Charlotte
Links
Biography
Eric Ganz - Lead Vocals
Nick DiBacco - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Vinnie Cacciotti - Guitar
Chris Colovas - Bass, Backing Vocals
Eric D. Brewton - Drums, Backing Vocals
In 1987, a hard rock band trying to scratch and claw their way into the scene had two choices: they could either cash in on the popular trend by going the glam-rock route that was burning up the charts, or they could come up with something fresh, something new, something invigorating in its refusal to follow others like a blind little lamb. Charlotte cast their lot with the second option and forged a heavy blues-drenched metal sound that conjured up the kind of restless rock n’ roll magic that roars and roams and slithers dangerously through dark, swampy, smoky places. In other words, they said the devil be damned and decided to do their own thing, march to their own drum.
It wasn’t always that way, mind you; in 1986, Eric Ganz (lead vocals), Nick DiBacco (guitar), and Vinnie Cacciotti (guitar), accompanied by a revolving-door rhythm section, did indeed dabble with the glam-metal trappings of the day. But they always yearned to “put the voodoo back in rock n’ roll,” to let the less-polished sound of the '70s infiltrate their songs and influence their style. After crossing paths with Chris Colovas (bass) and Eric D. Brewton (drums) at a party in Los Angeles and sharing their musical vision with them, a rehearsal took place and everyone instantly knew they were meant to play together. God or Fate or Lady Luck or whatever you want to call it had brought them together for one hell of a rock n’ roll ride.
Some back-and-forth banter between the bands regarding the so-called “sins of mankind” led to a conversation about legendary women who left their mark on history through less than reputable means which in turn led to a discussion about the legend of Charlotte the Harlot, the most beautiful of whores. Seeking symbolism, the band shortened the name to Charlotte, and then barreled ahead full throttle in the hopes of accomplishing their self- proclaimed mission, which was to play '70s-influenced, blues-infused melodic hard rock /metal songs that conjured up the primal beast that lurks within us all and delivered in the fun department at the same time.
During Charlotte’s run, reviewers often took special note of the band’s lyrical prowess, but while the lyrics were penned by Ganz, the music that rocked the rafters and nailed everyone to the walls with its moody aggression was a collaborative effort. Each member fully contributed to the arrangements, adding their input, tweaking the tunes until sonic perfection was attained.
It seems only fitting that a band named after a wicked woman played their first gig at a club called Jezebel’s in Orange County, California. With a unique sound influenced by Great White, Guns N’ Roses, and Led Zeppelin, they quickly garnered barrels of buzz and rode the wave of their rapidly rising popularity to other gigs, including renowned venues like The Whisky-A-Go-Go, The Roxy, The Troubadour, and FM Station, to name just a few. During their intense drive to grab metal’s elusive brass ring, they opened for the likes of XYZ, Vixen, EZO, and Paul Stanley, among others. Through it all, they were never content to follow the trend, always staying true to themselves and delivering vibrant, creative, unpredictable hard rock music.
But while wholeheartedly serious about their music, the band was never afraid to pause for a laugh or two. There was the time Nick stripped naked and took a swim in the fountain of the Cat and Fiddle Pub in Hollywood. Then, during the Gulf War, while playing a show at The Whisky, the band set a cardboard effigy of Saddam Hussein on fire and found themselves banned from the club. Chris still chuckles as he recalls opening for Cry Wolf at The Palace in Hollywood. The guitarist of that band had a glove on his left hand with the fingers cut out as he furiously played up and down the frets while waiting for the gear to be set up. When Nick asked him what was up with the glove, the guitarist replied very seriously, “This is how I warm up…what YOU do to warm up?” Nick looked at him a second, then raised a glass of beer and replied, “THIS is how I warm up, dude.”
But beyond the laughter and the amusing antics loomed a band hungry for success, as long as that success came on their own terms. They had edged away from the hot, commercially - viable, cinch-to-market glam-rock sound in favor of a style that pulled from a wide range of influences, but that was who they were and they refused to alter their identity in order to cram themselves into an easy-to-categorize mold. “We were just looking for another brave soul to sign us as just a rock band,” states Ganz. “Nothing more, nothing less.” Brave souls from Arista Records, Giant, and Mercury all nibbled, but none of them were quite brave enough to take that final step and give the band a shot. Despite major buzz, despite selling out every venue they played, despite magazines like Metalized, Metal Forces, and Rock Scene hailing Charlotte as the next big thing, it just never happened.
The members of Charlotte do not rule out the possibility of a reunion. Even after the band’s eventual dismantlement in the early '90s, Eric, Vinnie, and Chris continued to collaborate musically. Only time will tell if Charlotte will one day rise again.
But no matter what, just like the harlot after which they are named, Charlotte’s legend and legacy continue to live on.
Reviews
www.Strutter.8m.com - The Netherland's
CHARLOTTE is another band name I have noticed a few times in the past, but here we have a CD release of the CHARLOTTE, which was active in the late 1980's somewhere in California. 20+ years later EONIAN RECORDS gives a new chance for this band’s music with the release of a CD. The included material was recorded back in the late 80's, but thanks to the label it sounds crystal clear, despite being just demos originally. CHARLOTTE’s music was not the instant catchy straight-ahead Hair Metal, as they were better thought and reminded one of a TESLA or LILLIAN AXE, so actually groovy Melodic Hard rock was the name of the game. The CD sounds very strong and could well be a new album release of some new band, but we really are listening to something that was recorded in the late 1980s. Not as good as EONIAN’s other release of LEGACY, but still something worth tracking down if the mentioned bands is your cup of tea!
Written by Gabor Kleinbloesem
www.DangerDog.com - United States
5/5 "Get it now!"
God bless Eonian Records. I don't know where they find these 80's bands, but Charlotte is another overlooked gem from 'back in the day' of big hair and even bigger rock. But Charlotte and their Medusa Groove are not all typical Sunset Strip rock bravado, spandex, and cheap hair spray. Seriously, there is sound talent here with bristling musicianship that delivers some serious 70's blues rock made relevant with 80's melodic sensibility. You can hear Led Zeppelin as much as you can hear their peers throughout this disc.
But maybe this is why Charlotte never convinced a label. Their solid blues meets melodic rock foundation probably scared the **** out of the record execs who's best representation or current recollection was those big hair dolts Cinderella. Believe me when I say, Charlotte has more talent in a thimble than Cinderella could ever muster. There's real genius here. Eleven tracks don't disappoint in the least, but only leave you wanting more. Listen for Ocean of Love and Mercy (sounds like a sax to me), Roadhouse of Love (Jim Morrison, eat your heart out), Medusa Groove, Siren, and Little Devils. Or every other fraggin' song on this disc. It's all-good. Get it now! Highly recommended!
Written by Craig Hartranft
www.SleazeRoxx.com - Canada
"...No worldly explanation why Charlotte didn't top the charts!"
Hair bands were a dime-a-dozen in the late '80s, and while the majority of them had the musical chops, many of them also seemed to think originality was a dirty word. L.A.'s Charlotte were one of those bands that are able to stand out from the crowd because they refused to partake in paint-by-numbers rock, instead taking risks at every turn -- offering the listener something that is both familiarly entertaining and unique at the same time.
While many of their counterparts in the late '80s/early '90s were taking the party-hardy sound to the bank, something darker and more sinister was lurking within Charlotte. For instance, the title track and "Ocean Of Love And Mercy" are the heavy metal equivalent of a snake-charmer hypnotizing his reptile -- the overall groove and drum clinic displayed on the opening cut is especially awe-inspiring. This is what I like about Charlotte, they're inspired by the entire hair metal genre, as their sound ranges from Dokken to Great White to Kingdom Come to Kik Tracee, yet all the while their blues influenced hard rock has a vibe all its own. With so many twists and turns you would imagine that this CD wouldn't flow very well, but nothing could be further from the truth. Medusa Groove catches the listener off-guard every chance it gets without stumbling too far into left field.
Take a song like "Little Devils", now many rock bands have tried to put their own spin on the Led Zeppelin sound over the years, but few of them have captured that magic as well as Charlotte did here. "She Get It Up", clocking in at just over two minutes, is about as predictable as this band gets before they go mix things up again with "Got Love On The Line". The entire moody delivery returns for the gritty "Roadhouse Of Love" before wrapping up with the Dokken-esque "All Tied Up".
Medusa Groove is another of these CDs that make you realize how much great music went unnoticed during heavy metal's heyday. Recorded between 1988 and 1992, there is no worldly explanation why Charlotte didn't top the charts, or at the very least secure a record deal, during the hair era -- they even came from the genre's hotbed... so what went wrong? To say it is criminal that it took roughly twenty years for these tracks to see the light would be a huge understatement. Charlotte was good... great even... and still sound incredible today.
Written by Skid
www.DarkScene.at - Austria
8/10
Directly out of the heart of California crashes this relatively insignificant slivering into the post-office box and see there, immediately the first 2010 publication of the new Hard Rock and Metal Label out of Indianapolis, Indiana turns out to be an absolute pearl! Eönian Records stand on behalf of the Hard Rock of sounds. Releases programmed on modern age that the charm of the 80's US scene reflect stand make this concern at the program and that once in 1987 established Charlotte on it's album existing now already more than convincing clear.
Steelheart, Whitesnake and Spread Eagle come one into the sense if one pure pulls himself this through and through good Hard Rock album with juicy blues and discreet Metal note. The Led Zeppelin loans are present to every moment and are incorporated just as unobtrusive and reliably into the songs like a violent breeze Great White. Damned Kacke: The more long, the more often I listen to "Medusa Groove", the better this album becomes. As if since 25 years no musical development taken place would have close the Americans exactly there at where many 80 sizes once through the change the music landscape the spoon deliver must. The mixture out of hard and ballad and simply good Hard Rock songs with blues note damned is coolly groovenden guitar rocks with Metal edge, mystical rock just as unobtrusive as urgent and makes does not believe should itself Charlotte already now to one of the US Hard skirt discoveries of the year 2010: Who it, that the lecherous title track, the fat "Woman Behind The Eyes", "Little Devils", the extravagant "Ocean of Love and Mercy" or The ballad "Changes" going under the skin listen to and will give me it right!
80's American fan Hard Rock with bulgier note and discreet Hair Metal loan Charlotte and its album unobtrusive and cliché-free totally must sound unconditionally once. And should in the next time of yet that on or other real hits at the same time be, let's speak here over the highly note!
Written by Thomas Kernbichler
www.GracefulDegradation.co.uk - United Kingdom
Way back in 1987, when hair metal ruled the Strip and Guns N' Roses were just about to set the world on fire with Appetite For Destruction, another band were out there making their own way, doing their own thing and attracting the audiences. Charlotte had a strong live reputation in LA but never hit the big time and could fairly be described as largely unknown - certainly outside the US and possibly, aside from the live scene aficionados, within it. 23 years on and that deserve to change. Medusa Groove is, quite simply, a phenomenal record.
Recorded largely in the late 80's and early 90's, Medusa Groove is certainly not in the commercial rock mould of the time. Right from the opener and title track we're plunged into a dark world of blues-based, guitar-led melodic metal, with very much more of a 70s vibe than the excesses of glam/sleaze or the angst laden whining of grunge. Some tracks are a little more lightweight and frothy than others - Roadhouse of Love being a bit more in the 80's Sunset Strip vein than the darkly humorous Miss Necrophilia for example, and Ocean of Love and Mercy hovers very close to the power ballad that Charlotte apparently wished to avoid - but as a whole package it works brilliantly. The changes in style aren't jarring and it always comes back to the moody, bluesy sound.
I should also add that Eric Ganz has an exceptional voice, Nick DiBacco and Vinnie Cacciotti on guitars set the album on fire, Chris Colovas' bass provides some outstanding rhythms, and all the while Eric D. Brewton keeps the pace thundering along on drums. Eönian Records have done the rock world a great service with this release. Do yourself a favor and give it a listen.
www.MetalExcess.com - United States
Charlotte brings a credible blues-based influence to the typical hair metal fare that you might hear coming from the Eonian reissue label. They were formed in Los Angeles in 1986 but like many ’80s rock bands that didn’t “make it” they folded in the face of grunge during the early ’90s. They cite Great White, Led Zeppelin and Guns N’ Roses as influences and those influences are apparent from the album’s opener “Medusa Groove”. Vocalist Eric Ganz sounds just a bit like Axl at times and comes across as similar to Jack White (or is that Robert Plant?) too. They don’t have the ferocity or sleaziness of GNR but they share a more down-to-earth sound with them that many bands in the late ’80s lacked.
The more I listen to this album, the more I think of Great White. It’s hard rock but it’s laid back and not overly aggressive with pounding drums, screeching vocals or super-fast solos. The songs are allowed to develop at their own pace. I can’t help but imagine some of these songs in a smoky biker bar setting. Maybe on a soundtrack for Road House!
According to the liner notes, the band was on their way to success in the L.A. music scene as they played at legendary venues like the Whisky, Roxy and Troubadour and opened for Paul Stanley, Vixen, XYZ and EZO. Sadly, despite flirtations with Arista Records, Giant Records and Mercury Records a label contract never came about. I’m sure the changing of the musical climate had something to do with that. If that was the case, I totally agree with the labels — had they signed Charlotte, they would’ve flopped but that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t have created and hadn’t already created some good music.
Medusa Groove is a collection of solid hard rock recorded from 1988-1992 and (according to album credits) 2009. I think “Roadhouse of Love” is the sole recent track and if it is, it proves the band still has it and Eric Ganz’s voice is strong as ever. The album is well worth a listen for any those that like the darker bluesy side of hair metal (yes, that side of hair metal exists). Hopefully the band is planning some new material because “Roadhouse of Love” fits rest in with the rest of this album.
Written by Justin Walden
www.RockEyez.com - United States
With the sunset strip desolate these days long after the strong times of eighties rock and glam that flourished back in the day. In 1987 CHARLOTTE wreaked havoc on those very stomping grounds. Well it's been some time and CHARLOTTE are back (in sorts) and will be releasing their long awaited debut CD "Medusa Groove" on Eonian Records.
Twelve track's dusted off and waiting for the world to reap the excitement that's been uncovered. These boys smelled of success and seemed ready to deliver. First thing I notice is the production is over the edge; it's great to have quality sound regardless who it is but to have CHARLOTTE blowing your hair back is mind-bending. These guys will turn the clock back on the new millennium and kick-start a new generation of rockers. The opening track "Medusa Groove" is alive and the smell of leather drenched with sweat echoes in my head. These boys are exciting and the musicianship is outstanding. This is the **** I've been waiting for to arrive and bust the nuts out of all those emo kids!
Vocally Eric Ganz is reminiscent of Jack Russell (GREAT WHITE) with a tinge of Steve Whiteman (KIX) and yet Ganz reaches down deep and does his best Ian Astbury on a song like "Siren", which is a seductive track that deserves some attention. With a melting pot of blues and rock "Little Devils" has me chanting priest of the ancient lullaby for some reason, you'll have to hear the track for yourself but it is amazing. It starts off with a little ditty ala VAN HALEN's "Hot For Teacher" and the midsection of Chris Colovas and E.D. Brewton kick in and throws the lifeline over to Eric Ganz and the rest is all lyrically genius. The guitar work by Vinnie Cacciotti is off the hook also.
You wanna get the crowd crazy check out the party on "She Get It Up". This is the house party track that will have the chicks jumping with plenty cleavage poppin', fast smooth and nasty. This will do it for sure!!!
With acoustics blazing and a soft sophisticated voice on "Got Love On The Line" CHARLOTTE breaks hearts with this sultry ballad. Ganz is so powerful and you will get the full essences of a class act on "Medusa Groove". And if you're looking for a little funk rock then check out "Invisible Man"... well that's until the guitar starts shredding!
All I can say about CHARLOTTE's "Medusa Groove" is it has some of the most powerful vocals I've heard with an experience of time warp and a montage of music that runs the gambit, come take the ride, it's a wild one.
Written by Brian Rademacher
www.CDBaby.com - United States
"...kick-*** brew of blues-steeped melodic hard rock!"
www.MyGlobalMind.info - United States
Leave it up to Eonian Records to find these gems from bands that somehow got lost in the 80's when the hazy days of Glam and Rock we're king. Once again another archival release, this time for Charlotte a Los Angeles based ensemble playing their own brand of Melodic Hard Rock and Metal influenced by some of the greats like Led Zeppelin, Great White and Guns N' Roses just to name a few. With an ear for good music it doesn't surprise me that we have another killer release here titled "Medusa Groove", a fitting title as the songs here are not just your prototypical glam sleaze hard rock, but rather a more cerebral approach is shared, all the while injecting their own me low grinding groove to the mix.
Sometimes is just luck of the draw I suppose because there is not any evidence here of a band that didn't have a vision as they're sound is very original, and is especially evident on tracks like "Little Devils", the slow creeping rhythm bass section here adds a nice grunge 70's rock vibe to the fold, and the hook in "Miss Necrophilia" will have anybody singing alone with a powerful chorus and some fiery lyrics. The sassy lyrics in "Love On The Line" mark another highlight as the main writer for the band Lead Vocalist Eric Ganz lays down another noticeable composition, that and some nice 70s style wails for good measure. The bands slow get up rhythm is something they excel and the track like "All Tied Up" exhibits this trait wonderfully with a cool harmonic chorus for your liking.
With every release Eonian releases it will serve as a "road map" to the sound of many band's that unfortunately never made it "big" but at the same time as it is presented now it adds more value and class to their music that deservedly so deserved more attention then properly given. As the case remains with Charlotte, not just another wannabe glam/rock band, but the boys chose to stray away from the gimmicks and the thrills but created they're own blend of hard rock "voodoo" for all to enjoy. Another release highly recommended for fans of Hard Rock worldwide from coast to coast!!!
Written by Denys Jaime
www.UberRock.co.uk - United Kingdom
When a band has a press release that goes like this... "During the over-the-top excesses of the late 80's, every new rock band grabbing for the brass ring went the hair-metal route, but Charlotte refused to be blind little lambs led to the corporate rock slaughter, instead creating a fresh, invigorating, blues-drenched melodic metal sound that conjured up a restless, roaming, slithering rock 'n' roll voodoo. In other words, they said the devil be damned and marched to their own thunderous drums. And when they damned the devil, God or Fate or Lady Luck or whatever you want to call it took them on one hell of a hard rocking ride. Their mission: Play the kind of metal music that unleashes the primal beast in all of us and nails everyone to the wall with its moody aggression. They unveiled their unique style at Jezebel's in Orange County, California and quickly garnered barrels of buzz for their Great White, Led Zeppelin and Guns N' Roses-influenced sound. Their popularity rose rapidly, taking them through renowned venues like The Whisky-A-Go-Go, The Roxy, and The Troubadour. But they never lost sight of their vision, refusing to follow the popular trends, always staying true to themselves while delivering vibrant, creative, unpredictable hard rock music"...You just know that the band have a hard job ahead of them. To a certain extent the band do deliver the goods...
With tracks such as the haunting title track and 'Little Devils', Charlotte show their true colors by rocking up a storm. On the press release it states Led Zeppelin, Great White and Guns N' Roses as the major influences on their sound, however I hear distinct Cult-isms in the band's writing.
With the band consisting of Eric Ganz (lead vocals), Nick DiBacco (guitar, vocals), Vinnie Cacciotti (guitar), Chris Colovas (bass, vocals), E.D.B. (drums, vocals), Charlotte rocked the bones off my stereo!
This album is very much a grower, and given time it will not only repay, but also give you a warm fuzzy feeling inside. Please check them out, as this is more than a history lesson!
Written by David Prince
www.GetReadyToRock.com - United Kingdom
More late-eighties rawk, the otherwise obscure Charlotte hail from the west coast of America and this compilation brings together recordings from 1988-1992 with some more recent knob-tweaking by producer Mike Wolf.
Vocalist Eric Ganz is actually quite good, not dissimilar to the late great Michael Hutchence on the opener 'Medusa Groove'. In fact you can't knock the band's musicality, Nick DiBacco and Vinnie Cacciotti supply appropriate guitar fireworks, and there's even sax on 'Ocean of Love and Mercy.' Probably through a combination of bad luck, management, karma - or whatever - they lost out to those bands that packed a bigger punch.
And those bands include Dokken and Winger, with 'Woman Behind The Eyes' suggesting the former and 'Siren' and 'All Tied Up' the latter.
Elsewhere, though, 'Miss Necrophilia' is more straight-ahead rock n roll evoking prime time Great White and 'Invisible Man' funks thing up to ring the changes.
If the band is testing the water for a fully-fledged reunion with this release, they should need no more encouraging.
Written by David Randall
www.MindView.be - Belgium
Charlotte was een Californische band die rond 1987 imago en muziek leek mee te hebben om het binnen de hairmetalscene te gaan maken. De band die klinkt als een mix van Keel, XYZ en Cry Wolf miste echter het ticket richting sterrendom en verdween in de vergeetput van de Amerikaanse hardrock. Dat was echter buiten Eonian Records gerekend die de plaat vooralsnog op het publiek loslaat. Met reden! De eindversnelling in “Little Devils”, de groove van het titelnummer of de akoestisch ingeleide powerballad “Changes” mogen absoluut gehoord worden. Een ‘net niet’ die een ‘zeker wel’ is geworden!
Charlotte was a Californian band with the attitude and the music to make it big time in the hair metal scene round 1987. However, the hardrockers with a sound reminiscent of bands like Keel, XYZ and Cry Wolf missed their ticket to stardom and became a tiny footnote in the book of American hardrock. Until now. Eonian Records saw the injustice and releases after all those years the debute cd. A very good decision indeed! The change of pace in “Little Devils”, the groove in the title track and the powerballad “Changes” with its acoustic intro deserve to be heard. The band has finally written its proper chapter!
Written by Kris Meskens
www.Sleaze-Metal.de - Germany
Das es bei den Veröffentlichungen von Eonian Records immer um Veröffentlichungen von alten Bands und Scheiben handelt, die damals nicht zum Zuge kamen, hat sich sicherlich schon rumgesprochen. Der Grund warum viele Bands damals nicht wirklich zu Plattenvertragehren kam, liegt oft auf der Hand und wird schon meist beim ersten Hören des entsprechenden Materials bewusst. Doch immer wieder gibt es da was richtig Gutes bei. Wie eben Charlotte die sich mit ihrem Album „Medusa Groove“ richtig gut und hinterhältig ins Ohr gerockt haben. Auch hier klafft die Spanne in der die Songs entstanden sind, von den Jahren 1988 bis 1992 –Eben die Glanz/Hochzeit des „Poserrocks“. War ja nicht alles schlimm was da raus kam…Kleiner Scherz. Doch die Bands welche in dieser Zeit auf der Strecke blieben, haben es schlicht und einfach verdient gehabt. Musikalisch schlechter als Poison und Venom zusammen…ja, ich weiß, die Band heißt Pretty Boy Floyd.
Bei Charlotte handelt es sich um eine Band aus dem Raum Los Angeles (wie aufregend..Gähn), wo sich die Leute auf diversen lasterhaften Partys kennen lernten und dann entschieden: Wir machen auch `ne Band. Im Booklet gibt es dann, wie von Eonian Records gewohnt, eine ausführliche Bandhistory mit dem ein oder anderen aufregendem Detail.
Die Musik von Charlotte ist hingegen richtig guter und kräftiger Hardrock. Da beißt die Maus keinen Faden ab und mir wird beim lauschen ganz warum ums Herz. Vergleichbare Gruppen wären Tora Tora, Guardian, Baton Rouge oder auch Icon in der Schlussphase.
Gleich die ersten drei Stücke stimmen dich richtig gut auf weiteres ein und da hört man doch gerne weiter zu, was die restlichen Neuen Lieder da zu bieten haben. „Little Devils“ ist ein richtig speckiger Groover mit Sleaze-Attitude, hier passt das Wort Sleaze auch mal im Sinne des Wortes und nicht nur weil inflationär in Schweden mit der Haarspray-Dose herumgefuchtelt wird. Erinnert ihr euch an „Slow Poke Music“ von Whitesnake? Dann habt ihr in etwa `ne Vorstellung wie das Stück hier klingt.
Es mag abgeschmackt klingen, doch für Hardrock-Bands in diesem Stile sind die USA irgendwie die Brutstätte überhaupt.
Hört man sich „Medusa Groove“ komplett an, fragt man sich allerdings ob damals die A&Rs der Plattenfirma auf ihren Ohren gesessen haben? Gut die Jungs sind auf den Bildern nicht overdressed und schauen weitgehend wie „normale“ Hardrock-Fans aus der Zeit aus. Hat es daran gelegen? Oder war das Songmaterial zu gut? Hatten die Leute keinen Bock sich verbiegen zu lassen? An der Musik kann es echt nicht gelegen haben. Die ist einfach richtig gut. Stellenweise gehen Charlotte auch richtig Heavy zur Sache, was an dem Groovenden und Rollenden Riffs einiger Songs liegen mag –Hört mal hier bei „Miss Necrophillia“ rein.
Schön finde ich auch das sich auf dieser CD die Soundschwankungen, trotz verschiedener Studios und Aufnahme-Jahre echt kaum zu hören sind. Also alles noch mal gemischt und auf ein Level gebracht. Gut, Gut! So etwas hatte hier ja schon mal der ein oder anderen Band eine Menge Schimpf eingebracht. Charlotte haben mit „Medusa Groove“ eine feiste Hardrockscheibe damals gemacht, die es wirklich lohnt anzutesten. Bekommt ihr unter: Enoian Records oder Fastball Records das gute Stück.
Written by Jörg Brenzel
www.MyRevelations.de - Germany
Die Kalifornier CHARLOTTE hatten es bei der damaligen Konkurrenz Ende der 80er nicht gerade leicht Beachtung zu finden. So ist es kaum verwunderlich, dass die Band über einen Insiderstatus niemals hinaus kam. So durfte man auch in den damals bekannten Szeneclubs, wie dem "Troubadour" oder dem "The Whiskey A Go Go" für Szenegrößen wie VIXEN (ja, die vier knackigen Mädels) oder XYZ eröffnen. Letztendlich schafften es CHARLOTTE aber nicht einen großen Deal zu ergattern und überlebten sich so zu sagen selbst, denn das Angebot an talentierten Bands war ja nun nicht gerade gering. Musikalisches Potential ist auf "Medusa Groove" auf alle Fälle enthalten. Die Band spielt stilistisch einen Mix aus rockigem Glam, wie ihn GREAT WHITE interpretierten und Hardrock europäischer Prägung, wie ihn beispielsweise die SCORPIONS vorgaben. Ich kann mir gut vorstellen, dass "Little Devils" oder "Miss Necrophilia" die Clubs ordentlich rockten und das Publikum zum Kochen brachten. Insgesamt gesehen ist das Songmaterial aber zu bieder im Vergleich mit anderen Bands, die zur selben Zeit in Los Angeles und Umgebung unterwegs waren.
Wer alles aus dieser Zeit haben muss, der kann natürlich bedenkenlos zugreifen, denn schlecht ist das Material nun wirklich nicht.
Written by Matthias Decklar
www.RockReport.be - Belgium
It has been a while, but now we can finally find another two brand-new releases from Eonian Records in the shops. The first one is from a band called Charlotte and their blues-drenched melodic rock/metal is surely worthy of checking out. Like a mix of Great White, Guns N’ Roses and Led Zeppelin, these guys succeed in keeping the listener’s attention from start (“the title track “Medusa Groove”) to finish (“All Tied Up”). The twelve tracks on offer were recorded in different studios between 1988 and 1992. The story of the band is to be found on two pages in the inlay. Suffice it to say that I like this album very much, not in the least because of the powerful production and the voice of Eric Ganz, which constantly reminds me of Great White’s Jack Russell. Next to the title track, “Medusa Groove”, listening tips are “Siren”, “Little Devils”, “Miss Necrophilia” and “Changes”.
Written by Chris Lambert
www.HellSpawn.be - Belgium
Deze band werd ergens in 1987 opgericht en nu pas komt hun debuut uit. Volgens de biografie maakte de band enige furore midden in de jaren 90 in de LA rock scene. Vorig jaar tekenden ze een deal met Eonian Records om hun album "Medusa groove" , welke opgenomen werd ergens tussen 1988 en 1992, eindelijk op de massa los te laten. Als je het ons vraagt is dit een lekker hard rock album dat de fans van de eighties hard rock en hair metal zeker zal weten te bekoren. Ongelooflijk dat deze band geen kans kreeg indertijd. Tijdens het beluisteren ("Miss Necrophilia") moet je meermaals aan een lekker rockende Led Zeppelin en Kingdom Come denken. Er zijn maar weinig bands die dezelfde magie van de meesters zo goed kunnen weergeven. Hier en daar bespeur je vleugjes Dokken en tijdens "Got love on the line" is een vergelijking met Great White niet veraf. Zanger Eric Ganz is een echte klassebak en trekt tijdens de prachtige ballade "Changes" alle registers open. Het geluid is prima in orde en het schijfje klinkt zeker niet oubollig. Een eerlijke en lekkere hard rock plaat zoals een Dokken of Kingdom Come de laatste jaren hoopte te kunnen schrijven! Melodieuze rockers en fans van voornoemde bands moeten hier zeker eens naar gaan luisteren, je voelt je gegarandeerd direct enkele jaartjes jonger! De band is nog altijd, of terug actief, en klaar om "Medusa groove" live te gaan promoten, hopelijk laten ze Europa niet links liggen.
Written by Nico
www.Allover-ffm-Rock.de - Germany
Mit Charlotte nimmt sich Eonian Records einer weiteren gestrauchelten, erfolglosen US Band an, die nie wirklich über ihren Club und Demo Status hinaus bekannt wurde und bringt die Songs der Orange Country Boys nun in Form der “Medusa Groove” CD an den Start, um ihnen zu späten Rum zu verhelfen. Guns´n Roses meets The Cult beschreibt den eher groovigen Style des Fünfers wohl am ehesten. Größter Kritikpunkt voran gegangener Eonian Produkte, der Sound, geht hier mehr als in Ordnung und auch die 12 hier vertretenen Songs besitzen durchaus Reize. Hierbei spalten sich die Stücke in entweder sehr düster, groovige, vom Riff her sehr minimalistisch gehaltene Nummern “Sirens“, “Little Devils“ oder reinrassige Rock´n Roll Songs “Roadhouse of Love“, “Got Love on the Line“. Hinzu kommen eine Parade Glam Ballade “Changes“, ein rauchig, bluesiges „Oceans of Love and Mercy“ und das total schräge funkig, jazzige “Invisible Man“ welches vollkommen aus der Rolle fällt (sowohl geschmacklich als auch musikalisch). Durch die Bank präsentiert sich so eigentlich ein recht repräsentatives und musikalisch abwechslungsreiches Album. Hätte, ja hätte man sich ein wenig mehr auf griffige Melodien statt auf düsteren Groove eingeschossen, wäre aus den Jungs vielleicht sogar mal was geworden. Es fehlt leider sehr oft an Hooks, und eingängigen Passagen. Fakt aber ist, so übel ist die Scheibe gar nicht. Weit weg vom üblichen Haarspray Geseier der damaligen Zeit bekommt man hier rockige oldschool Songs mit kernigem Gesang. Gibt’s und gabs zwar schon besser aber wer auf unbekannte Retro Bands steht kann sich hier a) neu ausrichten und b) den ein oder anderen doch ganz schnuckeligen Song in sein Regal wandern lassen.
Written by Geschrieben von Martin Bothmann
www.ExtendedMix.com - Sweden
Nystartade bolaget Eonian Records släppte nyligen två plattor med musik från band som gjorde allvarliga försök att slå sig fram när hårdrockens tid var som störst i slutet av 1980-talet. Dels är det en platta med det kristna bandet Legacy, som jag får anledning att återkomma till, och så CHARLOTTE som här släpper tolv spår som härstammar från tiden mellan 1988 och 1992. CHARLOTTE bestod av fem grabbar från Los Angeles som inte ville följa den stora trenden band som spelade glammig eller sleazig hårdrock, utan var noga med att göra sin musik på sitt vis. Bandet var ett av de mest lovande enligt dåtida press i USA, såsom Metalized, Metal Forces och Rock Scene och bolag som Arista, Giant och Mercury rykte i bandet för att få ge ut platta med dem.
Vad som gick fel det vet jag inte, men det blev i alla fall ingen större karriär inom rocken och det där albumet kom aldrig ut. För mig är det en gåta att den här musiken inte låg högt på dåtidens försäljningslistor, för det här är förvånansvärt bra för att inte ha varit utgivet tidigare. Eftersom CHARLOTTE var ett band på väg upp så fick de spela på de klassiska ställen i LA, såsom The Roxy, The Troubadour, Whisky-A-Go-Go och FM Station och de drog fulla hus varje gång. CHARLOTTE tog sitt namn från Iron Maiden’s Charlotte The Harlot, en karaktär som i låten med samma namn lämnar sin man för att leva som prostituerad. Hon återkommer ytterligare en gång i Iron Maiden’s sångtexter, ”22 Acacia Avenue” från ”The number of the beast” och CHARLOTTE’s musik skulle man kunna säga är lika skitig och ”farlig” som Harlot’s val av ”yrke”. Med influenser av Dokken, Guns’n’Roses, Great White och Led Zeppelin så var CHARLOTTE bra mycket mer blues och soul än vad de flesta andra band var vid den här tiden.
Titelspåret är ”Medusa groove” som inleder med ett smittande och taggigt gitarr riff och det här är i och för sig plattans starkaste spår, men det finns fler låtar som får mig att vilja att rocka arslet av mig. ”Woman behind the eyes” är ett lite lugnare spår där bandet tar oss med in i ett modernt och hårt blueslandskap, lite åt Whitesnake hållet. ”Siren” är från bandets senaste inspelnings session och den enda av de tre som finns med här som är riktigt bra hårdrock. På de två övriga från samma år så har bandet bjudit in en saxofonist och det känns helt fel (när kändes saxofon rätt senast förresten?)
Vid sidan om ”Medusa groove” så är det ”Little devils” som får mig att rocka mest. Här snackar vi ett tungt och effektivt riff som gör att ingen frisk människa kan sitta still. Här är länken till Led Zeppelin också som starkast och sångare Eric Ganz gör sitt bästa att låta som Robert Plant…på ett positivt sätt. Även ”Miss Necrophilia” går i Zeppelin-tecken men låten har inte samma kvaliteter som förgående har. Sedan summerar CHARLOTT allt vad rock’n’roll handlar om på endast två minuter och elva sekunder, för så lång (eller kort) är den explosiva ”She get it up”. ”Got love on the line” är en sådan där låt som man är säker på att man hört tidigare, åtminstone så tror jag det, men troligtvis så har jag fel. Gitarr riffet låter bekant och refrängen liknar också något annat, men vad gör det när låten är bra.
”Medusa groove” är mycket bättre än vad du tror. Det handlar om inspelningar som är gjorda som demos som är sammanställda till den här skivan, cirka 20 år efter sin tid. Kvaliteten är i de flesta fall mycket bra, men ljudbilden är inte enhetlig och den som är allergisk mot det kan glömma den här plattan, men jag varnar dig samtidigt, för du missar något som är förbaskat bra! Hur kunde det här bandet stå utan skivkontrakt, det är min fråga!
Written by Roger Öhrström
www.PowerMetal.dk - Germany
Geschickter Schachzug: Zu Lebzeiten wurde der Sound von CHARLOTTE kaum gewürdigt. Die Band aus dem Orange County war zwar länger als eine Dekade aktiv und vor allem im Underground gefragt, konnte aber zu all jener Zeit nicht mal den Ansatz der Aufmerksamkeit erfahren, welche der gesamten L.A.-Szene in diesem Zeitraum zuteil wurde. Dennoch haben sich CHARLOTTE im Nachhinein alle Hintertürchen offen gehalten und ein Comeback nie ausgeschlossen. Ob dies nun knapp 20 Jahre nach dem Split immer noch aktuell ist, wird sich wohl in den nächsten Wochen zeigen. Warum ausgerechnet jetzt? Tja, das Retro-Label Eonian Records hat den Stoff der Quintetts nun verpflichtet und eine Art Compilation herausgebracht, auf der man Aufnahmen aus den Jahren 1988-1992 findet - und die sind beileibe nicht von schlechten Eltern.
CHARLOTTE präsentieren sich auf "Medusa Groove" als klares Äquivalent zu Truppen wie GREAT WHITE. Inspiriert von den späten Siebzigern, die Sporen bei der DEEP PURPLE-Analyse gelernt und schließlich mit dem Groove diverser Hollywood-Ikonen gereift wird dem Hörer hier ein sehr gefühlvolles, gerade im Gitarrenbereich hörenswerter Cocktail serviert, der zwar ab und an eine Spur rauer sein könnte, dies aber sogleich wieder durch eine sehr gute Rhythmusarbeit kompensieren kann. CHARLOTTE gefallen hier besonders gut, wenn sie das Tempo ein bisserl herausnehmen und mit schleppenden Grooves Akzente setzen. Gleich zu Beginn entstehen auf diese Weise die ersten Hits, von denen 'Little Devils' besonders hervorsticht. 'Miss Necrophilia' überzeugt wiederum mit einer souveränen Gitarrenspur und lässt sich hier wieder von 'Changes' und 'Ocean Of Love And Mercy' ablösen, bei denen das Feeling ganz klar für eine Reunion der still liegenden Band spricht. Zumindest wenn CHA RLOTTE auch heute noch in der Verfassung sein sollten, solchen Stoff zu komponieren.
Warten wir also ab, wie es im Bandcamp weiter läuft und wie sich "Medusa Groove" verkauft. Fans von GREAT WHITE und Co. sollten jedenfalls einmal ein Ohr riskieren und sich von den durchaus vorhandenen Qualitäten dieses kalifornischen Fünfers überzeugen! Anspieltipps: Little Devils, Changes, Invisible Man
Written by Tye Brown
www.MetalStorm.net - Canada
Oh great...More obscure, hard rock excavations. Whoa! Wait! What's this? A good heavy riff?! Finally! With the recent resurgence of old-school sounding metal being played by fresh bands, record companies have been inspired to dig up some of the forgotten albums that filled gaps back a few decades ago. Rarely has this reared satisfying results. Charlotte is standing head-and-shoulders above many of these lack-lustre artifacts.
Medusa Groove has to be one of the most eclectic hard rock albums I've listened to in ages; the laid back moments sounding like Billy Idol mixed with The Cult, then picking up the pace to sound like Skid Row's mid-paced moments, all topped off with the intense blues-drenched Aerosmith sound (good Aerosmith, not that soccer-mom, mini-van driving, latte drinking, conservative, easy listening Aerosmith you hear today.) Anthems, power-ballads, and cheesy saxophone all give off that "I haven't washed the liquor out of my mullet in a fortnight" type feeling - a good feeling to have when listening to an album like Medusa Groove.
There is something to be said about being too eclectic though. As much as this is a good, hard-rocking sleaze rock album, it lacks any real identity of it's own. Medusa Groove beats the hell out of a good chunk of anything put out by a lot of Hollywood bands who did there best to make the 80's a little bit shameful. Unfortunately good, honest rock n' roll sometimes just doesn't cut it against marketable gimmicks and trends, which is probably what pushed this album under any major radars.
A solid rock n' roll album with little to no specific pitfalls, a little generic at times, but worth looking into regardless.
Written by Luke "Doc" Godin
www.Ready-2-Rock.de - Germany
Amerikanischen Hard Rock der 80er mit einer Blues-Note spielen CHARLOTTE aus Kalifornien. Im Gegensatz zu vielen ihrer Labelkollegen gibt es auf „Medusa Groove“ keine soundtechnischen Abzüge zu verbuchen. Erinnerungen an RATT, SLAUGH- TER, WHITE LION und XYZ werden wach; aller-dings muss man bei einigen der zwischen 1988-1992 entstandenen Songs schon einige Abstriche machen. Viele Tracks sind wirklich ‚nett‘, rissen aber weder damals die Fans in Scharen vom Hocker, noch werden sie es heute tun. Positive Ausnahmen gibt es dennoch, die beweisen, dass CHARLOTTE eigentlich Potenzial gehabt hätten: die wunderschöne Powerballade „Changes“ hätten WHITE LION in ihrer Kommerzphase auch nicht besser hinbekommen. Licht und Schatten geben sich auf diesem Album die Hand.
Written by Birgitt Schwanke
www.Melodic.net - Sweden
Charlotte was one of those bands that toured and did demos without making the break back in the late 80s and early 90s. They opened up for the likes of XYZ, Vixen, EZO and Paul Stanley among others. They had a great vocalist in Eric Ganz that sings with great power and feeling on this album and has a voice that is a nice mixture of Eric Martin (Mr. Big) and Mark Slaughter (Slaughter). Charlotte was a 5-piece band that sounded like bands that got a break such as Slaughter, Steelheart, Bonham and Great White. They may not had the big break through song on Medusa Groove but there’s plenty of great groove hardrock songs that will please fans of 80s hardrock with strong riffs, nice hooks and well produced. There’s 12 tracks on this album and the quality is very even with couple of standout tracks. The song that got my attention right away was the great Woman Behind The Eyes that is melodic mid-tempo rocker in a Steelheart style. The Bonham sounding Little Devils is worth a mention. Fans of Slaughter will have a treat with Got Love On The Line. All Tied Up ends the album in a great rocking way with crunchy guitars and good hooklines. Eonian Records has now released two good album in a row with Legacy and now Charlotte and should interest fans of those mentioned bands. They might not be as good but there’s really nice moments that will please late 80s and early 90s hair-metal fans. A good release.
Written by Juha Harjula
www.RockHard.pl - Poland
Gdzieś tam w zakamarkach przeszłości działały zespoły szerzej nieznane, choć zasługujące na to, żeby być gwiazdami, wymienianymi jednym tchem z najbardziej rozpoznawalnymi kolegami z branży. Taki niesprawiedliwy los spotkał również amerykański Charlotte, aktywny na przełomie lat 80-ych i 90-ych. Mimo porywającej i oryginalnej twórczości tej załogi ówcześni szefowie przemysłu muzycznego ją zignorowali. Na szczęście teraz możemy poznać ich nagrania z okresu 1988-1992, w odkurzonej i zremasterowanej wersji Eönian Records.
Ich kompozycje daleko odbiegają od szablonów. Czerpią z wielu różnych źródeł (jak Led Zeppelin, The Cult, Great White, Guns N’ Roses, The Doors), ale na całym dysku zachowują swoje własne, odróżnialne brzmienie. Są głęboko zakotwiczone w ciężkim bluesie, chociaż jednocześnie wypolerowane na modłę typową dla rocka ery hair metalu. Z jednej strony można wyczuć w nich nutę ciemnej melancholii, z drugiej - niepokojącej agresji. I ten Eric Ganz, obdarowany głosem zmieniającym się jak barwy kameleona, mogący śpiewać łagodnie, tajemniczo lub z przejmującym dramatyzmem, aż ciarki przechodzą! Jego dziwna moc osacza słuchacza już w inaugurującym wydawnictwo numerze tytułowym, rozpoczętym bardzo tradycyjnym, hardrockowym riffem, potem ustępującym miejsca właśnie tym hipnotyzującym wokalizom, aby w ponownie wybuchnąć ze zdwojoną siłą w przedrefrenie. Żywioł refleksyjny ściera się tu z żywiołem naładowanym dramatycznym uczuciem, czemu wtórują umiejętnie dobrane podkłady. I jeszcze to oniryczne outro... Woman Behind The Eyes oparto z kolei na wytłumionych riffach i gitarze prowadzącej, eksponując tym samym nie dający się opisać śpiew, niby spokojny, ale aż kipiący podskórnym nerwem. W Siren mamy nieodparte wrażenie, jakby do studia weszli Ian Astbury i spółka, próbując nagrać kolejny singiel do Sonic Temple - przynajmniej na poziomie uroczego wykrzykiwania gościa z mikrofonem, bo nisko nastrojona gitara rytmiczna i zfuzzowane solo pochodzą z innej bajki. "Doorsowy" wstęp do Little Devils szybko zwalnia i przepoczwarza się w rzecz inspirowaną dokonaniami Led Zeppelin, w wolnym, marszowym tempie, z wysuniętą na pierwszy plan soczystą perkusją, do której transowy riff przewodni stanowi jedynie uzupełnienie. W połączeniu z melodią, z której dumny mógłby być Robert Plant, tworzy to nadzwyczajną mieszankę. A solo? Nie jest krzykliwe, czy efektowne, ale pasuje do utworu jak garnitur na miarę. Na podobnym do poprzednika pomyśle aranżacyjnym oparto Miss Necrophilia, tym razem jednak zachrypnięte wokalizy znakomicie imitują śpiew niejakiego Axla Rose’a. W She Get It Up zupełnie znienacka uderza w nas zabarwiony sleaze rockiem, energetyczny rock and roll. Nie wiem, czy ten kawałek koniecznie współgra z resztą, stanowi jednak fajną odskocznię od tego mroku. Podobnie jak Got Love On The Line, którego kołyszące rymy i frywolny śpiew przywodzą na myśl Great White (idę o zakład, że sprawdziłby się na jakiejś imprezce). Na pozycji ósmej mamy Changes - delikatną balladę z pewnymi zapożyczeniami z prostolinijnych piosenek Guns N’ Roses, niby taką oczywistą, a jednak potrafiącą chwycić za serce. Zmiana klimatu następuje w Roadhouse Of Love, gdzie słyszymy, jak Jim Morrison ożywa i tańczy do rytmu wspomnianego Great White. Dodam, że zadziorny refren na długo pozostaje w pamięci. Ocean Of Love to oderwany od rzeczywistości, neurotyczny, "doorsowy" blues z niesamowitymi, transowymi motywami i jazzującym solo saksofonu. Niewątpliwie zamieszczenie tego numeru świadczy o odwadze i wyobraźni członków zespołu. Drażniący, rozdygotany i trochę szarpany Invisible Man przepaja funkowa energia, doskonale spleciona z zachrypniętym wokalem. Brzmi bardzo stylowo, jakby wyjęto go z płyty wykonawcy z lat 70-ych. Dla kontrastu, będący tutaj finalnym akordem All Tied Up, nosi w sobie ślady muzyki Dokken, zarówno na poziomie metalicznych partii gitarowych, jak i charakterystycznych linii wokalnych. A w crescendo w samej końcówce wreszcie znajdą coś dla siebie miłośnicy shreddingu.
Cóż za wspaniały wybuch z przeszłości, pochodzący od tej niewiarygodnie utalentowanej ekipy. Medusa Groove łatwo przebija nie tylko wszystkie inne krążki Eönian, ale również znaczną większość wszystkich innych płyt z tego roku. Rekomendowałbym to małe dzieło fanom poszukującym muzyki autentycznej, to znaczy zdolnej do pobudzenia wyobraźni i wzniecenia prawdziwych emocji.
Written by Guitarrizer
www.RoxxZone.com - Italy
Fra dischi buoni e altri meno, ogni tanto la Eönian Records scova qualche perla nascosta: ne sono un esempio questi Charlotte da Orange County, California. Fortemente influenzati dai Led Zeppelin, hanno con tutta probabilità pagato a caro prezzo il fatto di ricordare da vicino un altro gruppo sicuro debitore della leggendaria formazione inglese, i Great White. Questo potrebbe essere uno dei motivi per cui non hanno trovato un'etichetta in un periodo in cui le hair band abbondavano, anche se la qualità di Medusa Groove, senz'altro superiore a quella di molti altri dischi di gruppi regolarmente sotto contratto, fa comunque porre parecchie domande sui criteri di valutazione dei discografici di allora (pare che Arista Records, Giant Records e Mercury Records si fossero fatte avanti, senza poi trovare un accordo). In un modo o nell'altro questo album è arrivato lo stesso al grande pubblico e ciò che offre sono 12 tracce di puro e incontaminato 80's hard rock, di quello blueseggiante che tanto piace ai nostalgici della decade precedente. Come affermato poc'anzi, il termine di paragone più sensato sono i Great White (con qualche accenno di Van Halen qua e là), grazie anche alla voce di Eric Ganz, a tratti davvero simile a quella di Jack Russell. Canzoni come “Medusa Groove”, “Woman Behind The Eyes”, “Little Devils”, “Miss Necrophilia”, “Got Love On The Line”, “Changes” e “Roadhouse Of Love” mostrano tutta l'abilità compositiva ed esecutiva di una band che avrebbe senza dubbio meritato maggior fortuna. Niente di originale, come niente di originale con ogni probabilità si sentiva allora, si sente oggi e sempre si sentirà nel rock'n'roll. E forse è proprio per quello che continua a piacerci così tanto.
Written by Stefano Gottardi
www.Metal-Temple.com - Greece
CHARLOTTE is another fine secret in the American Hard Rock sea of bands that never got the recognition they definitely deserved. Truth is, there was a typhoon of newcomers in the late 80s trying to gain their own slice of the pie the same time that monsters like MOTLEY CRUE, BON JOVI or CINDERELLA played big venues or even arenas. This does not omit off such bands’ excellence but, unfortunately, the fans (mostly) focused on mainly the outfits ultra-promoted by the Music Industry not willing enough to dig on – and support – more obscure acts with relevant quality.
CHARLOTTE located in Los Angeles and performed a good doze of live gigs during their (local) prime. Musically we would say they belong to the wider LA Rock scene enjoying nonstop caress in the late 80s until the early 90s, but their sound – as also witnessed in the “Medusa Groove” album now being released via Eonian Records – bears a heavy bluesy face, too. The rhythm section is quite pounding and the guitar themes are both melodic and moody, with a sense of sweet melancholy spread allover. This does not mean, of course, they do not rock the house. All these, creating a proper and various tracklist, sum it up to a band conscious of the LED ZEPPELIN legacy but willing to go their own way, bringing just close to mind a mix of bands like XYZ, BADLANDS, THE CULT, BONHAM and (of course) KINGDOM COME.
It’s quite interesting that there’s not a typical ‘Sunset Boulevard’ number in here: the songwriting in some cuts does not follow the cliché verse-chorus-verse-chorus-solo-chorus thing, let’s add, showing a good amount of work and originality by this quintet. Possibly all or most of the songs here date back to the second part of the 80s decade (the Press release is quite fuzzy regarding timelines) but that’s not the big picture anyway. “Medusa Groove” – as its title also declares – is groovy and shows enough comfort being played by loyal fans of the ‘bluesy’ yet shakin’ side of (Hard) Rock. Thumbs up for the production – again I do not know if the originals have a relevant sound – pushing the songlist one scale upper; this CHARLOTTE release is ideal for followers of the ‘not that plain/party’ American Hard Rock style. It will be a frequent visitor in my CD player, no questions asked – conscious Rock ‘n’ Roooll!
P.S.: “Invisible Man” (even) goes Funk…
Written by Greg ''Manimal'' Chronis
www.RockUnited.com - Sweden
Nancy? Fanny? Tricky Vicky? Charlotte is a five-piece Los Angeles based band of the eighties and sadly not a rock n' roll woman. They're named after a certain legend and person who left her mark on history through less than reputable means, namely: Charlotte The Harlot. The band started out in L.A. back in 1987 and consisted of Eric Ganz (vocals), Nick DiBacco & Vinnie Cacciotti (guitars), Chris Colovas (bass), and Eric D. Brewton (drums) They unveiled their sleazy/bluesy style at Jezebel's in Orange County, California and quickly garnered barrels of buzz for their sound. Their popularity rose rapidly and they played at renowned venues like The Whisky-A-Go-Go, The Roxy, and The Troubadous, etc. Opeing up for the likes of XYZ, EZO, VXN... ehh... Vixen, Paul Stanley, among others, during the years of 1987 to 1992.
However, they never quite managed to break outside of L.A. and thus why there's no happy ending to Charlotte. Well, not up until just recently of course, when Eonian Records decided to put together a mighty fine compilation of their rather excellent material. "Medusa Groove" is a twelve track CD and all of the tracks were recorded between the years of 1988 to 1992. According to the press release, the band refused to follow the latest whatever trend and others like a blind little lamb. Thus why they decided to come up with their own thing and let a less-polished sound of Led Zeppelin and the 70's infiltrate their songs and style?
Yeah, it sounds nice on paper in a retrospective look. But I seriously doubt all the "seventies" thinking of the band at the time, especially considering the flashy era of the eighties and not to mention their age. Keeping in mind that Kingdom Come and their self-titled debut came out in 1988 and some of these (excellent) tracks such as, "Woman Behind The Eyes", "Little Devils", "Miss Necrophilia", could just as easily have included on any of their first two albums. Keep also in mind that pretty much all the business people at the time (journos, A&R's, DJ's, label folks) wanted Lenny Wolf for dead for "stealing" the Led Zep sound. Ehem, and Eric Ganz's excellent vocals are, more or less, like any fine U.S. version of Lenny. Furthermore, there's bits and pieces of The Cult, Badlands, and Great White on this CD. The superb ballad, "Changes", reminded me however of "Fly To The Angels" by Slaughter (minus the extremely high-pitch vocals of course). "Ocean Of Love and Mercy" is clearly the sound of The Cult and a mere hint of Hanoi Rocks since there's a saxophone in the background. Final Verdict: Easily the best Eönion Records release so far and highly recommended if you're into bluesy/sleazy rock.
Written by Urban 'Wally' Wallstrom
www.RockWay.gr - Greece
Φαίνεται πως η κληρονομιά της χρυσής δεκαετίας των 80’s έχει πολλά να δώσει ακόμα. 20 χρόνια μετά το τέλος αυτής της περιόδου και ακόμα έρχονται στην επιφάνεια αξιόλογες κυκλοφορίες από εκείνη την εποχή.
Ακούγοντας κανείς το Medusa Groove αντιλαμβάνεται ότι, εκτός από τα συγκροτήματα που έκαναν μια περισσότερο ή λιγότερο επιτυχημένη καριέρα, υπάρχει και πληθώρα συγκροτημάτων, τα οποία ουσιαστικά πέρασαν απαρατήρητα, για τον έναν ή τον άλλον λόγο. Η μουσική των Charlotte είναι πολύ κοντά στο λεγόμενο glam metal, hair metal ή όπως αλλιώς θέλετε να το πείτε, κάτι που δικαιολογείται, μιας και το συγκρότημα έκανε τα πρώτα του βήματα το 1986. Παρόλα αυτά Charlotte έξυπνα αποφεύγουν να πέσουν στη παγίδα της υπερβολής (μουσικής και στιλιστικής), την οποία πολλά άλλα σχήματα, στην προσπάθεια τους να πάρουν και αυτά ένα κομμάτι από την πίτα, υιοθέτησαν. Οι Charlotte συνδυάζουν επιτυχημένα τον hard rock ήχο αυτής της εποχής με το blues των Led Zeppelin. Θα μπορούσε να πει κανείς ότι κάνουν κάτι αντίστοιχο με αυτό που έκαναν συγκροτήματα όπως Steelheart (κυρίως του πρώτου δίσκου), Great White και Kingdom Come. Τα φωνητικά του Eric Ganz θα σας φέρουν στο μυαλό άλλοτε τον Mike Matijevic (στις χαμηλές του νότες), άλλοτε τον Lenny Wolf, ενώ σε κάποια σημεία εμένα μου θύμισαν, έστω και αμυδρά, τον Alice Cooper. Το Medusa Groove δεν αποτελεί το δίσκο που αποφάσισαν να ηχογραφήσουν κάποιοι πιτσιρικάδες προσπαθώντας να αποτίσουν φόρο τιμής στον ήχο μιας δεκαετίας, κατά την οποία πιθανά να μην είχαν καν γεννηθεί. Είναι ο δίσκος ενός συγκροτήματος, το οποίο έζησε από πρώτο χέρι τα 80’s. Παραμένοντας μακριά από τα κλισέ, οι Charlotte καταφέρνουν, στα 12 κομμάτια του δίσκου, να παγιδέψουν τη μαγεία εκείνης της εποχής. Το Medusa Groove ήταν για εμένα μια μεγάλη έκπληξη, καθώς δεν ήταν λίγες οι φορές που, μετά την ακρόαση του, έπιασα τον εαυτό μου να πατάει το repeat προκειμένου να τον ξανακούσω από την αρχή. Πιστεύω ότι η συγκεκριμένη δουλειά είναι μια αξιοπρεπέστατη κυκλοφορία, η οποία θα ικανοποιήσει όποιον αποφασίσει να ασχοληθεί μαζί της. Τολμήστε και δε θα χάσετε.
Written by Καρβούνης Δημήτρης
www.slamrocks.com - Italy
Arriva dopo 23 anni dalla loro nascita l'album d'esordio di questo quartetto losangelino che, dopo aver infiammato il Sunset Strip nel periodo d'oro dell'hair metal, debutta per l'ottima Eonian Records, etichetta attenta alle rarità rimaste nel cassetto per troppo tempo. I Charlotte, come molti altri gruppi del genere, suonano del class-metal imbastardito con lo street rock, si parte con la title-track dove sembra di ascoltare un'outtakes degli Scream, si prosegue con "Woman Behind The Eyes" accostabile all'ominimo disco degli XYZ, mentre con "Siren" potrei "scomodare" come termine di paragone i Kik Tracee di No Rules.
In certi frangenti sbuca il nome dei Kingdom Come (o Led Zeppelin, vedete voi...), come nel caso di "Little Devils" e "Changes" o dei Great White ("All Tied Up") ed in altri si ha un'intensa sensazione di déjà vu ("Roadhouse Of Love"), ma di carne al fuoco per gli hair metaller ce ne è a iosa!
Written by Moreno Lissoni
www.Metal-Integral.com - France
CHARLOTTE is seen both as a marginal and experimental training. Reniant fever of Hard-Rock and 80's straying off the beaten track, has built a CHARLOTTE unique identity. Fusion with GREAT WHITE , the group has managed to impose his atypical style to a public eager to drink a stained. Twenty years later, the label publishes first trial of the American quintet. It was with some trepidation and excitement that I engaged in plays of the messiah. I'm basically means the face of such wonders. They produce KIX pieces skill fully rich and intense take the example of STEELHEART, a title which invite themselves with great saxophones. The content is extremely heterogeneous: a sound typical of Hard-Rock,80's can bounce on a distinctive sound.
A delight, because I really appreciate the first two mentioned singers! Eric GANZ I think this album on, there is something for all tastes. Also, Steve WHITEMAN hits hard in 2010, despite the come back two decades later !
Written by Raskal
www.Metal4All.net - Spain
El sello Eonian Records se ha enfrascado en esa ardua tarea que es repescar viejos discos de Hard Rock de los ochenta y reeditarlos con un sonido mejorado. Lo que tenemos en las manos es un disco que en su día pasó bastante desapercibido dentro de un género muy explotado por entonces como fue el Sleazy. El tamaño potencial de bandas como Guns And Roses, L.A. Guns o Motley Crüe no fueron de buena ayuda para que bandas como Charlotte se dieran a conocer para el gran público. Pero ahora vivimos en otros tiempos, en los que el revival es la obsesión corriente del sufrido auditor rockero. Doy fe de que muchos seguidores del Hard Rock más macarra se toparán con una gran sorpresa con este “Medusa Groove”.
Para situarnos, decir que el estilo que practicaban Charlotte en 1988, que es de cuando data “Medusa Groove”, era un curiosa mezcla de influencias setenteras de bandas como Led Zeppelin y The Doors con el Hard Rock que dominaba la escena en esos momentos, abarcando influencias variadas que según el tema repescan el sonido de bandas como Cinderella, Kingdom Come, L.A Guns o Lynch Mob.
Amparado por una excelente banda, quien destaca por encima del resto en este disco es el vocalista Eric Ganz, que imprime su sello personal en doce composiciones redondas del mejor Hard Rock. Algunos momentos que nos despacha este vocalista son dignos de las bandas más grandes del género y, por supuesto, de los mejores vocalistas.
En un disco donde destaca la mezcla de estilos, nos podemos encontrar con excelentes piezas de Hair Metal como “Miss Necrophilia”, o la rockera y desenfadada “She Get It Up” que respeta al 100% los cánones del género. El Hard Rock más melódico queda representado en “Got Love On The Line”, con parte de talking box incluida, mientras que la parte más cool de la banda aparece en “Ocean Love And Mercy”, un tema en clave blues al que incluyen alguna parte de saxo y un ritmo muy groovy que la hacen realmente destacar entre el resto, algo que repiten de una forma más cañera en el siguiente corte, “Invisible Man”, donde el saxo se mete en recovecos jazzys y Vinnie Cacciotti nos regala uno de los mejores solos del plástico. Las influencias setenteras a las que me refería anteriormente aparecen en no pocos momentos, pero se hacen más patentes en cortes como la zeppeliana “Medusa Groove” (con parte intermedia muy The Doors), la adictiva “Woman Behind The Eyes”, que cuenta con uno de los estribillos más logrados o en “Little Devils”. La parte más dulce y reposada la encontramos en un baladón que huele a 80´s que tira para atrás como es “Changes”, una pieza realmente magistral y que nos trae ecos de Guns And Roses y Skid Row mezclados con la esencia Zeppelin en unas voces que Eric Ganz modula a lo Robert Plant.
Muy recomendada reedición para descubrir una banda que no gozó de la atención que mereció en su momento. Recomendable también para sacarle el polvo a esos viejos clásicos de Hair y Sleazy que agonizan errantes en el rincón más podrido de tu estantería.
Written by Angel Silva
www.HallOfMetal.com - Spain
A finales de los 80 el mercado estaba realmente saturado (a pesar de la inmensa calidad de la mayoría de las bandas). Algunas formaciones se rindieron ante el sector más comercial mientras que otras luchaban por hacerse un hueco en la industria sin renunciar a sus ideales musicales, los californianos CHARLOTTE son un ejemplo de los últimos. Llevando como grandes influencias a nombres como LED ZEPPELIN, GREAT WHITE o algunos rasguños de GUNS ' ROSES, su destino les hizo tocar en grandes sitios como el Whisky-A-Go-Go o The Roxy. Pero fue precisamente esa ferviente fidelidad a hacer la música que ellos querían lo que consiguió que les sepultaran como banda. Los sellos les dieron la espalda y con el tiempo la formación se separó. Aún así ninguno de los componentes ha dicho el no definitivo a una posible reunión además de que Eric, Vinnie y Chris han seguido moviéndose por el mundillo.
Ante esta presentación, nos espera nada menos que 12 pelotazos de auténtico hard rock americano, crudo, directo y con un sonido muy deudor de la técnica de Jimmy Page & company. "Medusa Groove" que es como se abre el CD, es un claro ejemplo de dicha influencia, un tema contundente y con un riff de guitarra adictivo. Pero no nos muestran todas sus cartas hasta "Woman Behind The Lines" con ese gran estribillo unida a la genial voz de Ganz, y "Siren" que siendo uno de los grandes singles del disco produce escalofríos nada empezar . Rock puro y duro de alto octanaje que ha tenido que lastrar con su desgraciada falta de popularidad por culpa del ninguneo que sufrieron en su día los CHARLOTTE.
Seguimos hacia delante con otros grandes cortes como la hipnótica "Little Devils" que posee uno de los mejores solos del trabajo, una mezcla perfecta entre el blues y el rock rebosante de feeling. "Miss Necrophilia" y "She Get It Up" son los bombazos sleazy con una energía bestial y un empuje que nos hará inevitable mover aunque sea la pierna al son de "Get It Up". A continuación "Changes" nos muestra la cara melancólica de la banda gracias a las sobradas guitarras de DiBacco y Cacciotti que nos hacen rememorar las baladas de los 70. "Roadhouse Of Love" remonta von el sonido GUNS mostrando a un Eric forzando un poco más la voz, quedándole tan bien que ni los grupos de la nueva hornada sueca de hoy en día.
Para ir cerrando tendremos como más destacable la rara "Ocean Of Love And Mercy" que añade variedad gracias a su peculiar mezcla de técnicas e instrumentos que van desde toques progresivos hasta un saxofón (con el cual tiene un duelo la guitarra en el solo), y "All Tied Up" que nos ofrece una despedida más relajada pero nuevamente enérgica y con un fuerte movimiento sleazy.
Estoy deseando que estos americanos decidan reunirse algún día y rememorar tiempos como los que hemos oído en este CD. Aquí no hay teclados pomposos, mil y un coros ni letras al más puro estilo AOR, esta gente se lo montó muy bien para dejarnos como legado un buen puñado de excelente temas de rock duro para cabrear a los vecinos además de completos en cuanto a calidad compositiva se refiere. Una joyita que ya estáis tardando en pillaros.
Written by Alejandro Márquez
www.MetalCry.com - Spain
Tras la edición del recopilatorio de los olvidados LEGACY la discográfica Eonian Records sigue trayéndonos a la memoria el legado de grupos de la escena hard rockera de los 80 y en esta ocasión lo hace ofreciendo la oportunidad que nunca surgió de registrar los mejores temas del quinteto CHARLOTTE, banda a medio camino entre el hard rock más evidente y descarado, con referencias a Guns and Roses o Motley Crue, y el a.o.r. y el rock más clásico de otros como Great White…
Surgieron en California y su paso por el mercado del directo fue exitoso pero fugaz, vistando grandes escenarios y míticas salas como el "Whisky-A-Go-Go", "The Roxy" o "The Troubadour". Pero, por lo visto, nunca vieron refrendado su éxito momentáneo con un lanzamiento discográfico. Han tenido que esperar hasta el día de hoy, en este año 2010 en que Eonian Records ha decidido apostar por una banda que suena potente pero con mucha clase, llena del feeling actual pero que mantiene la esencia del pasado en sus venas y en sus guitarras, así como en la estructura melódica y mística de temas como "Siren" o "Miss Necrophilia" o las dotes sensuales y rítmicas de hit singles como "Woman Behind the Eyes", que sin duda nos traen a la mente algo de los afamados Def Leppard.
CHARLOTTE está formado por Eric Ganz a la voz, quien posee unas cuerdas vocales desgarradas y potentes caracterizadas a la par por un vibrato personal que lo hace único pero dentro de los cánones esenciales del estilo, las guitarras de Nick DiBacco y Vinnie Cacciotti, quienes no despliegan grandes alardes técnicos, sino que mantienen la intensidad necesaria para hacernos vibrar con la esencia intrínseca del hard rock… Potencia, descaro y, sobre todo, actitud son las garras que nos enseñan en "She Get It Up" o la rítmica "Invisible Man", mientras que el sentimiento lo ponen en las inevitables baladas y medio tiempos sentimentales que nos encontramos con la preciosa "Changes" o la misteriorsa "Ocean of Love And Mercy". La banda la completan Chris Colovas y Eric D. Brewton, quienes mantienen el ritmo de la banda al bajo y la batería respectivamente, dando presencia y empaque a todos los temas, los cuales en muchas ocasiones se alimentan de un control comedido que marque los latidos de nuestra escucha, un factor fundamental para el éxito de gran parte de los temas de CHARLOTTE.
Sin destacar como uno de los lanzamientos del año si que podemos afirmar que "Medusa Groove" es un disco más que apto para todo aquel que quiera indagar un poco más en el pasado del hard rock y su escena de los 80 traída directamente a la actualidad de forma resoluta y efectista a la par que no del todo convencional y tributaria, sino con cierta dosis de personalidad y variedad, elementos que marcan una de los brillos más apreciables de este peculia
Written by Alejandro Márquez
www.HotExpress.co.jp/RocksOnTheRoad - Japan
ロサンゼルス産、ブルージーなメロディアス・ハードロックを聴かせるCHARLOTTEのコンバイル・アルバム
今月のLEGACYと同様にEoniaレーベルにより発掘、コンパイルされたCHARLOTTEの作品。こちらも80年代後半から90年代初期にかけてレコーディングされた音源で構成されている。
レコーディング年代からみると、ちょうどLA.メタル・シーンが衰退し始めた頃に活動していたため、彼らも良い音楽を創りながら不運にも陽の目をみなかったバンドなのだろう。ここで聴かれるブルージーな要素の強いハードロックはGREAT WHITE的であり、また初期のGOTTHARD、KINGDOM COMEあたりにも通じるサウンドだ。いわゆる“ヘア・メタル”に分類されたのだろうが、音楽的には非常にしっかりしており、シンガーの歌いっぷりも堂々たるもの。「Little Devils」ではLED ZEPPELINを強く彷彿とさせながらも、馴染みやすいメロディーをフィーチャーし80年代ハードロックに仕上げるセンスもなかなかだ。
独特の雰囲気をもったバラードチューン「Changes」、トランペットをフィーチャーしたムーディーな「Ocean Of Love And Mercy」あたりではソングライティングの上手さ／幅広さも感じさせる。ただ、アルバム全編を通してこれ一発という楽曲がないのも正直なところ。全体的なクオリティーは高いものの、文字どおり看板となるべくキャッチーな楽曲が欲しいところだ。レベルは高いのでブルージーなハードロックが好きなファンであれば、“GREAT WHITEやGOTTHARDのアウトテイク集”を楽しむつもりで是非。こちらも試聴音源が数曲あり。
Written by Manabu Hoshino
www.RockTimes.de - Germany
Das amerikanische Label Eönian Records aus Indianapolis schreibt sich Wiederveröffentlichungen auf seine Fahne. Zur Zeit befinden sich Bands wie Legacy, Sgt. Roxx, Strike Twice, Wanted, Gynger Lynn oder eben Charlotte in deren Köcher.
Das Quintett Charlotte wurde 1986 gegründet und hielt bis zum Beginn der Neunzigerjahre durch. Fakt ist, dass diverse Plattenscouts die Bohnen wohl mächtig tief in den Ohren sitzen hatten. Während Charlottes Existenz ist es nie zu einem Vertrag mit einem Label gekommen, obwohl die Gruppe in Amerika durchaus Wellen schlug. Wie dem auch sei, nun wurde das Album "Medusa Groove" veröffentlich und bringt diese Hard Rock-Band wieder ins Rampenlicht. Eine Reunion wird, laut Booklettext nicht ausgeschlossen, zumal drei der fünf Musiker nach dem Split auf musikalischer Ebene immer wieder zusammen gearbeitet haben.
Mit Charlotte hat man eine ganz tolle Band ausgegraben und schon nach wenigen Tracks fragt man sich allen Ernstes, warum es vor über zwanzig Jahren einfach nicht hingehauen hat. Bei allem Respekt, es rockt und die Gruppe hatte mit ihren Kompositionen immer ein Bein im Fass des Blues.
Die Nummern stammen aus den Jahren 1988 bis 1992 und bei der guten Musik möchte ich gleich auf ein einmaliges Schmankerl hinweisen. Eine Person namens Ofr bläst in zwei Nummern Saxofon. Alleine diese Tatsache macht "Ocean Of Love And Mercy" sowie "Invisible Man" zu absoluten Hinhörern auf der Platte, die angenehme fünfundvierzig Minuten im Player rotiert. "Ocean Of..." ist ein hinreißend groovender Track, in dem man dem Holzblasinstrument einen relativ großen Raum zumisst. Wo hat man das schon gehört... ein Saxofon im Hard Rock. Feine Gitarren umgarnen die Ohren und Eric Ganz hat eine sehr angenehme Stimme zwischen akzentuiertem Gesang und den Qualitäten eines Shouters. Ofr gehört auch das Solo in dieser vom Blues getränkten Nummer.
Ungewöhnlich gut ist nicht nur dieses Stück.
Mit dem Funk extrem aufgeladen ist der zweite Track mit Saxofon. Da geht Charlotte schon ganz anders zu Werke. Neben einem fetzigen Gitarrensolo sowie herrlichem Rhythmuswechsel kommt Ofr hier leider nur als Begleiter eines heftigen Sounds zum Zuge. Schade, aber höchst interessant ist die Angelegenheit schon.
Der Sänger persönlich spielt einmal ein Instrument. "Changes" ist ein dieser hingebungsvollen Balladen, die fast nur von Hard Rock-Bands kommen können. Ganz hat sich für diesen Track ans Piano gesetzt.
Die Songs sind prächtig arrangiert worden. Zu jeder Komposition hat man sich ein schönes Intro einfallen lassen. Natürlich wird auch bestens gerockt. Tracks wie "Siren", "Little Devils" oder "Miss Necrophilia" wirbeln echt Staub auf. Da werden unterschiedliche Gänge eingelegt und die Gitarren fetzen so richtig nach Herzenslust. Wie bereits geschrieben: Ganz ist gesanglich immer auf der Höhe der Dinge und die Songs klingen einfach rund und bereiten ordentlichen Hörspaß. In die kürzeste Nummer des Albums, "She Get It Up" legt Charlotte eine Handvoll Rock'n'Roll hinein und "Roadhouse Of Love" sowie "All Tied Up" sind ein Musterbeispiel an Dynamik. Letzterer signalisiert nochmals, wie es die Gruppe mit den Melodien hält. Klasse!
Mit dieser Zusammenstellung von Songs kann man der Band nur empfehlen, sich ernsthaft Gedanken über eine Reunion zu machen. "Medusa Groove" klingt frisch und ist eine leckere Portion Hard Rock der feineren Sortierung.
Written by Joachim 'Joe' Brookes
8 Flying V’s out of 10
It seems for every band that got signed in the eighties, there were ten more that didn’t. Eonian Records continues to unearth some talented acts from the hair metal era, and after giving Charlotte’s Medusa Groove a few spins, I would have to say that is one of their better CD’s that they have released. The first thing I noticed is the sound quality on this disc. This is a lot better than some of Eonian’s previous offerings.
Charlotte seems to have mixed a little bit of a 70′s vibe into their style of hard rock. Medusa Groove teeters between the bluesy sounds of Led Zeppelin, and the 80′s hard rock of band’s like Steelheart, Kingdom Come and Lynch Mob. It doesn’t really matter who you compare Charlotte to though. The band flat-out rocks.
Eric Ganz has one hell of a cool voice that sounds like a blend of Lenny Wolf, Miljenko Matijevic and Terry Ilous. His voice helps set Charlotte apart from the standard hair metal offerings of the eighties. The more I have listened to Medusa Groove, I wonder how this band didn’t get signed. There is a pretty cool mix of styles on this CD, from the more hair metal flavored tunes such as “Miss Necrophilia”, “She Get It Up”, “Invisible Man”, and “All Tied Up” to the 70′s influenced numbers, “Woman Behind The Eyes”, (my personal favorite) “Siren”, and “Little Devils”. “Changes” is the type of song that would have the masses breaking out their zippo lighters (or cell phones for today’s audiences). This is one of the better ballads that I have listened to. Overall, I did not find one bad song on this CD, and I found myself hitting repeat a few times so I could listen to it again.
The bottom line: Charlotte is an above average band that didn’t get their due. Medusa Groove was a nice surprise for this listener, and is a a quality release that you should look into. I am glad that Eonian Records has given the world an opportunity to hear this cool band.
Don’t miss this!!
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