EDITOR’S KEN’S TOP 10 OF 2021 2021 may have been another year dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic, but there was still a ton of good music to keep us all company. Live shows resumed once again, and although Delta and Omicron are making life and touring a bit more challenging, we are beginning to see a glimpse of normalcy on the 2022 horizon. As for the year in music, newer bands such as Holding Absence and Caskets released vibrantly impassioned albums. Melodic rock experienced a banner year, with acts such as Newman, Vega, and Cruzh unleashed the auditiory goods in an epic way. And metalheads were treated to headbanging efforts from classic bands such as the mighty U.D.O. and the glorious Victory! Here are my Top 10 albums that kept me rocking in 2021. I have also included my Top 10 EP’s featuring several up-and-coming bands well worth seeking out.
TOP 10 ALBUMS LOST SOULS BY CASKETS (SHARPTONE) Caskets present post hardcore emo rock with a good amount of imagination and flair. SharpTone is definitely the label to find the very best in this style of music, and Caskets certainly presented one of the most poignant albums of the year. Each and every member of Caskets deliver from the heart of the matter, rendering their debut Lost Souls effort a deep and absorbing experience not to be missed. Songs such as The Only Ones, Glass Heart, and Lost In Echoes will have you singing along to their powerful refrains. On their first ever US tour with Dayseker and Holding Absence in the New Year! 60
TROPICAL THUNDER BY CRUZH (FRONTIERS MUSIC SRL) Frontiers Music Srl released a whole bunch of melodic rock and metal albums to keep us all company in the pandemic year of 2021. Tropical Thunder by Cruzh was one of the most refreshing releases from a label now celebrating their 25th Anniversary. Cruzh is a new breed of AOR melodic rock, with super charismatic members delivering the sonic goods big time! Songs such as We Go Together, Turn Back Time, and New York Nights are instant timeless classics that truly set the imagination above and beyond these turbulent days. Tropical Thunder by Cruzh is definitely the feel good record of 2021 and beyond! T H R E E – 6 FEET APART BY DIANE & THE DEDUCTIBLES (DRAIA PRODUCTIONS) T H R E E – 6 Feet Apart finds Diane & The Deductibles in a world where creativity and hope remain alive even in the shadow of a deadly pandemic. Conceived during the tumultuous year of 2020, Diane & The Deductibles made the best of downtime from playing live, and present to their friends and fans T H R E E – 6 Feet Apart – the next chapter in their rocking legacy from these talented and diverse musicians. Let’s Live is about living your best life in the age of Covid-19 while Darkness is a powerhouse psychedelic anthem about suicide prevention. Say What You Mean is super infectious and should be all over the worldwide radio airwaves. Featuring current and former members of Air Supply, Hurricane, Bill Ward Band, and Brand X. TWO FOR A LIE BY HERMAN FRANK (AFM RECORDS) Herman Frank is best known as the guitarist for legendary January/February 2022
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