THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Tag: vinyl community (Page 209 of 493)

LONERIDER – Sundown

February 3, 2023 /

This is Lonerider’s second release, and again it appears on UK label Escape Music. For those who don’t know, the band are Steve Overland from FM on vocals, Bad Company and Free drummer Simon Kirke, Chris Childs from Thunder on bass, and Steve Morris from Heartland on guitar and keys. They do come across as a lighter version of Bad Co but with a killer production, this is a very classy melodic rock album. I’ve always been a fan of Steve Overland’s voice and this band is a perfect vehicle to show how good he is.

The album starts with Fantasyland and the riff and groove of the whole song is classic rock 101. Cross The Border has a very west coast feel to it and the Eagles do come to mind here and on next track, Undefeatable. Harder Love is the first ballad we get to and there are Paul Rodgers’ tones to Steve’s voice on this one. When You Got Nothing has a riff that Mick Ralph’s would have been proud. The Side 1 closer Any Way The Wind Blows is ballad number two, and this time country vibes are added to the smooth west coast sound.

Side 2 opens up with Yesterday’s News and I’m going with this as my favourite track. A really cool hook and chorus, and there is an harder edge to the guitars on this one. Great track! Badlands follows, it’s basically a boogie with a killer hook and chorus. Wild River has a big southern rock groove with just a hint of country, and the melody and chorus are superb. Next up is Criminal Mind and aor fans will be dribbling at this one. A great riff but it’s the melody and harmonies that are the big stand out here. Love To Love could have been on any Bad Co album and you would not know it wasn’t them. It’s that close! A really nice swing to the groove and as usual with these guys, the melody is huge. So we get to the last track Long Time Gone, and it’s a return to that super smooth west coast sound.

I love this album a lot as the sound is crystal clear and crisp, plus the songs are really well written and performed. If you want a modern classic rock record then you could give these guys a try.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

IMPELLITTERI – Answer To The Master

February 2, 2023 /

This is a reissue of Impellitteri’s fifth Answer To The Master by those lovely people at Night Of The Vinyl Dead. The sound had changed slightly by this time, with a much heavier groove to the tunes. We all know how impressive Chris is on guitar, but equally important to the sound is Rob Rock’s vocals, which are perfect for the music.

The Future Is Black opens up the album and it’s monster riffage all the way. It has great guitars that sound so fat and huge, it’s favourite track time already. Fly Away would make any melodic rock band proud. A very commercial sounding song with a big hook and chorus, and an added bonus of James Christian on bv’s.  A NWOBHM-style riff opens up Warrior, with just a hint of All Night Long by Rainbow. I’ll Wait closes out Side 1 with a soft intro involving an acoustic guitar and Rob’s vocal. Yup, it’s power ballad time, but at least the acoustic solo is cool.

Hold The Line kicks off Side 2 and it’s the melody and hook that drives this one. It has quite a simple riff, but the instrumental section is super cool. I wonder how long it took them to find the right tempo and groove to fit the lyrics to Something Wrong With The World Today, as it’s a very wordy song and the riff is choppy. The title track is up next and it’s another variation on THAT riff with double kicks all the way. The soloing is off the charts on this one. It’s speed metal time with Hungry Days. I love the harmony guitar and the solo is killer! Last track is The King Is Rising, and we go out as we came in with maximum riffing and big vocal melodies.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN – Texas Flood

February 2, 2023 /

This album sort of came and went at the time. It wasn’t until Stevie played on Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” album and released Couldn’t Stand The Weather that people went back and discovered this gem. The first two albums were the best as they are the classic three piece before keys and horns came in to pollute the sound. Stevie was obviously heavily influenced by Hendrix, but I would say Freddie King influenced him even more.

This album is a master class of how to play the blues. His playing is jaw dropping at times and if you get a chance to see the DVD “Live At The El Mocambo” (which was recorded just after this album was released) you will be blown away. My favourite track is the title track, but all are equally impressive and I can pick any track. Such a shame he is not with us anymore, RIP Stevie.

10/10 from The Grooveman.

HELLOWEEN – The Dark Ride

February 1, 2023 /

This is Helloween’s ninth album, released back in 2000, and this version is part of the Nuclear Blast reissue series that comes with three bonus tracks. A much darker and heavier sound than previous albums with d-tuned guitars.

Only Helloween could give you an intro that leads into an intro, and that’s exactly how things start here with Mr. Torture. It’s a great advert for the darker edge sound with heavier guitars. All Over The Nations is euro power metal, as it should be. It has drums faster than a fast thing on a fast train to fast town, a medieval sounding hook and chorus, and very melodic dual guitars. Escalation is more my style with fat huge chugga riffs and a straight four to the floor groove. Mirror Mirror starts with a commercial sound before the guitars chug and the vocals go real low. If I Could Fly is a classic power metal ballad with emphasis on the power. Salvation is speed metal 101, and is it me or does every song start as though it’s going to be the most epic thing you’ve ever heard? The Departed is a variation in vibe and groove but the guitars still sound huge, and don’t forget variety is the spice of life my friends.  

I Live For Your Pain is a straight 4×4 groover, and those guitars are so low. We Damn The Night is a return to full on double kicks, and I would say this is the most commercial sounding track here. Immortal is metal power ballad number two, and the solo is killer. The Dark Ride starts with an eerie ghost train intro before the leash is let off.

First of the three bonus tracks is The Madness Of Crowds, which has a killer intro and I’m not sure how this one wasn’t part of the album proper as it’s my favourite track. Ripping main riff! Deliver Us From Temptation follows and the pedal is firmly to the metal. The last track is a single edit of If I Could Fly.

Great speed metal album by a very influential band.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

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