In November 2020, I had published a two part post (Parts 1 and 2) about new studio albums from some of my favourite rock, hard rock and metal artists. The ensuing period of Covid-imposed lockdown time has given musicians plenty of time to write and record new music, and there was a similar bounty of riches in 2021. However, I had less time to listen to new music in 2021, and in fact, I discovered some of the late-2021 releases only a few weeks or days ago, hence the lateness of this 2021 recap. Given the limited listening time I had last year, I am covering hard rock/metal releases, and leaving out the lighter stuff. Here, in Part 1, I will cover new albums from Transatlantic, Liquid Tension Experiment, Gojira, Mammoth WVH, Styx and The Neal Morse Band.
Transatlantic – The Absolute Universe (5th Feb): Transatlantic is an international prog-rock band comprising two Americans (Neal Morse and Mike Portnoy), one Swede (Roine Stolt) and one Englishman (Peter Trewavas). I had listened to their debut album, SMPT:e (the initials of the band members’ surnames, with the “e” added on as a fun reference to the SMPTE timecode used in video recording), and had admired their technical proficiency. That was in 2000, and this is their fifth studio album, which is quite an achievement, considering these guys are all members of other bands with significant musical output. The Absolute Universe is a concept album which has been released in three formats, a 90-minute extended version titled Forevermore, a 64-minute abridged version titled The Breath of Life, and the deluxe package combining both. Their sound sits at the virtuoso end of the prog-rock spectrum, with long, technically complex instrumental solos, exemplified by the 8-minute opening track, Overture. In keeping with the concept album format, the songs all bleed into each other, so it’s like listening one continuous song. I can’t say that I really enjoyed the album, there were no catchy hooks, or vocal harmonies to make the songs memorable. As was the case with SMPT:e, I certainly admired their musicianship, but probably not an album I will be returning to.
Liquid Tension Experiment – Liquid Tension Experiment 3 (16th Apr): Twenty two years after their last studio release, comes a truly awesome new album from this prog-metal supergroup, comprising two current (guitarist John Petrucci and keyboardist Jordan Rudess) and one former (drummer Mike Portnoy) member of Dream Theater plus Chapman Stick virtuoso Tony Levin. For fans of Dream Theater, getting hold of this album is a no-brainer, as it carries a very similar sound. The version of the album I listened to on Spotify is the Deluxe Edition, which has five additional tracks in a “bonus disc” titled A Night at the Improv. Unlike most bonus sections, which contain material that wasn’t the first choice for the main album, everything here is a standout. This amazing, 2-hour-long album just grows on me with each listening. In the main disc, my favourite tracks are Beating the Odds, Liquid Evolution, Shades of Hope and the 13-minute opus Key to the Imagination, which I loved because of its eastern rhythms. Four of the five tracks in the bonus section are over 10 minutes and have a relaxed pace; Blink of an Eye and Solid Resolution Theory carry over the Dream Theater sound of the other tracks, while Your Beard is Good is a throwback with guitar riffs reminiscent of Wishbone Ash and some mellotron-like keyboard sounds, that could have come from Ray Manzarek of The Doors.
Gojira – Fortitude (30th Apr): Spotify tells me that Gojira was my most listened-to artist of 2021…and with good reason! This incredibly inventive album from the French heavy metal band shows just how sophisticated their sound has now become. The current line-up have been together since they changed their name from Godzilla in 2001 and their seventh studio album is their best yet, building on the critical acclaim of 2016’s Grammy-nominated Magma. This time around, the band adds elements of Pantera-style groove-metal to their foundational thrash metal sound. On the outstanding eco-protest track, Amazonia, they have incorporated the jaw harp to create a distinctive earthy rhythm; the song garnered them a Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance. The most radio-friendly tune on the album is Another World, which was also the lead single. Frankly, if I start listing my favourite songs, I will end up naming almost every one; Born for One Thing, Hold On, New Found, Into the Storm, The Trails – each have a memorable riff, hook or vocal delivery style that elevate them beyond standard rock/metal songs. I strongly recommend heavy metal fans to start with this album and work their way through the band’s back catalogue, particularly Magma, From Mars to Sirius (2005) and The Link (2003).
Mammoth WVH – Mammoth WVH (11th Jun): Legendary guitarist Eddie Van Halen died of cancer in October 2020. His son Wolfgang released the song, Distance, shortly afterwards in memory of his father. Six months later, the song was part of his debut album Mammoth WVH (referencing the original name of the band Van Halen and of course, Wolfgang’s initials). Although the album artist is listed also as Mammoth WVH (implying it’s a band), it’s actually all Wolfgang Van Halen – vocals, lead and rhythm guitars, bass, drums and keyboards! Given his pedigree, it is inevitable that the Van Halen band sound carries over into this album. The songs are all accessible, commercial and radio-friendly, each clocking in at 3-4 minutes. My three favourite tracks are Mammoth, Think it Over and Stone. Although this first effort doesn’t push any boundaries, I’m curious to see what this talented musician will produce in the coming years.
Styx – Crash of the Crown (18th Jun): The seventeenth studio album from the 70’s stadium rock icons comes nearly 50 years after the band’s formation. Co-founder James Young is still going strong, as is Tommy Shaw, whose entry as vocalist/guitarist in the late 70’s led to their biggest successes. The familiar rock-opera-style vocal harmonization hits you right from the get-go with the ultra-short intro track The Fight of Our Lives and then settles into a series of snappy songs, adding to a brisk (by today’s standards) 43-minute album. Lawrence Gowan‘s keyboards and Todd Sucherman‘s drums both get significant space on the album. I can’t say any of the songs stood out for me, but put together, the album is a great package that you can play to just enjoy “that Styx sound”; having said that, the title track does sound a lot like a Queen song!
The Neal Morse Band – Innocence & Danger (27th Aug): This is the only band in the list that I hadn’t listened to previously, but narrowly qualifies as an “old favourite”, as two of the band members, Neal Morse and Mike Portnoy, featured in Transatlantic, whose new album kicked off this post. The Neal Morse Band has a more conventional, commercial sound compared to Transatlantic, although Innocence & Danger does have two prog-rock epics – Not Afraid Pt. 2 is 20 minutes long and Beyond the Years is 31 minutes! But to balance these long, intricately structured prog-rock tracks, there are shorter, highly accessible, conventional rock tracks (including a cover of Bridge Over Troubled Waters). Four of the five band members sing, and this creates some great vocal harmonies; on the opening track Do It All Again, Neal Morse, guitarist Eric Gillette and keyboardist Bill Hubauer share lead vocal duties, with each one tackling a different section of the song. My favourite song, Bird on a Wire, also has the same three vocalists and is built around an anthemic keyboard riff from Bill Hubauer. Place in the Sun has a reggae-tinged intro and Another Story to Tell sounds like something out of a Billy Joel album. I have to admit, I had no idea how prolific Neal Morse is; he has a discography of more than 40 studio albums, covering his stints with prog-rock bands Spock’s Beard, Transatlantic and Flying Colors, as well as various solo efforts including nine Christian worship albums.
I had a lot of fun listening to all this new music. In Part 2, I will cover 2021 album releases from Iron Maiden, Yes, Dream Theater, Mastodon, Jerry Cantrell and Black Label Society.
Chronophlogiston 
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