THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Tag: music review (Page 480 of 493)

BLUE OYSTER CULT – Fire Of Unknown Origin

January 22, 2021 /

This BOC’s eighth studio album and was produced by Martin Birch who worked with Deep Purple and Iron Maiden. I am a big fan of early BOC, and after this album I started to loose interest somewhat. This is the audiophile Music On Vinyl release, and it sounds super clear – it’s also the last album to feature the original line up.

First track in is the title track co-written by Patti Smith, followed by the hit single Burning For You, which after Don’t Fear The Reaper and Godzilla was their biggest chart position. Veteran of the Psychic Wars is next and was co- written with sci-fi writer Michael Moorcock – who you may remember hooked up with Hawkwind in the 70’s. The very average Sole Survivor is next followed by Heavy Metal The Black, and The Silver, a track from the movie of the same name – this is more of an old BOC vibe and the best track on the album.

Side 2 starts with Vengeance, a solid rockin’ track that speeds into an almost Maiden gallop as the track moves on. After Dark is next with an almost punk/new wave intro and has a cool sing-a-long chorus. Next in, Joan Crawford vies with Heavy Metal for the best-track-on-the-album Championships. It starts with it’s almost operatic beginning and great chorus telling us “she has risen from the grave”. Don’t Turn Your Back closes things out in typical BOC style.

This is the album that saved their career – as the previous two releases bombed commercially – so the pressure was on. Thanks to the great choice of singles, and a solid production major label status was secured, for a while anyway.

7.5/10 from The Grooveman.

PORCUPINE TREE – Nil Recurring

January 22, 2021 /

This is the 2007 release on KScope, which is the companion piece to Fear of a Blank Planet. These songs were written at the same time and were part of the concept for the album, but were deemed not to fit with the original piece and were finished after the recording of Blank Planet. That’s not to say they are bad songs, as they are not, most bands would be ecstatic to have them.

Things get moving pretty quickly with the instrumental title track, with a heavy riff that builds with some wild drumming from Gavin Harrison into an odd middle section with out-there guitar from Robert Fripp. Next up is Normal, which has the same chorus/melody as Sentimental from the Blank Planet album. If anything, Normal is a heavier piece with some fat heavy riffs. Cheating The Polygraph is next, which is my favourite track. Again we have a great heavy riff with some industrial drum grooves and odd time signatures. This is such a great song. Last but not least is the beautiful What Happens Now, with an atmospheric beginning that builds into a really cool groove and a wonderful odd time signature. This track fits with Way Out Of Here on Blank Planet, as What Happens Now is referenced in the lyrics.

So at 29 minutes in length and only 4 songs, we are in Van Halen- Diver Down territory. You may feel it could be longer, but it was only intended as an EP and the quality of the material is so good it gets.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

JOHN NORUM – Total Control

January 21, 2021 /

This was the debut solo album from Europe guitarist John Norum. He left them after The Final Countdown album and tour, but would later rejoin them. He was also a member of Dokken for a while when George Lynch left. He is joined by two of Sweden’s rock royalty namely Marcel Jacobs (ex Talisman) on bass, and Goran Edman (ex Malmsteen) on vocals. Norum is a seriously good guitar player in the Yngwie school of widdle. Recorded in ’87, right at the pinnacle of the whole hair metal thing, and it does sound like that, especially with the big chorus and sing a long melodies. All songs about girls and cars. All originals apart from two, Back On The Streets by Vinnie Vincent, and Wild One by Thin Lizzy.

Things start off ok with Let Me Love You and Love Is Meant To Last Forever, both good tunes with some tasty guitar – then the obligatory ballad Too Many Hearts. A very average Someone Else Here follows, and into up tempo Eternal Flame, you would swear this was Malmsteen. Flip the disc over into the VV cover Back On The Streets, which is very lightweight and AOR with a nice solo. Blind follows, which would be my fave track even though you feel as though you have heard this a million times before. Things slowly peter out after, with two fairly typical melodic rockers before final track Wild One, which doesn’t divert too much from the Lizzy original. Overall not a bad album with some killer guitar.

6.5/10 from The Grooveman.

TESSERACT – Altered State

January 21, 2021 /

This is the second album from British Prog metallers TESSERACT. Also the only album to feature Ash O’hara on vocals, after the departure of Dan Tompkins who would return to the band later. Weirdly all-round crazy person Chris Barretto (ex of Periphery and Monuments), appears on two tracks. This is the double grey vinyl edition, and conveniently each side is split into themes, Of Matter, Of Mind, Of Reality and Of Energy. Technically there is only four tracks on the album, but they are split into sections. All the themes deal with change.

Starting things off with Proxy, and a clean almost ethereal vocal from O’Hara that grows into a superb choppy low-end djent groove that TESSERACT are famous for. A superb opening piece that blends into Retrospect, great vocal melodies and some superb off time grooves. This theme ends with the epic Resist, such an atmospheric piece with great melody and layered vocal.

Side 2 Of Mind starts with the single Nocturne with that superb low end riff, and into a soaring vocal and then back to that riff – such a great song. This is metal but not as we know it Jim. Absolute awesome stuff. I dare you not to bounce around which ever room you are in when that groove kicks in. One of the best djent tracks written. Not finished with this side yet as the choppy groove of Exiled finishes this side out.

On to Of Reality and opening piece, Eclipse, with huge doomy chords and that almost angelic vocal and that trademark TESSERACT choppy groove. Hell we’re nearly in jazz territory here. If you are a die hard 4/4 fan there is not a lot for you here as the time signatures are all over the map – as next track Palingenesis demonstrates perfectly. The first appearance of the aforementioned Barretto appears next with Calbi- Yau, but on saxophone not vocals.

Flipping over onto the last side, Of Energy, with the other single release, Singularity, starting things off – it dawns on me that there is no one like TESSERACT that do this as good as they do. The album finishes beautifully with the killer, Embers.

They have evolved since the Periphery-esque doodlings of their first album, and they now have a groove and a sound of their own. There is some great playing on here from Acle Carney and James Monteith- Guitars , Amos Williams – Bass, and Jay Postones on Drums. If you like your music to last beyond that initial burst of the thrill of listening to something new for the first time, and you want to keep coming back to it and get that feeling of wonder then – Tesserract- Altered State could just be for you.

9.5/10 from The Grooveman.

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