Top 19 of 2022

 

      

1. King’s X - Three Sides Of One
2. The Dead Daisies – Radiance
3. Clutch – Sunrise On Slaughter Beach
4. Slowtorch – The Machine Has Failed
5. Deadeye Navigator – Lunar Hippies/The Great Binge
6. ZZ Top – Raw
7. Alter Bridge – Pawns & King
8. Wolfnaut – III
9. Mephistofeles - Violent Theatre
10. Sahg – Born Demon
11. Avatarium – Death, Where Is Your Sting
12. Sahara – III: Hell On Earth
13. Shinedown – Planet Zero
14. Crobot – Feel This
15. Mano De Mono – Chameleon Tongue
16. Riot Act - Closer To The Flame
17. Threshold – Dividing Lines
18. Ghost – Impera
19. Jethro Tull - The Zealot Gene

Some other albums not from 2022, but I've listened a LOT to:

• Master Massive - Time Out Of Mind
• Mount Carmel - Get Pure
• Hippie Death Cult - Hippie death Cult
• Mephistofeles - (((I*m Heroin)))
• The Cold Stares - Heavy Shoes
• Twenty Two Hundred - Carnaval de Venus
• Dirty Honey - Dirty Honey
• Chronus - Idols
• Dunsmuir - Dunsmuir
• Cloud Catcher - Trails Of Kozmic Dust
• Bone Church - Acid Communion
• Patriarch - First Hand: Second Verse
• Prins Svart - Inte här för att stanna
• Toehider - To Hide Her
• Beastmaker - Inside The Skull

BELLFAST - Insula Sacra (CD)

Now, here’s an interesting combination. A Japanese band playing Celtic influenced hard rock! Intriguing indeed! Another interesting detail is that the album was mixed by none other than Andy LaRoque! Looking at the band photo, these guys and girls mean business! Musically, yes, they do mean business in that department as well. This is actually really really good! Think heavy Jethro Tull meets Thin Lizzy meets Horslips, but with an aggressive and modern metal touch. They also blend in flute and violin in a very well-balanced manner. However, don’t be fooled by this, Bellfast are heavy and more metal than folk when it comes to the sound. The mix also enhances the heavy edge. Great guitar-playing with tons of nice harmony-work, thunderous drums and heavy plodding bass that at times gives it a touch of Steve Harris, but a bit more subtle. The vocals fit in well with the music and the whole package works really great. The songs are very well arranged and you definitely hear this bunch have been at it for a long time. Yes, the band was formed already in 1993, even though this is their debut album. Well worth checking out indeed!

Janne Stark

Label: King Records

Country: Japan

Year: 2010