THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Tag: vinyl (Page 7 of 50)

MIND FUNK – s/t

April 1, 2021 /

Mind Funk were considered something of a second division super group at the time, as members Louis Svitek and John Monte were in M.O.D, and Reed St Mark was in Celtic Frost. They came together at the time that the funk metal offshoot was in full swing. This was supposed to be a full time band, but they only released two albums, which is a shame as this is a killer record combining metal/funk and hardcore to make one beautiful noise. Svitek and Coppola make a great twin guitar duo as they trade riffs and leads all over. The album has plenty of groove and riffs to keep most bands going for their entire careers.

Sugar Ain’t So Sweet is a killer opening track with a great riff and vocal. Ride & Drive carries straight on in the same vein – another great tune. Bring It On has a slight grunge influence but is still a great tune. Big House Burning is the stand out track on Side 1, and has an awesome riff and funky bass line with a fast beat. Fire really brings the house down, if you pardon the pun, to end Side 1.

Over we go to Side 2 and Blood Runs Red is a monster tune, with its Van Halen harmonic tapped intro before the funky metal grooves take over – another monster tune stomps all over your brain. Sister Blue is next up and is the most chill track on the album and a really cool tune. Woke Up This Morning is another track with a hint of Seattle about it, well…it was released in ’91. Innocence is the penultimate track and has an absolute killer riff and groove – it is the best track on the album. I love how the the quiet chorus guitar leads into the main riff. Monster tune!!! The album close out Touch You is another huge tune and is as funky as a funky train going all the way to funky town.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

TOKYO BLADE – s/t

April 1, 2021 /

Although part of the NWOBHM, Tokyo Blade were after the initial burst of bands. This album was not released until ’83, by which time Saxon had released 5 albums. This is an original copy on Powerstation Records. This is not a bad album despite a very flat production, but the energy and enthusiasm is there in overload. I also remember seeing them at the time, and they were really good live. It helps in metal circles if you have a good guitar player to feed off, and Andy Boulton was not a bad player. The songs are very of the time, and looking back all these years later, a big smile does appear on my face – it was such a fun time to be around as new bands were appearing every second – some good, some not so.

Anyhoo on to the record. The opening track, Powergame, is a typical NWOBHM metal romp, as is second track Break The Chains. If Heaven Is Hell has a very Maiden feel to the song as I’m sure they were influencing a lot of bands of the time. Side 1 close out track, On Through The Night, is not that great of a tune if I’m honest, and is the weakest song so far.

Over to Side 2 and Killer City could almost be a Maiden outtake – the similarities are striking. Liar is my favorite on the album as it has a nice intro and cool riff – even though the main lyric line sounds like Charlotte The Harlot. Tonight has a very stock riff and sounds as though it was a last minute addition – not a lot of thought went into it that’s for sure. The final track, Sunrise In Tokyo, starts with the NWOBHM riff, a riff that all the bands of the time used, and some still try to get away with using it today (Tygers Of Pan Tang).

Unfortunately, they never had the tunes to match the enthusiasm. They have split up and reformed numerous times, but if you were not good enough the first time around, then things ain’t gonna change much.

6.5/10 from The Grooveman.

ANTHRAX – For All Kings

March 31, 2021 /

Unbelievably, this album is now five years old. Now, I’m not dissing John Bush, as the albums he sang on were good – it’s just that they didn’t sound like Anthrax albums, and I guess the fans thought the same as sales (both product and live) were dwindling. So call me a sceptic, but it was more than coincidence that we saw the return of Joey Belladonna as the front man. It feels as though this album, and Worship Music, were a continuation after the Persistence Of Time album. This is a really good record!

Opener, You Gotta Believe, is classic Anthrax and a fine return to form. Monster At The End would have been a great single if it had been released as one. They also have recruited one hell of a guitar player in Jon Donnais. It’s taken them a while to get a true replacement for Dan Spitz. Charlie Benante is one of metal’s great drummers and seems to dive under the radar constantly, but he plays his ass off here. Breathing Lightning has a great intro before blending into a classic Anthrax riff and groove. Special mention to Joey B for a great vocal and injecting some melody into proceedings. Suzerain is the heaviest track on the album and is another killer track. Evil Twin was a lead off track for the album and you can see why – it’s classic Anthrax. The slow brooding intro of Blood Eagle Wings follows and sees the band trying a slightly different approach, but still retaining that Anthrax DNA. The best track on the album Defend/Avenge is next. A great intro, a huge descending riff, and killer vocal – epic stuff!! All Of Them Thieves is also a contender for best track, another killer groove and riff plus epic drumming from Charlie. This Battle Chose Us is the penultimate track, and a fine head banger it is with another descending riff. The close out track Zero Tolerance is a fast thrash race for the finish line.

This is a double album, and yet again, the final track is etched. What a waste. If you have no studio tracks then fill it with Live tracks. Charging $40 for 3 Sides is a rip. Anyway, besides that it’s a great album and a worthy addition to the Anthrax catalogue.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

JOE BONAMASSA – Royal Tea

March 31, 2021 /

It seems as though Joe Bonamassa has single handedly been keeping the blues alive in the mainstream for a very long time. I’m aware that there is a thriving blues scene that bubbles just below the surface, away from the glare of the spotlight, and only Gary Clark has broken through to join him as of late. Joe constantly tours and records new material, whether it be by himself or with collaborators, he basically has worked his ass off to get where he is today.

Royal Tea is his latest release of all new songs. Opening track, When One Door Opens, is a blues rock tour de force – a classic Bonamassa blues rocker. The line between blues and rock is a fine one, and with the title track, Royal Tea, the line is blurred constantly. Why Does It Take So Long To Say Goodbye complete with a big solo centrepiece, is a blues ballad in the style of Gary Moore. Lookout Man is quite a heavy track, and sees Bonamassa changing things up a little. High Class Girl gives more than a nod to Green Onions, as it has the same groove and a very close riff. A Conversation With Alice seems to steal a bit of the opening riff from Paperback Writer, well he is in Abbey Road so I guess the vibes are rubbing off? I Didn’t Think She Would Do It has a huge Hendrix vibe about it, but done Bonamassa style. A great tune. A slow almost Wild West vibe is the intro to Beyond The Silence, which is a blues/country crossover. The almost swing boogie woogie of Lonely Boy follows, and takes us to the final track, Savannah, which has that southern country feel.

Joe consistently makes good records and this one is no different.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

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