The Graveyard Train - The Graveyard Train (1993)

The Graveyard Train were essentially a blues rock band that tried to incorporate some party rock into the sound as well.
Upon the demise of Angora, singer John Corabi found success with The Scream and Motley Crue. His former Angora bandmates Frank Scimeca and Robert Iezzi formed The Graveyard Train, hooked up with legendary producer Tom Werman, released a killer debut that no one heard and quickly vanished.
A strange album to reissue, simply because no one paid attention when it was released, The Graveyard Train's one and only release now includes five bonus tracks and reinforces my opinion that this was always a criminally underrated album. With a blues driven sleaze sound, The Graveyard Train came across as both honest and sincere resulting in the band appearing more mature than the majority of their peers. Even though they weren't a hair metal band per say, with the long hair and ties to the '80s metal scene no one was paying any attention when this album got released in 1993.
You'll be hard pressed to find an album that starts off in such consistent fashion, as the first six songs rival that of any group. "Down To The Wire" quietly shuffles along before it kicks into gear with some stomping blues rock during the chorus, and continues going back and forth like that throughout. "Hell On Wheels" finds the group following a more typical hard rock formula, but Todd Griffin's solid voice sets it apart. "Memphis #999" continues the trend and incorporates killer guitar and harmonica work into the mix, "Medicine Man" is an up-tempo acoustic/rock hybrid that shows yet another side to The Graveyard Train and "Graveyard Boogie" is a darker number that lives up to its title.
All of that happens during the first half of the album and the second half doesn't let up! The odd ballad is thrown onto the second half, and some Black Crowes inspired numbers, but almost every track impresses. As for the bonus tracks, "Killing Time" completely rocks and contains a slight hint of R&B while "Manchild" could be a hard rock version of The Doors.

Track listing

01.  Down to the Wire  - 4:27
02.  Hell on Wheels  - 4:15
03.  Memphis #999  - 4:44
04.  Walkin' the Line  - 4:28
05.  Medicine Man  - 3:17
06.  Graveyard Boogie  - 3:35
07.  In the Orange Grove  - 4:47
08.  Salvation Psalm  - 3:47
09.  Spirits a Movin'  - 4:44
10.  Love & War  - 3:18
11.  Change the World  - 4:06
12.  The Reason  - 5:20
13.  Breakout  - 3:43

2010 Reissue Bonus Tracks:
14.  Freedom Cry  - 5:49
15.  Killing Time  - 3:42
16.  Manchild  - 4:10
17.  Fire In You  - 4:32
18.  Freedom Cry (alternative version)  - 4:49

Credits
Todd Griffin - Lead & Background Vocals, Acoustic Guitar and Harmonica
Bruce Draper - Guitar, Keyboards and Background Vocals
Frank Scimeca - Bass and Background Vocals
Robert Iezzi - Drums

Additional Musicians
John Purdell - hammond organ
Tom Werman - percussion

Notes
Produced by: Tom Werman.
Associate producer:  Eddie DeLena.
Genre:  Hardrock
Length:  77:47
Label:  Geffen Records

© 1992