Charlotte – Medusa Groove (2010)
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.
You can listen to songs from Medusa Groove on myspace at this link. You can purchase Medusa Groove here. Don’t miss this!!
Rating: 
Out of 10
Track Listing:
1. Medusa Groove
2. Woman Behind The Eyes
3. Siren
4. Little Devils
5. Miss Necrophilia
6. She Get It Up
7. Got Love On The Line
8. Changes
9. Roadhouse Of Love
10. Ocean Of Love And Mercy
11. Invisible Man
12. All Tied Up
Charlotte is:
Eric Ganz – Lead Vocals
Nick DiBacco – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Vinnie Cacciotti – Guitar
Chris Colovas – Bass, Backing Vocals
Eric D. Brewton – Drums, Backing Vocals
I love this one, too ! It’s a little bit different to other US Hard Rock bands of the era. However, this difference is fantastic for those who need new comers and are bored of “normal” 80′s style. Great review !
I agree 100%. I love this CD. Eric (lead singer) will be on HRN in a couple of weeks.