Janne Stark’s Top 15 of 2023

So here’s my Top 15 of 2023 (with some extra honorary mentions). If you miss some stuff it may actually be because I actually haven’t heard it (or maybe it wasn’t to my liking enough to make the Top 15). 

Wytch Hazel – IV: Sacrament – Outstanding proggy hard rock, like a mix of classic Demon and heavy Jethro Tull with a NWoBHM touch.

Cloud Catcher – Return From The Cauldron – Ball busting US powerful riff rockers do it again! 

A.C.T – Falling – My favorite Swedish pop-progsters never disappoint! 

Blindstone – Scars To Remember – Martin sure knows how to riff!!

The Cold Stares – Voices – US blues rockers that deliver yet another killer album!

Dirty Honey – Can’t Find The Brakes – The 70s rules! Dirty Honey proves it!

Beastmaker – Body And Soul – Previously unreleased demos, yet, bloody great stuff! For fans of classic Black Sabbath.

Vandenberg – Sin – Mats Leven has sure brought a new touch to this excellent classic band!

Timechild – Blossom & Plague – The Danes manage to follow up their debut with an even better album! 

Prins Svart – Till vårt försvar – Mats Leven, again, delivers the goods with these excellent Swedish riff rockers!

Tania Kikidi – Wings Of Freedom – Tania has leather coated vocal cords, perfect for this bluesy metal album!

Ego Planet – Ego Planet – More outstanding heavy riff rock! A KILLER debut!

Bloody Dice – Bloody Dice – A new Danish power combo that shows that Danish Dynamite is still highly explosive!

Zhiva – Into The Eye Of The Storm – Excellent heavy melodic Swedish rockers!

Future Elephants? – The Past Was A Blast… - Just love these slightly quirky Swedish progy rockers!

Honorary mentions:

Care Of Night – Reconnected – Killer AOR!

Sour Cream – Sour Cream – More killer retro riffing!

Sass Jordan – Live In New York Ninety-Four – Sass rocks! What a killer live album!!

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!

2018 Top 10!

Ok, so I've finally come around to compile my top 10 of 2018!
I may (of course) have forgotten some album I later remember and go - daaaamned! Also, I still have a bunch of albums I haven't even had the time to listen to, so some may have gone under the radar.

1. Prins Svart
This is truly a masterpiece delivered by four Swedish musicians that had a band back in the 90s called Four Sticks. They only released a promo album, but it was a kick-ass piece of plastic (now quite a rarity in its original press - it was quite recently re-issued by Grooveyard Records). Anyway, singer Stefan Berggren has also appeared fronting bands like Company of Snakes, Snakes In Paradise (I see a pattern here...), Berggren Kerslake Band as well as released solo stuff, guitarist Henrik Bergqvist was in The Poodles, bass player Thomas Thorberg in Plankton, Snakes In Paradise and drummer Sebastian Sippola has been beating the skins in Grand Magus, Fortune, Southfork, Plankton etc. In Prins Svart (Prince Black) they get to revisit the good old 70s riff arena, surprisingly (but I love it) singing in Swedish! An outstanding album, which really left me craving for more!!

2. Revolution Highway - Revolution Highway (Grooveyard)
Man, this was on the verge! I received this outstanding CD in December, but damn! It really gave me a musical knock-out! Singer David Fefolt (FireWölf, Hawk, Masi, Valhalla) has the perfect bluesy, ripping voice to match the outstanding guitar licks of Greek riff phenomenon Stavros Papdopoulos (Universal Hippies, Super Vintage). I totally love Stavros other bands (and he's a great singer), but this combination just brings the level up exponentially! This is like hearing some of your favorite albums from the 70s for the first time, mixing classic hard rock with a southern groove and a phat bluesy vibe. Outstanding!

3. Lucifer - II
This one came as a total surprise. I had not even heard the band's first album when this gem just dropped down in my lap (well, it wasn't that simple - saw a link on FaceBook, listened, loved it, Googled the band, found the album and ordered it). Another outstanding slab of 70s oriented riff based hard rock with a touch of doom. Fronted by excellent singer Johanna Sadonis and also featuring former Entombed/Hellacopters bender Nicke Andersson. Riffs prevail! 

4. Clutch - Book Of Bad Decisions
I'm a huge fan of Clutch! The early stuff, not so much, but when I heard Blast Tyrant, I was hooked! The last couple of album have all be EPIC! "Earth Rocker" and "Psychic Warfare" - OUSTANDING! Well, I will admit "Bad Decisions" didn't reach their flawless status, but it's still so much better than so many other albums! A song like "In Walks Barbarella" alone beats 80 % of the releases of 2018.

5. Ty Tabor - Alien Beans
I've always been a huge King's X fan! I've also always been a huge Ty Tybor fan! His solos, his sense for melodic solos, his vocals, his outstanding rhythm guitar playing! A top notch musician in my book! On "Alien Beans" Ty returned to some heavier songs which was right up my alley!

6. Bernie Tormé - Shadowland
Here's another guitar hero of mine that just keeps on delivering! I've been a pledger on his latest bunch of albums, and I've never been disappointed (which has happened with several others). "Shadowland" is not a good album, it's TWO great albums - in one! A double CD! He just keeps on delivering and he sounds better than ever!

7. Earthless - Black Heaven
To be honest I so wanted to like the first two albums by Earthless. The riffs were great, the musicians kicked ass. But... instrumental music rarely does it for me these days. I just wished they would find a good singer to complete the band. Well, now they did! "Black Heaven" is a killer album, indeed! Heavy, stonery/doomy riffing without going over the edge. Actually, more retro than stoner. There are still some instrumental passages, but it works!

8. Judas Priest - Firepower
Man, I grew up on Judas Priest! I heard "Rocka Rolla" on the radio back in 1974 and was hooked! My cousin introduced me to "Sad Wings Of Destiny" and the line and sinker were in as well! I kinda lost them in the 90s and even though "Angel Of Retribution" and "Redeemer of Souls" were quite decent albums, they never really hit home with me. Now, "Firepower" is a different story! It doesn't beat the early stuff, but damn it's a powerful and outstanding effort indeed!

9. Billy Gibbons - Big Bad Blues
I bought Billy's first solo album "Perfectamundo", listened to it, hated it and immediately sold it. I read about the new album being more of a blues album. This time I listened to a couple of songs before buying it. Damn great album! Could have been a ZZ Top album, for sure! And a good one at that!

10. Black Debbath - Norsk Barsk Metal
I just love these Norwegian funny-guys! Musically this is top notch riff-oriented stonerish heavy rock with killer riffs and kick ass songs! The vocals may be the thing that will put some people off. The band sings in Norwegian and the vocals may not be to everyone's liking. The lyrics are funny as shit (which is another factor those who don't understand Norwegian will miss)! "Norsk Barsk Metal" means Norwegian Hard/Heavy Metal. Other song titles include: "Følelsesmessig Inkontinent" (Emotionally incontinent), " Etiske Retningslinjer For Tryllekunstnere" (Ethical guidelines for magicians) and "Pappa lukter tusj" (Daddy smells like ink). Gotta love 'em!