Welcome to 2022! Let's celebrate by completely ignoring it and taking a look back at 2021. And what a year it was! I did so many things last year. I spent time in my bedroom a good deal sleeping and quite a bit of time in my kitchen cooking and eating. Oh yeah, the rest of my year was spent in the living room working from home and watching lots of tv. What else? Anything? Uhhh...No, I think that pretty much covers it. Yes, a bit of an exaggeration but I can't say my entertainment last year was anything beyond visiting family and friends between surges and after boosters. A couple trips were made out of state, one over the summer and another in November. Both involved a roughly two hour drive each way and one night in a hotel. That was somewhat exciting in 2021 but also something that was more of a routine thing prepan that wouldn't even be mentioned in a different yearly review. Thankfully, all this time at home allowed for a lot of music. And that resulted in a highly competitive year end list, as you will see below. Beyond that, I want to say I saw a ton of great films but not even one is coming to mind right now. Well, maybe one but I don't want to spoil anything in the list below. Lots of good tv series though... but, wait, what am I doing? Talking tv feels like I'm avoiding the bigger story.
Last year was a crazy one. I leave it with tons of great memories with my family and lots of concern about the future of the country and the planet. Lots of doubt about lots of doubts with little understanding of the path forward. To be frank, I'm sick of 2021 and glad to have a brand new, clean slate for 2022. Or at least, a used slate that's just been cleaned. I'm happy for either. It's January now, everyone is feeling optimistic about the positive changes they hope to make within the calendar year. And I'm no different, I hope to make some big improvements as well. Maybe the world will make more sense if we just give it some more time? Whatever. Enough of the self help talk for the moment. Let's instead look backward at the best of a questionable year.
As always at this point, I will state it is a stone cold fact that something is missing from this list. Either a record I just forgot about or a few that never made it to my turntable or Spotify playlist. No science was used to formulate this thing, it's not based on an algorithm or plays amassed on YouTube or at the Crypto.com Arena, it's just what I think is what I actually might have listened to and liked in the big Two One. There are some honorable mentions that could be... mentioned but, what's the point, they didn't make the cut. So, they are destined to be lost to time and my fading memory unlike the twenty records below. No one said life is fair. In fact, it's mostly just chaos that we are all desperately trying to find some kind of order in. Did I mention that I just remembered I liked falafel? Mostly in a pita but sometimes as a plate if I want to be classy. It might be a regional thing but the one I had recently didn't have any pickles in it. It was sorely missed. But I'm thinking it might not be a usual thing for this type of cuisine so that's more my fault for the expectation than the place to be without. That's actually a good lesson learned, my disappointment is my own making and no one else's. Keeping that in mind, let's hit that list...
20
Floating Points, Pharaoh Sanders & The London Symphony Orchestra
Promises (Luaka Bop Records)
Definitely not an overlooked gem from 2021. This thing has received accolades and top 5 showings on everything from the internet to the outernet. This record is a meeting place (I could've said point to really tie things together but elected not to) of strings, horns and a living legend. Pharaoh Sanders is... not to dwell on this but maybe I shouldn't have said anything as point wouldn't have worked there? Does anyone say meeting point? That doesn't work, really. Anyway, let's not forget to talk about The London Symphony Orchestra too. On this record, they really... Meeting Point... meeting point... now that I'm saying it out loud, I think I've actually heard that phrase before. I take back my retraction and actually do think it would have worked. Floating Points is the third part of this tri-p and he's just one dude, an electronic artist/producer that's put out a handful of releases. On Promises, he shows that... am I thinking of Power Point? It's possible, it's associated with meetings, for sure. Now that's a common phrase. I'm just not sure about Meeting Point. I understand they are two words and can be used together but do people do it frequently? Has anyone watched that Chris Farley movie with David Spade? Roads. Ro Ads. Normal things can look funny sometimes. Is there a gas leak in here? Familiar components coming together to create something confusing and comforting that sounds like it might be from another slightly different version of reality. That's Promises. And the new Matrix sequel but mostly Promises.
19
Mogwai
As The Love Continues (Temporary Residence Records)
Back to the Future! Not the trademarked smash movie franchise title but the concept. This record sounds like it could have been made at any point in this band's decades old career. Within the first minute of this record, I'm hooked and hooked deep. Oddly, not just on this album but on Mogwai as an institution. They somehow immediately take you into their headspace and give you everything you expect and more. Strangely, the everything is something you had forgotten how much you once loved and longed for in their sound. When you put this on the turntable, were you working from home? Engaged in family time? Thinking about finally picking up that book on dianetics? Forget it. That opening track comes on and you instantaneously remember that first Mogwai record you heard or that first Mogwai show your ears survived. You're experiencing immediate nostalgia while also being fully absorbed by a brand new song making you time travel to your nostalgic past. Or maybe this is the first Mogwai album you've ever heard? That's really different than what I was trying to describe but I bet it's a pretty good experience too. The band's sound is expanded a bit in places on this record which is important. Or seemingly important. I'd be fine with this perfect sound forever just like St. Malkmus was trying to articulate about Mogwai back at the turn of the century. There are some vocals here and there but I don't need them. Always welcome but never necessary. The music is heavy enough on it's own and doesn't need to be weighed down with the concept of language. As the years go by, the uniqueness of this band gets more and more obvious. Should I say, the love continues with this record? Yeah, I probably shouldn't.
18
John Coltrane
A Love Supreme: Live in Seattle (Impulse! Records)
Is this cheating? Well, what are the rules then? I think I might be just making them up as I go. The boundaries of this list aren't holding time and space together or anything. Maybe this music is though? It's funny to see A Love Supreme on a list between Mogwai and a metal band with about two full releases under their belt. It's actually patently absurd. I can't defend this position other than to say it's just like... my opinion, man. And if we are allowing a classic piece of music written in the 1960s to be included on a list for 2021, shouldn't this then be in the very Top of the Pops chart position? I guess I can try to defend myself a little bit here. First, this is just a live rendition of the ground breaking music found on JColt's A Love Supreme record. It's not new material, per se, though there are obvious differences. Second, it's a live rendition (stay with me even though that sounds like the first point) with an odd mic placement that gives this whole mix a very percussive sound with the horns more buried in the mix than in their rightful place above the title. The drums are Tom Cruise and the horns are Val Kilmer. Or to move this analogy out of movies, the drums are Conan and the horns are Andy? I feel like I need to reference something more current. Oh yeah, no I don't, this recording was made in 1965. Both of my references are space aged compared to the music at hand. But what a gift to have this recording at all. A brilliant piece of music and an historical document. It may not be audiophile material but it's still an important piece to preserve and occupy space on your ever shrinking open shelf space. Yes, your shelf! I know how many records you've bought and it's both impressive and disturbing. The story of how this became a 2021 release isn't a long or involved one. Some private collector made it available for mass production and sale. End of story. I'm so confident in that fact, I won't even bother googling the story for verification. You can look it up if you really want to. The truth is out there. And now, so is this record for a list price of $35.99. If you know where to look though, it's even cheaper than that. Oh, you know Amazon too? Never mind then.
17
Cerebral Rot
Excretion Of Mortality (20 Buck Spin Records)
When you like something that is so niche, there's a lack of desire to write anything about it. The people who know... know and the ones who don't... are probably not that interested in being swayed. For example, I wouldn't put this record on when my mother-in-law was visiting nor would I want to throw it on while trying to wind down after a long day. Metal works like this have to pick their spots and fill a very specific need. It's perfect when driving in the car, with headphones while working or writing, cranking the stereo while home alone and, most importantly, when dwelling on your lingering teenage issues that remain to this day. Cerebral Rot are a newer death/black/doom metal band that has me interested in a way the older metal bands with their albums deep catalogs and complicated band member histories can't compete with. CR seem to have the entire historical metal cannon to pull from and they're new enough and hungry enough to produce some inspired output. I loved the Big Four era (honestly, Big Fourteen might be more appropriate) back in the day but then took a long break from the extremely heavy. I've been dipping back in over the past... well, ever since the world starting going to hell. It's been great filling in the knowledge gaps, hearing the blending of subgenres and just being impressed with the never ending dedication to the extremes of the sound. For CRot, the vocals are really the biggest hurdle to someone who might be interested but mostly just likes heavier rock music. It's definitely an acquired taste and could be viewed as radio unfriendly to a casual listener. The musicianship for most metal is usually second to none and this record is no different. Yes, the album cover, song titles and the tuning are really trying to elicit something dark but, to get old school hippie about this, it's all just music. You need the same basic instruments to perform whether you're Cerebral Rot, U2, Robert Johnson or Bob Dylan. Most of those dudes don't need to know about Swedish pressure drops but you get that I'm saying. So, don't judge a book by it's cover or judge a band by their vocals. This record is inspired stuff, just don't look so deep into what inspired them. It's probably not that healthy for anyone.
16
Marisa Anderson & William Tyler
Lost Future (Thrill Jockey Records)
William Tyler was pretty young when he started becoming a professional musician. Uh, sorry about that. William Tyler was pretty young when he started becoming a professional musician? Man, that sounds right to me but my brain has failed me before. Lambchop was involved. Not the kid's tv show, he wasn't that young. I'm talking about the band from... maybe Tennessee?... I'll just say The South. Better yet, from Merge Records. I know William is from Tennessee though, it's in his Instagram handle. I know that because I just saw that he posted something on Light In The Attic Records' feed that mentioned the LA Staple Marty (of Marty & Elayne) had just passed. He typed "Noooo" (perhaps talk to text?) which isn't why I mention this (it was the Tennessee thing) but, at the same time, it's noteworthy as it's an insight into either William Tyler's appreciation for a man who dedicated his life to his underpaid craft or the fact that he's just a really, really big Swingers fan. Maybe both? Marisa Anderson I know even less about as she didn't comment on the passing of Marty. The one thing I do know is that she can collaborate with William Tyler like no one else. They work really well together and create a memorable tapestry of strings, rhythms and moods. I'm not in the prediction game but, while equally talented, I don't think Tyler & Anderson will ever have the notoriety of Marty & Elaine. That's not a slam on Marisa & William, it's more of a tribute to Marty & Elayne. To be clear, I think they both should be added to the list of memorable duos, though. I'm not sure who curates that list but I'm guessing Cleveland has it covered. They make all of the important decisions about rock music there. I think because of that Drew Carey sitcom with the theme song that said "Cleveland Rocks" over and over again. Fun fact, I bought a copy of Aerosmith's Rocks in Cleveland so I could call it a Cleveland Rocks. Another fun fact, I never watched Drew Carey's sitcom and, in fact, I think I actively dislike it. I do like Lost Future though. Without a doubt, I like it better than Drew Carey's sitcom.
15
Plankton Wat
Future Times (Thrill Jockey Records)
Future Times. Now that's an album title. Two words that create a lot of thought and some kind of sci-fi imagery in your mind. The album cover is pretty intense too. I like looking at it. The music is what matters though. Believe it or not, the music fits right in with the album title and the album cover. The dude behind Plankton Wat has a name that is easily found on the internet if you're interested. I knew it once. On this record, I hear guitars, synth and effects of some variety. Lots of pedals and psych staples too. The music has a spiritual side but is also a little cold. Future Times, as advertised, looks forward but, as unadvertised, is also rooted in the past. It sounds both futuristic and dated at the same time. What it isn't is boring or complacent. Is that proper English? It looks strange to have is follow isn't... Who cares though? Are you reading this to judge my syntax and semantics or to read about this record? Why are you here, actually? According to my blog analytics, you're in fact not here at all and I'm just talking to myself, or more accurately, writing to myself. Don't judge me. Only I can do that. Just like Plankton Wat can make this engaging dreamlike record. Guys, it's actually kind of beautiful. The little touches and the krauty moments along with the precious melodies with some psych guitar over the top. I'm a sucker for some synth and this thing has it all in just the right doses for a guitar record. This record should be higher on this list. Probably shouldn't have said that because you'll never know if I moved it or not. I guess I have a secret now, that's pretty cool.
14
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Barn (Reprise Records)
This guy again. I can't help it. It's understood the voice is a little more broken, the sound a bit more dated and the lyrics a bit more filled with that "get off my lawn" old man anger... but... I just can't stay away. Neil cares about the environment and, more broadly, the planet. He blames corporations and war for everything unholy in this world. 21st century protest music by a 20th century artist. While I agree with most of what he's verbally laying down, the subject matter doesn't always make the best lyrics. That song about Montsanto from a few years back comes to mind. But Neil's not wrong. My phone tells me what news to read and it pointed me to an article that explained the sixth great mass extinction is happening right now. All sorts of animal species are going to become extinct (like in the previous five events) but the rate at which it will happen in number six will have never been witnessed before. Records are usually good things. But I'm not sure that's a record we want to be cracking right now. My phone didn't give me any additional articles to read on the subject so that's all I know. But, get this, Pete Davidson apparently WAS talking about his personal life in that opening sketch on Saturday Night Live. Plus I now know that Kanye West, excuse me, Ye bought a house across the street from his ex-wife Kim Kardashian. Thank a lot, phone. I don't want to know about any of this, especially the part about the world dying. Barn is a little all over the place but Neil is basically 80 years old, so that makes sense. Is is a fun listen? At times, yes. There are moments of the old magic which, to me, is what makes this a memorable release. In the parts that count, the numbers get wicked high (that's a math joke). In the parts that don't, you spend some time in the dirt with your face being rubbed in the particular realities of the world Neil needs you to think about. Like any grandpa, he's giving you the medicine you need more than the one that you want. Sometimes he still remembers to add that spoonful of sugar. That's ok though, while sugar is insanely bad for you (thanks again phone), when you get it with some fiber, it all works out in the end. The lyrics on this record are loaded with fiber so don't forget that sugar, Neil.
13
Dinosaur Jr
Sweep It Into Space (Jagjaguwar Records)
I wasn't going to listen to this one. We were on a break. After decades of Dinosaur being at the top of my favorite band pyramid, I just needed to take some time away. It wasn't anything personal, I was just too involved in J's musical output and, therefore, also way too involved in his generally aloof and depressed headspace. Now that I'm thinking about it, it might be pandemic related. J's malaise was not welcome in the work from home world I had entered. I almost made it through the year without even spinning this thing. December got me though; the holidays and the reflection on the year that had just passed. My curiosity grew to a level that I couldn't resist. One winter morning, I decided to open the record like an advent calendar window and dug into the mystery inside. The end result? I like it. It's really good. I guess that wasn't exactly a surprising outcome at this point in Dinosaur's career. If the record didn't sound exactly like it sounds, that would have been more of a shock. The reunionized Dinosaur Jr was such an unexpected event in the Aughts. Even now, I'm still kind of shocked it happened. The fact the releases just keep coming with the original lineup even after we entered the Twin 20s is like a full blown confirmation we are living in a simulation. This kind of hatchet burying is unheard of when at least one of the parties is a seemingly non-communicative mess that mumbles most of the words coming out of his mouth and another is a high strung, low confidence, overly sensitive over sharer of his feelings. It just doesn't make sense these dudes could negotiate a peace. It might have just been a mutual love for Murph that set them all straight. Weirdly, Sweep It Into Space has more of a 90s Dinosaur vibe than the 80s OG lineup's output. That probably means J is back to writing his songs without much input from anyone. The Lou songs, as always, are starkly different than the rest of the record. But that's not a brand new thing. Whatever they're doing to make it work, it still... works. Just another solid record to add to their growing catalog. Pretty remarkable.
12
Old Tower
The Old King of Witches (Hospital Records)
New Old Tower is a cause for celebration in my household. Old Tower is surprisingly using the word old in this album title, The Old King of Witches. This mysterious figure apparently loves old things, I guess. While his word choices may not be overly descriptive, his music most definitely is. The sound has evolved over the years. That term Dungeon Synth may not even apply to Old Tower in 2021. Well, maybe that's going a little too far as who the hell even has a firm enough grasp on whatever that term means? The subgenring of music is getting out of control, so much so, I might have just made up a new word to describe the process. Subgenring? Spellcheck agrees with me anyway. This album is pure atmosphere and world building. While I obviously am a huge fan of this band and this record, I have to think it's pretty tedious work bringing this concept to life. This isn't just taking a blues riff or a three chord structure and putting your own spin on it. Old Tower's music involves some major layering and indirect architecture to produce something as ethereally engaging as this record. The mind has to be taught to express itself this way, it's not just tapping into some base element in your brain. I'm always curious about this type of artist. Does this endeavor fully support their lives? And I don't mean in some kind of spiritual way but straight up financially. Does this cloaked and, I'm assuming, corpse painted guy making obscure but essential records work at a Walmart? Does he apply for grants that pay stipends to artists? My guess is that he has an office job. Could Old Tower really spend hours of his life in a cubicle? You have to admit the most mind numbing environments can sometimes produce the most creative inner worlds. I hope Old Tower has figured out a way to avoid that kind of a time trap but I'm not ruling anything out. His muse is providing the need for an eerie and dark creation which points to pain somewhere along the line. Why not one with florescent overhead lights and a communal coffee machine with sticker labeled instructions all over it? Now that's terrifying.
11
Rob Noyes
Arc Minutes (Vin Du Select Qualitite Records)
The VDSQ label continues to be a major voice in whatever genre of music this is/has become. The American Primitive/John Fahey inspired tens of tens seem to eventually find themselves releasing something on this label. Not that the Fahey thing is all VDSQ does but it's definitely the majority. In 2021, they released Rob Noyes' Arc Minutes record and I was immediately drawn like a toddler to Paw Patrol (just ask Lou Barlow). This happens almost every year, a new person jumps into the stringed fray and leaves a lasting mark in this acoustic guitar based movement. This one may be the best yet. I'm getting older and more sentimental so I can write that this music is beautiful and not even cringe at my admission. I'm sorry but it is. My personal journey with this particular niche music scene is now decades old and I have major nostalgia for certain artists within. Some have since passed, some have gone electric and others decided that singing was a good idea. They will all be missed. The best part about this music is the simplicity of the amenities needed to perform live. I've been blown away in the back of record stores, on makeshift stages at bars, in the lounge of a rundown Catskills' resort and any other small space you can imagine by the performers of this music. It just takes a quiet audience, a well practiced musician, a 6 or 12 string acoustic guitar and usually a capo to produce a lifelong memory for those willing to engage and be present. And Rob Noyes has the goods. Command, confidence and originality all shine through in this record. I'm already penciling his name into the official scroll of musicians that has picked up the torch of this oddly specific genre and carried to further down the pathways of time. Inspired and inspiring.
10
Cherubs
SLO BLO 4 FRNZ & SXY (Relapse Records)
The Cherubs second life continues undistracted and unabated with this new 2021 release. Relapse continues to be the home of choice for these former Trance Syndicate legends. If we are calling things honestly here (and why wouldn't we be), this thing is actually just an EP. However, in true Cherubs genius, they don't tell you which speed to play the record at. You can choose 45rpm for... the correct speed (but maybe that's just my opinion) or 33rpm for a much sludgier and slowed down sound. This is true for any record if you think about it. Except you will just find you have a regular and a sped up Chipmunks version of the songs with most listening experiments of this nature. But, with respect and all known accolades given, Cherubs have included both the 45rpm and 33rpm versions on streaming services. If you pick the album and play it on Spotify for example, you will end up hearing both versions as it will play straight through considering it all part go the official release. Now that's what I call doubling down on a concept! These dudes are real artists... or maybe just have a great sense of humor? They might also just like both versions of the tunes. I know that I do. There are some genuine rippers on this thing. Noise filled rock songs that hit all the nostalgic and vital signs needed for memorable music. They even have time to break it down for an acoustic jam on one of their earlier "hits". This record really has it all. Mostly originality, which this thing has in spades, but also buzzing energy and a validation that the dead can rise again. One of the most surprising reunions this century that keeps throwing gems out like they have an unending reserve. If you need me, I'll be here waiting for the next one they toss our way.
9
Iron Maiden
Senjutsu (BMG)
This is entirely dependent on the lifestyle I now live due to this pandemic. Over the past couple years of basing work and life out of my home, I started listening to things way outside of my lifelong established comfort zone and apparently time zone.... hmmm, that doesn't make sense like I thought it would. Maybe era zone? Like most music obsessed brain holders, the nostalgia levels became heightened in the middle of this home bound world. Iron Maiden was one of my "looking back" rediscoveries made during one of those stretches of unending days that just blended together. The day that was a month... or something like that? I was a late 80s Maiden fan and even loved records at the end of the first Bruce Dickinson era- No Prayer for the Dying and Fear of the Dark. Hell, I even went to my one and only Maiden concert during the Blaze Bailey era. Yet, somewhere in the glory Blaze, I ended my interest in the group and moved on to other bands to obsess over. At the time, Bruce Dickinson had a solo career with videos on MTV and Maiden had seemingly moved on. A reunion did not seem likely when I was paying attention. As we all know (or will assume you do because I'm not getting into it), Blaze was out and the second Bruce Dickinson era started right at the turn of the century with the stellar Brave New World album and tour. They received rave reviews and continued to put out new records with Bruce right up until the world stopped in March 2020. By my count, that's twenty years of new records and tours in this second Bruce era which, by the way, eclipses the original era by many years. That whole stretch of time, my interests were elsewhere. I wouldn't have cared if Elton John was the new vocalist after Blaze. I was just done and had left the band and all their childish Eddie album covers and t-shirts behind in my memories. Enter a year into living at home, the past twenty years of Iron Maiden's career suddenly became very interesting to this indoorsman. Very, very interesting. In the middle of this deep dive into their lost years, this new Senjutsu album was announced and then released. This was just a case of right place, right time. And I honestly love the direction this band has gone in this new century with the longer songs and more proggy sound that are highlighted in this new double record release. Bruce's voice sounds great and the band has that same spirited gallup when called upon along with some new dimensions to their sound. If this was prepan, I wouldn't even know this record exists. But, in 2021, this thing was a highlight of the year. That's pretty wild.
8
Tropical Fuck Storm
Deep States (Joyful Noise Records)
Record #3 for TFS. Is this the record where I realize this band is a better vehicle for Gareth Liddiard's artistic vision than The Drones ever were? That's a hard one. I loved The Drones. I mean TFS is three records deep and I'm still wrestling with the decision. I think I have to go with TFS or at least I'm leaning in that direction now. The records have been incredible blasts of noise, poise, pure energy and original thought. They're even better than Information Society (but not Spock, my feelings about him are what Sinead and Prince think about you). The thing is I may be thinking about this all wrong. Why are The Drones and TFS in battle against each other? There is a through line, or really lines, through (I bet there's a better word choice there) both bands and that's Gareth and his partner Fiona Kitschin. It's really been just one long straight trajectory upward for the two of them. These two have paid their dues and I think it's actually going to pay off for them. Every new record seems to be the biggest one yet. TFS even has a decent Wikipedia page now! Their tours were picking up steam prepan, drawing in younger crowds every time. I think that momentum is carrying them through this period of Covid stasis. Like the Millennials they are not, they really know how to use the socials to pump their band recognition. They even pulled off a movie premiere of sorts a couple months ago that required a purchased tickets to see them messing about at home and playing live in various outdoor locations. They even gave ticket holders first dibs on purchasing a live vinyl record of the show as an incentive. An incentive that I am proud to say put me over the top to become a happy ticket purchaser (and live record buyer). The movie, the Instagram posts and the tone/lyrics of Deep States really drove home this band is feeling the effects of the pandemic. Australia, in general ,is taking major steps to combat this virus that would create a violent uprising in this country. In Australia, you get this incredible band and record instead of politically motivated science backlash. This band just continues to sound unlike anyone else out there and is just instinctively right about every chance they take. This record is the definition of a silver lining. It's so damn good, just put it on and take the ride. What else are you doing. Seriously, what could you possibly be doing? This is year two of a pandemic. No excuses.
7
John Carpenter
Lost Themes III: Alive After Death (Sacred Bones Records)
The Lost Themes trilogy is now complete! Unless, of course, these Lost Themes releases just keep being pumped out like so many Halloween sequels. Either way, at this exact point in time, we can technically and correctly say the trilogy has now been released. And if these were Halloween movies, this would be Halloween III, the only one without The Shape. That's some high comparison. III was a try at leaving the instant classic Halloween plot line of the first two release behind and moving in a completely different horror filled direction. I mean it was a bomb of a film when released but, decades into the future, it's now universally known as one of the all time greats. Halloween III- best of the bunch? Damn close if not just a simple answer of yes. Is Lost Themes III: Alive After Death the best of the aural trilogy? Damn close but most likely no. You really can't go wrong with any of them but I still prefer the excitement and surprise built around the first Lost Themes release. A release that was the beginning of the continuing relationship of JC with Sacred Bones Records and his focus on the composing end of his many talents. Joined again by his son and godson, the contents of the record should be of no mystery to anyone who has been paying attention. If you're not familiar, there are synthesizers that create cinematic nuggets of darkness and light. I don't know the specific key based instruments played or who played what part. I also don't know the questions to most Jeopardy answers or the words the New York Times crossword puzzle expects you to figure out. I certainly don't know any foreign languages or how to do any kind of advanced math. I don't know a lot of things. Where am I going with this? I like this record a lot. I like John Carpenter a lot. I'm not so fond of the umpteen (that's a legit word apparently) vinyl variants of this record. You end up wanting them all even though they are mostly just some slight variation of how orange and black can look on a piece of vinyl. Every damn new John Carpenter release has multiple exclusive versions. Enough already! We get it, you like your fan's money. Let's try and be reasonable from here on out. Is that possible? I might have even ranked this higher on the list if they cooled it with the variants. Or maybe I already did? That's another lifelong secret. I'm really racking them up this year.
6
Fulci
Exhumed Information (Time To Kill Records)
Now this is a band with a damn solid concept! Naming your band after the Italian directing legend Lucio Fulci is just so on the nose, it shouldn't work but it does. It really does. But that's not all. This band figured out they should also base each of their album releases after one of the maestro's films. Pure genius. The fact that the band is Italian as well just makes it that much more authentic. Being that this is 2022 in America, the fact this band can so easily be mispronounced as Fauci just makes it that much more relevant. I'm not directly asking for this to happen but, sometimes if you put an idea out to the world, it gets picked up on. How about a US based metal band named Fauci that releases albums based on every press conference? I would buy those records and a damn t-shirt. The same can be said about Fulci. Their 2021 release is the most classic death metal sounding release on this list. Except, and this is a big except, only half this record is well produced, fist pumping, cookie monster vocals metal. The entire second half is a synth playground by a credited artist called TV CRIMES who has never publicly stated their identity. My guess is that it's someone in the band Fulci (or maybe in the yet unformed Fauci?) For the overall win, the TV CRIMES synth is also peppered into the death metal half of the record as well. This band took a lot of chances and just hit on every bet. It's so crisp sounding too which is surprising for a 2021 metal record. The production sounds radio ready even if the vocals would prevent any chance of this band crossing over. I guess these guys have been around for a few years as they have a couple earlier records but they were a 2021 discovery for me. I think it was from rooting around Spotify one day? That streaming search resulted in a real world vinyl purchase from Fulci's Bandcamp page. That's a real example of Spotify giving exposure and ticket/album sales to smaller bands. I think that happens a lot for bands of that size. If I was Taylor Swift, I would get not liking Spotify/streaming services as it would offer little upside to me. I would also be really upset at Maggie Gyllenhaal's brother and also have a surprising amount of fans who don't understand record players have different speed settings. I would be a billionaire though, or close to it with all the extra cash rolling in from those Target exclusive vinyl releases. That sounds pretty good. I'll have to think about this a little more. Can I really be Tay-tay? Huh? I'll get back to you, don't wait on me though.
5
Mastodon
Hushed and Grim (Reprise Records)
I'm not sure I've ever included Mastodon on one of these year end lists before. I haven't always been a fan which has been a fairly big reason for their lack of appearances. Loved their initial run with Remission and Leviathan but lost the thread fairly quickly afterward. The Crack the Skye era was more of an after the fact discovery for me. The releases after that have been missed and listened to later and then mostly forgotten after a week or two. As has been the theme this year, a pandemic fueled 2021 has me doing things a bit different and I was finally able to appreciate a new Mastodon album in the year of it's actual release. Hushed and Grim is a long one that could have been edited down to a very solid single disc. But... why would you do that? People are listening to music now more than maybe ever before. I get that radio at it's height, before tv or the internet, had a strangle hold on the population's senses for entertainment. Don't forget about books though, they were like movies in word form back then as opposed to sleeping aides like they are now. No joke, books probably took a sizable chunk out of radio's final numbers back in the day. Plus, there are just so many more people on this Earth in 2022 than in the era of the greatest generation's parents. And there are definitely more Mastodon listeners in the current Boring Twenties than during the Roaring Twenties. It's crazy to think but Mastodon are now more than twenty years into their career. They still feel like the new guys to me. At twenty years in, Metallica were exited the Jason Newstead era and a couple years away from releasing St. Anger. While the point should already have been made with that last sentence, I will make the unsaid said and state I would listen to Hushed & Grim over any of those Load records or St. Anger every single day of the week. Although, I'm not sure that statement is a testament to Hushed and Grim or just a confirmation that Metallica dropped off a steep Cliff after ...And Justice for All. Don't get it twisted, this isn't Metallica bashing, it's just fact. Metallica has earned the right to become a legacy touring band but sometimes you forget how long it's been bad for that band. In comparison, Mastodon is damn impressive and their creative engines are still firing brighter than their peers this many years behind the wheel. These dudes look old and beaten down by the world too. Scars, weight gain, baggy eyes, bad backs and, I'm assuming, deviated septums and aggravated livers. This poppy prog-metal monster of an album helps to seal Mastodon's legacy as the best of their breed and era. Respect and appreciation to these guys.
4
Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers
First Flight to Tokyo (Blue Note Records)
Lost Recordings! Recorded in 1961 and found in 2021. Has the world changed in those fifty years? Yes. Let me list all the ways for you... or you can just take my word for it. This is essential a piece of American history, just recorded in Tokyo. So, you could argue it's really a piece of Japanese history but that would probably be the stance of the losing side of the argument in a debate club setting. But, in Debate Club, isn't it just all about the debating anyway? The topic doesn't matter. Here. It's just the opposite, the topic is the reason (just like Texas). Art is a funny first name, especially for a musician. Or a painter, or sculptor, or author... or an artist is what I'm trying to say. It's a little too direct. No one has a first name Food or Music or Arson unless, of course, your parents were difficult and/or insecure or you were allowed to change your name as a toddler. Don't try and tell me it's just a nickname for Arthur, I don't care what's on the birth certificate. I've never heard anyone say Arthur Blakey or Arthur Blakey & The Jazz Messengers. It's Art, always has been and always will be. While this percussive jazz record sat unlistened to for fifty years, it found a very hospitable release date amidst the open ears occupying Pandemic America. Jazz in general found its way to my turntable way more frequently in 2021 than most any other year. And AB along with The Jazz Messengers are a perfect band to be the ambassadors to both Japan in 1961 and the ears of the jazz phobic in America in 2021. TJM have historically been like a jazz school for years and years of upcoming musicians so it's only fitting they should get a spotlight in this era of expanding genres and comfort zones in music consumption. Art Blakey was the head master for this traveling school of musicians from the mid fifties right up until his death in 1990. This particular record showcases Jymie Merritt's bass, Bobby Timmons' piano, Wayne Shorter's tenor saxophone, Lee Morgan's trumpet and, above all, Art Blakey's drum prowess. For the uninitiated, this is a murderer's row on these instruments. Just incredible talent being packed onto this stage in Tokyo. The recording quality is excellent and the entire package is a Blue Note records top flight release. If you're on the fence, just go ahead and give this a try. It's the equivalent of giving someone like Chuck Berry a shot if you heard rock n roll was pretty good. If you already like this genre of music or this particular Art-ist, my apologies for this review and glad to meet a fellow fan. An amazing piece of musical history and a time capsule for over half a century ago just waiting for you to open it.
3
Worm
Foreverglades (20 Buck Spin Records)
Not gonna lie. This Worm record almost took the number one spot this year. It was close but the fact that only the digital release saw daylight in 2021 with the vinyl format delayed and working its way into 2022 was enough of a technicality to keep it from the top spot in a close race for the prize. Coincidentally, a shipping notification was just received earlier this very day for the vinyl from their label, 20 Buck Spin. So, there is a really good chance this gets into fan hands before the first month of 2022 comes to a close. Worm are another band that came out of nowhere in 2021, to me anyway. They have a couple releases before this but Foreverglades is their biggest to date due to the label involved. A Florida based band, I'm assuming, given the album title. The music is a bit of everything good metal's subgenres have to offer. It's not one dimensional, has plenty of shifts in sound and does everything to keep you engaged. I won't go so far to say this can't be a passive listen while you multitask with something like doing your taxes or drinking beer (wouldn't recommend all three at once) but it does have a tendency to grab your attention. I want to say Worm was just one dude on earlier releases but this record sounds like it's a full fledged band. But it's also possible this is just one lone talented musician with a lot of patience. That's a possibility for almost all albums today, I guess. Unless you have two singers. Then again, with the technology out there, I don't think dual distinctive vocalists is even a give away either. We've just gone too far, people! Nothing is necessarily real anymore. Since we live in a simulation (see album #13 above), I guess it doesn't really matter. I hope you agree because I don't really have it in me to fight these days. I'm just so damn tired. I don't know about you but these sim overlords are raking me over the coals- late nights, alarm clocked mornings and long days. It's albums like this that get you through the program (the simulation, not AA). This record works because I don't need pop music all the damn time. You're inundated throughout this sim whether online or in line with songs filled with focus group approved melodies and overly engineered edges. Give me something with a little darkness and a little raw power. Don't cover up the realties of life, or... uh, The Sim. Not that Foreverglades is nothing but unending wake up slaps to the ears. Songwriting is a strength for this band. Truthfully, it's actually an atmospheric, mood creator of a listen exploding with guitar tone mastery, rock steady drumming and vocal lines that cover both the raspy high end and the low grumbling bottom. It all just fits so well together. Someone up there gets it or maybe more like something was designed to get it. Like Prong being slightly misquoted, prove me wrong.
2
John Carpenter, Cody Carpenter & Daniel Davies
Halloween Kills (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (Sacred Bones Records)
JC making a surprise second appearance! (Classic JC) Halloween movies and John Carpenter music go together like... chocolate and peanut butter? That's a bit of a tired analogy and just really lazy on my part. Let me try that again. How about John Carpenter, Cody Carpenter and Daniel Davies go together like chocolate, peanut butter and potato chips? That might be the more 2021 spin on a classic. Just like the Reese's Corporation decided as well. At some point this year, I purchased a Reese's Big Cup of that exact flavor. Let's just say it was memorable (for a good or bad reason? No dice. That's secret #3 for me) which makes this analogy so apt. Should I even mention the candy and Halloween as a holiday connection that makes this whole thing so explainably perfect? Probably not. Now, let's address The Shape in the room. Does having the soundtrack to the film Halloween Kills higher than JC's own Lost Themes III album mean this is a better record? Yes. Yes it does. Just a few notches better, but still the one I would pick in any sort of scenario where one has to be left behind, taken to a desert island or shot into space on Voyager 3. And think about it. How lucky are we that in 2021 JCarp decides he's ready to score a new Halloween movie? Sure, it just happened in 2018 and is scheduled to happen again for Halloween Ends in a couple years but that's what makes it even more surreal. John Carpenter has famously retired from directing and hasn't been involved in a new Halloween movie in a scoring capacity for years before 2018. Right now, in 2022 pretending it's 2021, we are right in the middle of this JC Halloween soundtrack trilogy. We have road behind us and in front of us at this point. Who knows what will happen after the new trilogy is complete? I sure don't. Will JC return to scoring the Halloween franchise ever again? Are we living in a year that will never happen again? One where a new JCarp Halloween soundtrack is known and expected to be released in the near future. This happening right after releasing two previous stellar scores. It sounds like a damn dream to me. This soundtrack is pure enjoyment. Even more so than the movie itself. There are lots of neigh sayers out there for this film. All I know is that I watched it at home for the price of a Peacock streaming subscription during their "Peacocktober" promotion (They really need to rethink that name. To quote Norm, "Ridiculous"). It was a lot of fun in a horror movie kind of way. For those of you who love John Carpenter movie franchises, his soundtrack composing and the fact that he still has the goods and passion to pump out this kind of quality, we are living in a golden age. This record is just a wake up call for you to appreciate the present (or really 2021 even if it is 2022) and realize the history being made right in front of your eyes and ears. Bottom line, this is a new classic.
1
Mortiferum
Preserved In Torment (Profound Lore Records)
Top of the heap. Am I really making a death metal record my A number 1 big boy of 2021? Apparently. If I'm being honest, any of the top five records could swap positions and I'd be pretty much on board. I'm not sure why I said "if I'm being honest", I've been nothing but honest this whole time. No big deal, that's just my pledge to you. Nothing but total honesty when it comes to my opinion on music. Am I a hero? That's not for me to say. But this review isn't about me. It's about this Olympia, Washington based metallic unit- Mortiferum. And 2021 needed a band like this. I think, anyway. I've been in my house almost the entire year so I don't really know what anyone else is thinking. I've never been to a Mortiferum show or even know what they look like. The music more than makes up for all of that mystery. Like a lot of death/black/doom/_____ metal, it's the vocals that are the most extreme part of the sound, it's the thing you have to work around on first listen. The guitar tunings and pedals, the studio touches and the drum technique are all working together seamlessly to create a dark and ominous world for these songs to live in. Sort of like an aural evil Bob Ross painting. For whatever reason (and that's just good journalism), these guys do it better than most. Just a couple records into their career, the formula has been mastered and they can now start pumping out some classics over the next decade. The Pacific Northwest seems like a natural breeding ground for this type of band. Lots of rain, woods and guns. Same for Florida except you can swap the woods for swamps. Is that right? I've never been to Florida. It just seems wet and humid. What are those fan boats from the opening credits of Miami Vice used on? I'm saying swamps, maybe there's a better word. Either way, the PacNW and Florida have historically been metal havens. Makes you wonder what's wrong with Maine and the San Diego area. They both have had the occasional metal band but nothing like their other country corner brothers. Mortiferum were the best of the bands coming out of the larger small to mid sized labels of 20 Buck Spin, Profound Lore and Relapse in 2021. The quality and quantity of these labels releases, especially 20BS and Profound Lore, have just been really impressive. I'm no metal historian, just someone who has ebbed and flowed in their interest of the genre over the past decades, but it really feels like there has been a plethora of quality the last few years. There are way more young, vital and interesting bands with a heavy sound when compared with genres like indie or alt rock. I'm not sure what that says about the mood of the country, the generation behind these bands or what that means for the future. All I know is that metal seemed to be the heart of the most exciting and meaningful new music in 2021. And Mortiferum was the best metal band of 2021.
