that appeared in 2017, and for the most part it is a killer in your face rock n’ roller with a huge guitar sound, plenty of monster riffs, melodies, and hooks to die for. However, the band’s latest offering The Return Of The Kings has fallen into the digisound trap. Anyhoo, enough of that as we are here to talk about this banger.

There is not a duff track to be heard (yup, even the ballad)and you wonder why these guys are not huge. There is an art to writing memorable songs with hooks and melodies that just hit the sweet spot, but these guys make it look so easy as every song here just sticks in your brain. Mix that with a killer guitarist in Johnny Parkkonen, who is not only a one man riff machine, but he can solo with best of them. Young Blood Rising sets the tone perfectly with a deep killer riff and groove and you will be singing the hook to this baby all day long. River Phoenix, Fire Running Through Our Veins, and Drag Me Out Of The Darkness all absolute monster tunes. I even love the ballad, Breathe that closes out Side 1.

Flipping the disc of awesome over to Side 2 does not dilute the vibe one bit as Voice Of The New Generation is a modern rock anthem. Back From The Dead and Bad Habits Die Hard follow and both have that anthem feel. Then we get to my fave: Pure F***king Adrenaline. This is a beast of a tune with a freakin’ huge riff and a pounding groove – it is one of the best modern rock tracks I have heard in forever. Just to show that they are just not about the riff and groove, the acoustic beauty of Get Me Out Of California follows, plus the solo is epic. The album closes out with a refrain of River Phoenix and is a cool way to finish.

If you don’t own this album already then why the hell not?

10/10 from The Grooveman.

NIGHTSHADE – Dead Of Night

June 1, 2025 / / 0 Comments

You may or may not know that Nightshade evolved out of Q5 whose album, Steel The Light is regarded as a bit of a classic. They recorded a follow up in ´86 with When The Mirror Cracked but the dreaded personal differences reared its ugly head and the band split, with vocalist Jonathan Scott and Rick Pierce guitar moving on to form Nightshade. The first fruit of their labours was this overlooked gem; Dead Of Night.

There is a harder groove and melody this time which gives it the edge over the two Q5 records. This album has everything that a good hard rockin’ record needs from a good old anthem in Somebody’s Watchin You to pound fests with Surrender and Violent Times. Somebody’s Watchin’ You is too good a track not to be my favourite – chest thumpin’ rock n’ roll indeed.

Unfortunately, this record came out in ´91 and it was doomed before it had a chance which is a massive shame because it’s a bit of a classic.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

Archives

© 2025 THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑