THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Tag: vinyl of the day (Page 63 of 450)

DEREK SHERINIAN – The Phoenix

February 6, 2024 /

I love Derek’s solo albums because they are always loaded up with killer guitar players to compliment and dual with his keyboard virtuosity. This album is no exception as we have spanking the plank, Zakk Wylde, Bumblefoot, Steve Vai, Joe Bonamassa, and Kiko Loureiro. If you love heavy instrumental music with a hint of Prog and a dose of fusion, then you should be all over this release.

The title track opens up the record with Derek doing his best EVH impression on the keys and Zakk giving it the beans on geetar. Empyrean Sky has an evil low end grunt and groove that sounds killer. The vibe is very 70’s fusion. Clouds Of Ganymede let’s Steve Vai loose with a slowed down groove and feel that only he can do. Dragonfly is a cool fusion piano piece with a killer drum and bass accompaniment from Simon Phillips and Ernest Tibbs.

Side 2 blows open with Temple Of Helios. Again, a fusion groove with a cool keyboard riff and Bumblefoot trading licks. Them Changes sees Derek joined by his BCC bandmate Joe Bo on the axe with some heavy R’n’B vocals. Octopus Pedigree again has Bumblefoot on guitar and it’s a return for the deep low end groove. The album ends with Pesadelo, the heaviest tune on the record and my favourite. It has a killer off time groove with Kiko really flying, with some awesome playing.

As usual, Derek does not disappoint and delivers a top notch release.

9.5/10 from The Grooveman.

SVEN GALI – Bombs And Battlescars

February 1, 2024 /

Seeing as all the eighties rock bands have resurrected themselves from years of slumber I guess it was only a matter of time that their nineties counterparts did the same. Sven Gali had a brief glow in the spotlight with their harder edged approach to hard rock.

This is their second release from their re-activation and it has a very heavy modern sound, it is a mix of new tunes and demo’s. Coming Home is my favourite tune with that nice and heavy riff. There is a great cover of Triumph’s Spellbound adding some serious beef and crunch to what is a great song. The bass guitar is very prominent on most of the record and none more so than on the brilliant Life Inside, where the vocal has a hint of Nirvana. The best of the demos is the delightfully groovy Hogs, with a monster riff and a groove that really swings.

This is not bad for a bits and pieces record and I hope they keep releasing new material.

7.5/10 from The Grooveman.

ROMEO’S DAUGHTER – s/t

February 1, 2024 /

When you look at Mutt Lange’s production credits leading up to this recording, you have to wonder why he chose to do this one as the band were totally unknown. But when you see that the band’s manager was Olga Lange, it totally makes sense.

Obviously this is an amazingly well produced album, as you would expect, and it is a very slick pop/rock gem. Although the album and the singles from it had minor success, the people who covered some of the songs, Bonnie Tyler, Eddy Money, and Heart did fair better. My favourite of the bunch is Heaven In The Back Seat, a great tune that has single written all over it and is a definite earworm tune.

They would make one more album and that was it. Although, I do believe they are back recording again.

7/10 from The Grooveman.

POMEGRANATE TIGER – All Input Is Error

February 1, 2024 /

We have a Porcupine Tree, so why can’t we have a Pomegranate Tiger? The amazing amount of talented young bands that have crept out of every orifice since Periphery bounded into the Prog metal universe is staggering. Plus, the amount of instrumental bands in this genre is breathtaking as well. It’s a bit like the explosion of fusion bands in the 70’s.

These lovely folks come from darkest Windsor in Ontario, which makes us practically neighbours. I think this is their fifth album and it’s an incredible piece of work. I mentioned Periphery, but that may give a slightly wrong expectation. First, there are no vocals and second, we only have one guitarist – the amazingly talented Martin Andres. What you do get is amazing deep grooving soundscapes, intricate weaving guitar passages, and some serious riffage with a killer rhythm section supplied again by Martin.

My only adverse word is the breaks between songs are almost non existent and the whole piece feels like one song, and that’s a small thing. The djentyness is wonderful and groovy when the needs arises. The Cryptographer is just an insane musical wonder with some epic deep riifage and unbelievable guitar soloing, and I will say this is my favourite piece. Mind blowing stuff! There is a moment I thought I was in a parallel universe while listening to this as I could swear the intro to Metasphere reminded of The Cardiacs, and perhaps it did but the memory was wiped away by deep riffage.

A freakin’ great record.

9.5/10 from The Grooveman.

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