THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Tag: vinyl community (Page 72 of 472)

VOODOO X – Vol 1 The Awakening

April 4, 2024 /

This is the only album that Jean Beauvoir (ex of the Plasmatics) released as Voodoo X. Although he has released a ton of solo albums or under the Crown Of Thorns name.

Originally this album was released back in ’89, and it screams Kiss in their hair band phase. This should be of no surprise because Jean has written with them many times.

Voodoo Queen was the big track from this record and the main hook and chorus is very similar to Cherry Pie by Warrant. Great song either way. A nice crisp production by Max Norman gives the songs that lift to make them pop.

Notable tracks are Don’t Bother Me with a galloping riff and groove, A Lover Like You which would have made a great single, the Bon Jovi sounding One Riff, but it’s the already mentioned Voodoo Queen that is my favourite track because it’s one hell of a tune.

Cool record that I haven’t played in a long time.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

THE FLOOD – Hear US Out

April 4, 2024 /

Chris Ousey has seemingly been around forever and has been knocking on that door, but never quite gaining the recognition he deserves. Most people will know of him from fronting the band Heartland. He is blessed with a voice that many would die for, with those silky bluesy tones, it’s the perfect vehicle to showcase that voice to the max.

Ousey is joined here by a killer backing group of Billy Sheehan on bass, Nigel Glockler on drums, Jim Kirkpatrick on guitars, and Didge Digital on keys – this is high grade melodic rock. There are times when Mr. Big pops into your mind like on Fight Or Flight where Chris’ tone reminds me of Eric Martin. All songs are co- writes between Ousey and Kirkpatrick, so the overall vibe has a British Whitesnake blues and groove feel, with a hint of mid eighties US big hairorama.

Highlights for me are Dangerous Dawn, Fight Or Flight, Overdrive, and my two favourites: the title track The Flood and Stand Up. Both of these rips at a fair pace compared to the rest of the tunes, but the hook and chorus are right on point.

I’m not sure if there will be a Flood 2 but I hope so because this is a very classy set of songs.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

STRATOVARIOUS – Eternal

April 2, 2024 /

This is album number fifteen for Finland’s finest exponents of speed metal, and was released in 2015. While I do like the band and what they have achieved, this album (well, the production) has me scratching my head somewhat. The vocals are there but they feel almost buried at times. There are numerous sections that have the gang vocal, maybe they were trying to hide Timo’s vocal problems. Add to that, the whole mix is muddy at times.

It’s a very one paced album and that is full on gallop mode. Now, I don’t mind a good gallop but a little variation would be good and a look back to the past might be the way forward. It sounds as though I’m being a Debbie Downer and that’s a tad unfair because this is still a good record, and it’s still a Strato record and when they are having an off day it’s still better than most bands in the genre. So, it’s no surprise that I’m going for a non-gallop tune as my favourite. Lost Without A Trace is a mix between melodic rock and Prog metal and has great dynamics with a killer solo.

7.5/10 from The Grooveman.

V2 – Out To Launch

April 2, 2024 /

This little beast of an album by these German hard rockers that was released in 1990 might have just passed you by. That’s because this type of music was about as popular as a fart in a space suit at the time, and everyone’s attention was elsewhere.

The production is top notch. It features a very huge guitar sound and the vocals are high in the mix. It’s cliche time with “if this was released five or six years earlier,” they could have been huge. This is a fun rockin’ record as it ticks all the boxes in the crowd pleasing section. Big fat riff? Check. Massive guitar sound? Check. Huge singalong chorus? Check. A groove to make you bang that head? Check. It’s all here, just a tad too late.

I think the track that sums this band up is opener Hungry For You. It’s just a basic hard rockin’ song that just puts a smile on your face. They can turn up the speed when necessary, as Knock Me Out can attest to. It rips along at a fair pace a la fellow Germans, Accept. My favourite tune however, is Take Me Home. Another simple but effective groover that has 80’s rock night party time written all over it.

I love this album just for the fun it brings me.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

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