THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

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SYMPHONY X – The Odyssey

October 5, 2023 /

Symphony X are a band that seemingly have been around for eons, but they came together in ’94. This is a reissue of the band’s sixth album that originally came out in 2002. It is partly a conceptual album, as the title track is some twenty four minutes long and is inspired by Homer’s Odyssey.

The band follow a path laid down by Dream Theater and Fates Warning before them but with lots more guitar and maybe a heavier sound as well. How can there not be oodles of guitar when you have the king of shredders in your midst, the one Michael Romeo. It’s not all about the guitar though as Russell Allen has a set of pipes that are up there with the best.

There is no doubt that this is a killer album from the get go so I’m just dipping into what I think are the high points. Wicked is my favourite tune. It’s got a ripping riff and groove with sirs Allen and Romeo both ripping up a storm. Next, King Of Terrors with its demonic intro and Metallica riffing is a fun tune. Also, you cannot fail to be in awe of the title tune. From the Broadway horns and orchestra at the intro it feels as though the listener is on a musical journey.

A great band that don’t get the credit they deserve, living in the shadows of those before them.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

ARCH ECHO – s/t

October 5, 2023 /

Arch Echo are a progressive metal/ fusion band from Nashville and this is their first album. It came out in 2017, and they write some killer complex instrumental tunes, but there is always that element of accessibility to the music that doesn’t alienate the listener.

I love this band and they can do no wrong for me. Each tune is an epic adventure with some jaw dropping playing while keeping the groove alive. The grooves range from the absolutely crushing, to veering on classical, and usually all in one tune like Afterburger. My favourite tune is Hip Dipper, as all of the above are played on the track with added EDM, and even flashes of DT and Toto influences. Brilliant tune! A close second is Color Wheel. A song that is veering on Prog dance music at times, with some beautiful guitar and keys melodies.

This  band are so good, and the future is very bright indeed. I urge you to check them out ASAP.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

ROBIN TROWER – BLT

October 4, 2023 /

This was a side step for Robin at the time as after the Victims Of The Fury album and tour he recorded this with Jack Bruce. It would be the first of many hook ups they did over the years. Robin was deep into the funk at this time, and I personally think his best work was with James Dewar. I loved both Caravan To Midnight and Victims Of The Fury and I was shocked when he seemingly left James behind, which he would do permanently after the Back It Up record, to record with Bruce.

There are some killer moments on this album like No Island Lost which has the feel of a one take tune, especially Robins guitar. It’s a great old school blues/funk romp with a very loud “wah wah” guitar. My favourite track is the last track on the album, Endgame. A back to basics slow blues tune, which seems to fit Jack’s voice so well, and of course Robin plays as only he can.

7/10 from The Grooveman.

SEA HAGS – s/t

October 4, 2023 /

The list gets forever longer with the late eighties one and they’re gone bands. Sea Hags were another band that were hyped up, especially if you read Sounds and Kerrang magazines. I think journalists were just looking for the next big rock band to break and sometimes went overboard with their praise.

If you are a lover of the biker/sleaze grooves that were coming out of Southern California then you may have already invested in the delights of the Sea Hags. Most of the tracks have that stripped back, rock n’ roll, boogie groove thing going  down. My highlights are Side 1 close out tune Back To The Grind which has slightly more going on than the rest of album. It has a variant to the stick boogie, a great guitar sound, and Ron Yocum doing his best Alice Cooper impression. My favourite track is Bunkbed Creek. An unusual tune for a band like this as it’s an instrumental. It’s not the type of instrumental that has full on wailing guitars either, but a brooding slowed down groover.

I’m not sure any of the members did a whole lot after this as they just disappeared. Not a bad album, but you can see why there was not a follow up.

7/10 from The Grooveman.

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