THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Category: Vinyl Reviews (Page 421 of 492)

WET – Retransmission

June 8, 2021 /

I usually don’t like these made up bands that Frontiers keep putting together, with the brief to write the ultimate melodic rock record. I will make an exception for this project, as it has the amazing talents of Jeff Scott Soto on vocals, and Eclipse main man Eric Martensson. I’m not sure if you are all aware , but Sweden is the melodic rock capital of the universe. When the rest of the world gave up on it for grunge and post grunge (and whatever other nonsense came after that), Sweden still believed in writing and putting out great rock records. Soto has sang with Yngwie and the amazing Talisman (who are dearly missed), as well as fronting Journey for a brief moment. So Jeff’s vocal credentials are top drawer and it’s just the same here. He has a great power, range, and tone that I really love. Think power/melodic/rock and you you will be on the money.

Every song is fantastic, and superbly played and written. If any of you have heard Eclipse, then you know what a great songwriter Martensson is, and if anything, the songs have more melody on this album. My favourite tracks are: Boys Don’t Cry – an epic way to open an album, The Call Of The Wild – in a similar vein and really drives along, How Far To Babylon – an absolute belter of a track, from the native drumming, to the killer riff and vocals – I would buy it just for this tune alone, How Do I Know has a killer riff and brilliant vocal from Jeff singing at the higher end of his register. I would have loved to have heard a Journey album with Jeff singing.

It’s amazing to think that this is just a project and not their day job. If you don’t believe how good this album is, just nip over to poo tunes or spoti-scrote and give it a quick listen – then go and buy a physical copy so the artist actually gets some money.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

ORK – Ramagehead

June 7, 2021 /

For those of you who do not know who ORK are (I’m assuming it’s quite a lot), they are a project that features ex-Porcupine Tree bassist Colin Edwin, King Crimson drummer Pat Mastelotto, and two musicians who I am unaware of, Lorenzo Fornasari (Lef for short) on vocals and keys, plus Carmelo Pipitone on guitars. The vibe and grooves are influenced by Tool, and I do know of Colin’s love for the band.

Opening track, Kneel To Nothing, is a killer tune and Lorenzo’s vocals are amazing. What a range and power he has! Signals Erased is another fantastic tune and sits firmly in Prog territory, with more than a nod to King Crimson. Beyond Sight has a chill acoustic beginning and has a unique feel to the track, but again, Lef’s vocals are outstanding. Black Blooms has a very dark melancholic tone to proceedings and is a highlight for me. The build up is fantastic and the voice is huge. Side 1 closes out with Some Other Rainbow, a very short dark stripped down tune.

Side 2 starts with Time Corroded and Down The Road, both are stunning tracks and have an almost medieval tinge to them. Lef’s vocals are almost angelic at times or maybe even other worldly. Down The Road even reminds me of Muse on occasion. Strangled Words is the penultimate track, and carries on with this side’s musical theme of being acoustic guitar driven. When the guitar does finally become energized, the chord pattern is very interesting. Last track is Some Other Rainbow Part 2, and the dark melancholy vibe continues.

This was the first Ork album I heard and I was blown away by the vocals and the instrumentation. I do like things that go down a different path and challenge the listener, and I would recommend this album for those of you who like the same.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

KYUSS – Welcome To Sky Valley

June 7, 2021 /

This is the third (and best) album by California desert rock combo, Kyuss. If anyone is interested, the name comes from Dungeons and Dragons. The band are best known as being Josh Homme’s home before Queens Of The Stone Age took flight. Kyuss were the purveyors of the finest stoner rock, with their roots firmly in the early seventies – naming Sabbath as a big influence. Produced by Masters of Reality main man ,Chris Goss, this album was the band’s high point creatively.

Gardenia starts things off with the fuzzed out distorted tones of Josh Homme’s guitar. This is the recipe for the whole album. The riffs continue in a repetitive and hypnotic groove that you can chill to, hence the stoner rock term. A lot of the tracks have a grooved out middle section where you can lose yourself. Me personally, I find this album great to relax too. I know that sounds weird when the vibe is so heavy, it just has that effect on me. After the aforementioned Gardenia, the other monster track that I really like is Demon Cleaner, which starts with a great heavy tom tom beat and a wicked riff. This track probably sums up the band more than any other. I find it odd that Josh Homme has said he had never heard of Sabbath when the band started – Sabbath’s influences are all over this record. The band were only around as Kyuss for 4 years, and yet their impact was huge.

8/10 from The Grooveman.

JETHRO TULL – Aqualung

June 5, 2021 /

There aren’t that many albums throughout the history of rock music that reach iconic status, but this album, Aqualung, which was Tull’s fourth release from ’71, is definitely in that category. This album is 50 years old this year, and this is the Steven Wilson remix from 2011. I actually played the original mix before putting this on, just to get the feel of the new one to hear the differences. This version is a lot brighter, and you can hear instruments more clearly as have been brought into the centre of the stereo spectrum.

This is the band’s best selling album and the one everyone associates the band with more than any other. It’s a concept album with the central theme of the distinction between religion and god. Heavy stuff aye? You wouldn’t think so listening to the music as it’s a very uplifting album. From the opening lines “Sitting on a park bench eying little girls with bad intent”, to the rocking awesomeness of Locomotive Breath, and all points in between, this is a Prog masterpiece. The band are at the height of their powers, and Anderson’s ability to weave tales with that distinctive voice and mad flute playing, is a pure joy.

I never tire of listening to this record as the mix of Prog, folk and rock hits the spot every time. Locomotives Breath is still one of my favourite tunes some 50 years later – I guess a good tune will always be a good tune. Crooks Eyed Mary is another favourite, and for an album this old it sounds, its surprisingly fresh. It’s another in the category of every home should have one.

10/10 from The Grooveman.

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