Music of 2019 - Part 2

2019 is officially over, as is the past decade. The 2010s has been a great time for new music, with countless new albums being released over the past ten years. In my opinion 2019 has been one of the best years for new music this decade, despite some really tough competition, so putting my customary list together has been as difficult as always. The top four were easy, as in truth any one of them could have been my Album of the Year, but the remaining six spots could have been filled up by any number of other great albums. I know others do longer lists, but I like to keep things simple - and these ten albums are as good as any to sum up 2019 as a musical year for me. As always too, I have also included some of my favourite gigs of the year below. I am not sure I got to quite as many gigs this year as last year (which was an extremely busy year) but I still managed to get to loads of great shows. It is harder to narrow down gigs for lists like this, as they are one-off experiences that are hard to quantify. Albums you get to know over a period of months, whereas gigs come and go in the space of an evening - with outside factors such as illness of the behaviour of others in the crowd can also affect your gigging experience. I throw in the gigs lists in to highlight some of the best, but the focus here has always been on the new albums. In my opinion, the album (be it digitally, on CD, or on vinyl) is still the best way to listen to new music. Bands often put great care into the whole package (the artwork, the way the album flows song to song etc.) and I find it is in their original album running order that songs make the most sense. Nearly all of my music listening is done by playing full albums, and I do not see that changing any time soon. I think this is actually also the case for a surprising number of people. Sales of vinyl records have been soaring over the last few years, and the CD sees to be steadfastly hanging on despite people predicting its death over the past decade. Physical music still seems to the preferred method of music consumption for a large number of big-time music fans, and I for one am happy that this is still the case. As always, my Album of the Year list only contains new studio albums - so compilations, live albums, or collections of re-recorded material are not eligible for inclusion.

10) Alter Bridge - Walk the Sky
A latecomer to the list that pushed another album out, Walk the Sky has been really impressing me since its October release. The American hard rock giants hit the wall a bit in 2016 with the weak The Last Hero, but have come roaring back with their sixth album that showcases the four-piece at their best. Mixing the anthemic post-grunge rock style of their early work with the progressive songwriting of 2013's Fortress, Walk the Sky is arguably the best example of all of the band's disparate styles coming together to form a cohesive whole. It is an extremely accessible and melodic collection of songs, but strip back these layers and plenty of twists and turns can be found - as well as a lot of weight. Mainstream rock acts are rarely this heavy these days, and Walk the Sky is filled with pseudo-metal moments thanks to guitarist Mark Tremonti who is one of the generation's best riff writers. Frontman Myles Kennedy also once again shows why he has one of the most powerful clean voices in the world at the moment, and everything just comes together perfectly to create a dynamic and hard-hitting album.
Listen to: Godspeed, Take the Crown & Dying Light

9) Chasing the Monsoon - No Ordinary World
Those of us waiting for the Welsh progressive rock act Karnataka to re-launch itself again were treated back in September to the long-awaited launch of Chasing the Monsoon - a project featuring Karnataka alumni Ian Jones and Lisa Fury, as well as a host of others. This is not merely Karnataka under another name however, as the music contained within is much more cinematic and world-influenced - taking cues from a number of different styles, all while seemingly grounded in folk. Fury and arguably the project's driving force Steve Evans weave their delicate vocal melodies around a number lengthy and musically-dense songs that feature landscapes quite unlike anything I have really heard before. It is an album that reveals itself over a number of listens, as it takes on a lot of guises as it moves along. There are a couple of tracks that certainly sound like Karnataka, but there are moments that sound almost like Yes - as well as a host of other vibes and textures. It is an album that I am still discovering, and I feel that it is one I will be enjoying for years to come.
Listen to: Circles of Stone, Dreams & No Ordinary World

8) The Quireboys - Amazing Disgrace
Despite being a victim to the PledgeMusic drama, one of 2019's low-points musically, English rock veterans The Quireboys still managed to make a success of their twelfth Amazing Disgrace. It had been three years since the band had last released an album of new material, a large gap in the context of their recent run of releases, and the band were clearly keen to get back to doing what they do best. After exploring folkier sounds on St Cecilia and the Gypsy Soul and blues on Twisted Love, Amazing Disgrace was The Quireboys' signature brand of barroom rock and roll dragged kicking and screaming into 2019. The riffs are great, the grooves are strong, and the overall strut that the album possesses is second to none. The Quireboys are peerless when it comes to writing this sort of music currently, and Amazing Disgrace is another worthy entry in their fairly extensive body of work. Hard rockers and delicate ballads sit side by side here perfectly, with a few of the tracks already finding themselves at home in the band's live set.
Listen to: Original Black Eyed Son, Amazing Disgrace & Dancing in Paris

7) DragonForce - Extreme Power Metal
A bit like Alter Bridge, DragonForce have hit back strongly this year after a relatively weak previous album. Reaching into Infinity in 2017 was an album that had little staying power for me, but Extreme Power Metal just sees the band getting back to doing what they do best and result is a great feel-good slab of power metal that I have been listening to a lot since its September release. The band have not sounded this carefree since the late 2000s, and in many ways albums like 2004's Sonic Firestorm seem to have influenced the songwriting the most here. With bassist Frédéric Leclercq's songwriting taking a backseat here, presumably due to his eventual departure to join Kreator, guitarist Sam Totman once again picked up the slack and composed much of the album. Leclercq's songwriting had helped to diversify DragonForce's sound, which has certainly helped the band to stay fresh, but it is Totman's speed-fests that DragonForce are famous for - and Extreme Power Metal sees that style pushed to the fore once again. With a better production and tighter arrangements this time around however, DragonForce sound better than ever and this is a real high point in their impressive discography.
Listen to: The Last Dragonborn, Razorblade Meltdown & Strangers

6) Black Star Riders - Another State of Grace
A couple of line-up changes sometimes cost a band momentum, but for the Irish/American rockers Black Star Riders it just seems to have spurred them on to greater heights. The five-piece have long stepped out of the shadow of Thin Lizzy and have become one of the most-popular modern rock acts, with their heavy folk-influenced playing and slightly punky aesthetic informing their excellent songs. Another State of Grace is the band's fourth album, and for me it is easily their best since their 2013 debut. After taking a tougher route on 2017's Heavy Fire, the band got back to doing what they do best here - with new guitarist Christian Martucci clearly breathing new life into the band's formula and striking up a great writing partnership with frontman Ricky Warwick. Martucci and fellow guitarist Scott Gorham lay down twin-guitar lead after twin-guitar lead throughout the album, with each song here being memorable for different reasons. It is a true classic rock feast, and if it was not for another album that will come later in this list Another State of Grace would easily be the best old-school sounding rock album of the year.
Listen to: Another State of Grace, Underneath the Afterglow & Why Do You Love Your Guns?

5) Sabaton - The Great War
Sweden's Sabaton have become one of the most-consistent metal acts over the past decade or so - and are now also one of the biggest. With the band ready to undertake an arena tour of Europe early in 2020, Sabaton are really riding high. While the band's ninth album The Great War does little to stand out in the context of their catalogue, due to the fact that Sabaton have one style and stick to it like glue, it is another excellent release and is packed full of anthemic war songs that also prove to be something of a history lesson. This time focusing all of the album's songs on World War I, Sabaton tell us tales of Lawrence of Arabia and The Red Baron - all done via their concise, and pompous songwriting style. Some of the keyboards used here would make 1980s-era Europe blush, and the great guitar tag team of Chris Rörland and Tommy Johansson - the latter making his debut with the band on this album - are never far away from unleashing another driving riff or shredded solo. The star of the show however, as always, is frontman Joakim Brodén who's rich, deep voice (something atypical for power metal) is the perfect vehicle for these dramatic war stories.
Listen to: Seven Pillars of Wisdom, 82nd All The Way & The Red Baron

4) Dream Theater - Distance Over Time
Now we reach the real cream of the crop. Any of the top four could easily be my number one, but I had to put them in some sort of order. The first of these 'best' albums is the fourteenth studio album from progressive metal legends Dream Theater: Distance Over Time. For many this album was something of a 'return to form', but for me the band never lost their form so for me it is just another excellent album in their remarkable discography. I do think the decision to tighten up their sound again was a wise one however. The sprawling concept album The Astonishing was clearly a very divisive release, and the band wanted to get back to their core sound here. The band's patented mix of heavy riffing, melodic vocals, and technical instrumental passages works as well as ever here - with some of the fat of other albums trimmed somewhat to give the listener a more cohesive overall experience. The band have lost none of their magic through this tightening up process however, and the result is actually the band's accessible and most overtly-melodic album for some time. This would be a great entry point into the band's catalogue for new fans, and all five members of the band really pull their weight to make Distance Over Time a memorable experience.
Listen to: Fall into the Light, Barstool Warrior & S2N

3) Queensrÿche - The Verdict

Seven years into their rebirth with frontman Todd La Torre at the helm and Seattle's Queensrÿche seem to be keen to keep releasing some of their strongest work yet. While probably not quite as strong as 2015's Condition Hüman, The Verdict shows a confident Queensrÿche happy to be a progressive metal band again. Condition Hüman pushed the band's formula a little, but The Verdict is just a great old-school sounding Queensrÿche album packed full of melodic songwriting, progressive moments, and the band's signature grunge-esque darkness. The guitar work on display throughout from both Michael Wilton and Parker Lundgren creates some of the year's most potent metal leads, while the vocal virtuosity from La Torre just showcases why Queensrÿche have really found their feet again under his guidance. His voice is perfect for the band, and his songwriting prowess has really brought the band back from the brink. He also handles all of the album's drums due to the ongoing and frustrating absence of Scott Rockenfield, showing that he is a true musician and certainly not just a powerful voice. It is another album that would work well as an entry point for a new fan, and The Verdict has been played regularly here since its March release.

Listen to: Blood of the Levant, Light-Years & Propaganda Fashion

2) Whitesnake - Flesh & Blood

Whitesnake are one of my very favourite bands, so a new album from them is always going to be something of an event. The band's last album of original material came in 2011, so a follow-up was long overdue - but Flesh & Blood defied all my expectations and has become one of my most-listened to albums this year since coming out in May. It follows on perfectly from the band's other recent albums, showcasing a bit of everything that has made Whitesnake such a captivating band since their late 1970s genesis. There are bluesy tracks reminiscent of their early work, there are foot-stomping stadium rock tracks that recall their late 1980s heyday, and there are gorgeous ballads that showcase the band's more recent iterations. Flesh & Blood is an album with a bit of everything, and the current six musicians that make up Whitesnake certainly gave it their all to make this album a special one. I always love hearing Tommy Aldridge behind the drum kit, and the duelling guitars of Reb Beach and Joel Hoekstra are never far away from some bluesy slide work or a shredded solo. Main man David Coverdale sounds as sassy and powerful as ever too, and he and his band have created easily the best classic-sounding rock album of the year.

Listen to: Good to See You Again, Hey You (You Make Me Rock) & Heart of Stone

1) Mostly Autumn - White Rainbow

My Album of the Year is probably no surprise to those who know me well, as Mostly Autumn probably are my favourite band of all time. This was an album that took a while to bed in with me however, but after a couple of months with it I was convinced that it was one of the best things the band have ever done. Mostly Autumn have been on a real run of form of late, with their last three albums all being up there with the best of their career. White Rainbow might well be their best however, with the twenty-minute title track showcasing a bit of everything that has made the band so great over the past couple of decades. Much of the album was inspired by the tragic death of the band's former guitarist Liam Davison, and the sorrow has clearly led Bryan Josh and co. to dig much deeper than usual - and the result is something special that manages to convey a whole host of emotions. From the throwback intro to Viking Funeral, to the soaring guitar crescendo of Young, White Rainbow is a true journey that needs to be experienced from start to finish - and multiple times. It is one of the most emotionally-broad albums that I have ever heard, and I really think that this is that album that Mostly Autumn will be judged by long into the future.

Listen to: Viking Funeral, Western Skies & White Rainbow

Well, there you have it! My Albums of the Year list is a great representation of my listening over the past twelve months - and if there are any albums there that you have not yet checked out then I would urge you to do so. I would like to throw in the names of a few 'honourable mentions' too, as there were a few albums that just about missed the cut. Opeth's In Cauda Venenum was in an early draft of my list before I replaced it with Alter Bridge's effort. It is probably the Opeth album that I have listened to the most upon its release, but I still feel that there is a lot for me to discover there. A couple of other strong contenders were Eluveitie's Ategnatos and the debut from the latest incarnation of Rhapsody Zero Gravity (Rebirth and Evolution). Ategnatos in particular I have listened to a lot this year, so I could have easily justified including it - but I prefer the albums I chose instead just a little more. All I have left to do now is to shine the spotlight on some of my favourite gigs of the year - which again I have split into the fairly broad categories of 'big' and 'small'. 'Big' largely refers to stadium, arena, or large theatre shows; whereas 'small' refers to shows in small theatres or clubs. It is hard to draw a line between the two really, but the six shows below are just some of the many excellent nights out I have had this year:

Top 3 'Big' Gigs of 2019:

3) Kiss, Arena Birmingham, 09/07/2019

Allegedly on their final tour, the American stadium rockers Kiss visited the UK just two years after their last run of shows for an explosive and powerful evening of music taken from their vast back catalogue. Kiss have become masters at putting on a show over the years, and enough gunpowder to fuel a small revolution was used throughout the evening - with fireworks and pyro aplenty throughout. All of the show would be for nothing however if the band's songs were not up to scratch, but Kiss pulled out hit after hit throughout the evening - as well as showcasing a few relative deep cuts for the sold out crowd. It was a night all about over-the-top hard rock excess and a 'kitchen sink' production, but it all came together perfectly and if Kiss are about to bow out then they will have done so in style.

2) Ghost, Motorpoint Arena (Nottingham), 16/11/2019

If 2018 was the year that I finally got into Ghost, then 2019 was the year where I became a huge fan. After not 'getting' the band for years, I finally took the plunge and decided to go and see the band live - and I am so glad that I did as they put on one of the best shows of the year. The band's catchy, yet creepy, music translates into an arena environment perfectly and Tobias Forge led his large band through a greatest hits-esque set featuring material from all four of the band's studio albums. With bands like Kiss allegedly nearing retirement, stadium rock needs a new hero and Ghost is that band - and I can only see the band's shows getting bigger and grander as the years move on. People constantly ask where the next big festival headliners are, and Ghost seem about ready now to make that jump and become true legends.

1) Bon Jovi, Wembley Stadium, 21/06/2019

I had not had the chance to see Bon Jovi live before, and in truth I was somewhat apprehensive. Bon Jovi have not been a true classic rock band for some time, with a string of fairly mediocre albums packed with easy-listening songs for their casual fanbase. I had expected the band's show to be something similar, but it turned out to be one of the best rock shows I have ever seen - packed full of bona fide world-beating hits as well as a few deeper cuts for the die-hard fans. I have not been to many stadium shows, and some of them have been lacking in atmosphere, but this show was electric from start to finish - with even those of us at the very back to the stadium fully on board with the band's on stage antics. It is always great to have your perceptions and expectations smashed, and I left Wembley Stadium with a new-found respect for Bon Jovi.

Top 3 'Small' Gigs of 2019:

3) Black Star Riders, O2 Academy (Bristol), 10/10/2019

Hot on the heels of releasing the excellent Another State of Grace album, Black Star Riders kicked off their UK tour in Bristol, debuting many of the new album's songs. A few technical hitches aside, the evening was a powerful display of old-school hard rock from a band that just seems to get better and better as the years pass by. Ricky Warwick is one of the genre's best frontman, and seeing the elder statesman of rock that is Scott Gorham enjoying this new-found fame and appreciation is a joy to behold. 2019 was also the year that Black Star Riders did not include any Thin Lizzy songs in their setlist, showing more than ever how they have become their own band and are creating own legacy.

2) The Quireboys, O2 Forum Kentish Town, 14/09/2019

Of the three Quireboys shows that I saw this year, the band's 35th Anniversary show in London was easily the best of the bunch. Featuring the entire A Bit of What You Fancy album, as well as a handful of other choice cuts, the band rocked the sold-out Kentish Town Forum and put on one of the best shows of theirs that I have seen yet. I always love seeing The Quireboys live, but shows that see them diversify their fairly rigid setlist are always going to be winners for me. It helped that the live sound mix was excellent, with frontman Spike in the form of his life and keyboardist Keith Weir enjoying plenty of time in the spotlight. Any show that encores with a double salvo of Sex Party and Mayfair is always going to be a winner, and the show can be relived in all its glory via the band's new 35 & Live live album.

1) Marillion, Bath Forum, 09/11/2019

It is unsurprising that one of my all-time favourite bands topped this list, but when Marillion take a string section on the road with them and play a setlist packed with some of their best epic tracks then it is always going to be a winner! The band's most recent tour saw them play one of their proggiest setlists for some time, with the addition of six classically-trained musicians to enhance and bulk out their already grand sound. Marillion really are riding the crest of a wave at the moment and are the most popular they have been for a good number of years. Multiple sold out UK tours over the past few years showcase this popularity, and this tour could well have been the best of the bunch. Nothing will ever top that Albert Hall show in 2017, but this one came close.