Top 10 Albums of 2022

I've been writing these best of the year lists since 2014, and it's always fun for me.  Even if nobody else reads these, I enjoy looking back at the year and reflecting.  I also do my homework and check out other lists online to see if I may have missed something.  Inevitably, I end up discovering a few releases I didn't notice and adding them to my collection.  I rank song quality and album consistency heavily, so if there's only a couple of good tracks, the rating suffers.  Often because of this there are some big names that fall off and a lot of times I end up surprising myself with the final top ten.  This year's list has quite of bit of diversity in terms of musical style and even language (including English, German, Japanese, and Mongolian).

1. Ozzy Osbourne - Patient Number 9

Despite working through injuries, illness, and a global pandemic, Ozzy had a goal of making an album with multiple guest musicians that he admired.  He secured Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton to write songs with, along with Duff McKagan (Guns N' Roses/Velvet Revolver), Robert Trujillo (Metallica), Mike McCready (Pearl Jam), Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Tonny Iommi (Black Sabbath), and of course Zakk Wylde.  Album opener and title track "Patient Number 9" f/ Jeff Beck is maybe one of the top 10 Ozzy solo singles of all time, it is that good.  Degradation Rules f/ Tony Iommi is probably the next best song.  Clapton shines on "One of Those Days" which also has a killer hook.  Zakk elevates the songs he is on.  The lyrics and production on this album are phenomenal.  I can listen to it all the way through which is the hallmark of a great album.

2. Lorna Shore - Pain Remains

This album is brutal from start to finish. Usually I don't like "cookie monster" sounding vocals where you can't make out all the lyrics, but I heard good things about this New Jersey band and checked them out. Man, I was not disappointed. Vocalist Will Ramos (formerly of Monument of a Memory and A Wake in Providence) is actually relatively new and the third singer of the band. His growls are well-timed and he sings in a deathcore style similar to Randy Blythe (Lamb of God). The bands sound very different, however. Drumming is a highlight of this album and songs are very dynamic. My favorite is "Soulless Existence" in the middle of the album, and it closes with a cool trilogy "Pain Remains" I, II, and III.

3. The HU - Rumble of Thunder

Mongolian folk metal?  You're damn right.  Take a listen before you write it off.  This band has great rhythms, chugging riffs, and tons of attitude.  Then they add in traditional Mongolian throat singing, instrumentation, and poetry.  I was made aware of them through a friend and then I was fortunate enough to see them open up for Megadeth in September, and they were captivating and sonically fantastic.  I also wrote about their international recognition as "The Artist for Peace" by UNESCO here.  Their videos are phenomenal, and I recommend checking them out.  This album is bookmarked by two really strong songs, but the whole thing is a piece of rocking art. 

4. Alter Bridge - Pawns & Kings

By now you should know of this band.  I certainly listen to them often and have written about them a few times.  Myles Kennedy has one of the best voices in rock and Mark Tremonti is one of the best guitarists.  They are both underrated songwriters and guitarists. They kill it solo, but are just magic together.  I don't think this album has the big catchy choruses that you'll find on some of their other albums, but it is solid and rocks all the way through.  I think the most sonically interesting song is called "Season of Promise."  Great bass lines, interesting melodies, and some soaring riffs.

5. Polyphia - Remember That You Will Die

Ok, this one is different.  Polyphia is a progressive rock band out of Texas that combines jazz, djent, metal, latin, funk, hip-hop, and more!  The band consists of guitarists Tim Henson and Scott LePage, bassist Clay Gober, and drummer Clay Aeschliman.  The album includes collaborations with hip-hop group Brasstracks, rappers $NOT and Lil West, metal singer Chino Moreno (Deftones), and guitar virtuoso Steve Vai.  My favorite track on this eclectic album is "Ego Death" which features Vai and closes the diverse maze of an album.

6. Disturbed - Divisive (review originally from my article November News and Noteworthy)

Frontman David Draiman and others have called it a return to form as the sound harkens back to their early albums. You can even hear some of Draiman's iconic wah-ka-ka vocal stylings on track "Part of Me." A few years ago Draiman said he was tired of being known for that kind of vocal, but it put them on the map and thankfully it is back. "Hey You" is probably the most iconic song on this album with "Bad Man" and "Divisive" also rocking hard. Draiman is quoted as saying that the Covid-19 pandemic and political instability made him "blisteringly angry" and he was anxious to write "new, original, angry, ferocious, brutal material." A different style is seen on "Don't Tell Me" which features Ann Wilson of Heart and is said to be inspired by founding guitarist Dan Donegan's divorce from his wife of 18 years. Ann wanted to work with Disturbed since hearing their popular cover of "Sound of Silence."

7. Silverstein - Misery Made Me

For a post-hardcore/emo band, Silverstein has been remarkably consistent.  Misery Made Me is their 11th studio album.  I own six of them so I know and like this band a lot.  I keep getting prepared to be let down, and I keep getting pleasantly rewarded with just good emo-punk-rock songs.  This album features a few guest singers including Mike Hranica (Devil Wears Prada) and three indie artists.  I like music with fast tempo, good rhythms, good lyrics, and good guitar work.  This band just delivers those things and is why I am a fan.  They don't get as political as Senses Fail, they just bring it.  I'd like to catch them live at some point.

8. I Prevail - True Power

Do you like breakdowns?  I do and I Prevail definitely does.  True Power is their third album.  I loved the first two, and I think this one may be even better.  They've matured and gotten better at their craft which is mixing different influences and styles into a hard rock juggernaut. Two months before the album dropped, their lead single "Body Bag" was playing on Octane and other radio.  It is a banger.  The second single "Bad Things" has more clean singing and a very poppy chorus, but with some screaming and breakdowns in keeping with their main style.  Two more singles were released and then songs like "Choke" that aren't official singles are still making waves on stations like Octane because they are still so many great hard rockers on this album.  It just may have dropped on my list because of a boring song in the middle of the 14 songs and an intro track that is just 42 seconds of noise.

9. Rammstein - Zeit

As noted in my concert review, "Armee der Tristen," the leading track of Rammstein's newest album, Zeit is a nice start because it has a driving rhythm at a medium tempo that is hard enough to bang your fist to and also feature's Till's storytelling vocal style. It is also apropos to open their stadium tour because the song is about uniting a group of disheartened people, "the party of the hopeless," in a march "against luck."  The rest of the album tackles concepts like racism, relationships, and plastic surgery all against the backdrop of the theme of time that is always ticking.  We are not getting any younger so Till and company definitely advocate fulfilling sexual desires ("OK, Dicke Titten") and accepting that we are not perfect ("Lügen").  The album ends as the stadium tour shows did, with "Adieu."  Rumor had it that this might be the last Rammstein album, but fortunately reports have come out that they are already working on another one.  As the lyrics say, "only death lasts forever... adieu, goodbye, see you again."

10. Megadeth - The Sick, the Dying…and the Dead!

I had high hopes for this album and would have predicted this would be higher on my list.  As it turns out, I think it is a very good album, but not an excellent one compared to Megadeth's own catalogue.  The opening title track is one of my favorites here and it reflects on the Covid pandemic by comparing it to the plague.  There's definitely some more good tracks and some great guitar playing by Mustaine.  The disappointing part was some of the lyrics seem generic and the middle of the album has a few tracks that aren't as good as the start or the finish.

Honorable Mention:  Weezer - SZNZ (Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter EPs)

How do you rate EPs?  I don't think there are enough tracks (7 each) to qualify as an album in the top 10 list.  As a collection I think it is amazing because concept albums do not always work, but I think the seasonal theme is a cool idea that helps at the same time distinguish and unite the EPs.  Three of the four I would buy again.  I am of the opinion that the songs on Summer are the strongest, making it my favorite of the four seasons - er SZNZ.  I would not have predicted this as I would have thought the more melancholy would get my vote.  Spring is definitely the poppiest and least favorite.  However, the other three all could stand alone in the Weezer discography as being very strong releases.  Altogether there is something for everyone here, and many of the tracks include what fans of classic Weezer like best.  There are clever lyrics and song structures with deep meaning and introspection.  For highlights from each EP, check out "A Little Bit of Love" (Spring), "Thank You and Goodnight" (Summer), "Get Off on the Pain" (Autumn), and "The Deep and Dreamless Sleep" (Winter)

Other notable albums of 2022 worth hearing:

Abbath - Dread Reaver

Animals As Leaders - Parrhesia

A Parkway Drive - Darker Still

Arch Enemy - Deceivers

Architects - The Classic Symptoms of a Broken Spirit

Bad Omens - The Death of Peace of Mind

Coheed and Cambria - Vaxis II: A Window of the Waking Mind

Counterparts - A Eulogy For Those Still Here

Dorothy - Gifts From the Holy Ghost

Electric Callboy - Tekkno

Five Finger Death Punch - After Life

Fozzy - Boombox

Ghost - Impera

Hammerfall - Hammer of Dawn

Highly Suspect - Midnight Demon Club

Jack White - Fear of the Dawn

Jelly Roll - Ballads of the Broken

Lamb of God - Omens

Muse - Will of the People

One Ok Rock - Luxury Disease

Papa Roach - Ego Trip

Saint Asonia - Extrovert EP

Scorpions - Rock Believer

Senses Fail - Hell is in Your Head

Shinedown - Planet Zero

Slash (f/Myles Kennedy & the Conspirators) - 4

Slipknot - The End, So Far

Tedeschi Trucks Band - I Am the Moon (I - IV)

November news and noteworthy

On November 18, Disturbed dropped their eighth studio album, their first in four years, called Divisive.  Frontman David Draiman and others have called it a return to form as the sound harkens back to their early albums.  You can even hear some of Draiman's iconic wah-ka-ka vocal stylings on track "Part of Me."  A few years ago Draiman said he was tired of being known for that kind of vocal, but it put them on the map and thankfully it is back.  "Hey You" is probably the most iconic song on this album with "Bad Man" and "Divisive" also rocking hard.  Draiman is quoted as saying that the Covid-19 pandemic and political instability made him "blisteringly angry" and he was anxious to write "new, original, angry, feriocious, brutal material."  A different style is seen on "Don't Tell Me" which features Ann Wilson of Heart and is said to be inspired by founding guitarist Dan Donegan's divorce from his wife of 18 years.  Ann wanted to work with Disturbed since hearing their popular cover of "Sound of Silence."

Saint Asonia also released a 6 song EP titled Extrovert, a follow-up to July's 7 song album Introvert.  The latest release is certainly heavier, and therefore I prefer it a lot more than the slower and lighter precursor.  The best track is probably the opener, "Devestate."

SiriusXM's Jose Mangin has long been my favorite DJ, but now I have another reason to praise the "metal ambassador."  He has started a scholarship for metal-loving STEM students!  According to the website, Headbang for Science is a nonprofit "providing an annual scholarship award to a graduating high school senior, majoring in science/medicine, has financial need, possesses a 3.5 GPA or above, and is far beyond passionate about Heavy Metal music." Applications will be accepted soon from metalheads entering a 4-year college. See https://www.headbangforscience.org for more information.

On November 25, at a special ceremony at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, the Hu were recognized as "The Artist for Peace" for the band's "contribution to the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage and their support for the promotion of cultural diversity through music."  The band's name comes from the Mongolian root word for human being.  They utilize Mongolian throat singing and traditional instruments in their unique version of folk-metal.  Lead throat singer and player of the Morin Khuur (horsehead fiddle), Gala, was quoted as saying, “Mongolians have upmost respect for our history, culture and the language that was left to us from thousands of years ago from our elders and ancestors. ... The HU’s goal and purpose is first and foremost to perform a unique genre of music that gives strength and power upon every listen. Secondly, it is to show the world Mongolia’s nomadic and environmentally aware livelihood that has been passed down from previous generations and to inspire others to live minimalistic lives and enjoy life to its fullest."  I had the pleasure of seeing the Hu live opening for Megadeth and Five Finger Death Punch.  They were as incredible on stage as they are in their videos, and I couldn't be happier for their international recognition.

HBO channels have been airing replays of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony which took place on November 5 and included Duran Duran, Carly Simon, the Eurythmics, Lionel Richie, Pat Benetar, Jimmy Iovine, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Eminem, Judas Priest, and Dolly Parton.  I was pleasantly surprised and thoroughly impressed with the live performance by the Eurythmics.  I liked Judas Priest's performance, and the fact that Les Binks and K.K. Downing were a part of the performance and honorees.  Steven Tyler joined Eminem for his song "Sing for the Moment" which heavily samples Aerosmith's "Dream On."  John Mellencamp went hard as he said "fuck antisemitism" while inducting Jewish entertainment lawyer, Allen Grubman.  He then joined Bruce Springsteen in a tribute to the late Jerry Lee Lewis.  Dolly Parton debuted a rock song, called "Rockin'," written for the occasion, which honors her rock and roll influences and featured her playing electric guitar.  She then had multiple guests and honorees, including Rob Halford, join her for a performance of "Jolene" which closed the show.

Rammstein - North American Stadium Tour 2022 (Philadelphia)

 8-31-22 Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA

I have been a fan of Rammstein since I first heard them 25 years ago.  I had wanted to see them live for about as long, especially after hearing about how wild their stage show can be.  Rammstein rarely plays in the US, even though it makes up a huge portion of their fan base.  I own a live DVD and watched some videos online, but it is never the same as being there.  I was thrilled to learn they would be coming back to the US, and would be in my area, after releasing their self-titled seventh major album.  Unfortunately, Covid-19 made me wait two more years before I could go see them.  The tour was postponed in 2020 because of pandemic-related shutdowns.  In 2021 the band decided to postpone after a Covid resurgence would have restricted attendance.  The band wanted to perform with their full stage show to as big a crowd as possible, and looking back now, they made the right call.  Here's my story of the concert going experience.

I arrived at the stadium with two buddies a little behind schedule, but still with enough time to do some tailgating before entry.  I had heard the opening act would be a couple of pianists, and we decided it was ok if we didn't get to hear them, instead opting to eat some subs and knock back a few beers to cut back on high priced stadium concessions.  We had to walk around a building and through a vacant lot to get to the stadium which took us a little longer than expected so that by the time we made it to our seats at 7:45PM, the pianists had just finished.   At 8:05, the stage went dark and then the band members started to emerge one by one from the fog, becoming visible to the crowd.

The set began with "Armee der Tristen," the leading track of Rammstein's newest album, Zeit.  It was a nice start because it has a driving rhythm at a medium tempo that is hard enough to bang your fist to and also feature's Till's storytelling vocal style.  It is also apropos that the song is about uniting a group of disheartened people, "the party of the hopeless," in a march "against luck."  Here we go, thousands of us together, finally!  The second song was "Zick Zak" off the same album which picked up the tempo and continued to energize the crowd.  This song features classic Rammstein electronica keyboards and industrial influences.  Next came "Links 2, 3, 4" off of 2001's Mutter.  This song was written in opposition to Nazism, and is a common song in the live shows since it was released.  For the fourth song this set we go back even further to the title track from 1997 "Sehnsucht."  This is the first time we get some big flashes of fire on stage, and I get the feeling that the pyrotechnics are off to the races!  Next comes "Zeig Dich," the first track played from 2020's Rammstein.  Then "Mein Herz Brennt" takes things to the next level.  This song was really remarkably heavy to hear live.  It was often the opening song from sets of its era, and I can see why.  Likewise, it kicked off my favorite string of songs in the set.  Next came "Puppe" which is a disturbing song about a child torturing a doll while listening to their sister prostituting herself in the next room.  This was followed by "Heirate Mich" off the debut 1995 album Herzeleid, which was a surprise to hear make it into the set, although it has been favored by the band more over the years.  The song title translates to "Marry Me" though the lyrics speak about necrophilia, thought to be a metaphor for desiring lost loves.  "Zeit" then gives us some relief from the auditory assault and brings the tempo down as the stage fills with smoke creating a fitting aura.  Being a slower song, this was a curious track to be the lead single from the 2022 release, but it became #1 in Germany and was nominated for single of the year by UK magazine Kerrang!

"Deutchland" follows, and as I previously wrote, it's lyrics portray a love-hate relationship with the motherland.  This song has to be in my top 10 Rammstein songs.  It was followed by another banger, "Radio" which felt so much bigger live.  It is now that I'm feeling I am witnessing one of the greatest concerts I have ever seen.  That is quite a big statement coming from someone who has been to over 150 major concerts.  Next comes "Mein Teil" which is a song about a 2001 cannibalism case by Armin Meiwes.  At this point a giant kettle appears on stage.  The keyboard player is playing inside the kettle as Till appears with a butcher's hat and knife looking super menacing on stage.  He grabs a flame thrower and shoots flames under the kettle.  If that wasn't enough, here comes a fire cannon.  Even bigger flames are shot at the kettle and huge fire plumes "cook" the poor keyboard player alive while Till sings "Denn du bist was du isst - you are what you eat."  If that wasn't grandiose enough, next comes their biggest hit "Du Hast."  Check out my commentary on the meaning of this song in my previous blog linked below.  Ironically, this song is presented without much theatrics at 9:30PM.  There was a really cool fire display that went from the stage to the tower in the middle of the arena and back again.  I start to fear we are coming to the end of the show and we hear another concert staple, "Sonne," and more pyrotechnics.  Sure enough, the band then leaves the stage.  The crowd is cheering for an encore and some closeups of people with Rammstein t-shirts and tattoos soon turns to flash-cam as several female patrons delight the crowd by showing their breasts.  Equal opportunity, there were some guys that got just as big a reaction from the crowd, lol.

After a few minutes Rammstein appears on a lighted small stage in the middle of the crowd with the pianists from Duo Abelard.  They collectively play "Engel."  As the song plays out, three giant inflatable rafts appear and take the band crowdsurfing back to the main stage.  Next comes "Auslander" which was the third single from the 2020 album and is so catchy that it was stuck in my head all night.  I was happy to get to hear this song, and would have been more than satisfied had the concert ended there.  Instead, we hear "Du Reichst so Gut," another song off the first album, and "Pussy," a sexually charged song, to close out a bangin' encore.  The band leaves the stage for a second time.

But wait, there's more!  The house lights don't come up and after some cheering from the crowd, the band returns to play . . . what else? . . . Rammstein!  Then comes "Ich Will" which goes really hard, and finally "Adieu" as the band says goodbye with the last song from the latest album.  Till says "Thank you; we love you Philadelphia.  Danke!"  They bow at 10:20PM.  The band then appears in what looks like an elevator inside the central tower on stage.  They ascend towards the band logo and flames at the top.  They stop and wave to the crowd.  The image then ascends to the fire and one final explosion takes place and credits start to roll.  It truly takes an army of people to pull off a fantastic show and the proof is in those scrolling credits as well as the dozen or so tractor trailers out in front of the stadium.

Sometimes when you anticipate something so much and build it up in your mind, it can be a letdown when the event actually happens.  This wasn't the case for seeing Rammstein.  They delivered a memorable show that had us rocking from beginning to end.  We were left satisfied, and still wanting more.  There are more songs that I would have liked to hear, but I cannot argue with 21 songs from seven different albums in two hours and fifteen minutes.  If you can make it to the show at MetLife stadium on Sept. 6, or whenever they might come around again, go!  This show had the kind of huge songs like other greats I've seen live such as Black Sabbath and Judas Priest with a stage show bigger than Alice Cooper or Trans-Siberian Orchestra.  Hopefully it is not another decade before they tour the US, but you never know.  

Check out my album by album breakdown here. 

See video from the show on Youtube such as Radio/Mein Teil/Du Hast here.

Summer Vibes

Like it or not, summer has arrived.  I'm looking forward to getting outside for some activities.  I just hope that it is not too ungodly hot this year.  If you're like me, you need some tunes to accompany the barbecues, camping, tailgating, and fire pits.  Here's some lighter options from my usual metal picks.

girlfriends - (e)motion sickness

Like Blink 182, All Time Low, Seaway and other power pop bands with emo leanings?  Check out girlfriends.  I just discovered them looking at new iTunes releases.  It turns out this is a band is made up of singer/rapper/actor Travis Mills and Goldfinger drummer Nick Gross.  They also enlist songwriting and producing from Goldfinger singer and musical mastermind, John Feldman.  The clever tongue-in-cheek lyrics and teen angst vibes on songs like Toothbrush, Told You So, and the title track have me reminiscing about bands from my college years, and thinking that I will be playing (e)motion sickness a lot this summer.  Toaster For A Swim, Scared, and Can You Hear Me Now hit me in the feels like All American Rejects or Blink 182's self titled.

Lit - Taste's Like Gold

Lit are coming off of two underwhelming albums, the last being 2017's country album, These Are the Days.  They promised a return to their alt-rock form with their latest release and have mostly delivered on that promise, although some songs are still on the slower side.  I actually don't mind their slow songs, however.  Instead of skipping them, I'm enjoying the familiar storytelling and warm vocals provided by lead singer AJ.  They also tout a new approach to production enlisting Carlo Colasacco who has written with Shinedown.  They have No Doubt's drummer Adrian Young featured on "Mouth Shut."  They also throw in a cover song of the Cars' "Let's Go" featuring famous writer and producer Butch Walker (Marvelous 3, Pink, Weezer, Fall Out Boy).  This album is nothing like their first three, but as Jeremy says, "We're not talking viruses, politics or any of that shit."  It could provide some chill background music this summer.

Weezer - SZNZ: Summer

On Friday Weezer released the first single of the summer EP "Records" on a platform that required you to spin yourself (and your phone) like a record in order to play it.  My old phone wouldn't cooperate, but luckily I could find it on YouTube and spare myself the dizziness!  It's a nice pop-rock song with a sing-along chorus.  Rivers is showing off his range including high and low notes on this track as well.  The rest drops on the solstice, June 21.

Update 6/22/22

Lawn Chair: The EP opens with a 2 minute song with some classical sounding strings and lyrics about archangels Gabriel and Michael torturing the humans.  It's very strange.

Records: The aforementioned single is a classic pop-influenced song and attempts to appeal to the masses.  Rivers has always sought the perfect pop song and this is another great tune with a catchy chorus.

Blue Like Jazz: This is like classic blue album Weezer.  It's alternative, but catchy.  There's melody reminiscent of Mykel and Carli.  All of a sudden I am invested in Summers like there is no tomorrow.

The Opposite of Me: Pinkerton vibes are strong here as Rivers sings about being someone else.  There is a driving drum beat for the verses broken up by slower, almost headbanging, emo beats.  There is some riffing and keyboards that start to rock and then it slows to fade out.

What's the Good of Being Good: Song structure-wise this reminds me of a Pinkerton-Maladroit-Make Believe hybrid.  The verse sounds like it is straight off of Make Believe.  Then Rivers tugs at the heart strings like a Pinkerton song singing "What's the good of being good when your best friend stabs your back and he lies to the people and drags your name through the mud?"  Good guitar work and superb storytelling make this one of the best Weezer songs.

Cuomoville: Very simple at first, this song gives way to some different styles of guitar first very light and airy, and then more ominous and aggressive as Rivers sings "taste your own medicine."  

Thank You and Goodnight: Wow.  This is one of the best Weezer songs in a long time.  We have up-tempo drumming and strumming with lyrics reflective on a successful career, it seems.  The latter half of the song is one of the rockingist things Weezer has ever put out.  In fact, the last thirty seconds really go hard and lyrics "I'll be seeing you" let you know that they are not done yet.

Here's the linktree for Summer: https://weezer.lnk.to/sznzsummer
I'll be playing this one all the way to Fall!

Weezer - SZNZ: Spring

Coming on the heels of a creative outburst during the Covid pandemic, and the release of two full albums to critical success in 2021 (OK Human & Van Weezer), the power pop princes are trying another ambitious set of releases.  The theme is seasons.  Each new season for 2022-23 we will get a new EP.  The first release was seven songs on SZNZ: Spring that came out on March 20.  An eighth song, "Across the Meadow" is on the vinyl version.  Knowing the theme, I predicted correctly that this would be a sugary sweet pop record.  Fortunately, there is some distorted guitar that was absent on OK Human.  The song writing is not quite as bad as the flop that was Pacific Daydream.  Overall, I'm not impressed though.  From the cringy lyrics of "Opening Night" to the near voice cracking falsetto in "Angels on Vacation," this is not their best work.  I'm also not usually critical of mixes, but this one seems to have vocals very forward, and everything else falling back with drums being really thin sounding throughout.  Ironically, a song called "The Sound of Drums" doesn't even feature the instrument.

The highlight is definitely the single, "A Little Bit of Love."  You can see the lyric video with some animations here.  The simple romanticism of "Garden of Eden" is cute too, if you are in the mood for that kind of thing.  I rate Spring 3/5 stars.  If you are a fan of Weezer's poppier stuff, you likely would enjoy this EP.  Rivers said, “Spring is kind of like happy chill . . . and then we move through to dance rock, like a Strokes-style album for the fall.”  That sounds more up my alley so I'll look forward to the September release.  Winter is likely to be a slower, more acoustic sad record.  Summer is a toss up.  If it sounds more like "Island in the Sun" and "LA Girls" than "Feels Like Summer" we will be in good shape.

Weezer has just celebrated their 30th year as a band in February, and the 30th anniversary of their first show one day before SZNS came out!  The latter two thirds has been with a consistent lineup.  At least twice during that run it looked like Rivers didn't want to continue the band.  Now they are showing no signs of slowing down and he said on their social media they are "nowhere near the end of our story."  While it has been a bit of a roller coaster in terms of musical style since Scott joined, I'm here for the ride.

Top 10 Albums of 2021

2021 was an interesting year for rock.  The quarantine creativity outbursts from many bands were still getting to see the light of day.  A new wave of nu-metal has come while the OGs like Papa Roach, Disturbed, and (Hed)PE still continue to create.  Tours were rescheduled, started and stopped, and reimagined amongst the various challenges presented by the continuous Covid-19 pandemic and ever changing regulations and protocols.  As it is approaching the end of the calendar year, my focus will be on my favorite albums from the past year.  Critic darlings Foo Fighters and Iron Maiden won't be found below.  They just didn't rock me.  Friends and followers may not be surprised by many familiar favorites, but I surprised myself with how the top 10 ended up after going through my library to re-listen to song after song to try to come to a consensus.

1. Chevelle - NIRIATIAS

Five years after their last studio album, industrial influenced North Corridor, Chevelle returned to their riff rock revelry with plenty of angst and commentary on anti-science (Self Destructor), space travel (Mars Simula), and the ridiculous notion that we could leave the blue planet for a red one (So Long, Mother Earth).  This, to me, is one of Chevelle's best albums, and that is saying a lot from one of my favorite bands that has 9 incredible albums in their catalogue.  See my full breakdown here

2. Tremonti - Marching in Time

Every time I think that Mark Tremonti has peaked, he surprises me again.  His songwriting keeps getting better, and his playing is phenomenal.  This album has accompanied me on many cooking and cleaning weekends.  It is great front to back with awesome guitar work and big choruses.

3. Volbeat - Servant of the Mind (Deluxe)

The regular version has 13 songs.  The deluxe version contains 18 songs including some alternative versions (Shotgun Blues and Dagen Før) and some more originals.  This album has divided fans on the Facebook fan page, but I don't see what the dissenters have to complain about.  There are some pop leaning songs, but Volbeat has always had that, and there are some heavier songs too (Lasse's Birgitta, Return to None).  It also shows more range than previous albums, and Volbeat have been critcized in the past for making albums that all sound the same.  This one is more versatile and complete while still keeping their Blues and Rockabilly influenced metal sound.

4. Trivium - In the Court of the Dragon

With their 10th album, Trivium shows no sign of slowing down.  In fact, they are now seasoned veterans that continue to impress me.  This album has riffs, grooves, breakdowns, wicked solos, fantastic drumming, and thoughtful lyrics.  What else could you ask for?

5. Wage War - Manic 

This one snuck up on me.  I have listened to Wage War for a while now, but I completely missed the release of this one in late October.  When researching to compile this list I actually got to listen to the whole album and I was blown away.  They got heavier, and I think the songwriting is top notch.  There are some straight bangers.  "Never Said Goodbye" is an emotional one that still rocks.  "If Tomorrow Never Comes" is a strong closing track for an awesome album start to finish.

6. Architects - For Those That Wish To Exist

This was an early contender for album of the year.  I'm kind of surprised that it dropped to sixth on my list.  The main reason is because there are too many slower songs.  "Dead Butterflies" is pretty cool, and helped them expand their audience.  A bit too much of a pop turn with additional slower tempo tracks did not do them any favors with me because I liked them for being fast and extreme - in your face.  That said, the lyrics are more introspective, and they show off their range from brutal to beautiful.  The closer is contemplative and provides a nice bookend to this album that sounds like its own movie soundtrack.

7. Ice Nine Kills - Welcome to Horrorwood: The Silver Scream 2

Sequels are rarely as good as the original, but Ice Nine Kills repeat the magic of the Silver Scream with more horror-inspired alternative metal.  They also have cool collaborations with the likes of Jacoby Shaddix (Papa Roach), Corpsegrinder, Brandon Saller (Atreyu), and more.

8. Wolftooth - Blood & Iron

They are the new Black Sabbath and produced a better album than Zakk Wylde who didn't do too shabby himself.  The vocalist is not going to blow you away, but if you like groovy stoner rock, bass lines for days, and Nordic-themed lyrics, these are your guys.

9. Bullet for My Valentine - s/t

"Knives" goes so hard!!!! "Rainbow Veins" is a more melodic song with a cool metaphor.  The whole album is good, and this is another band that I keep getting prepared to be disappointed by and they just continue to prove me wrong.

10. Of Mice & Men - Echo

This album also vaulted into my top 10 for consistency and headbangability.  I like albums that I can listen to without skipping a bunch of tracks.  This is in my wheelhouse.  "Obsolete" is a standout with great beats, mosh-inducing meter, and a killer chorus.  "Bloom" says "there is no honey made from fake bouquets" and contemplates the meaning of life with dynamic mosaic song structure.

Honorable Mentions:

Black Label Society - Doom Crew Inc. (almost made top 10; even the ballads are good; "Ruins" was inspired by the likes of Cream, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, and Led Zeppelin and you can certainly hear elements of these in the music.  Zakk jokes you don't need 64 crayons to make a nice picture.  He said keeping his songs to good riffs and a good chorus are important to him.  This album doesn't have as many flashy solos as some, but is still a solid album.)

Buckcherry - Hellbound (a return to form; their best album since 2006)

Gemini Syndrome - 3rd Degree: The Raising (excellent album; IDK and Die With Me are standouts; a few slower songs kept this out of my top 10, but support them if you can; great live band)

Mammoth WVH - s/t (Wolfgang Van Halen's 14 track debut on which he plays all of the instruments.  It sounds a lot like an Exies album, which isn't a bad thing in my opinion.  "Distance" is the tribute to his father Eddie, and if you haven't heard it yet, check it out.)

Rise Against - Nowhere Generation (IYKYK)

Spiritbox - Eternal Blue (Female fronted; unique alt-metal sound that made waves this year)

Weezer - Van Weezer (the more rocking of their dual releases this year; see track by track breakdown here)

Zero 9:36 - ...If You Don't Save Yourself (rapping and singing melded together like early Linkin Park; collabs with Travis Barker and Hollywood Undead; bright future)

For albums to look forward to in 2022, check out this article from Revolver