THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Page 166 of 493

CRY WOLF – Crunch

June 26, 2023 /

This is album number two for these Bay Area rockers, and then they sort of disappeared, which is criminal as these guys could write some killer melodic hard rockin’ tunes.

I mean, the intro to opener Road To Ruin is worth the price of the album alone. The Dolby intro is genius and the guitars sound huge. The quality keeps on a coming with Red Shoes. A killer groove and feel that would do Van Halen justice, with a hint of funk thrown in. Next up is Face Down In The Wishing Well, and this is as catchy a tune you will hear. Monster riff and groove and the patented sing a long hook and chorus is just perfect. Ballad time with Long Hard Road is next and the production is super clear, and the vocals sound as though they are in the room. Side 1 blows out with On The Run. Killer riff at the intro and this song reminds me of a much heavier version of Styx, especially those vocals.

Stop Look And Listen opens up Side 2 and is my favourite on the album. A fast uptempo rocker with a killer riff that grooves hard.  A really cool sounding guitar announces the arrival of Pretender, a much gentler tune (well at the intro anyway). The switch is flicked about a third of the way in and the melody and harmonies are superb. Huge shout out to guitarist Steve McKnight who is a revelation on this album.

It’s party time next with Dirty Dog Night. A full on glam slam groover with the feel good factor at the max. The quality keeps on coming with West Wind Blows. These guys certainly know how to do intro’s. The song has a killer riff and groove that’s superb and the hook and chorus are huge. The album closes out with Back To You which has a pounding bass and drum line, with a cool guitar over the top.

These guys should have been really huge, but we all know what happens shortly after.

9.5/10 from The Grooveman.

HERMAN RAREBELL – Nip In The Bud

June 24, 2023 /

This is Herman’s first solo album that he managed to squeeze in between the Scorpions albums Animal Magnetism and Blackout, and the touring cycles for those records. When members of popular bands do solo albums like these they are usually chock full of guest appearances, but that’s not the case here. On guitar is DH Cooper, on vocals and bass is George Phillips, and I’ve never heard of them before or since. Phillips’ vocal style does sound a bit like Klaus from the Scorps, but that’s the only similarity between Herman’s day job.

Opener Messing Around is a cool tune with a huge drum sound. Two Timer has a cool riff and it’s the guitar’s turn to sound massive. Having A Good Time is heavily influenced by Zeppelin. Rock Your Balls sounds like something Uli Roth would come up with and I’m finding the vocals a very acquired taste. Triangle closes out Side 1, it is an instrumental and the middle section is one big drum solo. Well, it is his album!

Slob kicks off Side 2 and it’s the worst song on the album, the vocal just irritates my brain. Junk Funk is interesting with the change of groove and musically it’s really cool, but the vocal impression of the cockroach alien in Men In Black is too much. The groovy funk feel keeps going into Do It and again, musically it’s on the money. It’s favourite track time next with Pancake. A killer, very funky instrumental with some tasty guitar. I’ll Say Goodbye closes out the album and it’s a return to the Zep 4 vibes.

Musically, it gets an 8/10 from The Grooveman, but vocally…meh!

TED NUGENT – s/t

June 24, 2023 /

Before this, (Ted’s first album) he had already recorded seven albums with the Amboy Dukes. The sound originally was quite psychedelic, but as the albums were getting harder edged he went solo to record this in ’75.

I’m a big fan of his earlier material before it all got a bit weird. This is definitely prime time Ted. Four classic Ted tracks come from this record: Stranglehold, Stormtroopin’, Just What The Doctored, and my personal favourite Motor City Madhouse. He certainly had tapped into something here with that no nonsense approach. Just Uncle Ted, a stack of amps, and a guitar cranked all the way was just how I liked it and those live shows were high octane for sure. Detroit was a rock town, but it was also the home of soul with Motown and Ted does marry the two well on tracks like Hey Baby.

A great and fun record.

8/10 from the Grooveman.

CHARLIE GRIFFITHS – Tiktaallika

June 23, 2023 /

If any of you are familiar with the Prog metal band Haken, then you will have undoubtedly heard the crunching riffs and tone of guitar player Charlie Griffith: this is his first solo album. It is a killer record!

The opening intro of the beautiful Prehistoric Prelude leads the listener into a false sense of serenity as next track Arctic Cemetery rips in with some serious low end crunch and groove. I love the AI sounding vocals, very cool. My first thoughts are that I’m listening to a long lost Dream Theater record, especially the instrumental pieces as the feel is very much Portnoy era DT. The low end tones and growls blow that right away though. Killer riifage!

For those of you who love your odd time signatures you will be drooling at Luminous Beings, a delightfully twisted little tune that takes the listener across the whole Prog spectrum. It’s favourite track time next with In Alluvium. This track is HUGE! At over eight minutes, the listener is transported to a musical heaven. Close your eyes and take it in. The vocals are superb as is the main melody, killer guitar, and wicked grooves that delight the ears. I loose faith with the whole Prog genre sometimes as a lot of modern Prog leaves me empty but this is stunning!

Digging Deeper is a monster slow build track adding layers and tones throughout, reminding of early eighties Genesis. The title track is a guitar lover’s dream. From heavy, monster, deep riffage to superb layered melodies with dual guitar pieces, and some killer leads. All hail the riff! Crawl Walk Run takes the award for the most total metal track on the record. Freakin’ awesome speed riffing and killer drum and grooves.

Dear Charlie Griffiths, ta very much for delivering a banger.

10/10 from The Grooveman.

« Older posts Newer posts »

Archives

© 2026 THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑