Compared to the last couple of years,
2018 was a pretty good year in general. Yes, it had its fair share of ups and
downs, but compared to the last couple of years, the ups seemed to outweigh the
downs.
But as the year comes to a close, it
was time for me to turn towards the list of releases I kept that came out in
2018. And much like the year was for me on a personal level, 2018 was to my
ears, a far stronger year for releases than last year.
So with that said, I present to you my
favourite releases of 2018. As per usual, the selections chosen here are based
on my own personal tastes, and are not in any particular order of preference.
It would be fair to say that Amorphis
haven’t deviated much the winning formula showcased on 2015’s ‘Under The Red
Cloud’ on their latest release. And while that proposition doesn’t do that much
for me (I like to hear progression rather than repetition), I can overlook that
this time around given how enjoyable the songs are on offer this time around.
The weaving ‘Message In The Amber’, the lengthy experimentation within
‘Daughter Of Hate’ and the multi-layered ‘Amongst Stars’ are the picks on the album.
Following on from their excellent ‘Post
Society’ E.P. from 2016, Voïvod once again manage to retain their winning form
with the release of their latest release ‘The Wake’. Decidedly a lot less
thrashier sounding than what was initially expected, ‘The Wake’ is instead a
showcase of what the band have done best in the years since their breakthrough
release ‘Nothingface’ (1989). And that sound is experimental, lyrically sci-fi
based and most certainly progressive. The album is best experienced as a whole
with the themes played out from start to finish, but tracks such as the bass
heavy groove of ‘Orb Confusion’, the faster paced/odd feel of ‘Always Moving’
and the epic mashed-up closer ‘Sonic Mycelium’ are favourites. This is without
question one of Voïvod’s stellar efforts.
Given Stone Temple Pilots’ track record
without Scott Weiland out front (Talk Show, Army Of Anyone and the Bennington fronted
E.P.), I was unsure what to expect from the band’s latest album. But if there’s
an album this year that has blown away all my expectations, then it’s this
album. Vocalist Jeff Gutt is a perfect fit for the band with his ability to
provide the band with something new, while keeping enough of the past sound to
please diehard fans. The band sounds inspired once again on hard hitting
efforts like ‘Middle Of Nowhere, ‘Guilty’, ‘Six Eight’ and ‘Never Enough’, while
Gutt’s presence on ‘Meadow’, ‘Thought She'd Be Mine’, ‘Finest Hour’ and ‘Reds
& Blues’ is incredible. This is easily the strongest body of work the band
has released in near twenty years.
Ghost - Prequelle (Loma Vista
Recordings)
Ghost almost didn’t make it into my top
ten this year, despite their latest release hosting some truly amazing tracks.
And the reason is that while Ghost hit the mark on most of the album, when they
miss, they miss the mark by a mile. But as I mentioned, Ghost really are on
fire for most of the album, with tracks such as the heavy rocking ‘Rats’, the
metallic ‘Faith’ and ‘Witch Image’ great examples of Ghost in full flight. But
what really impresses me is when the band blurs the lines between late ‘80’s
hard rock, pop and subliminal messaging. Prime examples can be found in ‘See
The Light’, ‘Dance Macabre’ and the Alice Cooper influenced ‘Pro Memoria’. The
album might slip during the instrumentals, interludes and covers, but overall Ghost continues to impress me with the new album.
The Night Flight Orchestra – Sometimes
The World Ain’t Enough (Nuclear Blast Australia)
When a particular group I like releases
a couple of great albums in a row, then there’s always the potential that they
latest effort will possibly disappoint, and signal the end of a winning streak.
That’s not the case here, with ‘Sometimes The World Ain’t Enough’ competing a
trio of solid gold albums. Fusing classic rock and 80’s hard rock, but with a distinctly
modern sheen, tracks such as ‘Turn To Miami’, the funky ‘Paralyzed’, the slick
‘Moments Of Thunder’, ‘Can’t Be That Bad’ and ‘Winged And Serpentine’ have
received some pretty heavy rotation on my stereo this year. I may not have this
list in any particular order, but this is certainly one of my favourite
releases from 2018.
Alice In Chains – Rainier Fog (BMG)
When Alice In Chains returned to the
scene with their 2009 release, I was impressed with their ability to retain
their core sound, while pushing forward. Three albums into their comeback, and
the band continue to deliver the goods. Sounding more consistent and alive than
their former release, ‘Rainer Fog’ boasts the classic Alice In Chains, without
sounding like the band are repeating themselves. The band offer a bit of
everything, with ‘Red Giant’, ‘So Far Under’ and ‘All I Am’ sounding slow,
grinding and heavy, while ‘Fly’ and ‘Maybe’ lighter the tone to keep the whole
album varied and engaging.
Myles Kennedy – Year Of The Tiger
(Napalm Records)
I was really looking forward to this
album, and while it wasn’t what I was expecting from the Alter Bridge/Slash
vocalist’s debut sole outing, it has grown on me over time. Acoustic based and
deeply rooted in that Americana sound, ‘Year Of The Tiger’ is quite a stripped
back and personal album, and one that offers fans a wide array of sounds and
styles. ‘Devil On The Way’, ‘Mother’, ‘Songbird’ and the title track represent
the stronger uptempo numbers, while the more downbeat ‘Haunted By Design’,
‘Ghost Of Shangri La’ and the huge sounding ‘The Great Beyond’ only showcase
what a talented artist Kennedy really is both as a singer and a songwriter.
Judas Priest – Firepower (Sony Music)
As big a fan as I am of Judas Priest, I
really haven’t been blown away with anything the veteran act has released since
the return of Halford out front. So I wasn’t expecting anything from this
release. But lo and behold, Judas Priest has finally released an album worthy
of their legendary status. The production duo of Tom Allom and Andy Sneap
ensure that the sound is great, but its Halford’s inspired performance and the
quality of the songs here that win me over. Listening to the likes of the title
track, the serpentine slink of ‘Flame Thrower’, the driving ‘Traitor’s Gate’,
the melodic sensibilities of ‘No Surrender’ and ‘Evil Never Dies’, it’s clear
that Judas Priest still have plenty to offer fans.
The Eternal – Waiting For The Endless
Dawn (Sombre Light Productions)
I’ve been waiting for this album for
some time, and the wait was well worth it. In a lot of ways, The Eternal
revised their past with this album boasting a darker and heavier sound than
their last couple of albums. And to these ears, it sounds perfect. The epic
opener ‘The Wound’ is a perfect example of what the album has instore with its
lush melodies, heavy guitar and memorable vocal passages, while ‘Rise From
Agony’ boasts some great guitar work from front man Mark Kelson. I could list
every track on this album as a highlight, but the violin enhanced ‘I Lie In
Wait’, the band’s unique take on Icehouse’s ‘Don’t Believe Anymore’ and ‘In The
Lilac Dusk’ (Featuring guest vocalist Mikko Kotamäki from Swallow The Sun) are
tracks to keep an ear out for. This album is a personal favourite of mine of
for 2018.
Michael Romeo - War Of The Worlds - Pt.
1 (Music Theories Recordings)
Given how much I like Symphony X, there
was never going to be any doubt that guitarist Michael Romeo new solo album was
going to feature somewhere in my top list this year. ‘War Of The Worlds - Pt. 1’
is almost like a new Symphony X album, but does have enough differing elements
to make it stand alone. And one of those big differences is vocalist Rick
Castellano, who sounds like a smoother/less operatic version of Russell Allen
(Pre-2007’s ‘Paradise Lost’), and someone who really stands out here on the album
alongside Romeo’s impressive guitar work. Picking out highlights on the album
is quite a challenge given the strength of the album overall, but ‘Fear The
Unknown’, ‘Black’, ‘Djinn’ and ‘Oblivion’ are tracks that should be earmarked
for a definite listen to. Here’s hoping there’s more Romeo solo efforts to fill
the gaps between Symphony X releases in the future.
Top Ten Songs For 2018
There are those great sounding,
memorable and strong albums that naturally make their way into your top ten
list at the end of the year. The rest flow onto the list featured below.
Basically these are albums that have some great songs, but aren’t consistent
enough to stand out as album’s that begging for repeated listens for the rest
of eternity (Or at least something like that). They’re still worth checking out
however.
Tantric – Letting Go (From ‘Mercury
Retrograde’)
Since 2008, Tantric have been a bit
inconsistent, and mostly because of the uneven production values on their
albums, and their constant revolving door of members within their ranks. And
their latest album suffers once again for these very reasons. But despite its
disappointments, the band’s latest does feature ‘Letting Go’, which is a
rerecorded track from the original line-up’s unreleased ‘Tantic III’ album from
2007. Vocalist Hugo Ferreira is in top form here with the melodies, the lyrics
are solid, and the mix of acoustic and electric guitars is trademark Tantric of
old from a production point of view. It’s just a shame they can’t pull this thing
off on every track on the new album.
Corrosion Of Conformity – Cast The
First Stone (From ‘No Cross No Crown’)
I was really looking forward to Corrosion
Of Conformity getting back together with Pepper Keenan on their new album, and
while I enjoy the album, it’s not an album I love. I think the production has a
bit to do with it, but listening to the album as a whole, it’s pretty clear
that there’s a fair bit of filler on it, and it’s a bit gruelling to get
through because of that. But a definite high point on the album appears within
‘Cast The First Stone’. Chunky riffs, musical attitude and Keenan on vocals
with his familiar bite is a great mix for the band, and once that reminds me a
bit of the band’s glory days around ‘Deliverance’ (1994).
Andrew W.K. – ‘Party Mindset’ (From
‘You’re Not Alone’)
Why is this track on here? I can’t say
for sure. I’m not a huge fan of Andrew W.K., but I do have a few of his albums.
I picked this album up as a gamble, and I really did enjoy quite a few tracks
off the album. Of all of them, I did like ‘Party Mindset’ the most. Part of the
appeal is the message, another part is the instrumentation. But I have to admit
the melody is infectious too. Like I mentioned earlier, I’m not what you’d call
an avid follower of Andrew W.K.’s stuff, but I do appreciate his
vibrant/overtly positive musical output from time to time.
The Sea Within – They Know My Name (From
‘The Sea Within’)
This album almost appeared in my top
ten list of the year, and the only reason it hasn’t is because I’m still trying
to fully absorb the album. This project is spearheaded by Roine Stolt (The
Flower Kings) and Daniel Gildenlöw (Pain Of Salvation), and is every bit as
good as the line-up suggests. The album covers a wide variety of styles and
directions, but my favourite is the rather dark and beautiful ‘The Know My
Name’. Gildenlöw’s passionate vocals mesh perfectly with the subdued musical
framework, and create a track that lingers in the mind well after finishing.
The Dead Daisies – Judgement Day (From
‘Burn It Up’)
The Dead Daises seem to be moving at a
relentless pace with a new album every year. On their fourth studio album, the
band maintains their high standard brand of hard rock for the most part,
barring a few average sounding numbers. One of the album’s big highlights comes
in ‘Judgement Day’. Fusing together the tried and true acoustic verses and
heavy duty choruses, ‘Judgement Day’ is a great example of the guitarist’s
ability to conjure up a rock solid riff and tasteful solo, and John Corabi’s
incredible vocals. The Dead Daisies have yet to produce a certified classic
album, but with this album, they weren’t far off the mark.
Tesseract – King (From ‘Sonder’)
‘Sonder’ isn’t one of my favourite
Tesseract albums, but that doesn’t mean that it’s a bad album either. Instead,
it sits somewhere in the middle, with the song writing sounding more refined,
but a little forgettable sound wise overall. But while some songs can drift by,
‘King’ always stands out, and that’s in no small part due to Daniel Tompkins’
contrast between screamed vocals and lush melodies against the sonic wall of
noise from the rest of the band. ‘King’ is an exceptional song on a solid
album.
Ty Tabor – So Here’s To You (From
‘Alien Beans’)
Picking a song from Tabor’s latest
release was a bit tough, because there’s three really great tracks (The rest
are no slouches either!), but I’ve gone with ‘So Here’s To You’ primarily
because I keep coming back to it, and it really does showcase what Tabor does
best in the song writing sense. The use of acoustics in the track is quite
effective, and while Tabor’s voice can get a little much at times, it works
wonders on this track. Here’s hoping that next year a new King’s X album makes
my top ten list!
ASG – God Knows We (From ‘Survive
Sunrise’)
Given the number of years that ASG has
been around for (Sixteen if one wasn’t sure), it’s safe to say that the band
know what they do best. And while that works a good part of the time, it does
mean that sometimes the band’s output can sound a bit overly familiar. And
that’s what plagues ‘Survive Sunrise’. It’s a good album, but it’s only the
second half of the album where the band stretch beyond their know strengths and
strive for greatness. There’s a ton of great material featured in the latter
half of the album, but ‘God Knows We’ hits where it should in terms of delivering
a highly infectious performance, grooving riffs and strong melodies.
Spock’s Beard – Somebody’s Home (From
‘Noise Floor’)
Three albums into the third incarnation
of Spock’s Beard, and the band are still producing some great results. But if
there’s a negative surrounding ‘Noise Floor’, it’s that the band are playing to
their strengths, and not really challenging their audience. Don’t get me wrong,
the progressive rock band’s latest album is really solid, but I can’t help but
feel that the band aren’t stretching themselves to break new ground. The album
will take a lot more time before it really starts to gel with me, but the first single ‘Somebody’s
Home’ grabbed me right from the start. It’s a more melodic approach from the
band than what’s usually expected (As is the rest of the album), and the
progressive flourishes are certainly toned down, but it’s a damn likeable
track.
Living Colour – Program (From ‘Shade’)
I never know what to expect from Living
Colour over the course of a full length album, and the band live up to that in
a big way on ‘Shade’. Seemingly crossing from one style to the next, Living
Colour can be hard to pin down. ‘Shade’ is a good album, with every song
ticking the box for me. The only real problem is that as a whole, the album
isn’t as strong as some of their other releases to my ears. But like I mention
before, there isn’t a bad track, and ‘Program’ is a firm favourite. Riff heavy,
full of attitude on the vocal front (Both in the rapped and sung sections) and
funky in typically Living Colour fashion, ‘Program’ is a political statement in
musical form and signature Living Colour sounding as we’ve come to expect from
the band.
Biggest Disappointment Of 2018
Machine Head - Catharsis (Nuclear Blast
Entertainment)
You could never accuse Machine Head of
making the same album over and over again. If history has proven anything, it’s
that there have been times when that’s been a really good thing (The transition
from 2001’s ‘Supercharger’ to 2003’s ‘Through The Ashes Of Empires’), and times
when it’s been a huge letdown (2011’s ‘Unto The Locust’ and its follow up
2014’s ‘Bloodstone & Diamonds’). Cue Machine Head’s ninth studio release ‘Catharsis’.
‘Catharsis’ does have its moments, but not complete songs. There’s snippets
where the band are doing some cool things, but that can’t seem to focus on
those good ideas and build quality songs from them. Instead the songs feel like
their thrown together haphazardly, giving the album a very scattered feel. And
even some of the likeable tracks on the album (Notably ‘Psychotic’, ‘California
Bleeding’ and ‘Volatile’) sound like the band are on autopilot. And at fifteen
tracks/seventy-five minutes, the album also drags. In the end, ‘Catharsis’
fails to grab me like I’d hoped it would, and will no doubt rarely be thrown on
the stereo for a spin. This album doesn’t signal the end of Machine Head,
because the band has a knack for bouncing back from the brink of disaster. But
of all the albums released this year, this is one I just can’t enjoy as much as
I had hoped I would.
The Best Book Of 2018
K.K. Downing With Mark Eglinton – Heavy
Duty: Days And Nights In Judas Priest (Constable)
I’ve amassed quite a few biographies
over the years, and it’s getting easier to recognise the good ones from the
bad. Obviously being a Judas Priest fan, I had to pick up Downing’s effort, and
in doing so had hoped that it might shed some insight into the band’s lengthy
and highly influential four decade long story. Well, on that front, the book
does disappoint. But on a more personal level, the book work surprisingly well.
Downing’s book comes across as honest and straight forward telling of his side
of the story, with a large proportion of the book focusing on his personal life
outside of Judas Priest. Starting, predicably, with the details surrounding his
(Hard) early life, the book does take its time getting around to the formation
of the band. But there’s a very good reason for that, and that’s because his
early life had such a huge influence on how he handled his
personal/professional life from there on. Given the mystery surrounding Judas
Priest’s inner workings, this book is a first of its kind, and quite revealing.
But Downing does hold back on a lot of the dirt in an effort to retain some
respect he has with his former band members. A lot of the finer details
surrounding the making of the music is brushed over (Or missing in some cases),
and Downing’s memory lapses regarding some important details can be
disappointing and make little sense at times, but overall the book succeeds
more than it fails.
Biggest Surprise Of 2018
Unlike cassette tapes and vinyl, which
disappeared rather quickly with the introduction of C.D.’s (Well it took time,
but did seem to happen quickly at the time), C.D.’s are dying a slow and
agonising death with the growing use of digital music. And while none of this
is news to music collectors, the effect of this slow transition still manages
to surprise me on a number of different levels. A prime example of this is the
release of most albums these days in standard and deluxe formats. While it was
once relegated to a small percentage of releases, it now seems common place.
But that’s something I kind of expected to become more common place as time
moved on. I guess what’s really taken me by surprise is the deluxe format
album’s have taken on the reissue front. Gone are the days where a long out of
print album will get a reissue that’s the same in almost every aspect apart
from the label and the barcode. No, now it’s remixed/remastered, filled with
bonus tracks, packaged with vinyl/books/trinkets and all wrapped in some lavish
packaging. Again, while none of this is a real surprise, the extent that some
albums have been repackaged is quite mind blowing and surprising. The expansion
of the deluxe reissue really has been taken to a whole new level with the likes
of Pink Floyd’s Immersion box set version of ‘Dark Side Of The Moon’, Metallica’s
‘...And Justice For All’ and Guns N’ Roses ‘Appetite For Destruction’. These deluxe
sets cater to the absolute diehard fan, and with those who have money. I’m sure
I’ll be amazed (And horrified sometimes) with what will emerge in 2019 and
beyond in terms of music presentation, but 2018 certainly opened my mind to the
possibilities and pitfalls of a collector whose fond of the C.D. format, and
what they have to contend with in the coming years.
Best Concert Of 2018
Europe – Palais Theatre – 19th
May 2018
I didn’t get to a lot of shows this
year, but of the few I did see, Europe was one of my favourites. Although I was
never one of their biggest fans in the early days, I have become one since
their return to the scene in 2004. Each and every release since their
reformation has been great, and I (And my partner) leapt at the chance to see
them live. And it didn’t disappoint one bit. Joey Tempest hasn’t lost anything
on the vocal front, and the band sounded great. This kind of show could have
easily slipped into reliving past glories for the band, but instead they kept the
set list geared primarily on the most recent efforts, while acknowledging their
past to keep everyone pleased. There were plenty of highlights (Particularly
when the band snuck in a brief snippet of AC/DC’s ‘Whole Lot Of Rosie’ and
Whitesnake’s ‘Here I Go Again’ into a couple of their songs), but hearing both
‘Firebox’ and ‘Walk The Earth’ was worth the price of admission alone. For a
first visit to Australian shores, Europe conquered with ease, and left a huge
impression on all.
Most Anticipated Album Of 2019
I always get stuck on this one, because
what I’ve put here in the past generally doesn’t come out until two years
later! Anyway, I’m looking forward to a lot of releases this year, but one I
know that’s being released in 2019 is the debut effort from The End Machine.
Featuring “classic era” Dokken members George Lynch (Guitar), Jeff Pilson
(Bass) and Mick Brown (Drums), The End Machine sees the trio team up with
ex-Lynch Mob/Warrant vocalist Robert Mason for what so far appears to be
something a little more modern sounding than what I’d expected. Although the
concept didn’t sound all that enticing on paper (Is anyone excited by the idea
of rehashed Dokken classics?), T&N’s debut effort from 2012 was a cracking
release, and a real showcase of the talent with the three guys on the new
material. So with that in mind, I’m really looking forward to seeing what the
guys would come up with next. O.K., I was hoping for that second T&N album,
but this will do in the meantime.
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