2016, a very metal preview

We're not even 2 weeks into 2016, and already it seems like there is a ton of great new music to look forward to.  The old trend whereby Jan/Feb would be quiet for new releases because everyone targeted a Nov/Dec release window to maximise Xmas sales seems to be over, and thank god for that because I for one was a little tired of having to wait months into the new year for some half-decent new music to arrive.  Anyway, here's a run-down of a bunch of albums I'm excited about this year...

Megadeth - Dystopia (Jan 22)
After the dreadful SuperCollider I had a bit of break from Megadeth - and when guitarist Chris Broderick and drummer Shawn Drover announced their departure I wondered if the wheels were falling off.  And then MegaDave Mustaine announced new members, guitarist Kiko Loureiro, and drummer Chris Adler (Lamb of God), and a new album.  The three tracks out thus far, Fatal Illusion, The Threat is Real and Dystopia are all very promising, largely eschewing verse-chorus-verse in favour of an inspired combination of old-school thrash attitude and musicianship and new-school thrash songwriting.



Anthrax - For All Kings (Feb 26)
Anthrax were pretty much my new band obsession in 2015 (much like Overkill in 2014 and Testament in 2013...).  For All Kings has been some time in the making since 2011's Worship Music, but one upside of drummer Charlie Benante's carpal tunnel syndrome (which has limited his touring appearances) has been the time it's allowed Benante, Scott Ian and Frank Bello to put into songwriting.  Anthrax are a band that have had their ups and downs, but they seem seriously excited about this one - and when it includes tracks like Evil Twin and Breathing Lightning (and omits a track as good as Soror Irrumator), I think it's fair to say this could be a career highlight for the zaniest of the Big 4 acts.



Tremonti - Dust (early 2016)
Dust was recorded alongside Tremonti's excellent 2015 album Cauterize - clearly he was on a huge creative trip as enough songs were recorded for two albums.  With Cauterize, Tremonti's songwriting stepped up from good to great and frankly the guy has never been anything less than phenomenal on the guitar - so Dust promises to be another very good effort.

Rob Zombie - The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser (April 29)
Well, if the album title wasn't enough to get your attention, the 1 minute teaser of the title track that has been floating certainly should be - it's super-heavy and industrial in a manner we haven't heard since the White Zombie days.  Rob Zombie is claiming this is the most effort he's put into an album since Hellbilly Deluxe; even at this stage the title and tracklist alone justify a pre-order!

Alter Bridge - Untitled 5th studio album (mid 2016)
Currently in recording, the hugely under-rated Alter Bridge - probably the best hard rock group to emerge in the past decade - will release their 5th studio album sometime in the middle of this year.  Expect more melodic hard rock excellence, and hopefully a decent tour including this part of the world.

Other (definite) albums to look forward to but which we know less about (or which I care less about)...
Death Angel - TBA (recording completed)
Deftones - TBA
Nine Inch Nails - TBA (but definitely 2016)
Black Stone Cherry - Kentucky (April 1)
Throttlerod - TBA
Dream Theater - The Astonishing (January 29) - this is last-chance saloon for DT with me, their material post-Mike Portnoy's departure is like a lame imitation of their better material
Holy Grail - Times of Pride and Peril (February 12)

Rumoured/unconfirmed
Metallica
Testament
Alice in Chains
Chevelle
Hellyeah
Pearl Jam
Soundgarden

Sidenote - if you had told me in 2000 that Soundgarden, Pearl Jam and AIC would all be active and would all release albums in 2016 I would have laughed at you very, VERY loudly

Rumour that comes around every year but has amounted to a grand total of nothing since 2005
Tool

RIP Soundwave Festival

Up until yesterday, there had been a freaking amazing hard rock / metal festival run in Australia for the past 9 years called Soundwave.  It was that good, I flew over to Sydney for the 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014 editions. 

That's not me, but I was there somewhere...

Thanks to Soundwave Festival, and main man AJ Maddah, I got to see all of these bands of whom I am a big fan for the very first time – at least 10 of these are bucket list bands for me:

Alice in Chains (twice), Faith No More, Iron Maiden, Machine Head, Alter Bridge (twice), Rob Zombie (twice), Stone Sour, Testament, Down, Monster Magnet, Sevendust, High on Fire, The Sword, Baroness, Reel Big Fish, Black Label Society, Mastodon, Hellyeah, Filter, Five Finger Death Punch, Staind, Bush, Jane’s Addiction

Then you can add to that the following bands that I’d already seen, but got to see again because of Soundwave (including probably two of my five most-loved bands):

Nine Inch Nails, Clutch (twice), Queens of the Stone Age, Primus, Slash, Lamb of God, Megadeth (this is somewhat ironic – they famously canned their planned Soundwave appearance but still played an Auckland show!)

Unfortunately, yesterday Soundwave 2016 was cancelled.  It wasn’t a huge surprise – anyone could figure out that there were serious challenges behind the scenes.  A few days ago AJ announced this would be the last year for Soundwave, capping off a series of late / somewhat underwhelming band announcements, rumoured huge names that never quite materialised, stories popping up about tax debts from previous festivals, and so on.

The big problem, ultimately, was that the line-up wasn’t of the same calibre as previous years, in terms of both headliners and overall depth.  Soundwave almost became a victim of their own success – previous line-ups had been so consistently, absurdly good, it made it that much more starkly obvious when this year’s line-up came up short of that high benchmark. 

There’s a very good reason for how the line-up ended up, though.  Remember, most major rock/metal bands are from the US, and therefore expect to get paid in US Dollars – with a few from the UK.  From mid-2009 onwards until mid-2014, the AUD was very strong against the USD.  In fact, the AUD/USD rate was pretty much over 0.9 the whole time apart from a couple of brief lulls.  It was over 1.0 for most of 2011 and 2012.  And then, in mid-2014, the Aussie dollar tanked – dropping from 0.93 in September 2014 to 0.70 a year later. 

All of a sudden, a band that costs US$100k – which at 1:1 would’ve cost AU$100k – now costs AU$140k at 0.7:1.  Any operation that had its main cost line go up 40% in the space of 2 years is going to have a serious problem (that would probably sink all but the most profitable businesses).  So the only solution is just to have less bands, and hence the somewhat diminished lineup this year – with no really big headliner, but some solid draws nevertheless (Deftones, Disturbed, etc.) and a genuine wildcard in Metal Allegiance.

The (comparatively) weak line-up meant the punters didn’t front up early on like they have in previous years, which creates a fairly vicious cycle – those weak initial sales will naturally make other bands, who might be big drawcards, reluctant to sign up.  My suspicion is Soundwave’s approach was always to use a big first announcement to drive sales and publicity, to therefore fuel subsequent signings for the second and third announcements – essentially allowing them to give the audience the biggest and best selection of bands they could possibly get.  Up until this year it worked admirably.

Even under these challenging circumstances, AJ was clearly working furiously up until the ship sank to try and get a big name to rescue proceedings.  There was some speculation it could’ve been Guns N Roses with the original line-up – that might have done it.  It turned out it was Rage Against the Machine.  Expecting a band who hasn’t played a show in four years to reunite for a tour on six weeks’ notice was probably pretty optimistic – and I’m not totally sure they alone would’ve saved the day – but hell it was worth a go.

What I actually find really disappointing about the demise of Soundwave is not so much the fact it’s over, or the way it ended, but the way some punters have reacted.  “People on social media” have been incredibly quick to put the boot into AJ, Soundwave, and this year’s line-up, with some celebrating the festival’s cancellation.  Seriously, if you are going to blame anyone, blame the governments of China and Australia.  The former, because the tanking Chinese economy has dried up demand for Australia’s mining exports, which is largely what has caused the AUD to tank.  The latter, because they clearly did not have a plan B for the economy in the event that mining tanked.

Frankly, you guys do not know how good you have had it. 

Year after year, Soundwave churned out a festival that was comparable to many of the huge festivals in the US and Europe.  We’re talking about the likes of Rock on the Range, Sonisphere, Download – huge names that fans in Australia and New Zealand would dream of being able to go to maybe once in a lifetime.  Those festivals have a potential catchment based on populations well into the hundreds of millions of people; AJ and Soundwave gave us the same thing in our backyard of 25 million or so.  So many festivals down under have involved filling in chunks of the day between a few relatively decent bands; at Soundwave the problem was normally that you wanted to see more bands than you possibly could and hence had to manage the clashes.

And of course, we didn’t just get the festival, we got the deluge of sideshows that came with it – in fact, a lot of bands took the opportunity to come over the ditch to New Zealand, either for their own shows, or as part of Westfest (which is probably now also in a terminal state).  I got to see Clutch, my favourite band in the world, play in the freakin’ Kings Arms in Auckland!

It would’ve been nice to have the once-mighty Soundwave go out with a huge bang, rather than have it crawl into a heap while a bunch of lame internet trolls and keyboard warriors put the boot in, whilst the fight over refunds potentially gets messy.  But that wasn’t to be, and unfortunately idiots are going to behave like idiots.

But I, for one, am pretty bloody grateful for everything Soundwave has given me.  Not just the chance to see a lot of great bands, but some great memories for both myself and my primary concert-going co-conspirator.  So thanks, AJ Maddah, for everything that you did for rock and metal fans down under, through Soundwave, and Soundwave Touring - over the past decade it's hard to imagine anyone who's done more. 

Here are my top five Soundwave highlights (not including sidewaves, which would also garner honourable mentions for Iron Maiden, Alter Bridge and Clutch):

Sevendust, Soundwave 2011, Sydney Olympic Park

They had an early afternoon set, on the metal (side) stage.  They played only six songs.  But somehow, this was one of the most intense, powerful festival sets I’ve ever seen a band play.  It was like they distilled an entire show’s worth of energy into just six tracks, with every single member of the band holding nothing back.  It was brutal, it was uncompromising, and it has me incredibly excited for their full headline set in Auckland in March next year.  I’d waited ten years to see Sevendust live, and somehow they managed to completely fulfil expectations with just a short festival set.

Alice in Chains, Soundwave 2009, Eastern Creek

AIC had recently reformed, with new singer/guitarist William DuVall.  Here was a band I thought I would never, ever get a chance to see perform live, with one of my most respected/admired musicians in Jerry Cantrell.  And I found myself right up the front, right on the barrier, watching a rejuvenated, energetic AIC rip through a stunning set of classic tracks – Man in the Box, Nutshell, Rooster and No Excuses, plus big personal favourites like Rain When I Die and Dam That River.  This was my first Soundwave experience; the bar had been set very, very high.

Faith No More, Soundwave 2010, Eastern Creek

In exactly the same category as AIC – “bands that I never thought I’d get to see because they’d split up”.  Faith No More were everything I’d hoped for and a lot more.  They came dressed in lounge suits with lavish floral arrangements on stage, and had a great setlist including a few hidden gems like Surprise! You’re Dead, The Gentle Art of Making Enemies.  They finished with We Care A Lot – probably the single best track they could have finished a set with.  Throughout, Mike Patton’s presence and vocal ability was nothing less than captivating.  He plays with the crowd much like a cat toys with a mouse – and frankly it was a reminder of how few decent front men have emerged in the past decade or so.

Alter Bridge, Soundwave 2014, Sydney Olympic Park

The exception to the above observation about the dearth of front men in recent times is one Myles Kennedy, singer/guitarist for Alter Bridge.  Although, one great thing about Alter Bridge is what a tight unit they are – the way that Kennedy, Brian Marshall, Mark Tremonti and Scott Phillips just continually riff off one another on stage. 

This time around they had an early afternoon main stage set; not ideal, but they sure left everything out there on stage.  It’s impossible not to like a band with such great songs and so much enthusiasm for the songs, the crowd – Mark Tremonti in particular seems to perform with the sort of raw, unabashed energy of a kid (or mildly drunk adult) rocking out to Guitar Hero.  The scary thing about this band – they keep on getting better.  The step-up from their previous Soundwave set to this one was huge.

Machine Head, Soundwave 2012, Sydney Olympic Park

If I had to pick one Soundwave highlight, this would be it.  It was 9pm, at the end of a long, hot, messy day.  Machine Head were up on the metal side stage, playing against System of a Down, one of the main headliners.  For the next 60 minutes, they put on a performance that I’ve only seen rivalled once since – and that was by them, earlier this year.  Those songs, that energy, just wash over the crowd, and totally envelop you.  And there’s this continual call and response between band and crowd, that just continually pushes the intensity and the energy level up, and up, and up.  This was the first, glorious time I saw Machine Head live; now I consider them the greatest live band in the world today.

Post-mortem; the gig list:

Nine Inch Nails (Vector Arena, Auckland, 2009)

Soundwave 2009, Sydney

Clutch (Auckland, 2010)

Soundwave 2010, Sydney

Queens of the Stone Age (Logan Campbell Centre, Auckland, 2011)

Iron Maiden (Sydney Entertainment Centre, Sydney, 2011)

Soundwave 2011, Sydney

Soundwave 2012, Sydney

Bush, Staind (Enmore Theater, Sydney, 2012)

Alter Bridge (Enmore Theater, Sydney, 2012)

Westfest (Vector Arena, Auckland, 2014)

Clutch (The Metro, Sydney, 2014)

Soundwave 2014, Sydney

Down (The Powerstation, Auckland, 2014)

The Top XV of 20XV

As I sat down to write this post, I realised it’s my first (possibly only) blog post for the year.  Life gets in the way, I guess.  In a year that had its challenges, music played a bigger part than ever, and while I may not have blogged much, I sure as hell spent a lot of time listening to, thinking about and reflecting on music.  Aside from that, it got me through tough periods at work, personal challenges, and helped me to a time of 1:27 in my first half marathon.

Brief interlude #1... Gig of the year

Before moving on to albums, I have to mention my favourite gig of the year- Machine Head at the Studio, Auckland, on 18 June.  It’s been a slightly quiet year on the gig front to this point – having missed a bunch of shows while I was overseas in Feb/March.  That’s almost a good thing, because Machine Head were so unbelievably excellent, they ruined other live shows for me for a brief period.  I still struggle to articulate why this gig was so good – but it was.  Relentlessly ferocious, intense and evocative, an outstanding setlist comprising their greatest moments and assorted random gems, a band who have mastered their live craft throwing absolutely everything into it, and a sold out crowd of devoted fans giving it right back.  Even that doesn’t capture the sheer transcendence of the show.  It was one of those shows you walk out of slightly dazed, and still shaking your head the next day (and the day after that) wondering how the hell it managed to be so insanely good.  I still haven’t figured that out.  I have never seen a show like it before; I would be bloody lucky to see one on par with it again.

Machine Head took a big risk going solo with their “…An Evening With” tour, in smaller venues, but by all accounts it has paid off for them big time.  Routinely sold-out shows, and consistently outstanding performances – in my mind there is very little disputing the fact that they are the greatest live band in the world today.  We got to meet them before the show and they are all bloody good guys as well!

Honorable mentions also to Chris Cornell, and Halestorm (an unexpected highlight).

Brief interlude #2... 5 Favourite Songs of the year

And in another brief interlude, my 5 favourite songs of the year:

1.       Metal Allegiance (feat. Mark Osegueda) – Pledge of Allegiance

2.       Clutch – Firebirds

3.       Armored Saint – Win Hands Down

4.       Stoneghost – The Sound Remains

5.       The Atomic Bitchwax – Fuckface

The Main Event: The Top XV albums of the year...

15. Ghost Ship Octavius – Ghost Ship Octavius

A record that I only discovered courtesy of a linkage to one of my favourite (ex) bands, Nevermore.  Drummer Van Williams joined up with some new buddies for what is best described as heavy, progressive metal.

14. Act of Defiance – The Birth and the Burial

I was disappointed to see Chris Broderick and Shawn Drover leave Megadeth – I personally considered the Mustaine/Ellefson/Broderick/Drover line-up to be one of Megadeth’s strongest.  That was mitigated when they announced they were forming Act of Defiance with a couple of colleagues.  Their debut record is a pretty impressive effort, which I’d describe as new-school thrash metal.

13. The Winery Dogs – Hot Streak

Seriously, Mike Portnoy could be the hardest working guy in music.  Does the guy ever sleep?  The Winery Dogs' second album is a step up from their first, taking similar rock, soul and progressive influences and tightening up the songwriting.

12. Blackalicious – Imani, Vol. 1

It’s good to have these guys back in the game, ten years after they released The Craft.  Chief Xcel’s production is slicker than ever, and Gift of Gab is still well worthy of the name.  A very, consistent record, with Blacka and Alpha And Omega both being instant classics.

11. Faith No More – Sol Invictus

Personally, I don’t enjoy this album as much as some of Faith No More’s older records, but I sure as hell respect it.  The music world is a far better place for having bold bands like FNM making different and unusual musical statements – Sol Invictus is exactly that.  I can’t claim to love every song on here – but I love what it stands for.

10. High on Fire – Luminiferous

The modus operandi this time around for High on Fire seems to be all-out savage.  There’s something really primal and Motorhead when they do this and Matt Pike’s throaty roar fits the style perfectly.  Raw and energising.

9. Sevendust – Kill the Flaw

Sevendust’s consistency, longevity and dedication to their craft is something very few bands have.  Time after time these guys put out solid albums and work their backsides off touring them.  Kill the Flaw is a strong record, perhaps not quite their very best, but still worthy of a place in the Sevendust pantheon.  What shines about this record is that, not only do they throw out the now-expected absolute crusher or two (in this case, Torched, Silly Beast and Kill the Flaw), but they also deliver some really crunching mid-tempo numbers (Death Dance, Not Today) in a way that I haven’t really heard since Home. 

8. Symphony X – Underworld

Following up the brilliant Iconoclast was always a tough ask – an album that married Symphony X’s general propensity for epic concept records with a new-found heaviness to their previously more progressive sound.  Underworld continues in the same direction – potentially further polarising fans of the band’s older sound – and it’s another very good album.  Some huge epics and great melodic contrasts – and it wouldn’t be a Symphony X record without some insane guitar from Michael Romeo.

7. The Atomic Bitchwax - Gravitron

I’ve been acquainted with this band for a while but it wasn’t until this, their sixth album, that I actually took any real notice.  It’s a gloriously swaggering hard rock album, filled with the same sort of irreverent exuberance that brought me to love Orange Goblin’s Back from the Abyss, or Rose Hill Drive’s Americana in recent times.  And thank god, someone finally remembered the long lost art of the hard rock instrumental – not once, but twice in this case, on Fuckface and War Claw.

6. Stoneghost – New Age of Old Ways

The debut effort from London-based Stoneghost caught my attention for two reasons.  Firstly, it hits hard, really hard – thanks to some mega-riffs and a singer who knows just when to ramp it up from ‘mildly aggressive’ to ‘absolutely f%$king nuts’.  Secondly, while influences from the likes of Lamb of God and Mastodon are immediately apparent, Stoneghost have combined those with a raw – almost happy – energy that gives most of their songs a surprisingly bouncy feel.  Bouncing around in a padded room, perhaps, but bouncy nevertheless.  Check out The Sound Remains for a shining example.

5. Tremonti - Cauterize

Mark Tremonti’s first solo album was a huge surprise – a guy I only really knew as the guitarist from Alter Bridge, and formerly Creed, delivered one of the albums of 2012, with some huge riffs, amazing solos, and above all, great songs.  And while Cauterize delivers the phenomenal guitar work you would expect from a guy who is arguably the best guitarist on the planet post-2000, it’s also a huge step up in the songwriting department from the first album, marrying those bruising riffs with some great melodies.  Tracks like Radical Change and Another Heart have a thrashier vibe, while the harmony shines strongly on Cauterize and Providence, and Flying Monkeys is probably the highlight with its surreal stomp.

4. Iron Maiden – The Book of Souls

There’s just something indomitable about this legendary band.  Over 30 years into their career, and with absolutely nothing to prove, they release a double-CD epic featuring the two longest songs they’ve ever written, despite society’s attention span being at an all-time low.  If that wasn’t enough, they announce a new world tour, with a 747-400 filling the role of Ed Force One to carry them around the world, and singer Bruce Dickinson is getting an upgraded pilot’s license to fill the thing, having recently beaten throat cancer.  At this point I’m prepared to say that Maiden have gone beyond legendary status – they are absolute metal heroes. 

I was sceptical that Book of Souls could turn out to be over-indulgent, but two of the album’s longer tracks (If Eternity Should Fail and The Red and the Black) are huge highlights, and the 18-minute (!) closing track Empire of the Clouds is utterly mesmerising and could well be the greatest Maiden epic of them all.  There are probably a few tracks on the Book of Souls that could classify as filler, but when it hits such incredible highs, that really doesn’t matter a lot. 

 

3. Metal Allegiance – Metal Allegiance

Even the staunchest metalhead could hardly contain their excitement when the core Metal Allegiance group of Alex Skolnick (Testament), Dave Ellefson (Megadeth), Mark Menghi and Mike Portnoy announced plans for an album.  When guest names like Phil Anselmo, Mark Osegueda, Phil Demmel, Charlie Benante, Chuck Billy and Randy Blythe also get thrown into the equation, followed up by a couple of absolutely blazing singles, well frankly the whole scenario becomes insane (in a very good way).

Metal Allegiance’s debut album doesn’t disappoint, with some absolutely killer tracks and fantastic playing throughout.  Although the vocalists were chosen after the songs were written, they all seem to be eerily good fits for the tracks they appear on – Chuck Billy’s powerful rasp is perfect for the fist-to-the-face thrash assault of Can’t Kill the Devil, Mark Osegueda owns the vicious, hyperactive Pledge of Allegiance and it’s impossible to imagine anyone other than Phil Anselmo on the explosive, Southern-flavoured Dying Song.

Personally I’d love to see more of these collective efforts from the likes of Kings of Chaos, because – done well – the results are pretty stunning. 

2. Armored Saint – Win Hands Down

Ah, the roundabout ways that one discovers bands.  I have my recent Anthrax obsession to thank for the discovery of Armored Saint – that introduced me to John Bush, whose voice is sheer, unadulterated rock through and through (for the record, I like both the Bush and Joey Belladonna eras of Anthrax – they both have their merits).  Next thing I know, there’s a new Armored Saint album out, with Bush at the helm, and upon investigation it turns out to be as good an expression of no gimmicks, no bullshit, old-school heavy metal as you will find in 2015.  Whether it’s poking fun at social media (That Was Then, Way Back When), general irreverence (Up Yours), or just straight up shredding (Win Hands Down), this album is a sure-fire, um, winner.

1. Clutch – Psychic Warfare

Most of my friends will tell you that I had decided the new Clutch album would be #1 before it was even released.  But Psychic Warfare takes a similar approach to its predecessor (and Metal Hammer’s 2013 album of the year) Earth Rocker, whilst simultaneously improving almost every aspect. 

There are, of course, brilliant songs, like the vibrant Firebirds, the southern groove of A Quick Death in Texas, and the out-and-out attack of Noble Savage.  But probably the greatest trick Clutch pull here is a sort of stealth concept album – most of the songs operate on two levels.  The first is a more immediate level relating to some of singer Neil Fallon’s personal experiences, and the second provides a hidden narrative connecting the songs, with a deluded protagonist on the run across America from mysterious unseen alien forces, before finding salvation in rock and roll.  Another stunning effort.
 

The best XIV albums of 2014...

It's time, of course, for the obligatory year-end post.  2014 was always shaping up to be a good year from the outset, largely thanks to the number of big names with new releases planned.  What was interesting was that a lot of the highlights actually came from not-so-big names, with some of the headline releases from the likes of the Foo Fighters and Mastodon actually disappointing a little (well, me at least - a lot of people quite liked the Mastodon album).

Anyways, a few near misses before we get into the list proper...

• Striker - City of Gold: Turns out that NWOBHM is alive and well and living in Alberta, Canada.  A stonking slab of old-school metal.
• Chevelle - La Gargola: While it can come off a little like Tool-lite at times, it's impossible not to like an album that packs an incredible triple punch like that of Take Out the Gunman, Jawbreaker, and Hunter Eats Hunter.
• Kyng - Burn the Serum: This album is worth getting solely for the utterly brilliant single Electric Halo.  And there's plenty of other good hard rock on offer here too.
• Soundgarden - Echo of Miles... Scattered Tracks Across the Path: Whilst I didn't consider it for inclusion on the list (it's not really a studio album and some of the material has been previously released), it's still a definitive, staggeringly good collection of Soundgarden's b-sides, covers and other non-album material.  An absolute must-have for fans of the Seattle quartet.

Right, on to the list proper...

14. Fu Manchu - Gigantoid

So, Fu Manchu had sorta become the AC/DC of stoner rock.  A new album would bring a new collection of fuzzed out riffs and songs about aliens, cars and skateboarding.  And while the source material of Gigantoid is still roughly along those lines, musically the band take a slightly more experimental approach this time around with the occasional punk blast or space jam.  

13. Conquering Dystopia - Conquering Dystopia
Ex-Nevermore guitarist Jeff Loomis and some new friends deliver an intriguing instrumental metal record here.  You'll have to listen to it properly, but when you do, it's a damn good listen.



12. John Garcia - John Garcia
The mythical Garcia album finally saw the light of day (albeit at the cost of another Vista Chino album) and it actually turned out pretty well.  Desert rock through and through, and some good songwriting from the eponymous Garcia, whose talents in this regard weren't often showcased in his Kyuss days thanks to the presence of Messrs. Homme and Bjork.  My Mind and His Bullet's Energy in particular are highlights.



11. Hellyeah - Blood for Blood
After chucking out half the band and starting over, Chad Gray and Vinnie Paul seemed to find a new degree of maturity on this record.  There are the usual Hellyeah ass-kickers, but tracks like Moth, Hush and Black December showcase a more mellow side and balance out the heavy stuff very well indeed.



10. Sanctuary - The Year the Sun Died
Following the Nevermore split, vocalist Warrel Dane and bassist Jim Sheppard re-started Sanctuary, the band they'd both been in together pre-Nevermore.  And although The Year the Sun Died does sound kinda Nevermore-ish at times (in that slightly genre-defying way) it's still a highly worthwhile piece of modern metal.

(spare a thought for Van Williams - at this point he's the only Nevermore member not to appear on this list!)



9. Marty Friedman - Inferno
The ex-Megadeth guitarist emerges from the wilderness (well, actually appearing on various Japanese pop shows) with a superb, unpredictable, mostly-instrumental (but not always) metal record.  There's even duelling guitar, saxophone and keyboard solos (and yes, they actually do work well).  Probably the unexpected highlight out of leftfield of the year.



8. California Breed - California Breed
Gotta hand it to Glenn Hughes, the veteran singer/bassist just seems to get better with age.  California Breed is hard rock with a very strong classic rock influence (hardly surprising when you have Hughes and Jason Bonham involved, although he's subsequently been replaced by Joey Castillo).  Newcomer Andrew Watt, who is something like one-third of Hughes' age, shines on guitar as well.



7. Down - Down IV Part 2
Yes, it's only an EP.  But it is that good.  Hell, We Knew Him Well and Hogshead/Dogshead alone justify the inclusion of this swamp-rock beast from the New Orleans quintet.



6. KXM - KXM
So, they're a supergroup.  Except you probably have never heard of any of the members.  And they haven't self-combusted in a mushroom cloud of ego yet either.  So, not really like most supergroups then.  Just go a listen to Rescue Me and Faith Is A Room - top-shelf hard rock produced by three guys who happen to know a thing or two (or more) from experience.



5. Crobot - Something Supernatural
When I reviewed this album, I described this album as the musical equivalent of grabbing an electric fence, only fun.  I absolutely stand by that.  Bombastic, electric, and with a helluva lot of musicianship for a debut record.  These guys could go far...



4. Sevendust - Time Travellers and Bonfires
You know you have a devoted fan base when you can crowd fund an album in three measly days.  This acoustic record is the band's first foray into this territory into the studio, inspired by their acoustic live album Southside Double-Wide which is a huge fan favourite.  And once again Sevendust demonstrate here exactly why they have such a devoted fan-base - because they consistently deliver.  The first half features a bunch of new acoustic tracks - ranging from the sombre to the upbeat, while the second half reworks a bunch of older Sevendust material.  Another fine effort.



3. Orange Goblin - Back From the Abyss
Positively irrepressible, this one.  The British quartet who have now been around for close to two decades come storming back with a sweaty, beer-drinking, hell-raising hard rock album.  Channeling classic influences from the likes of Motorhead and Black Sabbath, whilst maintaining their own distinctive sound, this one was probably the biggest surprise of the year.



2. Machine Head - Bloodstone and Diamonds
Following up The Blackening and Unto the Locust  - two modern metal classics - was always going to be a tough ask, especially when ongoing tensions with now-departed bassist Adam Duce threatened to end Machine Head's career.  Somehow, Robb Flynn and co. managed to survive all that and produce a visceral, hard-hitting, epic thrash album that absolutely maintains the very high standards that they've set over the past decade.



1. Overkill - White Devil Armory
Thirty four years.  That's how long this band has been around.  Hell, if they can keep producing albums like White Devil Armory there's no reason to believe they couldn't be around for thirty four more.  This is a quality thrash metal album from start to finish - and between this album and its two predecessors (The Electric Age and the brilliant Ironbound), Overkill are embarrassing a bunch of their 80's contemporaries.  From the adrenaline rush of Armorist to the epic closing of In the Name, and including all the territory in between, White Devil Armory is a thrash masterclass.

Hellyeah - Blood for Blood album review

Hellyeah's fourth album, Blood for Blood, is a noticeably different affair to their first three albums.  They've still got the same distinctive, aggressive groove metal sound (mostly), but there's a newfound sense of maturity here.

To be fair, that's not that difficult considering most of the tracks on their first three albums were about drinking, partying, fighting and strippers.  Undoubtedly they're a band that certain sections of the metal community love to hate for exactly this reason - but I've always liked them purely because sometimes you just need some kickass groove metal, and not a 10 minute progressive epic that explores forgotten aspects of Greek mythology.

There's still plenty of pedal-to-the-floor groove metal Hellyeah in the form of Sangre Por Sangre (Blood for Blood), Cross to Bier, and Soul Killer while Say When, Demons in the Dirt and DMF are up there with the heaviest tracks this band has written.  Let's be fair though, if anyone can do this stuff well it's this band, given the Pantera pedigree in the form of drummer Vinnie Paul - and this time around they sound a lot more deadly serious about it than on the previous three albums, having upped the intensity and heaviness a notch or three.

The contrast comes with Moth, Hush and Black December - and they're probably the three best songs this band has written.   Rather than going for their standard all-out-sonic-assault-by-everyone formula, both tracks are a little more refrained musically, almost melancholy - the intensity is instead provided by Chad Gray's vocals and boy does he deliver on both tracks.

Given also the line-up changes that have occurred, with guitarist Greg Tribbett and bassist Bob Zilla leaving the band, it's probably fair to say this is a lot less a fourth album than it is the first album by a refocused Hellyeah.  

With its ten tracks clocking in at 39 minutes, Blood for Blood is a lean, focused, hard-hitting effort.  It's the best work Hellyeah have produced in their career so far, and if you'd gotten sick of the drinking songs already, now might be exactly the time to tune back in.

Shihad - FVEY album review

There are times, listening to FVEY, where you will probably question whether or not you are listening to a Shihad album.  It's a gritty, dark, industrial grind, largely devoid of brightness.  Even the distinctive guitar tone sounds different - lower, thicker, and missing the light/dark contrasts that historically populated even the heavier Shihad tracks like The General Electric, Lead or Follow and All the Young Fascists.

Gone, also, are the big hooks that were so memorable on Home Again, Pacifier and Run.  In fact, there's points where Jon Toogood's voice is about the only thing that'll remind you that, yes, this is still Shihad.

Overall, FVEY is probably the darkest, heaviest album Shihad have produced, even more so than Love is the New Hate.  But whereas that album managed to be memorable by taking some established traits and dialling them up big-time, it was still quintessentially Shihad - tracks like Alive, All the Young Fascists and Big Future still had those great, soaring choruses which almost worked even better when contrasted with the pummelling verse riffs.

And I'd have to admit that, at this point, I'm struggling to see what all the fuss is about - and that's coming from someone who is a long-time Shihad fan, owns all the albums, and has seen them live more times than I can remember.

FVEY starts off really strongly.  Think You're So Free is a genuine anthem, although not in the traditional Shihad form - it's got the pummelling industrial vibe that pervades most of the album, but makes it really catchy by counterbalancing it with some great vocal hooks, and clever use of Tom Larkin's drumming to create some contrast.  It's followed up by FVEY which has a pulsing, seething main refrain that is bound to create mosh-pit mayhem. 

And after that?  Well, to be brutally honest, not much.  There's a series of largely mid-tempo numbers that kinda blur into one another, with only the chilly-but-not-hopeless Song For No One and the loping groove of Love's Long Shadow really standing out.  It's not that any of the rest is particularly bad, it's just all a bit lifeless and sterile.

Fortunately closing track Cheap As sends things out with a very serious bang, courtesy of a brilliant, lurching riff, and a savage 'Cheap! Cheap as fuck!' vocal refrain.

Lyrically the anti-corporate, anti-government agenda that pervades the album just gets tired after a while.  It works well on a few songs (certainly the first and last tracks), but by the end of the album it's starting to feel like Jon Toogood is just railing against everything indiscriminately.

I really wanted to be blown away by FVEY but ultimately I just can't find more than a handful of tracks that really stand out.  Credit to Shihad for shifting their creative direction so bravely at this point in their career, but FVEY just didn't do it for me.

Foo Fighters - Sonic Highways album review

Sonic Highways is a concept album - maybe not in the traditional narrative sense, but certainly in the thematic sense.  Eight songs, recorded in eight different US cities, with lyrics inspired by each location and local guests joining in as well - and all documented in a TV series, too.

It's not that this is a bad idea, per se.  It's actually a pretty cool idea.  It's just that Dave Grohl never really struck me as a concept album kind of guy.  One of Grohl's most endearing traits is the fact that he is so damn likeable and down to earth - in fact, he's right at the top of my 'rock stars I would love to have a beer with' list, alongside Robb Flynn (Machine Head) and Neil Fallon (Clutch).  And he writes some damn good rock songs.  Not pretentious, or overblown, just damn good rock songs.

In contrast, the concept album tends to be a domain more frequently inhabited by the ego-tripping rock star, and the over-intellectualiser (looking at you, Billy Corgan - especially now you have gone completely next level and have decided to do Inception-style concept albums within concept albums).  But if anyone has earned the right to do something a little bit out of leftfield like this, it's the tireless Grohl.

To be honest, I wouldn't have the faintest idea about American cities and their influence on music, other than Seattle = grunge.  Clearly the Sound City documentary - and jamming with a roster of legends like Paul McCartney, Rick Springfield, Stevie Nicks and others kick-started Grohl on this path, and the classic rock influence is the single most obvious factor in the way the album sounds.

In fact, if you're expecting a traditional Foo Fighters record with big, stadium-sized singles like Best of You and These Days, you're not going to find a great deal of that here.  

Opening track Something From Nothing (Chicago, featuring Rick Nielsen from Cheap Trick) is a good example of the overall concept working really well.  It builds gradually from a muted, melancholy guitar intro, throwing in a very funky keyboard line in the middle, and then totally explodes around the 4-minute mark.  It's a genuine case of the Foos trying something a little different and it totally paying off.

The Feast and the Famine (Arlington, feat. Pete Stahl and Skeeter Thompson of Scream) is another winner.  Grohl played drums for Scream waaaaay back in the day, and also pinched their guitarist Franz Stahl during the Colour and the Shape era.  Anyway, the Foos co-opt the DC hardcore influence (check the "heyyyyy man!" refrain and a very shouty vocal effort from Grohl) to good effect on this energetic number which is a little reminiscent of Monkey Wrench and DOA.  

Congregation (Nashville, feat. Zac Brown) definitely conjures a Nashville vibe, or at least what I imagine a Nashville vibe would be and there's some nice guitar work, although the main refrain gets kinda tedious and the lyrics don't do a lot for me.

What Did I Do? / God As My Witness (Austin, feat. Gary Clark Jr.) is very much a song of two halves - as the name would imply.  The first half evokes memories of The Who thanks to its bright tone, some great singalong vocals, Taylor Hawkins doing a fine job of channeling Keith Moon, and a very rock and roll guitar solo.  The second half drags and largely feels like an extended outro to the track.

Outside (LA, feat. Joe Walsh), another one of the standout tracks, has very much a highway rock vibe with its driving bassline, insistent tempo and clear Tom Petty influence.  The bridge section is a big highlight thanks to some excellent guitar detail layered around the main solo.  

In the Clear (New Orleans, feat. the Preservation Hall Jazz Band) feels like a fairly standard Foo Fighters mid-album filler track that they've attempted to tack some superficial horn parts on to.  It's actually kind of a disappointment - with a full jazz band at their disposal they really could have been a lot more bold, and I'm thinking along the lines of Faith No More's Star A.D. here.

Subterranean (Seattle, feat. Ben Gibbard) is a good track, albeit it doesn't sound particularly Seattle-ish.  It's a grooving mid-tempo number, with layered, intertwining electric and acoustic guitar parts, and a killer bassline from Nate Mendel, but at 6 minutes it's probably a tad too long as it does start to feel repetitive at times.  Mendel is, arguably, the biggest star on Sonic Highways.  There's a lot more space on a lot of the tracks than has traditionally been the case with the Foo's generally tightly crafted rock songs - and this really brings Mendel's counter-melodies to the fore.  

Back to Subterranean though - and seriously, of all the Seattle-based guests they could have picked, they went with a guy from a bland indie outfit?  I'd have loved to hear Jerry Cantrell team up with the band, albeit Cantrell now resides in LA.  But still, what about Mike McCready, Mark Lanegan, Matt Cameron, Chris Cornell, Eddie Vedder, Duff McKagan, or the vast array of others who would've been a lot more interesting?  OK, rant over.

I Am A River (New York, feat. Tony Visconti and Kristeen Young) is also a bit of an oddity.  Visconti is a legendary producer, but Kristeen Young, uh, who?  There's a big, bright, stadium-sized chorus, but I can't help but compare the "I am a river" lyric with James Hetfield's infamous "I am the table" lyric from the ill-conceived Lulu.  Like Subterranean it also feels a little overly long and the big string-driven climax at the end does't really do it for me.

Overall, Sonic Highways seems like an ambitious idea that comes up a bit short - like an expansion of the Sound City concept that just didn't have quite enough steam to sustain an entire album.  In this case, I wonder if having a documentary run alongside the album production maybe distracted the focus a bit, or maybe demystified the whole process.  

Like most Foos albums, there are certainly some gems on here that will stand the test of time.  However, like many Foos albums there's some stuff on here that is noticeably not as good as the good stuff.  But still, good on them for trying something ambitious and different, and not being content to rest on their laurels.