As always, when you look back over the year, there is more good music than you initially remember.
It constantly surprises and delights me just how many good Rock / AOR /Metal bands keep going in difficult circumstances. Not only that, but they consistently turn out work of outstanding quality.
And yes, the road back from the eighties is still jam packed with bands on the comeback trail, looking for another 15 minutes or more.
An indulgence perhaps, but here are the ones I remember best.
Canada's APRIL WINE have never really been away, and each new release, no matter how infrequent its arrival, is always eagerly awaited.
Expectation levels are always high and the band seldom disappoints.
But with 'Roughly Speaking' they took a genuine tilt at immortality. The album is short, but exudes warmth and excitement, and is just brimming over with fabulous melodies and wonderful, back to basics performances.
Another Canadian artist, Jason Darr is something of a musical genius.
His NEUROSONIC album is a wonder to behold. A marvellous mix of dark, industrial sonics; rock, rap and huge orchestral arrangements, all coalescing around soaring pop melodies. One of the year's outstanding releases.
However, comeback of the year goes to Germany's EPITAPH. After 25 years they gave us 'Remember The Daze'.
And what a comeback it was. Like they'd saved every great song they'd written while they were away for this album.
It's firmly rooted in the band's decade of birth. There is no pretence here, no pandering to contemporary rock music fashion.
Just heavyweight guitars, punching hard; in your face arrangements; performances shaped and sharpened by years of experience; superb songwriting and a three dimensional production (thanks to founding member, Cliff Jackson).
Along the way there are echoes of Uriah Heep and Deep Purple, crackling with kinetic energy and powered by sonically huge guitars. Equally, there are several impressive tracks in the style of down'n'dirty, hard driving southern rock.
Jackson's pockmarked voice, worn and wrinkled by the passage of time, radiates warmth and wisdom on a set of beautifully constructed songs and philosophical lyrics.
Still focusing on bands of impressive longevity, ALESSI popped up with another peach, 'Just Like That'.
You could have forgiven the brothers for coasting at this stage of their career, but far from it. Powered by a spare, streamlined energy, populated by songs of gently undulating rhythms and unashamedly romantic lyrics, this new recording is just brimful of sublime melodies and sweet, sinuous hooks. These are the guys who've made a living snagging hearts and minds with their infectious soundtracks to dozens of US TV commercials. One feeds off the other.
Elsewhere in the year, TESLA gave us a cracking double album of covers, 'Real To Reel'. Many of their choices came from the obscure end of the classic rock spectrum, but every one, without exception, came alive in the hands of this enduring hard rock band.
RUFUS WAINWRIGHT's album of lush, lavish, orchestrated pop, 'Release The Stars', proved to be one of the year's highlights. It certainly worked for me.
Newcomers PEDESTRIANS OF BLUE also provided one of the real bright spots with their debut release 'Crossing Over'. They've fashioned an intense melodic rock sound that flirts, often outrageously, with Progrock and melodic metal, frequently embracing these other sub genres with enthusiasm and no little passion.
One to watch, no question.
In addition, old hands MAGELLAN, older hands LOVERBOY and BURN all delivered outstanding new material. 69 EYES, JK NORTHRUP and HARLEQUIN all came back strongly and new kid on the block, LEC ZORN eventually realised his dream AOR project. It lived up to the advance publicity, and then some.
Another great year, no argument.
More please.
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