THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Tag: music review (Page 279 of 486)

JEFF SCOTT SOTO – The Duets Collection Vol. 1

June 6, 2022 /

I’m not usually a fan of these done-to-order projects that Frontiers put together, but this one is done really well. Killer selection of songs with some amazing vocal performance from Jeff and his guests.

Things get off to a rockin’ start with Livin’ The Life, where he is joined by his bandmate in WET, Eric Martensson. Next up is a track Jeff recorded with Yngwie, Don’t Let It End, where he is joined by the amazing vocals of Dino Jelusick. Boy does this guy have a set of pipes (check out the Dirty Shirley album he did with George Lynch). Next up is the first of the Talisman songs: Mysterious, where Eric Martin shares the vocals. Tough song to do especially as the original is so good. Believe In Me has Nathan James from Inglorious as the duet, and it’s the one song that doesn’t quite live up to the rest. Coming Home, a song Jeff wrote with Neal Schon and has Deen Castronovo on vocals. What a killer voice Deen has. It has to be tough when Jeff is covering his own songs. I’ll Be Waiting is another Talisman tune which he sings with Alirio Netto, and again the original is so good that he maybe should have done it in a different style.

Calling All Girls is next up and Jeff is joined by super lungs Russell Allen, and it’s strange to hear him sing anything other than power metal epics but it works. Colour My XTC is another Talisman track and he is joined by Renan Zonata, who I do not know but this is the best cover of the Talisman tunes, with extra killer guitar from Jorge Santos – who until now I have not heard of. Always liked Johnny Gioelli when he was in Hardline and nice to see him appear on the Axel Rudi Pell track Warrior. I guess it was inevitable that a ballad would rear its ugly head and Holding On is it, with guest BJ who apparently is in Brazilian band Spektra. The album closes out with Again 2 B Found, which I think appeared on the Humanimal band project. Joined by Mats Leven, I think this my favourite of the whole album. Always loved the original and this definitely does it justice.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

INTRONAUT – Prehistoricisms

June 6, 2022 /

This is the 2nd by Intronaut, and they are one of my favourite bands in this genre. Prog metal is a very wide ranging, and broad tidy little box that reviewers put bands in when they haven’t got a clue how to categorize said band. Intronaut try to squeeze as much differing grooves and styles into one of their tunes as possible.

Their first album was a lot more hardcore. Some of those vibes spill over here, especially on Cavernous Den Of Shame which sounds very hardcore until you listen to the riffs and grooves, and the odd time signatures. This is a killer track with some superb bass and drum patterns. The intro to Prehistoricisms does indeed sound like dinosaurs tramping through your garden with the main groove of the piece being almost jazz metal. The most outstanding piece on the album is The Reptilian Brain, which takes up the whole of Side 4 and is split into five parts: Sleep, Eat, Shit, Fight, F…k – which just about sums up life today! The piece just builds from the opening Indian rhythms to the crushing deep riffs and grooves, and all points in between, epic stuff. I urge people to check the band out, they are a very rewarding listen.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

COLOSSEUM II – Strange New Flesh

June 4, 2022 /

This is the first of John Hiseman’s Colosseum II project with Gary Moore on guitar.

Dark Side Of The Moog opens up the album with a very busy jazz fusion groove, and features Don Airey on keys. Down To You is up next which is a smooth jazz version of the Joni Mitchell track, and features some great playing by Moore. Gemini And Leo closes out Side 1. A very funky jazz groove to this, and it’s great to hear Gary play other grooves than blues and rock.

Secret Places opens up Side 2 and is the most melodic track on the record, with a vocal by Mike Starrs but it’s Gary’s playing that really turns your ear. On Second Thoughts starts really slow with some off the hook playing from Gary. In fact, this whole track will blow your mind. His playing is just incredible with a very clean tone. Winds closes out the record and this is the best track on the album. This is just everyone going for it right from the get go with a killer drum pattern from Hiseman to start the ball rolling, then Airey has a turn in the spotlight, before Don and Gary trade licks. Projects just usually do the one album and they’re gone, but this one gave us three great records and sadly Jon and Gary are no longer with us.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

DIAMOND HEAD – Canterbury

June 4, 2022 /

Diamond Head were the darlings of the rock press, especially Sounds and Kerrang magazines, where they fell over themselves praising the band’s early EPs, self financed first album, and their major label debut Borrowed Time.

When this came out however, the reviews were mixed  to say the least. They had come up with an album that was removed from their metallic sounds to a more experimental, dare I say, Zeppelin 4 vibe. Makin’ Music has a very indie feel to the track, and Out Of Phase does sound Zeppelin until the chorus and middle eight where it’s almost pop. The band go very medieval with the intro to Kingmaker and you have to wonder what they were thinking when they wrote this. The only normal songs on the album are Knight Of The Swords, which is a great song, and I Need Your Love which sounds like The Cult. Of course this album bombed and they basically committed commercial suicide with its release.  If you take it for what it is, it’s a decent album to listen to.

7/10 from The Grooveman.

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