REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Tag: vinyl collection (Page 9 of 449)

BEAU NASTY – Dirty But Well Dressed

Yet another sleaze glam band from California that only managed to release one album and then just fade into the twilight.  Epic obviously believed in the band as they roped in mega knob twiddler, Beau Hill to sit behind the desk and do what he does best. Coming across a bit like Britney Fox, but these guys are much better, they just never had that one song to ride the album on. They released a version of Love Potion #9 as a single, but that failed to catch. The only member of the band you maybe familiar with is Mike Terrana on the drums who has gone one to drum with seemingly everyone, Yngwie and Rage to name but two.

My attention is always drawn to guitars and in Brian Young and George Bernhardt they have two killer players. Side 1 of the album is loaded with three bangers straight away and the record company were obviously really trying here. Shake It, Goodbye Rosie, and Gimme Lovin’ are all killer songs and I would have released Gimme Lovin’ as a single because it’s the obvious choice. Yup, there’s ballads but there’s enough rockin’ tunes to more than make up for that. My favourite track is Shake It. It sums up that whole period really, a fun good time track with a great riff and a huge hook and chorus.

There are too many one album bands that just vanished, but I think these guys deserved a lot more.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

OZZY OSBOURNE – No More Tears

I’m sure most metal fans will have heard this album, and are very familiar with it. This is the latest 180g reissue and it sounds really good sonically. Out of the Zakk Wylde albums, this is his best effort and he still looks like a human instead of some reject from a Rob Zombie movie.

This is album is chock full of great songs, and not just the singles. Mama I’m Coming Home and No More Tears were great MTV fodder but Mr. Tinkertrain, Desire, Hellraiser, and my favourite Zombie Stomp are all killer tracks with Zakk showing he could live up to Randy and Jake.

You should have this in your collection.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

FIREWIND – Stand United

How many Greek bands do you know? Yeah, I’m struggling as well. This is Firewind’s tenth studio album and for what started out as a project for Gus G to get some tunes released, the band have done quite well, especially in Europe where power metal goes down a storm.

Salvation Day is a straight up and down standard metal song but the title track is anything but. Double kicks pounding all the way with a great riff, epic sounding chorus, and guitar overload, this is a beast of a tune. Destiny Is Calling is Judas Priest with a severe intake of exotic substances to boost that groove to the max. A nice change of pace with The Power Lies Within, a cool old school chugga groove with lots of noodling from Mr. G. Side one ends with Come Undone, a nice uptempo metal stomper with more notes than is feasibly possible sprayed across the middle eight.

A weird video game style intro to Fallen Angel that is otherwise speed metal 101. Chains follows and that Judas Priest vibe is back again. It’s that same chugga rhythm with the melodic chorus I guess. Land Of Chaos is my favourite track. Great riffing intro and I love the hook and chorus. Talking In Your Sleep is a no frills rocker. Days Of Grace closes out the album and it’s a power ballad.

They say old school metal is dead and yet here we are in 2024 with quality old school albums are still being released.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

JAG WIRE – Made In Heaven

Rising from the ashes of a band called Sin, Jag Wire recorded this, their first album, in ’85. Quite a sought after release, and now it has had the reissue treatment on CD with a myriad of demos and outtakes on FnA records (I think).

A mixture of glam metal and aor, this is quite good, although rather dated in sound. As a Californian band of this period they do have a sound of their own and don’t go along with the glitz and glam of the Sunset Strip. Only 8 tracks and none of them are that long, this album does fly by but highlights include On The Run, which is anything but aor and rocks along with a cool riff and groove; Takin’ The City again is an up tempo rocker; and my personal favourite track Traitor with the crazy keys intro.

These guys badly needed a producer of note and maybe things would have been different. The drum sound is not great and the mix could have been better.

6.5/10 from The Grooveman.

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