THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Category: Vinyl Reviews (Page 196 of 492)

STEVEN WILSON – The Raven That Refused To Sing

March 16, 2023 /

This is one of my favourite albums ever. Six songs spread over four sides, this is as good as it gets. Now, I’ll admit I don’t play the vinyl very often, I usually play the surround sound because it’s just insanely sonically brilliant, so it was a pleasant surprise for this one to pop up today. This album, and the one that came next (Hand Cannot Erase), are Wilson’s finest achievements of all that he has done – including Porcupine Tree’s Fear Of A Blank Planet which I also hold in high regard. It helps when you have an amazing band, and in Marco Minneman and Guthrie Govan you have two musicians who are at the top of their game. Forget Pink Floyd, Yes, and King Crimson this is the best progressive album you will ever hear.

Starting off with the incredible Luminol which starts with an incredible instrumental groove that lasts for ages before the vocal kicks in, only for the insane instrumental groove to return. I mean, how good is that to open an album with? That’s side one done.

Drive Home, which there is an incredible stop motion animation video for, is such an incredible emotive song that will have tears coming to your eyes when the song reaches the incredible crescendo of Guthrie Govan’s guitar solo. My favourite track is The Watchmaker. This song just builds, and twists, and turns until again that incredible guitar solo just blows you away.

The whole album is based around ghost stories and the eeriest of them all is the title track which just send shivers down your spine. The Holy Drinker and The Pin Drop are very similar tracks in feel and vibe, but also incredible with a heavier vibe than the rest.

Steven Wilson is an incredible artist for sure but some of his warblings in recent interviews have been annoying to say the least. To say the guitar is a dead instrument is the one that irks me the most, especially when it has been such a stand out on all his material.

I digress, this gets (as did the Van Halen first album)…

1000/10 from The Grooveman.

SPELLBOUND – Breaking The Spell

March 16, 2023 /

This is the debut album from the Swedish band, Spellbound, released in ’84. The only person I know is guitarist JJ Marsh, who would be Glenn Hughes’ sidekick for a while. I remember reading something in Kerrang magazine about this album being one of the best albums released that year. I wouldn’t go that far, but it’s a good record none the less.

Treading a hard edged melodic rock path, and as with all things Swedish, they do it that little bit better than everyone else. Highlights (and there are a few) are Crack Up The Sky with its very raw kick ass simple riff, it gets the head bobbing for sure and early Diamond Head springs to mind. Also Hooked On Metal reminds me of early Def Leppard with that raw guitar sound. And, my favourite track Loud N’ Dirty, which does exactly what it says.

Another fun album from back in the day.

8/10 from The Grooveman.

A THRU Z – s/t

March 15, 2023 /

What would expect to hear from two ex-members of Fates Warning? Well, if you think it’s the same Prog metal vibes that their ex-employers live in then you may be somewhat surprised, as this is one killer melodic rock record with huge hooks and melodies. Ray Alder has always been the owner of one hell of a set of pipes, and boy does he shine on this record.

Opener Trial By Fire is a monster opening tune with a massive hook and chorus, with added fat huge riffage. The Far Side Of The Horizon follows with a killer chugga riff passage opening it up. Superb melody and vocals, and the guitar of Joop Wolters is sublime. There are hints of Prog on this tune but in more of a classic sense than say, Fates. Machine Gunner is up next and kicks in with a very busy guitar pattern, and a huge up tempo groove. This track will blow your mind, awesome instrumental section and the vocals are killer, plus is my favourite track. The tempo and groove slows down for the next track, Rise Again. Huge Toto vibes from this one. Side 1 closes out with Window Panes, a very catchy, fat riff coupled with a monster vocal line that has hints of Journey. This track is huge!

Over to Side 2 we go and opening track Run Away. Those Toto vibes are hitting me hard on this one. Killer harmonies and melody, and the guitar reminds me so much of Steve Lukather. Stranded starts with a very groovy laid back vibe that opens up to a huge chord crunch, and man it’s those vocals that get you. The guitar solo is just pure joy, what a great tone. At The Waters Edge has a superb intro, and I love the main riff and groove, and that solo, jeez! Next up is Borrowed Time and this is the most Prog metal track on the album, with a huge killer riff plus a ripping guitar solo – and those vocals and harmonies are off the hook. Sadly it’s last track time with Sometimes, and those Toto vibes are very strong (at least at the intro). The guitar could be Lukather if you close your eyes.

This album was one of the surprises of last year for me, and if you only buy one album this year then go and treat yourself with this. You will not be disappointed.

10/10 from The Grooveman.

MEGADETH – Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?

March 15, 2023 /

This is Megadeth’s second album, released back in ’86, and the only surviving member is good ole’ Dave himself. He has fallen out with, or sacked nearly everyone who has ever been in the band so, if you were under any illusions that this was anything other than a dictatorship, then you must have missed the memo. The first three albums are the best, as the band had a sound and vibe that was all theirs and after So Far So What they were just another speed metal band. Of course, there were rumoured to be all sorts of chemical enhancements around the band at this time, and most of which were trying to kill them. Out of that environment though came the band’s best work, and this could just be their best.

Right from the opening crunch of Wake Up Dead Mr. Mustaine means business, angry words spat at the listener mixed with angry riffs crushing your brain, there is no let up. Devil’s Island has flashback moments to his previous outfit as he is taunting his ex-bandmates with the fact that he came up with most of their first two albums. There is even an old Willie Dixon blues cover with I Aint Superstitious, but it’s the riff and groove overload that is Bad Omens that is my favourite track. There are things going on in this track that took metal to places it hadn’t been at the time. Killer track and album.

9.5/10 from The Grooveman.

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