THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Tag: album review (Page 84 of 471)

ROMEO’S DAUGHTER – s/t

February 1, 2024 /

When you look at Mutt Lange’s production credits leading up to this recording, you have to wonder why he chose to do this one as the band were totally unknown. But when you see that the band’s manager was Olga Lange, it totally makes sense.

Obviously this is an amazingly well produced album, as you would expect, and it is a very slick pop/rock gem. Although the album and the singles from it had minor success, the people who covered some of the songs, Bonnie Tyler, Eddy Money, and Heart did fair better. My favourite of the bunch is Heaven In The Back Seat, a great tune that has single written all over it and is a definite earworm tune.

They would make one more album and that was it. Although, I do believe they are back recording again.

7/10 from The Grooveman.

POMEGRANATE TIGER – All Input Is Error

February 1, 2024 /

We have a Porcupine Tree, so why can’t we have a Pomegranate Tiger? The amazing amount of talented young bands that have crept out of every orifice since Periphery bounded into the Prog metal universe is staggering. Plus, the amount of instrumental bands in this genre is breathtaking as well. It’s a bit like the explosion of fusion bands in the 70’s.

These lovely folks come from darkest Windsor in Ontario, which makes us practically neighbours. I think this is their fifth album and it’s an incredible piece of work. I mentioned Periphery, but that may give a slightly wrong expectation. First, there are no vocals and second, we only have one guitarist – the amazingly talented Martin Andres. What you do get is amazing deep grooving soundscapes, intricate weaving guitar passages, and some serious riffage with a killer rhythm section supplied again by Martin.

My only adverse word is the breaks between songs are almost non existent and the whole piece feels like one song, and that’s a small thing. The djentyness is wonderful and groovy when the needs arises. The Cryptographer is just an insane musical wonder with some epic deep riifage and unbelievable guitar soloing, and I will say this is my favourite piece. Mind blowing stuff! There is a moment I thought I was in a parallel universe while listening to this as I could swear the intro to Metasphere reminded of The Cardiacs, and perhaps it did but the memory was wiped away by deep riffage.

A freakin’ great record.

9.5/10 from The Grooveman.

RAVEN – Life’s A Bitch

February 1, 2024 /

Amazingly enough, Raven are still out there making new music and playing live. I know there has been long gaps in between some of their record, but credit where is due.

This was album number six for them, which appeared in ’87. After their initial burst through the NWOBHM explosion in the early eighties and by the time they recorded this album, they were more popular in the US than back home in the UK. This album was even recorded in the US.

I think they were once described as “athletic thrash” and if you saw them live around this time you could see why, as they were one big swirling ball of energy. I really like this album as I think their songwriting reached its peek around this point.

Pick Your Window is my personal favourite track as it rips along at a gallop and it’s pure NWOBHM, except it’s supercharged. There are so many great tracks here: the title track just slays, as well as On The Wings Of An Angel which is old school thrash, and you can see how most of  the early thrash bands cited them as an influence.

A very enjoyable and fun record.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

YNGWIE MALMSTEEN’S RISING FORCE – Marching Out

January 29, 2024 /

This was solo album number two for Yngwie, when he still believed in having a vocalist in the band. The vocalist in question here is Jeff Scott Soto, who after his dismissal from Yngwie’s tribe would set up Talisman with his band mate here, the amazing bassist Marcel Jacob and go on to have a great career.

There is no doubt that Yngwie is an incredible player with jaw dropping technique, but sometimes he seems to just be playing for himself and not the song. Case in point is Disciples Of Hell, which is a great song don’t get me wrong, but the solo is so fast it’s ahead of the groove of the song. The influence of early Rainbow is all over this record whether it be the groove of the music or Jeff’s vocals, you can’t escape it. I Am Viking is my favourite track it has all the Rainbowisms you could hope for with Yngwie playing his best solo.

I am a guitar nut so I love all the over the top widdlly dee histrionics, but I do admit it does affect the songs sometime. This actually came out in ‘85 which makes me feel old as I remember buying it the week of release.

8/10 from The Grooveman.

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