Boise rock fans were blessed this year to see and hear some of the best rock bands on tour, pass through town. Many of those artists made this year’s “Best of” lists. If you are looking for last minute stocking stuffer and gift ideas, or new music for your resident hard rocker, any or all of the albums listed below are worthy grabs.
The end of 2011 is upon us, and list mongers that we are, it’s time to start scouring for all the year-end best of lists to see if our choices made the cut, or perhaps to discover some gems we missed. This year hard rock received an injection of 80s retro that infused a certain magic into many of the year’s best releases. Musical value and taste is all personal and subjective, but with that in mind here is the Boise Music Examiner’s list to the 20 Best Hard Rock Albums of 2011.
20. Seether - Holding On To Strings Better Left To Fray (Wind Up): Diverse and energetic, the South African rockers have done it again with their fifth studio effort. Check out "Tonight".
19. Rev Theory - Justice (DGC/Interscope): Massachusetts rockers brings serious attitude and hooks to their third studio effort. Check out "Justice".
18. Sebastian Bach - Kicking and Screaming (Frontiers): Bas is back in rare form, and flaunting his reinvigorated 80s swagger. Check out "Kicking and Screaming".
17. Art of Dying - Vices and Virtues (Reprise/Intoxication): Amazing debut of melodic hard rock. Check out "Get Thru This".
16. Black Stone Cherry – Between The Devil & The Deep Blue Sea (Roadrunner): Brash, bold, and Southern-fried bluesy, with special guest backing vocals from Lzzy Hale. Check out "Won't Let Go".
15. Night Ranger – Somewhere In California (Frontiers): Casual fans of the Bay Area rockers gave up on these guys when the 80s ended and grunge kicked in. And for those who miss that early Night Ranger sound, 2011 proves they still have it. Track by track the band has returned with an album of its most memorable songs in a quarter century. Night Ranger's trademark vocal and guitar harmonies shine, and stellar musicianship and chemistry that only three decades of constant touring and recording can create resonates throughout. If you gave up on Night Ranger after the 80s, Somewhere In California gives fans a reason to come back home. Check out “Growing Up In California” and "Bye Bye Baby (Not Tonight)".
14. Adelitas Way – Home School Valedictorian (Virgin) Like their friends in Halestorm, Adelitas Way spends an inordinate amount of time on the road, so the band’s sophomore album has been a long time coming for eager fans. That said, it doesn’t disappoint. Home School Valedictorian offers up a great mix of hard rockers with a bit of a pop flair. This record displays the band’s growth musically, and shows Rick DeJesus’s maturation as a songwriter. From the opening of “The Collapse” to the end of “Hurt”, there’s not a bad track on this record. The debut single “Sick” took second on AOL’s 10 Best Rock Songs of 2011 list, second only to the Five Finger Death Punch anthem “Under and Over It”. Check out “Sick” and "Alive".
13. Daughtry – Break The Spell (RCA) Often written off by music critics as derivative clones, fans have embraced the band’s edgy pop sensibility, and have been rewarded with yet another album of well-crafted and melodically accessible tunes. Audiophiles will never get the allure of bands like Daughtry and Nickelback, but there is something to be said for records chock full of catchy sing-alongs, anthemic fist pumpers and emotive ballads. With Break The Spell, the band’s third studio effort, the singer and the band have written and recorded an album that slips on as comfortably as a worn pair of jeans. Check out "Crawling Back To You" and "Renegade".
12. Riot – Immortal Soul (SPV/Steamhammer): Difficult to imagine that guitarist Mark Reale started Riot over 35 years ago. At the time, the hard rock influenced group from New York were attempting to define the band’s sound at a time that commercial rock and disco owned the airwaves. If not for the breakthrough of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) Riot might have fallen by the wayside back then. Riot‘s sound fit into the NWOBHM style, so much so that many people thought they were in fact a British band. The band’s fourteenth studio recording, Immortal Soul is easily one of the best albums of 2011. Riot have returned triumphant, with an extraordinary effort, full of memorable songs, deft lyrics, and amazing musicianship. ”Nothing changes, nothing stays the same.” A perfect statement of rock and roll. The musical landscape has transformed in the last three plus decades, but what makes a great record has not. Immortal Soul reminds us of what made hard rock and metal so engaging and Riot have reignited our passion for more. Check out "Still Your Man" and "Crawling".
11. Chickenfoot – III (E1): Sammy Hagar and company returned this year with their second album, the humorously entitled III. The group’s sophomore effort sees the band more song-oriented, though none-the-less quirky and fun-loving. Joe Satriani’s guitar work is brilliant as always, if not more subdued. Michael Anthony maintains the rumbling bottom while Red Hot Chili Pepper Chad Smith once again obliterated the drum kit. Chickenfoot is always a sonic party in motion and everyone is invited. Check out "Bigfoot" and "Different Devil".
10. Voodoo Circle - Broken Heart Syndrome (AFM Records): While the rest of the hard rock community is drooling over Whitesnake’s new album, Forevermore, those in the know will be hailing Voodoo Circle’s sophomore album, Broken Heart Syndrome. The brainchild of neo-classical guitar shredder Alex Beyrodt (Silent Force), Voodoo Circle boasts some of Europe's most notable talents, including bassist Mat Sinner (Sinner, Primal Fear) and David Readman (Pink Cream 69). On Broken Heart Syndrome, Voodoo Circle once again tap into neo-classical performances with an inspired bluesy edge. Think Rainbow meets Whitesnake, with a solid dose of Yngwie Malmsteen. Readman's voice on this record so reminded me of classic David Coverdale, that at first I checked to see that I hadn't accidentally slipped in the new Whitesnake album. While Forevermore is good, Broken Heart Syndrome is simply better. Check out "King of Your Dreams" and "No Solution Blues".
9. Foo Fighters – Wasting Light (RCA/Rosswell): Four long years passed between albums or the Foos, but Dave Grohl and company returned invigorated on Wasting Light. The songwriting is crisp, edgy, fierce, yet familiar. Producer Butch Vig, who produced Nirvana’s classic Nevermind, helms this record as well. On Wasting Light the band have tapped a retro vibe that remains muscular and fresh, with moments both caustic and gritty. While grunge made a resurgence in 2011, the Foo Fighters kept its collective eye firmly in the now, with a hint at the future and a brief nod to its roots. Check out "Rope" and "Bridge Burning".
8. Five Finger Death Punch – American Capitalist (Prospect Park): 5FDP is one of those bands that fall prey to the Nickelback syndrome. They are a metal band that plays catchy, accessible rock, thus making them suspect outcasts among most metal enthusiasts. In short, they’re wannabe sellouts according to the naysayers. That negativity has not stopped the Las Vegas quintet from crafting its third and arguably best release to date. American Capitalist is not a groundbreaking album, nor an evolution for Five Finger Death Punch. Rather, it is a continuation of what has made the band immensely attractive to those who want their hard rock/metal to be both blistering yet accessible. What American Capitalist offers is a thick slab of highly melodic, anger fueled, kick-ass rock and metal. The haters can call them sell-outs, but Five Finger Death Punch is reminder that you can be metal without forfeiting solid song structure, hooky choruses, or your balls. Check out “Under and Over It” and “Remember Everthing”.
7. Halestorm - ReAniMate: The CoVeRs eP (Atlantic): While I’m loathe to include either EPs or cover albums on lists like this, an exception had to be made here. The Pennsylvania quartet are getting set to release their second studio album early in 2012, but to thank fans and tide them over this year they went into the studio and recorded this EP of six cover songs spanning 50 years (The Beatles, Heart, Temple of the Dog, Guns N’ Roses). They didn’t go for safe picks, or cater to trends. They grabbed songs that inspired them, and songs they had fun performing. As always, rock’s reigning vocal queen Lzzy Hale is the shining center piece of this set. I’d listen to her sing the phonebook. The band’s turn on Lady Gaga’s“Bad Romance” is worth the price of admission alone, and even Sebastian Bach complimented the group on its performance of Skid Row’s“Slave To The Grind”. Check out "Bad Romance" and "Slave To The Grind".
6. Kopek – White Collar Lies (Religion Music): The Dublin, Ireland native’s monster debut has been floating around since mid-2010, but the album wasn’t released until March 2011. So it became almost forgotten on 2011 lists. But it shouldn’t be. The trio’s inaugural album is an 11-track dose of understated modern rock brilliance, packed with energy and angst. Easily one of the more stunning debuts to come along in some time. Kopek is masterful at bringing nuances to life, and making atmosphere elemental to its music. The sound is full, and beyond what one expects of a trio. You’d be remiss to overlook this epic release from an accomplished and outstanding new talent. Check out “Cocaine Chest Pains” and “Love is Dead”.
5. Fair To Midland – Arrows & Anchors (E1 Music): Easily one of the year’s most unheralded gems. Track by track the album is an amazingly complex and dramatic event for the ears. Frontman Darroh Sudderth’s lyrics are divine to pick apart and ruminate on, while his vocals take on even broader range and tones with Arrows & Anchors. This collection of songs is his finest work vocally. Keyboardist Matt Langley may be the silent hero on this record as he fills the entire album with richness and visceral ambiance. Cliff Cambell’s guitar is top notch as is Brett Stowers’ stick work, and you may never hear a thicker, better produced bass than Joe Barresi got from Jon Dicken. The journey through the album’s 15 tracks is sonically expansive while maintaining auditory continuity. I hear bits and pieces of everything from Dredg and Karnivool to Dream Theater, Yes, Rush, Gary Numan and other 80′s new waves undertones…Check out "Musical Chairs" and "Whiskey and Ritalin".
4. The Parlor Mob – Dogs (Roadrunner): In a world where most bands can be pigeonholed into neat little categories such as punk, metal, hard rock, blues, and so on, it's refreshing to see a band like New Jersey's The Parlor Mob. The band's follow-up to 2008's And You Were A Crow is one of the most solid straight-ahead rock records of the year. As many bands do with their second efforts, The Parlor Mob have retained some of the first record's sound, but have also branched out, showing a wide variety of musical influences on. Both the band and the album are understated and overlooked, but the music they are making is undeniably inspired. The songs on Dogs are hook-laden, catchy, and most of them contain lyrics which we can all relate to and can interpret in many ways. Check out "Into The Sun" and "Hard Enough".
3. Mr. Big – What If (Frontiers): One of the most intrinsic elements essential to creating brilliant records with timeless accessibility is chemistry. When the four individuals that make up Mr. Big brought their immense and unquestioned talents together in 1988, the dynamic was so complete that the band created one of the all-time epic debut hard rock albums. Fast forward to 2011 and the original line-up has reunited on What If… Vocalist Eric Martin’s voice sounds as engaging as ever, and the undeniable chops of bassist Billy Sheehan and guitarist Paul Gilbert, are in full force. And it’s all held together by the rock steady beat from Pat Torpey. You can feel the vibe has returned between the four legendary musicians. What If… fits right in with the band’s first two dynamic releases from the late 80s. Check out “Undertow”and "All The Way Up".
2. Within Temptation – The Unforgiving (Roadrunner): The famed Dutch symphonic metal act surprised fans this year with an album less metal and more 80s oriented in style and sound. For this reason the metal community has overlooked this more melodic and accessible release. Tragic for them, because once again, Within Temptation crafted a masterpiece, grand in scope and epic in sound and style. A brilliant mixture of darkness and poignant lightness, with a powerful atmosphere of haunting angst. There exist no weaknesses on this The Unforgiving, no filler tracks. For fans of symphonic rock, or fans of 80s pop and rock, this is a must own record. Check out the tracks “Faster” and "Shot In The Dark".
1. Pop Evil – War of Angels (E1 Music): The Michigan boys returned with their sophomore effort in 2011. War of Angels took nearly a year to see the light of day. Originally slated for a February release, it took a second record label to get this s out to fans in July. Still, the wait was undoubtedly worth it, for the quintet wrote and recorded an album that simply outshines the band’s debut, Lipstick On The Mirror. Producer Johnny K (Airbourne, Disturbed, Sevendust, Machine Head) has helped elevate the Pop Evil, and this album, to the next level, and you can hear his intensity as well as the band’s passion for making this project an epic release that can endure for years. War Of Angels is a serious dose of Viagra for the ears! Check out the tracks “Last Man Standing” and “Monster You Made”.
Did your album make the list? Who would you have put on this list? Sound off below.
Keep an eye on this column for the 2011 Best of Metal list.
Pick up all the albums above at The Record Exchange in Boise. Or online at Amazon.com or iTunes.
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