THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Tag: music review (Page 184 of 479)

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.

TANGIER – Stranded

March 14, 2023 /

This is Tangier’s third and final album, released in ’91. Hailing from the rock and roll capital of the world, Philadelphia (well not really), they suffered as did all the bands of time by the great grunge unpleasantness.

A kick-ass band, especially live, they open this opus up with Down The Line: a ripping hard rocking beast with some killer slide guitar, and this one sneaks it as my favourite. I love that slow pounding, slight funky groove to Caution To The Wind. The hook and chorus are huge, as is the production, which is stellar. I think we all know I like riff and a nice fat guitar, and they don’t let me down with You’re Not The Lovin’ Kind. There is a big old school Whitesnake vibe to this one. Since You’ve Been Gone feels like an old rock n’ roll sweetheart love me do tune. Takes Just A Little Time has a huge southern vibe with that slide “geetar.”

Excited gets Side 2 under way, and that riff and piano screams Nashville. Well, at least a blues bar in Nashville. Back In The Limelight kicks off with a great guitar break, these guys can write a great hook and melody. Sure, it’s nothing new and they are recycling riffs, but doesn’t everyone? It’s ballad time with the single Stranded, and this is where I switch off as this could be a song by any number of bands because it’s just a generic stock sound. It’s double entendres time next with Its Hard. Sorry to disappoint, but it’s just a good old Friday night party tune. The album closes out with If Ya Can’t Find Love – very reminiscent of Aerosmith around the Permanent Vacation period.

Good record with an epic production.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

JUDAS PRIEST – Painkiller

March 13, 2023 /

This would be Rob Halford’s last album with The Priest for nearly fifteen years. After this he went to play with his own projects Fight and Two, as he thought Priest were not heavy enough for him. Which, if you go and see them live now his raps about how metal Priest are is quite funny. But, I digress, as this album is a bit of a belter and probably the heaviest they had done up until this point.

I mean, Painkiller, the opening track is a monster of a tune. Right from Scott Travis’ pounding of the kit at the intro, you know this is gonna be a beaut. Halford is giving it the beans and that twin guitar onslaught is the best in the biz. When people mention their favourite Priest albums nearly everyone says Screaming For Vengeance, and it is one hell of an album, but Painkiller is very rarely mentioned at all and that astounds me as I think this pushes it all the way. It’s really hard to pick a favourite tune as I like it all, but today I will say it’s Night Crawler as it has a nod to old Priest as well as sounding all metallurgy and shiny.

A deserved…

10/10 from the Grooveman.

TANK – The Power Of The Hunter

March 11, 2023 /

This was the Tank’s follow-up to the quite successful Filth Hounds Of Hades, and both were released in ’82. Often called Motorhead-lite, mainly due to the fact A) they were a three piece and more importantly, and B) Lemmy had taken them under his wing as he was buds with Algy Ward.

Listening now after such a long time, the one thing that hits you is how flat the production is. Walking Barefoot Over Glass opens up the album and this is as close as they came to writing a single, as the hook and chorus are quite catchy. Pure Hatred has a great riff and groove, it’s just screaming out for a fuller sound.  Algy certainly knew how to write a tune as Biting And Scratching has a really cool riff, and fairly bounces along. Some Came Running has a riff that reminds me of an old Budgie tune; lots of key changes ages, a very un-metal sounding track. T.A.N.K. closes out Side 1 and this is as close as they get to a Motörhead sound.

Used Leather opens up Side 2 and this is an archetypal NWOBHM song. The riff and sound just scream 1980. Not the best version I’ve heard of The Osmonds’ Crazy Horses is next up, and again the main problem is the production. Another classic sounding period tune is up next with Set Your Back On Fire. Red Skull Rock is full on Motorhead-lite with Algy copying that bass sound. The album closes out with the title track and my favourite. With the opening line of “hold on to your toupees,” it has to be a winner.

As I have mentioned a couple of times, the production let’s this album down and it would have been a killer record with a decent producer.

7.5/10 from The Grooveman.

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