Top 5 of 2021!!

After listening to so many albums last year, coming up with a Top 5 was pretty difficult.  I got to listen to a lot of really great stuff, and it's been very difficult to determine what really was the best from this year.  I had to cut some solid albums just to get this down to five.

I do want to give a few honorable mentions, namely Eternal Flame by NorthTale and Mojo Skyline by The Dust Coda.  Both had a lot of great material, but didn't quite have the same level of quality that the following five did.  However, it was certainly close, and I had to find some pretty small reasons to justify why the following albums were better.  It just goes to show how good this past year was for rock and metal music!

Anyway, here's my Top 5 for 2021!

5. Brainstorm - Wall of Skulls

This almost didn't make the list, but I decided that it edged out the other albums out of sheer consistency.  While other bands may have had better individual songs, Brainstorm provided a crunchy power metal album that rocks from start to finish.

4. W.E.T. - Retransmission

It was tough deciding where this one should go, and how it measured up to the competition, not only from classic artists like Robin McAuley, but also from this band's guitarist Magnus Henriksson's main project Eclipse.  Once again, I think it came down to simply having the complete package; an album of songs that really nailed that classic 80s sound while still feeling fresh and powerful.

3. Hammer King - Hammer King

The moment I heard their lead single "Hammerschlag," I know I was in for something special.  Even if they wear their influences on their sleeve, this band evoked my love for classic HammerFall like nothing had before, and I loved every minute it.  It's always a good sign if an album makes you smile the whole time you're listening to it.

2. Helloween - Helloween

I don't suppose you could really call this a comeback, as the band had been pretty busy in the last six years, but it's hard to not to feel like this album isn't a culmination of everything the band has been across its entire history.  Between the classic sounding tracks and the great vocal harmonies between Deris, Kiske, and Hansen, this was a power metal fan's dream.  

1. Antti Martikainen - Carmina Gloria

As the year went on, I had a sneaking suspicion that this might end up as my #1.  It may be a bit of sacrilege to put this over Helloween, but I can't deny that what Antti has done is create an incredibly solid and consistent album of symphonic metal.  For all of its bombast and epicness, it doesn't wear out its welcome, containing clever shifts and changes within the songs, as if representing the ebb and flow of massive battles.  After enjoying Northern Steel for the past four years, I'm glad I was able to catch this one as well.  Who knew a Finnish epic trailer music composer could provide such incredible metal?!

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I've got one more videos article I'm putting together to wrap up 2021, so keep an eye out for that, as it should be out pretty soon. 

Once that's finally finished, I can look ahead to 2022.  Already, some interesting things are lining up.  Not only do we get new HammerFall and Sabaton albums here pretty soon, but down the road, there's Megadeth, Alter Bridge, and maybe even a new Metallica.  And who knows what new bands I'll discover in the upcoming year as well.  Even if it's not the most popular music anymore, there doesn't seem to be a shortage of melodic rock and metal bands out there making great music!

Until then, let's get into 2022 and rock on!

Last Played - September 2021!

Time for some album reviews!  I'm finally catching up to some new releases, and this time, it's all power metal!!  There's been some solid stuff released this year, and it's great to hear that this style still has a lot going on in it.  Here's what I've listened to lately!

Paladine - Entering the Abyss

Well, I said was going to get this one, and here we are!  Just as a recap, Paladine are a power metal band that focus their songs on the D&D Dragonlance setting, which is what got my attention in first place.  Right off, there really isn't much that's different than the last album, but the production is definitely better, as things are more balanced between the performers.

Once again, we're back into tracks that are kinda crunchy, kinda melodic, kinda epic.  Blind Guardian and classic Dream Evil feel like the main reference points, especially with Protonotarios's grittier vocal delivery.  However, these songs are pretty straight-forward power metal, providing a lot of the same vibes multiple times, I feel.

Overall, it's not bad, as it is all generally solid, but the only real stand-out tracks for me are "Entering the Abyss" and the speedy "Hourglass in the Sky."  Still, fans of the D&D franchise will find plenty to enjoy, and I'm sure power metal fans will dig the solid atmosphere and slick guitar leads.

Helloween - Helloween

I've been a fan of Helloween for a while, but I haven't really caught up with their more recent releases (I've listened to everything up through Better Than Raw).  Combined with the fact that they've brought back both Kai Hansen and Michael Kiske, after touring so successfully together, I wasn't sure quite what to expect.  I should have figured that it would feel a lot of classic Helloween, which made me pretty happy.

Sure, some of the songs are on the longer side, due to some intros and prog-lite shifts, but otherwise, anything that one could expect from a Helloween album is all here.  The riffs are catchy and melodic, the solos are absolutely spot on, and the double-kicking makes me think it's late-90s power metal all over again.  As for the vocals, everyone is on point, though Kai doesn't take too many leads, focusing more on his guitar work.  However, they do this one section together on "Fear of the Fallen" where they trade words, and it's amazing!

The album is pretty solid power metal from top to bottom.  "Fear of the Fallen" is an incredible track that goes back and forth between high-tempo shredding and more mellow parts.  "Mass Pollution" is very anthemic.  "Indestructible" has a solid, traditional metal vibe.  And "Skyfall" is a great epic like "Halloween" all over again, with a dash of Bowie's "Space Oddity" for good measure.  The rest of the tracks are decent as well, without ever getting tedious or monotonous.  This might be the best album I've heard this year, so far!

Antti Martikainen - Carmina Gloria

I'm not quite sure when it happened, but I discovered Antti when I came across a track or two of his Northern Steel album on YouTube, I instantly loved it.  Epic folk metal that really felt like it was made for his homeland of Finland.  Nearly 2 hours of solid awesome.  So when I discovered he was busting out his guitars again for another album, I knew I had to give it a listen.

Much of what made Northern Steel so great is here as well, though the folky elements are mostly gone, replaced for a more straight-forward symphonic metal approach, with a few dashes of power metal.  However, given the theme of crusaders, there are a few middle-eastern style sections with exotic ouds to expand the soundscape, allowing for a bit of variety as well giving the music even more lush layers to work with.  Meanwhile, the guitars are on point, with some huge riffs and leads that are very melodic and tasty.  And its hard to go wrong with track names like "Metal Crusade" and "Claymore in the Face"!

If there is a problem is that it insists a certainly level of intensity throughout.  While it does have dynamics from section to section, it maintains its epic tone from beginning to end, so it might be a bit much for some folks, especially with the longer tracks.  However, I enjoy it quite a bit.  I don't know if this will hit my Top 5, but it's a lot of fun to listen to and have on in the background.

Hammer King - Hammer King

When I first heard "Hammerschlag," I knew this would be an album I couldn't ignore.  Featuring solid mix of heavy and power metal, this album actually has more going on than one might assume from the album art and power metal name.

First off, I'm just going to say it: they sound like HammerFall, and I mean that in a good way.  However, it's definitely an older HammerFall style, making me think of albums like Glory to the Brave and Legacy of Kings, where the leads were more noodly and the songwriting more expansive.  Fortunately, these guys are not just a clone, as they bring in a few other influences, like the Iron Maiden-like leads on "Into the Storm," the Manowar-esque epicness on "King of Kings," and the Savatage/TSO vocal rounds at the end "Atlantis (Epilogue)."  There's also a good variety in tempo and tone, helping to break things up.

This stuff is really up my alley, as HammerFall is the band that got me into metal.  I'm not sure of the acoustic outro "Holy" was really necessary, though, as "King of Kings" was a solid closer.  My favorites from this album are the solid opener in "Awaken the Thunder" and of course the memorable, anthemic "Hammerschlag," and the rest of the album keeps it pretty classic.  It's a solid effort, one that makes me think I should dig into their back catalog.  If I do, you'll be sure I'll review it!

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Well, that gets a few off my plate, but there are certainly others, including a few still to come out this year, like Dream Theater and Yes.  Hopefully, I can get caught up on all the ones that I want to hear before the end.  However, that will make the Top 5 for this year harder to choose!  A good problem to have, I suppose.  Well, until then, rock on!  \m/

New Videos - August 2021!

This summer hasn't relented, with the heat and the smoke making things miserable.  Lets see if we can blow it all away with some epic metal!

So many new albums to listen to, and this one is near the top of the list.  Dee Snider's solo career has really turned into something nice and crunchy.  Also, a cat gets rescued, which is nice.  Seriously, though, Dee's voice is as powerful as ever, and it's great to hear him bellow it out over heavy riffs like this.

Speaking of albums I need to listen to!  In the meantime, enjoy this mid-tempo rocker from these power metal giants.  They're definitely having fun with this one, going the "Rock 'n' Roll Ain't Noise Pollution" theme, and I can't disagree with that!  This is a solid track, for sure!

More Italian Prog Metal!  This one really has a lot in it, despite being just under six minutes.  With the syncopated groove, wild synth runs, and tonal shifts, this is a kind of mini epic.  Kind of a lot to process, but none of it feels disjointed, as it flows pretty well.  

Another great piece of melodic thrash from this classic band.  I clearly need to catch up with these guys if they consistently sound this good.  Nice, crushing riffs, solid vocals, and even some dynamics with a softer section in the middle that then builds back to the thrashing!

Well this is a little different.  After a moody intro, it kicks into gear somewhere between Painkiller-era Priest and Paragon.  The singer has a nice grit to his voice, and the guitars have some nice, noodly leads, all driven by some serious double-kicking rhythms!

Let's finish with something epic!  And Finnish!  Antti Martikainen started off doing cinematic music, like Two Steps from Hell.  However in 2017, he picked up some guitars and released Northern Steel, nearly two hours of epic instrumental folk metal.  I guess he has done a few more albums since then, including this one, which falls more into symphonic power metal territory, but is no less epic!