MY TOP HARD ROCK/METAL/GOTH/PUNK/ALT ALBUMS & SINGLES OF 2019

It has been another strong year for Rock/Metal/Alt music, and once again whittling down my favourites to just 30 albums and 40 singles has been a challenge.

I haven't done as many reviews as I'd have liked to this year due to other commitments, but I have listened to a mountain of new records.

As always, I have rules for my end of year lists. Obviously, I don't include anything I played on, as I like to think that I'm not that much of an egotistical dick. Having said that, I'm not opposed to some shameless self-promotion. After all, If I don't give a fuck, who will? Check out the new Lesbian Bed Death album, Born To Die On VHS HERE. I'm sure it's at the top of your 2019 albums list already, right?

Other rules include ONE single or album per artist. Lists with lots of songs by the same band in the top 10 singles are painfully lame. I also omit singles that are from albums or EPs that are due to be released next year (sorry Ozzy). 

Please remember that this is just a list, so there's no need to cry if you disagree with my choices. It's just a bit of fun and also a nice way to reflect on some of the amazing music I've enjoyed this year. Hopefully, you'll discover something new. I also look forward to checking out other people's 2019 lists and seeing if there are any gems that went under my radar.

Anyway, 2019! It has been a pleasure. Oh, and if anyone is feeling nostalgic, here's 2018 and 2017, and 2016.

ALBUMS

01. STRAY FROM THE PATH - Internal Atomics

02. BEAST IN BLACK - From Hell With Love

03. THE 69 EYES - West End

04. THE WILDHEARTS - Renaissance Men

05. DREAM STATE - Primrose Path

06. LACUNA COIL - Black Anima
07. WEDNESDAY 13- Necrophaze
08. BLUTENGEL - Un:Gott
09. LIV SIN- Burning Sermons
10. SOILWORK - Verkligheten
11. WHITESNAKE - Flesh & Blood
12. BATTLE BEAST - No More Hollywood Endings
13. INFECTED RAIN - Endorphin
14. LIFE OF AGONY - The Sound Of Scars
15. KILLSWITCH ENGAGE - Atonement
16. EXHORDER - Mourn The Southern Skies
17. NEW YEARS DAY - Unbreakable
18. SLIPKNOT - We Are Not Your Kind

19. IN FLAMES - I, The Mask
20. XENTRIX - Bury The Pain 
21. BACKYARD BABIES - Silver And Gold
22. AGNOSTIC FRONT - Get Loud!
23. 3TEETH - Metawar
24. CRAZY LIXX - Forever Wild

25. JINJER - Macro
26. TOBIAS SAMMET'S AVANTASIA - Moonglow
27. THE AGONIST - Orphans
28. CRASHDIET - Rust
29. PHIL CAMPBELL - Old Lions Still Roar
30. DREAM THEATER - Distance Over Time

SINGLES

01. STRAY FROM THE PATH - Fortune Teller
02. PVRIS - Death Of Me

03. SLIPKNOT - Unsainted

04. The WILDHEARTS - Dislocated

05. WEDNESDAY 13 - Monster

06. SOILWORK - Stålfågel 

07. GHOST - Kiss The Go Goat
08. BEAST IN BLACK - Sweet True Lies
09. DREAM STATE - Primrose
10. RIVAL SONS - Shooting Stars
11. THE DARKNESS - Choke On It
12. BATTLE BEAST - The Hero
13. EXHORDER - My Time
14. LIV SIN - Blood Moon Fever
15. BACKYARD BABIES - 44 Undead
16. LACUNA COIL - Reckless
17. HANK VON HELL - Fake It
18. NEW YEARS DAY - Come For Me
19. DANKO JONES - I'm In A Band
20. 3TEETH - Pumped Up Kicks
21. BLOODYWOOD - Machi Bhasad (Expect A Riot)
22. THE 69 EYES - Last House On The Left
23. WHITESNAKE - Shut Up & Kiss Me
24. BEASTO BLANCO - The Seeker
25. KILLSWITCH ENGAGE - I Am Broken Too
26. IN FLAMES - I Am Above
27. INFECTED RAIN - Black Gold
28. SEPTEMBER MOURNING - Hiding From Heaven
29. THE AGONIST - The Gift Of Silence
30. KORN - Can You Hear Me
31. PRONG - End Of Sanity
32. CRO-MAGS - No One's Victim
33. JINJER - On The Top
34. AGNOSTIC FRONT - I Remember
35. LIFE OF AGONY - Lay Down
36. TOBIAS SAMMET'S AVANTASIA - Ghost In The Moon
37. WHILE SHE SLEEPS - The Guilty Party
38. DREAM THEATER - Fall Into The Light
39. RAMMSTEIN - Deutschland
40. HERMAN FRANK - Stay Down

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2019, Agnostic Front, Beast In Black, Blutengel, Crashdiet, Dream State, Infected Rain, Jinjer, Lacuna Coil, Life of Agony, Stray From The Path, The 69 Eyes, The Agonist, The Wildhearts, Top 30, Wednesday 13

Album Review: EXHORDER - Mourn The Southern Skies

01. My Time

02. Asunder

03. Hallowed Sound

04. Beware The Wolf

05. Yesterday's Bones

06. All She Wrote

07. Rumination

08. The Arms Of Man

09. Ripping Flesh

10. Mourn The Southern Skies

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2019, album, Exhorder, Extreme Metal, Groove Metal, Heavy Metal, Mourn The Southern Skies, Nuclear Blast, review, Thrash, Thrash Metal

Album Review: WEDNESDAY 13 - Necrophaze

01. Necrophaze (Feat. Alice Cooper)
02. Bring Your Own Blood
03. Zodiac
04. Monster (Feat. Cristina Scabbia)
05. Decompose
06. Be Warned (Feat. Jeff Clayton)
07. The Hearse
08. Tie Me A Noose
09. Life Will Kill Us All
10. Bury The Hatchet
11. Necrophaze Main Theme (End Credits)
12. Animal (Fuck Like A Beast) (Feat. Alex Laiho) (W.A.S.P. cover)

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2019, album, Alex Laiho, Alice Cooper, Calico Cooper, Cristina Scabbia, Goth, Gothic Metal, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Horror Metal, Horror Punk, Metal, Necrophaze, Nuclear Blast, review, Wednesday 13

Album Review: POSSESSED - Revelations Of Oblivion

01. Wanderlust

01. Chant of Oblivion
02. No More Room in Hell
03. Dominion
04. Damned
05. Demon
06. Abandoned
07. Shadowcult
08. Omen
09. Ritual
10. The Word
11. Graven
12. Temple of Samael

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2019, album, Death Metal, Extreme Metal, Nuclear Blast, Possessed, Revelations of Oblivion, review, Thrash, Thrash Metal

Album Review: KILLSWITCH ENGAGE - Atonement

01. Unleashed
02. The Signal Fire (feat. Howard Jones)
03. Us Against The World
04. The Crownless King (feat. Chuck Billy)
05. I Am Broken Too
06. As Sure As The Sun Will Rise
07. Know Your Enemy
08. Take Control
09. Ravenous
10. I Can't Be The Only One
11. Bite The Hand That Feeds

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2019, album, Atonement, Hardcore, Howard Jones, Jesse Leach, Killswitch Engage, Metalcore, review. Metal, Thrash

Album Review: DREAM THEATER - Distance Over Time

01. Untethered Angel

02. Paralyzed

03. Fall Into The Light

04. Barstool Warrior

05. Room 137

06. S2N

07. At Wit's End

08. Out Of Reach

09. Pale Blue Dot

10. Viper King

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2019, album, Distance Over Time, Dream Theater, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Progressive Metal, Progressive Rock, review

Album Review: XENTRIX - Bury The Pain

01. Bury The Pain

02. There Will Be Consequences

03. Bleeding Out

04. The Truth Lies Buried

05. Let The World Burn

06. The Red Mist Descends

07. World Of Mouth

08. Deathless & Divine

09. The One You Fear

10. Evil By Design

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2019, album, Bury The Pain, Extreme Metal, Heavy Metal, review, Thrash, Thrash Metal, Xentrix

Album Review: TOBIAS SAMMET'S AVANTASIA - Moonglow

01. Ghost In The Moon

02. Book Of Shallows

03. Moonglow

04. The Raven Child

05. Starlight

06. Invincible

07. Alchemy

08. The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn

09. Lavender

10. Requiem For A Dream

11. Maniac (Michael Sembello cover)

12. Heart (Bonus Track)

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2019, album, AOR, Avantasia, Classic Rock, Metal, Power Metal, review, Symphonic Metal, Tobias Sammet, Traditional Metal

EP Review: GHOST - Seven Inches Of Satanic Panic

01. Mary On A Cross

02. Kiss The Go Goat

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2019, Classic Rock, EP, Ghost, Hard Rock, review, Seven Inches Of Satanic Panic, Tobias Forge

Album Review: LIV SIN - Burning Sermons

01. Blood Moon Fever
02. Chapter Of The Witch
03. Hope Begins To Fade (feat. Björn Strid)
04. War Antidote
05. At The Gates Of The Abyss
06. Slave To The Machine
07. The Sinner
08. Death Gives Life Meaning
09. Ghost In The Dark
10. Dead Wind Intermezzo

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2019, album, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Liv Jagrell, Liv Sin, review, Sister Sin, Traditional Metal

Album Review: THE 69 EYES - West End

01. Two Horns Up (Feat. Dani Filth)

02. 27 & Done
03. Black Orchid
04. Change
05. Burn Witch Burn
06. Cheyenna
07. The Last House On The Left (Feat. Wednesday 13, Calico Cooper & Dani Filth)
08. Death & Desire
09. Outsiders
10. Be Here Now
11. Hell Has No Mercy

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2019, album, Glam, Goth, Gothic Metal, Hard Rock, Jyrki 69, Nuclear Blast, review, The 69 Eyes, West End

Album Review: HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES - Rise

01. I Want My Now
02. Good People Are Hard To Find
03. Who's Laughing Now
04. How The Glass Fell
05. The Boogieman Surprise
06. Welcome To Bushwackers (feat. Jeff Beck & John Waters)
07. The Wrong Bandage
08. You Can’t Put Your Arms Around A Memory (Johnny Thunders cover)
09. Git From Round Me
10. Heroes (David Bowie cover)
11. A Pitiful Beauty
12. New Threat
13. Mr. Spider
14. We Gotta Rise
15. People Who Died (Jim Carroll cover)
16. Congratulations

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2019, Aerosmith, album, Alice Cooper, Alternative, Classic Rock, Hard Rock, Hollywood Vampires, Joe Perry, Johnny Depp, review, Rise, Rock N Roll, Supergroup

Festival Review: BLOODSTOCK 2019 (Sunday 11th August)

So, last month I attended my third Bloodstock! Again, I just came for one day, although I'm starting to regret having missed Parkway Drive the night before, who I believe played the show of their lives. (Read my reviews of 2018 HERE and 2017 HERE)

As I arrived, it was pissing with rain and I could hear that Ross The Boss had just started on the Ronnie James Dio stage as I was making my way through security. I manoeuvred my way as quickly as possible through the mud to start my festival with some quality old school Heavy Metal!

If you didn't know, Ross The Boss is the original Manowar guitarist. He's in the same boat as many solo artists who've left big bands. Let's be brutally honest here, most of the crowd weren't fussed about Ross' solo records. They wanted to hear the Manowar classics. Ross clearly understood this and gave his fans exactly what they wanted. They played Kill With Power, Fighting The World, Hail and Kill, and Hail To England amongst other classic tracks..

Ex-Judas Priest guitarist, and a personal hero of mine, KK Downing joined them onstage for The Green Manalishi (With The Two-Prong Crown) and Priest classics Heading Out To The Highway, Running Wild, and Breaking The Law. It was great to see him on stage again, and I'm sure I'm not alone in wanting to see him back with Judas Priest where he belongs.

Ross The Boss at Bloodstock 2019

Marc Lopes - vocalist for Ross The Boss at Bloodstock 2019

Ross The Boss with KK Downing at Bloodstock 2019

I headed over to the S.O.P.H.I.E Stage to catch some of Solitary's set. I've had their debut album Nothing Changes since the late 90's and hadn't seen them play for many years so I decided to check them out. They haven't changed at all. Musically, they're very much a traditional Thrash band and sound to my ears like early Testament mixed with Xentrix. My only criticism here is that there are hundreds of Thrash bands out there that look and sound just like Solitary. It's all a bit generic and pushes no musical boundaries whatsoever. However, they are very good at what they do and Bloodstock is the perfect platform for them. Their performance was razor-sharp and they went down well with the crowd, so it was a job well done.

Solitary at Bloodstock 2019

 
Soilwork were one of the bands I was looking forward to seeing the most. I really enjoyed then on the Kreator tour a couple of years ago (see my review here) and their latest album, Verkligheten, is also excellent (click here). They played a strong, slick set covering plenty of their records, which included killer tracks like Full Moon Shoals and Stabbing The Drama. They finished off with Stålfågel off their latest album, which is now one of my favourite Soilwork songs and made for the perfect closer to a magnificent set.

Soilwork at Bloodstock 2019

Soilwork at Bloodstock 2019

Soilwork at Bloodstock 2019

I'm not familiar with Hypocrisy, so I watched a bit of their set then headed off to find some food. They sounded like an Extreme Metal band fronted by a singer whose voice switches from Death Metal growls to sounding just like Udo Dirkschneider. A lot of people seemed to absolutely love them, so maybe I'm missing out. I'll give their studio work a listen at a later point.

Dee Snider is one of Rock and Metal's greatest front-men and, although I really like Twisted Sister, I always felt that his voice was better than the songs he sang. That was until I heard For The Love Of Metal (read my review here). It was an unexpected masterpiece (particularly unexpected given how bloody awful his previous solo album was) and I was extremely interested to see him performing these new tracks. Dee absolutely nailed it. Considering his age, his voice sounds as good as it ever did, and he exudes the energy and enthusiasm you'd expect from a performer less than half his age.

Naturally, he played a few Twisted Sister classics alongside his new songs which went down a storm as expected. However, it was hearing the latest material that made the show for me, as Dee and his band tore through those tunes with the passion and precision needed to do them justice. It's rare for an artist to put out the best album of their career when they're approaching retirement age, but that's what Dee has achieved, and now he has a new band that has given him new life in the live arena too. Absolutely superb.

Dee Snider at Bloodstock 2019

Dee Snider at Bloodstock 2019

Cradle of Filth were originally due to play on the Saturday, but high winds meant that their set had to be moved. The organisers made the cool move of allowing anyone with a Saturday wristband entry on the Sunday at no extra charge.

It was evident that Cradle of Filth were one of the most popular acts at Bloodstock, and the buzz in the crowd before their show was undeniable. They certainly brought the fire both literally and figuratively with flames shooting from the stage throughout their set. Cradle of Filth never fail to be hugely entertaining and great fun. Naturally, with a back catalogue as vast as theirs, there will always be a few fan-favourites that don't make the list, but with material this strong and consistent, it really didn't matter what they played. They put on a killer show with a mix of songs from their legacy including Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids, my personal favourite, Nymphetamine (Fix), and the awesome set-closer Her Ghost In The Fog.

Cradle of Filth at Bloodstock 2019

Cradle of Filth at Bloodstock 2019

Cradle of Filth at Bloodstock 2019

Cradle of Filth at Bloodstock 2019

The last time I saw Queensrÿche, I was a spotty teenager. The band has changed considerably since the Promised Land tour when I first saw them, but their long overdue return to 'Metal' and their awesome new(ish) singer Todd La Torre made them a 'must see' band.

After opening with Blood Of The Levant from their new album (read my review here), the band played a good mix of fan-favourites. Personal highlights included Walk In The Shadows, Queen Of The Reich, Jet City Woman, and show closer Eyes Of A Stranger.

Queensrÿche is one of those bands that is so slick and 'on-point' that watching them is almost like listening to a CD. Everything is tight, precise, and the band is clearly on top of their game right now.

Queensrÿche at Bloodstock 2019

Queensrÿche at Bloodstock 2019

Queensrÿche at Bloodstock 2019

Queensrÿche at Bloodstock 2019

Batushka is a weird fucking band. They have a religious image, not a million miles away from Ghost's, yet their music sounds more like atmospheric Black Metal. I personally consider what they do to be more like abstract art than conventional Metal. I hadn't listened to them before, but what I saw of their set was interesting to say the least. They looked really cool, but the music just wasn't my thing. I'm in a minority here though, as the tent was absolutely rammed.

Batushka at Bloodstock 2019

Batushka at Bloodstock 2019

When the Scorpions announced their retirement a few years ago, I thought I'd missed my chance to ever get to see them live. Fortunately, Bloodstock was to the rescue, and now I've ticked another band of living legends off my bucket list.

Let's be honest here, watching the Scorpions in 2019 was never going to be as good was watching them in their prime several decades ago. It would have been unrealistic to expect that. However, they still put on a great show and smashed through a set of truly great songs. Considering singer Klaus Meine and rhythm guitarist Rudolf Schenker are both 71 years old, they have my utmost respect.

There's a reason that the Scorpions have been a major act for such a long time. They have some classic and timeless songs. Naturally, some favourites will inevitably be missing, but the set was really strong. Personal favourites included Is There Anybody There?, The Zoo, Send Me An Angel, Wind Of Change, Bad Boys Running Wild, Blackout..aaarrgghh! There were just so many massive tunes. Let's not forget the monster that is Big City Nights and the phenomenal Rock You Like A Hurricane, which was not only the perfect song to close the main stage at Bloodstock, but possibly the best song played all weekend by anyone.

It was also nice to see ex-Motorhead drummer Mickey Dee behind the kit again. The man is a power-house and undoubtedly brought a renewed energy to the band as a whole.

Standing in a field with thousands of Metal fans watching the Scorpions was an absolute joy and the perfect way to end a festival.

Scorpions at Bloodstock 2019

Scorpions at Bloodstock 2019

Scorpions at Bloodstock 2019

Scorpions at Bloodstock 2019

Scorpions at Bloodstock 2019

Scorpions at Bloodstock 2019

Scorpions at Bloodstock 2019

Scorpions at Bloodstock 2019

Scorpions at Bloodstock 2019

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2019, Batushka, Bloodstock, Cradle of Filth, Dee Snider, Festival, gig, Hypocrisy, Judas Priest, KK Downing, Live review, Manowar, Queensryche, Queensrÿche, Ross The Boss, Scorpions, Soilwork, Solitary

Album Review: SLIPKNOT - We Are Not Your Kind

01. Insert Coin
02. Unsainted
03. Birth Of The Cruel
04. Death Because Of Death
05. Nero Forte
06. Critical Darling
07. Liar's Funeral
08. Red Flag
09. What's Next
10. Spiders
11. Orphan
12. My Pain
13. Not Long For This World
14. Solway Firth

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2019, album, Corey Taylor, Extreme Metal, Heavy Metal, Jim Root, Metal, Nu Metal, review, Slipknot, Tech Metal, We Are Not Your Kind

Gig Review: BLOODYWOOD + ARMADA OF SECRETS + PULVERISE at Rebellion, Manchester (UK) 26/07/2019

After tearing up the motorway after work, I arrived at Rebellion just in time to catch the last couple of tracks in Pulverise's set. Songs like Slam Time are perfect for a show like this, and the audience lap it up as though Pulverise were headliners. The sound was superb and the band were on top form. Relentless gigging has really paid off and Pulverise are a machine that fans of Rap Metal can't resist. I really hope that they're picked up by a decent label soon as there aren't many bands out there as deserving as they are.

Armada of Secrets are a three-piece alternative band that mix an array of styles into bass-driven Rock. The twist is that there are no guitars. The bassist is exceptionally good and makes up for this with some complex, dynamic bass lines that powers the band through. I thought it was a little strange that a band with such a fantastic slot would play a set with so many covers, as this was the perfect opportunity to present their original music to the masses, as opposed to just trying to please them with songs that they're probably already familiar with. 

Their set was good, albeit a little samey due to the nature of their set-up, but I'd be more interested in hearing them when they've developed a stronger set of original material.

Tonight marked Bloodywood's first time in Manchester as part of their first ever UK tour. Their music videos, where they've mixed contemporary Metal, Rap Metal and traditional Indian music, have gone viral and the international interest in this band has gone through the roof. Let's not forget that they don't even have a full-length album out yet, and there are still hundreds of people snapping up tickets to see them regardless.

The hype is well and truly justified, as Bloodywood were fantastic. The entire set crackled with energy and this positive spirit and enthusiasm from the band infected the audience, making for a truly great show. It was really clear the band were having the time of their lives on this tour, and that's part of the magic.

Opening with the killer Machi Bhasad (Expect A Riot), they tore through a short-but sweet set of all the songs we've come to love them for from their YouTube channel, including Endurant, Jee Veerey, and the defiant celebration of diversity that is Ari Ari. They even did their own interpretation of Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit, which was also really cool. At the end of the show, they played Machi Bhasad (Expect A Riot) again as an encore. The room exploded one more time as Bloodywood sealed their place in our memories as one of the best bands to come to Rebellion.

Bloodywood appear to be getting significantly bigger on a daily basis, and it was an honour to catch them at this relatively early stage of their career. I have absolutely no doubt that by next year they'll be playing bigger venues and UK festivals. I'm also very excited for the day when their first full-length album comes out. I'll be a 'first day buyer' for sure.

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2019, Alternative, Armada of Secrets, Bloodywood, gig, Hard Rock, Live review, manchester, Metal, Pulverise, Rap Metal, Rebellion, Tech Metal