THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Tag: music review (Page 186 of 479)

ODIN – Don’t Take No For An Answer

March 6, 2023 /

Back in the day I remember reading a lot about Odin, and how they were going to be the next big thing for metal. Other than their appearance in the car crash documentary “The Decline Of Western Civilization Part 2 The Metal Years,” this EP is all that’s to show for their brief appearance in the spotlight. (Forgot to mention also that guitarist Jeff Duncan would join Armoured Saint after Odin folded.)

Anyway this album is rather good if you love that mid-eighties US metal sound; the six songs on here really float my boat. Opener The Writer is pure kick-ass metal, plenty of riffage and Jeff Duncan can really rip. Randy O can reach notes that no other man can and sometimes it’s a bit much. One Day To Live is my favourite track, great riff and groove with some killer guitar. Shining Love follows and is a metal ballad with a monster solo.

Solar Eye kicks off Side 2 and the riff and groove are killer. This album is definitely a Jeff Duncan showcase, man can he wail. Don’t Take No For Answer is up next, another killer tune with a main riff that reminds me of Testament. So all too briefly we come to the final track Judgement Day, a track Anthrax would have been proud of. Killer guitar in every available space. Jeff Duncan rules!

9/10 from The Grooveman.

WRATCHILD – The Bizz Suxx

March 4, 2023 /

At the end of the eighties in deepest darkest Wales there was a bargain basement glam movement appearing with Wrathchild and Tygertailz at the forefront. They were somewhat mirroring what their heroes were doing over the pond on the Sunset Strip.

More uptempo than their LA counterparts, who seemed to favour the Faces drunk down and out style, this is just a fun rock n’ roll record, no more no less. A lot of the tracks have lots of KK’s and ZZ’s in the titles in true stack heeled style. Favourite tracks are Hooligunz and Millionaire. Both have fun sing-a-long choruses and should put a smile on your face.

8/10 from The Grooveman.

LOUDNESS – Live-Loud-Alive

March 3, 2023 /

Loudness are probably the best metal/rock band to come from Japan. This live album was released in ’83 before their biggest albums were released in the west. I’m a huge fan of Akira Takasaki whose guitar playing is exceptiona, he is also a bit of a hero in his homeland.

If you only know them by Thunder In The East and Dissolution then you may not have heard any of these songs before. A lot more hard rock than metal, this is still a killer live album and worthy of buying just to hear Akira killing it. Highlights for me are the slow brooding and almost Sabbath track I Was The Sun, it has a superb solo. As well, Black Wall which builds from a Scorpions sounding intro to a double kick melodic metal romp where Akira really rips in. Akira gets his solo spot as part of Heavenward with over six minutes worth of fretwork destruction. My favourite track is Tusk Of Jaguar which is serious guitar overload with a drum solo at the end.

Great band and a great early live recording.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

ANGEL – Live Without A Net

March 2, 2023 /

Another band that had everything going for them but didn’t quite reach the heights or expectations. Very clever marketing by Casablanca who had Kiss as the evil and saw Angel as the exact opposite, dressing them all in white. I loved the pomp of the first album and The Tower is a killer opening track to that and this album as well. After that however, they were just another rock n’ roll band even venturing into pop. I mean it worked for Kiss right?

Angel live though, was another thing altogether as they were a great live band. If you were only going to have one Angel album in your collection it would have to be this. Rather annoyingly though Side 1 is paired with Side 4, and Side 3 with 2. My favourite tracks are the Tower and a great version of Mott The Hoople’s All The Young Dudes.

8/10 from The Grooveman.

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