Well, we made it to the end of another year at Glitter2Gutter, and it has been an interesting year. Several "classic" bands returned with new efforts (Def Leppard, Europe, Queensryche, Collective Soul, W.A.S.P., P.O.D.), a lot of new bands (Quor, Danger, Dirtbag Republic, Damn Dice) came to the forefront, and a few bands really left me wondering if there was any reason to keep going forward, to be honest (ahem, Iron Maiden, Bon Jovi, Operation: Mindcrime, Lifehouse, and others...). Small, unheard of bands (Razorbats, Slantpiece, Arson City) did their best to grab people's attention, while established bands (Hinder) moved on with new faces out front.
This is, of course, a completely subjective list, as it is formulated entirely by my opinions. I realize that not everyone likes what I like, not everyone dislikes what I dislike, and not everyone has even heard all the things I have. Some of you likely loved albums I had no use for (Iron Maiden's Book Of Souls), while many may question my sanity for including albums you may have detested (Hinder's When The Smoke Clears).
Also, I realize there are a couple of albums listed here without reviews...YET. The missing reviews have all been started and are in varying states of completion, and will be up soon. Remember...this is a one-man project, so I am not always able to get to as many reviews as I would like to, but I hear TONS of new music on a monthly basis. And, yes, there are albums out there that may be absolutely amazing that I simply haven't had the chance to hear yet, but hopefully I will be able to get to them at some point.
So, where does this list come from? Obviously, the ratings given to the albums throughout the year play a huge role in the final ratings, but other factors contribute as well. Do I still listen to it? How many plays has it received on my computer, in my truck, on my iPod or phone, etc.? How well does the album stack up to a particular band's catalog for me? Has it aged well (mostly effecting early year releases, obviously), or do glaring weaknesses start to really annoy me?
I know, I know...not particularly scientific, but come on...it's MY list and MY way of doing things. So, if my list doesn't match yours, is it really that much of a surprise?
So, here we go...in reverse order...
The BEST OF 2015...
Before we get to the big boys, let me give you an idea of some other albums I REALLY like, but that just missed the Top 20. In no particular order...Boba Flex--Anything That Moves
House Of Lords--Indestructible
Distubed--Immortalized
Five Finger Death Punch--Got Your Six
Whitesnake--The Purple Album
Halestorm--Apocalyptica
...and many, many others. 2015 had a lot of good records, but for me, THESE are the Top 20 of the year.
20. When The Smoke Clears: I didn't know what to expect here with a new lead singer, but Hinder did themselves fairly proud with this comeback record of mostly up-tempo rockers with a nod to the past while also keeping modern rockers satisfied. 7.5Hinder
16. Immortal Guardian Revolution Part I: Had no idea what to expect when I first popped this EP in, and came away a fan of the Texas bands interpretation of European power/speed metal. Powerful vocals and fret-melting speed shredding abound on this 5 track effort which also features a guest appearance from Roy Z. Good stuff! 8.0
15. Tad Morose St. Demonius: Power metal very much in the vein of Iced Earth , with big time vocals, punishing rhythms, and a glorious blend of speed and precision on guitar. My first exposure to the band was a solid one! 8.0
14. Black Tide Chasing Shadows: The band has shown signs of maturing as songwriters, but maintain the speedy, edgy approach to what I sometimes refer to as speedmetalcore, while intermixing slower, more melodic elements. Some people have really bagged on this album, while I view it as their best to date. 8.0
13. Armored Saint Win Hands Down I have no idea why this album is so overlooked by people, but I think it was a great return to form for the Saint! John Bush sounds like a man on a mission since his return from Anthrax, and Duncan and Sandoval are a seriously underrated guitar tandem. Excellent hard rock/metal songs throughout the album, and my favorite from them outside of the must-own Symbol of Salvaion. 8.0
12. Europe War Of Kings: Not a first-spin love affair for me, but this album grew on me more and more with each listen, to the point I consider it one of the top two or three records in their catalog. Bluesy, melodic hard rock with massive 70's Deep Purple and Thin Lizzy influences. Joey Tempest's voice is as strong as ever, and Norum's guitar work is criminally underrated in the hard rock world. 8.0
11. Scorpions Return To Forever: A great mix of older, unreleased material, intermixed with brand new compositions, giving fans a gift in the form of a sort of flashback, while also pushing the band forward into their 51st year of existence! So glad they decided to not call it quits, as Return To Forever shows a band that is still having fun and sounds as young as ever! 8.0
10. Quor Human Paradigm: Completely out of left field for me, Quor combines thrashy-yet-progressive elements with bits and pieces of classic metal and modern hard rock. Stunned...and exhausted...are the two words that come to mind after I first spun my way through Human Paradigm, and it is with great surprise and pleasure that these San Diego natives make our Top 10 for 2015! 8.5
9. Damn Dice The Great Unknown: One of the biggest surprises of the year for me, this is a fun record from these Brits, sounding like a heavy-era Skid Row musically, with a gritty, heavy edge. While the vocals took a bit of getting used to on a few songs, they did little to detract from how good this album is. 8.5
8. Nelson Peace Out: It's Nelson, so if the name means anything to you, one way or another, you pretty much know what you are going to get on this, the supposed swan song of the band. Fans of hook-laden, tight-harmonied, guitar driven melodic riff rock are going to love this record, favorably comparing it to the band's debut record, while also finding themselves surprised in spots when the brothers stretch their musical legs a bit. 8.5
7. Serpentine Circle Of Knives: A stunning combination of European hard rock, melodic rock, and even some progressive/power metal thrown into the mix. Above average song-crafting and excellent musicianship drive this band that is almost impossible to find fans of in the United States. Seek them out...now... 8.5
4. Queensryche Condition Human: (album review to come) No idea why this album was sent to me SO LATE after its release, but to say that it is stunning would be selling it short. Given more time to absorb the scope and power of this record, I may have even bumped it up another notch or two. While there is no doubt that Todd La Torre is still doing his best to recreate the sonic legacy of Geoff Tate as the vocalist of this band, there is also no doubt that he can no longer be considered a mere stand-in. La Torre IS the vocalist of this classic metal band that fully returns to the power and glory of their earliest metal releases, without the softer progressive elements that were mixed in on later efforts with Tate still at the helm. Truly excellent material from what can now be considered the only REAL Queensryche in existence. 9.0
3. WASP Golgotha: Blackie Lawless and Company return with one of the top albums of their long career, and one of the best releases of 2015. Big hooks, Blackie's inimitable vocals and unsurpassed "metal opera" writing skills, and powerful performances from every member of the band keep W.A.S.P. firmly at the top of the heap as far as bands from the 80s that are...or should be...still relevant in 2015! 9.0
2. Stryper Fallen: Much like W.A.S.P., Stryper has rejuvenated themselves in recent years and have pushed forward to release quite possibly the best material of their amazing, decades long career! Fallen takes the classic Stryper sound farther than it has ever been taken before, adding a heft and metallic edge to their still unquestionably-Stryper sound and unflinching lyrical stance, to make this, without a doubt, one of the top two record of the year for me....and one that could likely be slotted upward to the top very easily on any given day.
1. Razorbats Camp Rock: Nope, you have probably NEVER heard of them, have likely NEVER seen them, and almost assuredly DON'T own this record. Do EVERYTHING in your power to fix at least points 1 and 3 (point 2 may be tough if you don't live in Norway, or at least Europe), because Razorbats and Camp Rock is our number one record of 2015. Why? Quite simply, there is NOTHING I can do to pry this record out of my CD player!!! This is a nearly flawless modern take on the retro 70s/very early 80s sound, offering up glimpses of T. Rex, The Sweet, 70s KISS, Deep Purple, and very early KIX, with tasty doses of punkish energy and snarky attitude. Containing one of my favorite songs of the year in "Desolation Highway", Camp Rock is exactly what is missing from hard rock in 2015...fun, energy, attitude, and an edge from a band that wants to do things their own way, even if that way was previously done by others some 40 years ago! No question my favorite release of 2015...get Camp Rock by Razorbats as soon as you possibly can!
TALKIN' TRASH 2015
Talkin' Trash 2015... the interviews....
2015 was a bit of a slow year for us for interviews...for a number of reasons...but the three we conducted were good ones (in our opinion), and on two occasions we got the guitar player's point of view on things, rather than always just going with the lead singer. That made for a nice change of pace, I believe. In case you missed them the first time, here are our TRASH TALKERS from 2015. Hopefully we will be able to get with a few more people next year...
Ray Parra (ex-Sacred Warrior, Worldview) HERE
Rex Carroll (Whitecross, King James. Rex Carroll Band) HERE
Kjetil Wevling (Razorbats) HERE
Finally, I want to thank all the bands that submitted material (more than one guy can really handle alone, but I do my best), the book companies that sent in material for review, the artists that took their time to chat with me, and, of course, those of you who chose to read, comment, complain, threaten...whatever...my little review site. We surpassed 120,000 reads this year, which is quite a humbling number for me, and more than 300 reviews are now available. Hopefully I have been able to review your music (or your favorite band's music), their books, their concerts, or their videos. I also hope that perhaps I was able to lead you to discover new music and new bands, because that is realistically what Glitter2Gutter is here for.
Happy New Year, and here's to an amazing 2016!
Arttie
Glitter2Gutter
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