Top 20 of 2020

 So, after much going back and forth I've come up with a top 20 list of 2020. 

Here it goes:

1. Thin Lizzy – "Rock Legends"

- An outstanding compilation featuring well preserved and nicely restored demos and live recordings packed in a beautiful way. FANTASTIC!!!

2. Mephistofeles – "Satan Sex Ceremonies"

- These Argentinian retro porn rockers came in with fists held high and totally knocked me out!

3. Raven – "Metal City"

- Classic UK band Raven is back with a vengeance (not that they have ever vanished). "Metal City" is prbably my favorite Raven album since the debut!

4. Blue Öyster Cult – "The Symbol Remains"

- I must admit I wasn't expecting this AT ALL!! The last time I saw the Cult live, they were actually a little bit tired. This album is anything but "tired". Awesome!!

5. Kansas – "The Absence of Precense"

- Another band with only a few original members, where my expectations weren't sky high, even though I've thoroughly enjoyed their latest releases. This was better than expected! A killer album!

6. Raging Slab – "Sister Slab And The Boogie Coalition – Vol 1"

- Here's a band I've really missed for so long. The reason for this album may be a sad one (these were the last songs Elyse recorded before she passed away of cancer), but the album is a great one!

7. Lucifer – "III"

- Sweden based retro rockers Lucifer does a "third time lucky". Well, they have actually been "lucky" all three times! 

8. Prins Svart – "Under Jord"

- Being a huge fans of their first two albums, at first I was a bit hesitant about the concept of a band like this using different singers. But after a few spins it fits like a glöve! 

9. Dizzy Mizz Lizzy – "Alter Echo"

- This Danish trio totally knocked me off my feet with their debut, and they still do!

10. Wishbone Ash – "Coat of Arms"

- Another "oldie" that still deliver full on! 

11. Shaggy – "Scarecrow"

- An outstanding Swedish/English band that released their first album in the 70s, disappeared and reappeared with a vengeance!

12. Wolftooth – "Valhalla"

- A new acquaintance for me. Outstanding retro rockers!!

13. Baleful Creed – "The Lowdown"

- And the UK delivers! Another "new" band for me. Ordered all their albums and wasn't disappointed - at all!

14. Perfect Plan – "Time For A Miracle"

- Perfect Plan proves Sweden delivers 100 % when it comes to melodic rock!

15. Clutch – "Weathermaker Vault Series Volume 1"

- Well, not a new album per se, but the songs haven't been properly released, it's Clutch and it's great!

16. Tragik – "Faith Healer"

- Ok, so maybe this shouldn't be in here since I play a guest solo. F**k that, this is a great album by the most prolific singer in hard edged melodic rock, Phil Vincent!

17. Future Elephants? – "Humans Passin’ Through"

- These Swedish proggy rockers continue to deliver! Another killer release!

18. Gudars Skymning – "Olycksfågel"

- Swedish retro rockers Gudars Skymning keep on keeping on! 

19. Vessel Of Light - "Last Ride"

- Another kick-ass stoner album!

20. Bonehawk - "Iron Mountain"

- This outstanding album just squeezed in on last place, because I received it in the last minute. Great album!

Kansas - The Absence Of Precense (CD/LP)

I’ve been a fan of Kansas since the early seventies and I’ve followed the bands through their ups and downs, from the progressive and orchestral early Steve Walsh period, via the more easy accessible melodic John Elefante era, the Stere Morse-era, back to the slightly uneven second Steve Walsh period. After Steve Walsh decided to leave the band a second time, he eas replaced by singer Ronnie Platt who made his debut on the 2016 album “The Prelude Implicit”. Ronnie sounds quite a lot like bass player Billy Greer, who sounds a lot like Steve Walsh. Another new guy on the previous album was guitarist Zak Rizvi, while original members, drummer Phil Ehart and guitarist Rich Williams are still in the band. Here’s also Billy Greer and David Ragsdale, who have been with the band for many years now, while Tom Brislin, on keyboards and vocals is a new face on this album. ”The Abscence Of Presence” opens up with the title track, which sounds as much classic Kansas as it possibly can. A more that eight minute long journey, going from melodic rock through orchestral passages. An excellent number. ”Throwing Mountains” kicks off with a surprisingly heavy guitar riff, to proceed into a slightly softer verse, but still sounding like Kansas in splendid shape. “Jets Overhead” continues in the same vein and I now have to say that, this far, this is the best I’ve heard from Kansas since their heydays! ”Propulsion 1” is a short instrumental piece that brings to mind the Steve Morse era of the band. A proggy, and very nice intermission. ”Memories Down The Line” takes it down to a soft piano ballad level. Even if the song may be a bit cheesy in the verse, the nice pompy mid-section takes it up a few notches and makes up for it, where also the following verse has been enhanced with a nice orchestral backdrop. In its context a really nice song. ”Circus of Illusion” starts with the classic violin solo, continues into a proggy section and a nicemeodsic verse. I have to say that this, still, is a damn fine album! ”Animals On The Roof” continues in the same vein with a nice musical rollercoaster where melodic parts go into odd rhythms and proggy solos. “Never”, again takes it down to a soft piano ballad level, but here it gradually evolves, but without being all prog rock. The album finishes with “The Song The River Sang” which opens with some pretty intricate rhythms and riffs. The verse however shows a slightly different side of the band, and it’s positive, and thene the classic Kansas moves come back in! A really nice and at times pretty intense thing that keeps the listener’s interest up. A highly surprising and abrupt ending though! Can we hope for a sequel, maybe? This is a really outstanding album with all the ingredients I could’ve wished for from a top-notch Kansas album. Despite several of the original members missing, I can’t really say I miss them when listening to the album. Sure, I wouldn’t say no to a couple of licks from Kerry Livgren, and some Steve Walsh vocals (from back in the day when his voice was in top shape), or maybe a violin solo from Robbie Steinhardt, but no, I can’t say I really miss it when listening to the album. The new members, and the old ones of course, do an outstanding work and the album sounds just like a kick ass Kansas album should sound. What more could I wish for?   

Janne Stark

Country: USA

Year: 2020

Label: InsideOut

Steve Walsh – Black Butterfly (CD)

When singer Steve Walsh left Kansas I didn’t expect to see him return in a few years. Well, wrong was I. His new solo album is already hot off the press! Opener “Born In Fire” sounds like a left over Streets track, which is great in my book. Steve sings great and it’s actually hard to hear the difference between Steve’s voice and guest singer Jerome Mazza! The have a very similar tone, where Mazza does still have his high register in place. They do sound great together and the song is a kick ass rocker! When I first heard “The Piper”, it had something familiar about it. I soon realized this song actually appeared on the album by Radioactive. Some of the guitars have been re-amped, but it’s still the same song. “Grace And Nature” is a more pomp oriented track with a chorus that sort of takes the song down in intensity, which is an interesting move. “Dear Kolinda” continues in the pomp oriented vein with a chorus that does touch on the old Streets/Kansas nerve. In “Winds Of War” Jerome Mazza takes over the lead vocals. His voice sounds quite close to Steve’s actually. Sounds like something that also could have been on the Radioactive album. “Tanglewood Tree” starts off a bit Yes sounding. The vocals are a bit thin and strange in the opening, but soon gets better. An ok track, but not really a favorite. “Now Until Forever” again features Mazza on lead vocals. A good semi-ballad type track with a big chorus. “Warsaw” would also fit on the aforementioned Radioactive album. Quite Toto:ish.

“Black Butterfly” sounds quite different from “Shadowman”, both in sound and style. I honestly think “Shadowman” had more of a unique identity, while “Black Butterfly” sounds very much like several other projects involving the song writers. “Nothing But Nothing” starts out pretty cool and promising with an interesting guitar riff and even though it never really lifts off the way I expected, it’s a really cool track with an oriental touch in the chorus. Good one! “Winds of War”, also featuring Mazza on lead vocals is a mid-tempo melodic AOR track, a bit anonymous, but decent enough. “Billy Carbone Is Dead” is another track with a slight Streets touch, where I so wonder what Mike Slamer would have done with the guitar parts. “Mercy On Me” is one of the best tracks after the opener, also featuring Mazza on lead vocals. All in all a pretty good album, in deed. My first impression was actually better than what I feel after 5-6 times of listening. I’m a bit torn regarding Mazza handling the lead vocals on several tracks. He’s a great singer who deserves his own album, and I’d rather hear Steve sing all the songs and Mazza do his own thing, in the same style though. The production is clear and good, but I do miss a bit of the fatness of “Shadowman” which on the other hand misses a bit of the clarity found here. Well worth checking out.

Janne Stark

Label: Escape Music

Year: 2017

Country: USA

BEARDFISH - Mammoth (CD+DVD)

This band is definitely as weird as the name inclines. And, it’s not a bad thing at all. I’ve actually had something of a time-out when it comes to prog as I got tired of staring at my own navel (or at least listening to bands who were). I’ve however discovered some new bands that have made me get into prog mode again. Beardfish is one band that really intrigues me. They have quite an unconventional sound, with a singer that is not just an excuse for having someone wail over some disrhythmic complex musical patterns. Rikard Sjöblom is a damn good singer for starters. The music draws from lots of different areas, but the foundation is firmly based in the aura of the seventies. There’s some touches of Anekdoten meets The Flowerkings, or Gentle Giant meets King Crimson for that matter, in songs like the instrumental And The Stone Said – If I Could Speak, while there are some more heavy rock overtones in opener The Platform. The boys really mix it up which shows in third track Tightrope which sounds more like a re-visited late 60s pop-tune with touches of Camel and some jazzy passages. Green Waves showcases some pretty cool heavy and intense riffing with more of a heavy rock attitude, while next track Oustide/Inside is a short almost classical piano piece. Akakabotu enters a more jazz-fusion oriented landscape and reminds me a bit of Swedish progsters Fläsket Brinner meets Samla Mammas Manna, mixing distorted Hammond organ and saxophone. Album closer Without Saying Anything on the other hand starts off sounding quite a lot like vintage Kansas mixed with more current band Magellan, but when the vocals come in I instantly come to think of Swedish seventies band Blåkulla. This is truly an interesting musical journey I will most likely embark many more times. The bonus-DVD contains the traditional “The making of…” as well as seven tracks recorded live in De Boerderij in Holland of outstanding quality both sound and picture. I’d go for the deluxe edition, it’s worth it!
Janne Stark
Label: InsideOut
Year: 2011