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REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

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VICTORY – Hungry Hearts

May 14, 2025 / / 0 Comments

This is Victory’s third album, released back in ´87, and after a couple of line up changes since their inception they now had ex-Accept guitarist Herman Frank and ex-Ted Nugent vocalist Charlie Huhn in the band. Although still sounding big and heavy, this record has a very commercial edge and a lot of these songs would have made great singles. The band’s other guitarist Tommy Newton, had a hand  in producing and mixing the record and would go on to make his name as a producer working with Helloween amongst others.

This is a fun record packed with quality tunes. One Track Mind, I’m A Survivor, Tough On Love, Hungry Hearts, and Look In The Mirror are all great tunes but it’s The Bigger They Are (The Harder They Fall) that is my favourite song. A great mid-tempo pounding groove with riff to match and a very infectious hook and chorus.

A very underrated band!

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

REVEREND – S/T

May 14, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Reverend had something of a cult following in the late eighties and early nineties. They were touted to be metal’s next best thing but other than this EP, they put out two full length records and then they were done.

The band were formed by original Metal Church vocalist David Wayne and this was the first EP that they put out in ´89. You only get four songs but each one is a thrashtastic banger. If you put all of the original thrash bands’ sound and groove in a blender, Reverend would be the end product. Rammed full of chugga riffs and grooves to get that head bangin’. Wretched Excess is my favourite track of the tunes on offer here, it would have given any of the “big 4” a run for their money.

Cool EP!

8/10 from The Grooveman.

ROXX GANG – Mojo Guru’s

May 12, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Released nine years after their classic album Things You’ve Never Done Before, this one is a bit strange as it was released under The Mojo Guru’s name.

This project has one foot in the blues and one in the bottom of a whiskey bottle. For most of the time Kevin Steele’s vocals sound as though they were recorded through a 1930’s telephone in a swamp in the Deep South. Now, I get they are going for a vibe but most of the time it’s sounds as though they are dicking around. The only song that plugs me in is the title track and even then the guitar sound bugs me.

Not the band’s best effort.

6/10 from Grooveman.

Y&T – Down For The Count

May 12, 2025 / / 0 Comments

This record was released in ‘85 right when hair bands were ruling all before them and Y&T were one of the best exponents of the rock anthem. Yet, they never quite made it into the top half of the premier league.

The trio of Earthshaker, Black Tiger, and Mean Streak are Y&T at their best, but the band’s biggest charting single Summertime Girls is on this album and that should tell you a lot about this record. It’s definitely the most commercial record the band made and they had both eyes firmly on FM radio with this one. Whether that’s pressure from the record company or just the way they were going at this point I’m not sure.

I find the keyboards quite off putting on some of the songs. Y&T are about the crunch and the worst offender to my ears is Anytime At All where the keys are front and centre. Thankfully, they still remember how to rock and Anything For Money is a prime time Y&T belter.

This is where the band went full AOR, and if you entered the Y&T universe with Earthshaker then this record is a tad disappointing.

7/10 from The Grooveman.

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