THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Tag: vinyl of the day (Page 14 of 475)

BLOODYWOOD – Rakshak

January 27, 2025 /

Indian metal anyone? Now, this is a cool record. Mixing traditional Indian music and grooves, with heavy crunchy d-tuned riffage, rap, and aggressive vocals – this is a new and welcome sound for me.

Opening track Gaddaar just floors you with its intensity. Deep low end tuneage and a groove that slays. If you’re not impressed then you are a tired old Hector. Aaj is even better with hints of Nu Metal and Limp Bizkit, but a 1000 times better… and that groove is intense.

Zanjeero Se sees the band entering Prog metal territory like their compatriots Skyharbor, with a killer riff and the beauty of the vocal. I’m guessing they are big Slipknot fans because a lot of the grooves and beats are straight out of Iowa.

I like this album because it feels new, but if they are still doing this after album #10 then it could wear a bit thin.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

AEROSMITH – Pump

January 19, 2025 /

I think it’s safe to say that Aerosmith were so big after the release of this record that they were on a different planet kind of huge. The Aerosmith of old were still here, but they were a lot more shiny and polished.

Outside writers were brought in to keep the machine fed with commerciality and to keep the money keep rolling in. Funny thing is the biggest song on the album, Love In An Elevator, was a good old toxic twins concoction, an in house creation.

Anyhoo, you don’t need me to tell you this is great album. After all, 10 million people can’t all be wrong.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

WAR BABIES – S/T

January 19, 2025 /

Mr. Brad Sinsel, the nearly man of the Seattle music scene. TKO’s In Your Face album released back in ’84 but it was actually recorded in ’81, but they couldn’t get a deal. This is an album way ahead of the curve and one of my favourites from this time.

By the time it actually surfaced, hot shot guitarist Adam “Bomb” Brenner, who wrote all the songs with Sinsel, had left and even though they toured relentlessly momentum had disappeared. There was a third album but it didn’t do a whole bunch. Next up for Sinsel would be the Suicide Squad project that only released an EP on Music For Nations. Then, in ’92 up popped the War Babies project which originally featured Jeff Ament of Pearl Jam.

There is a demos album doing the rounds, but this was the only album they made. The vibe is sleaze/glam/grunge with a healthy dose of early Aerosmith thrown in there. Sinsel’s throaty rasp really suits this music and the tracks Sweetwater and Sea Of Madness are pure gold. This album is packed with quality tunes. Of the slower grungy tracks, Blue Tomorrow is an epic moody beast.

The record company dumped them after this, saying they were too glam for Seattle. I guess it wasn’t meant to be. Brad is still out there in a band called Angels Of Dresden with another Pearl Jammer Mike McCready.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

VANDENBERG – Sin

January 19, 2025 /

So, the first time around, Vandenberg only released three studio albums and one live album. Then, Adrian joined Whitesnake at their peak as a hired hand. He formed Manic Eden for one album, Moonkings for two albums, and then back to Vandenberg for two records, of which this is the latest.

This time we are joined by Mats Leven on vocals and I think this is as close to Whitesnake that they have ever sounded. Mats raspier tones really suite this music, especially on the Zeppelin influenced title track. There are a couple of really groovy rockin’ tunes that float my boat such as Light It Up, Walking On Water, and Burning Skies. Light It Up has a great swing to the groove and a killer heavier feel. Walking On Water reminds of a riff that George Lynch would come up with. Again, there is a great swing to the groove and the hook and chorus is very cool. Quite an odd sounding riff to Burning Skies but it flows quite well with that swing I keep harping in about.

If you love the bluesier bands from the late eighties then you will love this, and it’s a very solid album.

8/10 from The Grooveman.

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