embrock

On a side note: Peter London wrote in the Crashdiet Forum that someday they would release the demos of all tracks that didn't make it onto Generation Wild (and hopefully those of Savage Playground as well). Their vaults must be quite huge (50+ tracks written for GW; 30+ for SP)...Crashdiet are one of very few bands who really treat their fans the right way imo in always giving them a little more than others.

What a grower Savage Playground is!

Santa Cruz - Screaming for Adrenaline (April 26)

Yeah, I'd basically agree with everything Glen and Jeff said! I wish the vocals were a little more upfront in the mix in a couple of songs, but overall once again an excellent disc.

I found myself liking the second half of the disc more than the first one, what about you guys?

Great tracks!

Hopefully they'll get picked up by Spinefarm/Universal as well!

A new Bon Jovi single is out. So far it seems to get a lot of hate on the net...but somehow I like it's vibe. Still hoping for edgier songs on the upcoming album though.

http://www.iheartradio.com/player/?mid=22747448

Haha, nice list embrock. You had me hooked with my agreeing with a lot of what you said, right up until the very last line. I absolutely love that Wigelius CD personally. Of all the discs in 2012 it's probably the one I've reached for most and if someone asked me which band had the most "perfect" sound in 2012 I'd point to them. If not for the couple of weaker songs it would have topped 2012 for me for sure.

 

I can definately see and hear the appeal of that Wigelius disc, but just recently I played H.E.A.T and Wigelius back to back and very seldom has a disc sounded so lifeless and generic while H.E.A.T was fresh and full of energy. It might even be the production of the Wigelius disc which kinda spoils it for me not the songs.

 

You compiled a very nice list yourself, definately agree on that tasty Dallas EP! Knowing you're into modern rock I kinda wonder where you've left the likes of Papa Roach, Halestorm or Hinder, where'd you rank them?

 

Hey mate, I'll post a full list within this month, I dare say, but for now the three you mention ended in this placement:

 

36 . Papa Roach - The Connection - 83%

41 . Hinder - Welcome To The Freakshow - 81%

99 . Halestorm - A Strange Case Of… - 74%

 

I enjoyed Papa Roach and Hinder a lot. I listened to those bonus tracks on the Halestorm CD last night and can't comprehend why they're not on the proper version of the CD. Replace them with 3 of the weaker songs and you have a much higher score, from me anyway. It's a good disc, but it was a little disappointing for me. Anyway, I'll have a full list soon for interest's sake. FYI, at the moment I've rated 237 albums so the Halestorm position isn't as low as it seems.

 

And guys, as for the Dorydrive thing, I've actually seen that CDR comment a few times on Amazon, but still haven't got a CDR from there yet. First time for everything, though. I'll be sure to keep y'all informed.

Alrighty then, looking forward to the complete list! At 237 releases it's the ultimate list and puts everything into perspective

Dammit, this news just in from their FB-page:

Haha, nice list embrock. You had me hooked with my agreeing with a lot of what you said, right up until the very last line. I absolutely love that Wigelius CD personally. Of all the discs in 2012 it's probably the one I've reached for most and if someone asked me which band had the most "perfect" sound in 2012 I'd point to them. If not for the couple of weaker songs it would have topped 2012 for me for sure.

I can definately see and hear the appeal of that Wigelius disc, but just recently I played H.E.A.T and Wigelius back to back and very seldom has a disc sounded so lifeless and generic while H.E.A.T was fresh and full of energy. It might even be the production of the Wigelius disc which kinda spoils it for me not the songs.

You compiled a very nice list yourself, definately agree on that tasty Dallas EP! Knowing you're into modern rock I kinda wonder where you've left the likes of Papa Roach, Halestorm or Hinder, where'd you rank them?

I've cut down on buying CDs in 2012, all in all I 'only' bought 30 '2012 releases'. I'm not going to include albums I had listened to online but didn't decide to buy in the end. Two of those 30 albums I didn't put into the list as they are quite different in style, but both very enjoyable albums from Swiss artists!

I'd put the virtual 80% mark after spot 7 and the 50% mark would be after spot 25.

Okay, here we go:

1. Jimi Jamison - Never too late (quality drops a little towars the end of the disc, but overall excellent perfomances and songwriting)

2. Koritni - Welcome to the Crossroads (I just love this band! Some of these songs grabbed me very intensely)

3. Papa Roach - The Connectiono (somewhat surprised to see this one so high on my list, but it's a real grower and again some outstanding songs)

4. Blessed by a Broken Heart - Feel the Power (Probably surprise of the year for me...fantastic 80s vibe)

5. H.E.A.T. - Address the Nation (I had high expectations and they were pretty much fullfilled, but some songs haven't got enough lasting appeal)

6. Halestorm - The strange Case of... (I only discovered Halestorm this spring. Very solid album and great band)

7. Baby Jane - In the Spotlight (Best sleaze disc of the year for me! This band has got it all, but the production could be a little stronger)

8. Jettblack - Raining Rock (much better than the debut imo and overall a very enjoyable affair)

9. Hinder - Welcome to the Freakshow (Although I think it's too soft, I find myself coming back to this disc (so far))

10. Million $ Reload - A Sinner's Saint (great bunch of guys and great vibe. It didn't match my expectations, but overall a very nice slab of hard rock)

11. Crazy Lixx - Riot Avenue (although ranked at spot 11, this is the disappointment of the year for me. Every time I listen to it I really want to like it, but there's some tiny ingredient missing imo)

12. Turbonegro - Sexual Harassment (in your face and quite punk-ish, but also some great rock'n'roll songs)

13. My Dynamite - ST (the new Black Crowes; love the vibe, but they gotta hone their songwriting some more)

14. Van Halen - A different kind of Truth (love Blood & Fire and like some other songs; a pleasant surprise)

15. Casablanca - Apocalyptic Youth (fun disc, especially for summer time)

16. Eclipse - Bleed & Scream (it's all very well done, but it just didn't grab me that much on an emotional level)

17. Trixter - New Audio Machine (some solid songs, but nothing spectacular; these guys can do much better I'm sure)

18. Gotthard - Firebirth (copy/paste what I just said about Trixter)

19. The Offspring - Days go by (first half of the disc is quite good, second half ranges from okay to horrendous)

20. Bonafide - Ultimate Rebel (solid riff-rock)

21. Bullet Train Blast - Nothing remains (I gotta give this disc some more spins, but great production and some strong songs)

22. White Flame - Cougar (definately sort of a mixed bag; I don't like all of their 'styles')

23. Imperial State Electric - Pop War (some very nice songs, but much too short)

24. Gene the Werewolf - Rock'n'Roll Animal (initally I'd ranked it much higher, but it already lost quite a lot of it's appeal)

25. Diamond Dogs - Set Fire to it all (solid boogie rock'n'roll)

26. The Darkness - Hot Cakes (I used to despise this band, but this one actually is pretty much okay and has some nice songs on it)

27. Rick Springfield - SFTEOTW (it's all very well executed, but it just doesn't grab me as much as it seems to grab other guys around here)

28. Wigelius - Reinventions (the only disc I shouldn't have bought I guess; after a couple of spins this one is just generic and quite boring to my ears)

out of competition:

Seven - The Art is King (very talented guy with an interesting mixture of Soul, a little Rock, Pop and Funk)

Bob Spring - Run from Death (former Backwash singer; basically blues with hints of country with some excellent songs)

Been raving about their debut album a couple years back I thought 'A Sinner's Saint' was a tad weaker than the first disc, but in general I like this band a lot!

Samples for all songs up at amazon if you want to check them out! I'll try to resist

Sounds like a winner! The chorus could be a little stronger imo, but I'm definately gonna buy this album.

My fav HS song is still probably 'Sorry For The Shape I'm In'

 

Such a killer track.

 

Yeah, that was always my fave. But just listening to all 4 in a row the other day, 'Guest list' really got me. Such a killer hard rock song. The thing about 'Sorry for the shame I'm in' is that the chorus is perfect flawlessness, but the verses aren't perfect. 'Guest list' is just all 'round awesome. Apples and pears, though... both are killer.

 

In fairness there are at least 12 songs across those 4 albums which are virtually impossible to separate - all would be a 10 or damned close.

 

Such a killer band and AWESOME live (unlike a few others I could mention - Crazy Lixx cough cough)

I don't get the negativity towards Crazy Lixx 'live' at all! I've seen them in fall 2009 and they were superb and I'm going to see them again in January. I've seen HCS in 2006 and they were excellent as well.

The only Swedish band which disappointed me live was Bai Bang...

You prefer the balladic side of virtually every band you listen too lol

 

I definitely wouldn't say that, but in terms of this type of modern rock, there is not a doubt in the world that across the board the ballads are the stronger songs by these types of bands. That's what made 'TITTL' such a perfect album - the best tracks weren't just reserved for the ballads. And it's the sign of a truly great disc in this genre too.

 

mind u there was about 5 on TITTL.....they do like their ballads lol.

 

Hinder ballads are generally pretty good, but I do prefer their rockier stuff.

 

I mean tracks like Last Kiss & Without You are good, but the real gems on TITTL are Loaded & Alone, Heaven Sent and Lost In The Sun IMO.

I agree!

It just makes you wonder, considering there are 6 ballads on this disc, why they've again released one of the few rockers as their first single instead of a ballad...

This album is shaping up to be very good! Love the fact that my two favourite 'old' songs, 'The Long Goodbye' & 'Can't let go', are on the album as well.

Red Bull Records seems to be the right place to be and it could take the band quite far...

These guys got a new album coming out in January and while I wasn't too fond on their previous output (although I like all the songs in this topic), their new single sounds pretty damn good:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtpOCbugylY

I'm two spins in and it's a strange album imo. On the one hand you have way too many ballads, but on the other hand I like the overall vibe (less metallic production) better than on AAN.

I'd love to see them work with Brian Howes again though and somehow I've got a feeling that this'll be their last album on a major label...

Wow, I love it! Although I liked their recent two albums, this one sounds better imo. Definately excited!

Love that sample and the rest should be great as well! I was a little worried when I've read about the 'raw' sound, as that's what sorta ruined the new Crazy Lixx disc for me (although I still like that disc a lot - I hjust think it's their weakest to date), but Crashdiet still sound polished enough to me.

Happy to see they've got over 1000 pre-orders through their website which is quite an achievement in this day and age...

Got this one today and it's a pretty cool disc!

Sometimes they sound quite a lot like Extreme (Pornograffitti-era), sometimes they've got a 'Sunset Strip 1989'-vibe going on. The production is great (as always when it is handled by Chris Laney), but in my opinion they should have replaced 'The Look' with another original song, especially as they haven't changed much about it.

...oh and I like the backcover just as well as the cover-artwork

Not to mention, did you listen to the single? Sounds good to me

Yes, I did...not to keen on it.

But I just watched some Youtube-clips from accoustic live performances of a couple of new songs and they sound pretty good!

Has anyone actually already heard this one?

Someone over @ the Noticeboard said it was their weakest to date, so I'm a little worried...at least I don't expect that much anymore as I did with AAN.

Haven't really bothered with the samples as it sounded very average to my ears, but this is definately one serious early contender for 'ugliest album art of 2013'! It all looks like it's made on a twenty year old computer...

Surprised there are not more comments coming through on this album.

 

I'll be laying down a track by track soon, but this is pretty awesome stuff to these ears. As Nightrain mentioned earlier, EM has absolutely nailed the classic Survivor sound and basically there's not a filler on the album.

 

Stand outs so far for me are 'Not Tonight', 'Bullet In The Gun' and the magnificent ballad 'Heaven Call Your Name'

 

My only citicism is that (for me) I would have preferred another solo or 2, but this is a minor niggle and you really cant deny the mountainous hooks on this album. Every song is memorable in its own way and virtually every chorus is sing-a-long magic.

 

Me likey............a lot.

Ditto on "Not Tonight"! In my opinion a perfect melodic rock song, which doesn't wear off, even if you've listened to it 100s of times. It reminds me a lot of "Thought I'd died and gone to heaven" from Bryan Adams in song structure.

I guess it's only me, but I still think they are overrated. I love a couple of tracks off their debut (mainly 'Devils's Daughter'), but there were way too many fillers on there imo.

Still looking forward to hearing the new album though!

Edit: I just think that a band like Koritni is doing this kinda rock a lot better and should get that massive promo instead!