THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Category: Vinyl Reviews (Page 177 of 492)

ARK – s/t

May 16, 2023 /

Killer band who burned bright for oh so briefly and only released two albums, of which this is the first, released in ’99. I was a huge fan of Conception and loved Tore Ostby as a guitar player and when I heard he was teaming up with Jorn Lande to record as a group I was super stoked to hear what they came up with. I first heard Jorn’s vocal talents as a member of Vagabond, a group put together by TNT’s Ronnie Le Tekro after they went on one of their many breaks.

In brief this album is a monster record and if you like your progressive metal with a huge chunk of melody thrown in along side crushing riffs, then you should love this. I’ll go straight to my favourite track The Hunchback Of Notre Dame, this is one of my favourite tracks ever as I love how all styles come together to produce one epic piece. Jazz, funk, Latin, metal, and melody all collide in a burst of awesomeness.

The intro to Mother Love sounds like early Santana but revamped and improved for a modern generation of listeners. Jorn’s voice is superb on this one and John Macaluso is a beast on the kit. The staccato chugga grooves of Center Avenue sound so huge and make this one epic track. What a way to close out a record with Cant Let Go. A vast musical piece that that builds through varying styles and feels like the band’s Pink Floyd moment.

As I mentioned already, this is a superb album and you should really own this.

10/10 from The Grooveman.

HEAVEN – Where Angels Fear To Tread

May 16, 2023 /

I guess it must be something in the water in Australia that makes nearly all of the hard rockin’ bands from the land down under have the same DNA. Heaven were probably one of the least well known, having only released three albums in the early eighties, of which this was the second. It sees them tweaking their sound somewhat, moving away from the obvious AC/DC raw grooves and adding some Priest style riffing into the mix.

The album sounds a bit dated and that drum sound isn’t the best either, but overall it’s quite an entertaining album if you are a lover of that straight up no nonsense rock n’ roll sound. Highlights are opener and title track Rock School (which if the rest of the album had been as good then we would be looking at a possible full marks) which is a great fun tune that reminds you of early DC and Madness with an appearance of Glenn Hughes and Lita Ford on Bv’s.

7.5/10 from The Grooveman.

BEGGARS OPERA – Pathfinder

May 15, 2023 /

This is a nice change from the randomizer picking a Prog album. I have a love of Prog and I have quite a few, but for some reason they don’t come out too often.

This is another album from my youth. A friend back then used to play this all the time. It was the cover and the poster that initially got my attention as the artwork of the spaceman on a horse is incredible.

Of course, the big production piece on the album is MacArthur Park. The song was a hit for actor Richard Harris in ’68, but this version is a 70’s Prog masterpiece and is head and shoulders above anything else the band ever did. It’s the instrumental sections of the piece that are fantastic, as the lyrics and melody are set in stone. The other track that stands out is the title track Pathfinder. The twin guitar wah wah groove is really cool, and the harmonies are very reminiscent of Wishbone Ash.

This was recorded in ’72 so it does sound a tad dated with that flat drum sound, but I have very fond memories of this record.

7.5/10 from The Grooveman.

KILL FOR THRILLS – Dynamite From Nightmareland

May 15, 2023 /

I guess you can call this a mini LA sleaze supergroup. Gilby Clarke on vocals and guitar, Todd Muscat on Bass (Brent’s brother), and Jason Nesmith lead guitar, (Monkees Mike Nesmith’s son). I think not long after this Gilby was picked for the GnR gig. So, this is their only release, up until now any way.

It sounds exactly like what you’d expect. That big sleaze simple rock n’ roll vibe with a huge hint of the Stones thrown in. In fact, in the opener Motorcycle Cowboy someone is channeling their inner Keef, as that rhythm guitar is so close. Brothers Eyes is also stealing from The Cult this time, as that strummed guitar and groove is really cool. My favourite track is Rockets. The production is really huge on this tune courtesy of Vic Maile. A very commercial sounding song that should have been released as a single, with a great hook and chorus. Honourable mention to My Addiction which mixes the sleaze and punk perfectly.

Not a bad album at all as I haven’t heard this for a few years.

7.5/10 from The Grooveman.

« Older posts Newer posts »

Archives

© 2026 THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑