ALBUM OF THE YEAR
NEPHILA – Nephila
Sweden’s Nephila released their debut self-titled album this year and I couldn’t stop listening to it. From the moment I ripped the cellophane off of the record, it became a very frequent visitor to my turn table for a night of edibles, beer, and a psychedelic light show in my basement.
Featuring Children of the Sun members Jacob Hellerud (guitar) and Johan Lööf drums), Nephila’s debut album definitely took me by surprise but in a great way. While it probably would have been easy to just replicate the sound of Children of the Sun, Nephila does their own thing mixing a harder edged rock sound ala Rival Sons, Swedish psych rock, and a slight progressive flair for good measure.
Vocalists Stina Olsson and Josephine Asker work off each other brilliantly bringing not just lush harmonies but each of them has a distinct strength that creates a dynamic that drew me in and captured my ears.
Nephila released an album that was magical, full of exciting musical moments, and most importantly great songs. If this debut is any indication as to what is to come from Nephila in the future, I would say that future looks pretty damn good for not just Nephila but for fans of great music as well.
Check out Nephila at https://nephilamusic.bandcamp.com/
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Marissa Nadler – The Path of the Clouds
2021 saw the return of dark folk doomstress Marissa Nadler with her latest album The Path of the Clouds. With The Path of the Clouds, Marissa Nadler has once again created a collection of songs that are meant to be experienced and felt as much if not more than listened to. The Path of the Clouds is beautifully unsettling. Where most folksinger/songwriters might make one think of blue skies, open fields, and rain, The Path of the Clouds makes me think more about dark, dank cellars, murky swamp waters, and thunderstorms with no place to retreat.
When listening to The Path of the Clouds, don’t fight it. Surrender to the flow but be prepared to go someplace that you may not be comfortable going potentially. It’s a path to a darker side of the senses, and it’s beautiful. Trust me, I have been there and plan to re-visit many more times.
Check out Marissa Nadler at https://www.marissanadler.com/
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Marissa Nadler – Instead of Dreaming
Marissa Nadler is the first artist in the history of this blog to have two releases on the same Top Albums list in the same year. Nadler is the kind of artist who will not just play a cover note for note with her own identity. Instead, she has this unique way of taking any song and turning it into a piece that sounds like she wrote them herself.
Instead of Dreaming is a collection of cover songs that Nadler released this year via her official BANDCAMP site and it is an absolutely stunning release. Nadler caught me off guard with her choice of covers such as progressive rock masters King Crimson’s “Moonchild,” America’s “Lonely People,” and Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters.” Nadler delivered an unpredictable but absolutely beautiful collection of covers that keeps Nadler from being a predictable artist and keeps me being a fan.
Check out Marissa Nadler at https://www.marissanadler.com/
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Sami Yaffa – The Innermost Journey to Your Outermost Mind
A solo album from former Hanoi Rocks bassist Sami Yaffa was something that I never would have predicted. Over the years, Yaffa kept busy playing with former Hanoi Rocks vocalist Michael Monroe, bassist for 80’s sleaze rockers Jetboy, and as bassist for the reformed New York Dolls. The Innermost Journey to Your Outermost Mind is an unpredictable album that knows no boundaries. Instead of focusing on trying to do just one thing, Yaffa chose to make the album that he wanted to make.
The street punk sound of “Germinator,” the Hanoi Rocks sounding “Fortunate One,” the Bob Dylan-esque “Down at St. Joe’s,” the dub infused “Rotten Roots,” and the reggae-inspired “Look Ahead” were diamonds in the rough. These songs are a prime example of Sami Yaffa’s diverse influences and his ability to express them in his writing, playing, and singing without any restraint. The sincerity of his lyrics, the musicianship, and the honest, confident, and gritty, gnarly vocals put Sami Yaffa in a place where he has belonged all along. It took a while to get here, but good things come to those who wait. As an artist, it’s clear to hear that Yaffa has found his place as a leader with The Innermost Journey to Your Outermost Mind, and as a fan, I couldn’t be any happier.
Check out Sami Yaffa Here: https://www.facebook.com/sami.yaffa
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Jordan Rudess – A Chapter in Time
In the midst of a global pandemic, Dream Theater keyboard wizard Jordan Rudess’ A Chapter in Time is much more than a collection of songs or even a soundtrack. A Chapter in Time is an album that I was able to connect with in so many ways. The optimism, the sadness, the promise, and even the meditative are just some of the vibes set into motion by this album. A Chapter in Time is an album that can easily connect with everyone of all ages and walks of life because it’s more than music. It’s every feeling that every one of us has lived through encapsulated into 47 minutes of music.
A Chapter in Time is precisely what it says it is. It is a part of history that we never thought we would see. But, like all great works of history, A Chapter in Time will be one of those things that generations from now music lovers will be able to listen to, feel, and understand just what we all experienced during these darker days. Music truly is the universal language, and A Chapter in Time speaks volumes without the need to do so with words.
Check out Jordan Rudess Here: https://www.jordanrudess.com/
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Truls Morck – What a Time to Be Alive
Graveyard bassist Truls Morck has a whole other identity of his own. Stepping away for a bit from the volume, throbbing bass, and the ear-shattering, face-melting sound of Graveyard, Truls has released his second solo album called What a Time to Be Alive and it was an album that moved me unlike I thought possible. The song “What a Time” seems to come from a place of emotional (and maybe even physical) pain, anxiety, and depression, yet it offers up a dose of optimism. “Good to Me” is a melancholy shoegaze track that reminds me a bit of the band The Clientele.
What a Time to Be Alive has Morck dipping his toes into genres of music such as shoegaze and lo-fi , but in all honesty, What a Time to Be Alive is much more than a collection of songs. It’s a feeling. It’s an emotion. It’s optimistic, it’s sad, it’s comfortable, and unsettling all in one package. Truls Morck has a way of sharing his innermost feelings and visions and does so with beautiful vulnerabilities.
Check out Truls Morck Here: https://www.facebook.com/trulsmorcktrulsmorck
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Jess and the Ancient Ones – Vertigo
Vertigo has Jess and the Ancient Ones taking all of the best elements from their three previous releases. Together these elements are combined into a collection of songs that act as a sonic anthology that showcases the band’s dynamic range and versatile performances. My first listen to Vertigo had me feeling a bit uneasy at first but in the best of ways. It’s like when you dip your toes into a lake, and it’s cold, and you’re hesitant to jump in. Once you jump into that water, you get more comfortable yet are still somewhat uneasy about what you cannot see below you.
Vertigo has it’s own place in the cosmos, much like their previous releases. Each song tells a unique story, and all of them combined creates a journey for the mind. From the bouncy and danceable “Burning of Velvet Fires” to the downright uncomfortable vibe of “Born to Kill” and “Summer Tripping Man,” Jess and the Ancient Ones have mastered the art of taking the listener on a journey without having to leave your place physically. In a nutshell, the listener will be transported into a whole other realm; the realm of Jess and the Ancient Ones.
Check Out Jess and the Ancient Ones Here: https://www.facebook.com/jessandtheancientones
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Styx – Crash of the Crown
Classic prog rockers Styx returned in 2021 with the follow up to their 2017’s concept album The Mission with Crash of the Crown. I think it’s fucking insane that over a short span of four years, Styx has released their best work since The Grand Illusion and Pieces of Eight (and yes, I will fight you if you disagree.) Crash of the Crown is a glorious return to the melodic, accessible, and exciting progressive sound that put them on the map nearly 50 years ago and while it may sound familiar, it sounds new, fresh, and full of a new found spirit and life.
While the songs “The Fight of Our Lives,” “A Monster,” and “Our Wonderful Lives” sound similar to the classic material, it’s songs like “Reveries,” “Hold Back the Darkness”, and “Common Ground” that establish Styx as a band who is very much a relevant band. Musically and lyrically, Styx still captured my imagination and created scenarios in my mind that took me away from it all.Crash of the Crown also proved that Styx isn’t a band to play it safe and ride on the coat tails of their past. They are a band that has been re-born and hopefully will continue to add to their legacy for many more years.
Check out Styx at https://styxworld.com/
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Wardruna – Kvltravn
2021 was a year that I found myself immersing myself in new types of music. With no shows to go to, there really wasn’t a whole lot to write about. I became addicted to the History Channel show Vikings and was intrigued by the theme music. I would do some quick Googling and I found out that this incredible music was by a Norwegian band called Wardruna.
Wardruna’s album Kvitravn blew me away and it was the perfect album for me who was needing something completely different. The songs on Kvitravn had elements of traditional Nordic folk music, dark, folk, and even at times droning/ambient music. Featuring instruments such as percussion, flutes, and the traditional instrument, moraharpa, Wardruna’s Kvitravn took a vast piece of our worlds history and froze it in place creating a soundtrack that took me there in all of it’s freezing, cold, bloody, and triumphant glory.
Check out Wardruna at http://www.wardruna.com/
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Heavy Feather – Mountain of Sugar
Heavy Feather’s Mountain of Sugar was a fun, much needed exciting release in 2021. In a time where the world has been so heavy, Mountain of Sugar was just what I needed. Face rocking songs like, “30 Days,” “Bright in My Mind,” and “Mountain of Sugar” showcase vocalist Lisa Lystam’s over the top blues energy while “Let it Shine” could’ve been a Black Crowes classic. The heavy, the melodic, and the mellow are all represented on this album and most of all, it’s a fucking fun album! Like, this album made me dance like a fucking idiot in my basement.
Mountain of Sugar is a powerhouse, versatile collection of infectious blues-rock explosions. Mountain of Sugar is a good time listen. In these fucked up times where we can’t congregate and rage with friends,Mountain of Sugar is the kind of album that is the perfect soundtrack for partying by yourself. Crack a beer, light up a joint, put on Mountain of Sugar, and dance around your room without any care or concern.
Check out Heavy Feather Here: https://www.facebook.com/HeavyFeatherRock/
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