#26 - Social Distortion - Hard Times And Nursery Rhymes
Mike Ness and co. return six years after their previous album. They sound exactly as you remember them, which is equally refreshing, and frustrating (would it be too much to ask to try something a bit different?). But still a highly entertaining record.
#25 - Riot In Rhythm - Vicious Circle
These guys from Seattle produced one of the best albums in years. Proof that there's still life in the Seattle rock scene, yet.
#24 - Star Anna & The Laughing Dogs - Alone In This Together
Star Anna is more proof of Seattle music's promise in this new decade. Star has one of the most beautiful voices in music at the moment, as well as the backing of some pretty major players in Mike McCready of Pearl Jam (who appears on this album), and Duff McKagan.
#23 - Tarja - What Lies Beneath
The former Nightwish vocalist turns out her third solo album. Just before being fired from Nightwish, she made several comments in interviews about how much she hates rock and metal music, but you can't tell from this album that is pretty much Nightwish-lite. It's still very good, though, with Tarja's voice still being as strong as ever.
#22 - Sixx:A.M. - This Is Gonna Hurt
Everyone who knows much about me knows that I hate Motley Crue. To me they embody everything that was wrong with mainstream rock music during the 80's. The very reason why the world was crying out for something that we eventually received in Guns N' Roses, and later the music that got labelled "grunge". So I did not expect to like this album. Amazingly, I consider it one of the best albums of 2011. It's all pretty straight-forward with no real risks taken, but Nikki Sixx, Dj Ashba and James Michael have produced some of the best straight hard rock albums in recent years.
#21 - Dropkick Murphy's - Going Out In Style
The Celt-punk rockers from Boston returned with their trademark mixture of originals and alternative takes on traditional Irish music. It's solid, as usual.
#20 - Deftones - Diamond Eyes
After the release of the amazing 'White Pony' back in 2000, Deftones seemed to lose their way, with their self-titled album and 'Saturday Night Wrist' being patchy at best - though with some decent tunes in there. After a near fatal car crash involving bass player, Chi Cheng, the band abandoned their planned album and started from scratch with 'Diamond Eyes' which found the band on top of their game. Cheng eventually awoke from his coma, and is slowly showing signs of improvement. Hopefully it won't be too long before he's back with the band and they continue work on 'Eros'.
#19 - The Pretty Reckless - Light Me Up
Taylor Momsen was Cindy Lou Who in The Grinch. Then she starred in Gossip Girl. Then she became a musician who appears to be trying too hard to live up to "shocking" behaviour began with The Runaways and carried on with the "riot grrrl" movement in the 90's. Imagewise, she's a complete attention whore with an attitude problem. Musically however, she is more than capable. This album was a real surprise to me, because it's actually very good. Hopefully she grows up soon, because I think she could be capable of something truly great in a few years.
#18 - My Chemical Romance - Danger Days (The True Lives Of The Fabulous Killjoys)
Yet another big surprise. My Chemical Romance is one of those bands that always had a few songs that I could listen to, but never managed to hit me as anything very special. Then 'Danger Days' was released, and the completely absurd and over-the-top comic bookness of it all came across as inspired rather than gimmicky. For the first time, they sound like they're having fun... which enables the listener to have some fun, too.
#17 - Black Label Society - Order Of The Black
Zakk Wylde's band seem to release an album annually, which with any other band would equal over-saturation. With Black Label Society, it only seems to make them improve. The earlier BLS releases had some strong moments, but as time has gone on they've managed to actually make strong albums. Nowhere is this more prevalent thant he amazing 'Order Of The Black'.
#16 - Within Temptation - The Unforgiving
The Dutch symphonic metal band release a concept album complete with a comic book tie-in.
#15 - Ozzy Osbourne - Scream
Ozzy Osbourne proved his many critics wrong last year with the release of 'Scream'. Whereas after the release of the decidedly mediocre, 'Black Rain', people were claiming his best days were behind him, this could actually be his strongest non-Sabbath release.
#14 - Weezer - Hurley
Another band who have managed to pick themselves out of the pit of mediocrity in this decade, Weezer released their best album since 'The Green Album'... and most say that even that paled in comparison to 'The Blue Album' and 'Pinkerton'
#13 - Apocalyptica - 7th Symphony
The Finnish four-piece (formerly four cellists, but now three cellists and a drummer) come back with another strong effort, despite the strength of their guest vocalists drying up. When your most impressive vocalist is Gaving Rossdale, you'd think that you have a problem, but Apocalyptica prove that this isn't necessarily the case. His track 'End Of Me' is actually just as strong as the group's previous collaborations with Corey Taylor and Cristina Scabbia.
#12 - Return To Earth - Automata
Return To Earth is a metal band featuring the head of Bald Freak Records (Ron Scalzo, aka Q*Ball, aka the eponymous Bald Freak), and drummer Chris Pennie of the awful band the Dillinger Escape Plan. From the opening track, this schizophrenic freak-out of a record puts people on a rollercoaster ride that never lets up. All I can suggest is that you seek this one out, because I can not describe it any better than that.
#11 - Joss Stone - LP1
Since the age of 16, Joss Stone has been one of the most promising vocalists of this generation. Her first two albums featured a few songs that really showcased what she was capable of, but she quickly fell victim to record label interference, resulting in 'Introducing Joss Stone' - an album that took any positive thing about those two albums, and threw them out of the window, resulting in a mess. Disappointing sales led to the label indefinitely delaying her follow-up 'Colour Me Free!', until Joss eventually brought herself out of her contract along with the rights to the record and released it herself. That album was just as bad, but it did free her up to do what she wants when she wants as an independent artist.
'LP1' - produced by former Eurythmic, Dave Stewart - is the first result of that new-found freedom. And finally, at the age of 24, Joss Stone is living up to the potential that everyone saw that she had 8 years ago. Stone and Stewart have crafted an album that's equal parts soul, blues and rock n' roll in the exact same way she should have been encouraged to all along.
This year's SuperHeavy project (along with Stewart, Mick Jagger, Damian Marley and A.R. Rahman) has proven that this album wasn't a fluke. I look forward to hearing 'LP2' that is being worked on now.
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