2019 has been a decent year in hard rock and metal. Not as strong as some of the years past, but enough to keep the gears moving. Some prog metal giants have released some great material. As well as a few 80’s hard rock veterans. There were also multiple #1 heavy albums this year. Something that hasn’t happened in a few years. Through all the ups and downs of 2019, here’s the years top hard rock and metal albums.
Dream Theater – Distance Over Time
Dream Theater truly got back to business this year with their strongest album since ‘A Dramatic Turn of Events.’ And they really needed the boost. Because when ‘The Astonishing’ came out a lot of fans temporarily jumped ship. But Dream Theater has gotten many of them back. And the pieces are being picked back up again. Yes, the new album didn’t chart as high as their Roadrunner released albums. But the tour, which is currently still happening, has been really successful. And it’s easy to see why. When you’re dealing with incredible tracks such as ‘At Wits End,’ ‘S2N,’ and ‘Pale Blue Dot,’ you’re dealing with some the best material the band has ever written. The outro jam on ‘S2N’ is just pure bad assness. Plus, the singles: ‘Paralyzed,’ ‘Untethered Angel,’ and ‘Fall Into The Light’ are all strong. The album is loaded with quality material from top to bottom. If Dream Theater stay on this route, they’ll get back to their near arena status in to time.
KXM – Circle Of Dolls
KXM’s third album, ‘Circle of Dolls’ is arguably their strongest to date. It’s just loaded with quality tracks from top to bottom. And the production is really solid. It’s amazing that they wrote and recorded the album in about a month. Particularly when you consider the amount of material that’s on the record. And it’s all good. The band, consisting of: Doug Pinnick (bass, vocals-King’s X), Ray Luzier (Drums-Korn) and George Lynch (Guitar-Dokken/Lynch Mob) touch on all of their sounds while still remaining in a strong, streamlined song structure. ‘War of Words’ opens the album with mega intensity, while still remaining melodic and accessible. The band tackles current issues on the album with tracks like ‘Mind Swamp,’ the title track and the amazing ‘The Border.’ The album is also loaded with extremely tasty, heavy, funky as all hell jams. As demonstrated on songs like ‘Vessel of Destruction’ and ‘Wide Awake.’ Where the band combines vocal harmonies and ten ton heaviness grooves. But that’s not all. ‘Lightning,’ the fourth track, is a very simple, yet effective example of what KXM can do. The amniotic, melodic, groove ear worms itself into your brain. And the outro jam is something that just has to be done live and extended.
Soundgarden – Live From The Artists Den
One of the best albums of the year is the most recent live document from Soundgarden. Released posthumously, this extended set conquers most of the album that the tour is based on, ‘King Animal,’ while also covering all the classics. The mix is heavy, and everything is delivered with immense accuracy. Not only that, but the ballads and slower moments fit in perfectly with the two plus hour set. The show opens with the appropriate ‘Smokestack Lightning’ and ends with the slamming ‘Slaves And Bulldozers.’ Between they throw everything at you from a blistering version of ‘Rusty Cage’ to a perfect rendition of ‘Fell On Black Days.’ Not only that, but the band plays a previously undone live track ‘Blind Dogs.’ And just simply kicks ass. And thats only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this 29 song set list. A true live triumph. And an excellent document displaying the late Chris Cornell.
Whitesnake – Flesh and Blood
A few years ago David Coverdale said that he was retiring Whitesnake after ‘The Purple Tour.’ But the ideas were flowing and the line up from the tour produced a kick ass hard rock album, ‘Flesh and Blood.’ And despite it’s unoriginal album title, there are more than enough intricate riffs to keep the album fresh. David Coverdale’s voice sounds remarkably youthful. Coupled with the incredible dual guitar attack from Joel Hoekstra and Reb Beach, and you’ve got a default winner. ‘Good To See You Again’ opens the album with classic 80’s veracity. The album keeps up with ‘Gonna Be Alright.’ A track that would have fit perfectly on the ‘Slip Of The Tongue’ album. The album really doesn’t let up from there. The guitar work on ‘Trouble Is Your Middle Name’ is head exploding. It’s a top to bottom killer. Much like the rest of the post 2004 comeback material.
TOOL – Fear Inoculum
TOOL’s first album in over decade has been met with mixed reviews. Some say it’s a mere rehash. While others are praising it as one of the greatest comebacks of all time. The album however, fits somewhere in the middle. It’s not as strong as ‘10,000 Days’ or ‘Aenima.’ But it’s still a strong effort from one of the prog greats. And it knocked pop star Taylor Swift off of the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100. And it’s easy to see why. Tracks like ‘Pneuma’ and ‘7empest’ are truly TOOL at their best. ‘Invincible’ also has some amazing moments. And ‘Chocolate Chip Trip’ might seem a little too indulgent, but it was terrific live.
