Continuing on from Part 1 of my 2022 music review, here are another 8 albums released by old favourites in 2022.
James LaBrie – Beautiful Shade of Grey (20th May): Canadian singer James LaBrie is better known as the long-time vocalist for American prog-metal band Dream Theater. All members of the band are constantly busy with solo projects or supergroups when not recording and touring together, and LaBrie is no different, with Beautiful Shade of Grey being his fifth solo release since 2005. This time around he pivots away from melodic death metal to a more mellow and accessible sound. His 24-year-old son, Chance LaBrie, whose band Falset launched their debut album in 2020, is the drummer on the album. Italian guitarist, Marco Sfogli, who has been a regular on previous LaBrie solo efforts, shines throughout, especially on the tracks, Devil in Drag, Hit Me Like a Brick and the beautifully arranged What I Missed. Many of the tracks, shaped by LaBrie’s characteristic vocal style, sound like the softer songs from recent Dream Theater albums – pleasant, but somewhat formulaic; the ballad, Supernova Girl and the predominantly acoustic Give and Take, are typical examples. Wildflower is a notable exception, with its vocal harmonies elevating it above the ordinary. The note for note cover of Led Zepellin‘s Ramble On sounds great, but is an incongruous presence vs. the style of the other songs. This 48-minute-long album is definitely worth a try for fans of the Dream Theater sound, or anyone looking for mellow metal.
Harry Styles – Harry’s House (20th May): The English singer-songwriter is a pop culture phenomenon, emerging actor (Don’t Worry Darling and My Policeman both released this year) and style icon all rolled into one. His third studio album was released earlier this year to similar levels of acclaim as his sophomore 2019 effort Fine Line, and has just garnered Grammy nominations for Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album. I admit I haven’t listened to much of Styles’ music other than the ubiquitous Watermelon Sugar, and some hits from his One Direction days, but I count myself a fan of his sound and style, and so I was already positively predisposed to the new album. It certainly doesn’t disappoint, with a collection of songs that have depth and texture, exemplified by Music for a Sushi Restaurant, Late Night Talking, Grapejuice and the hit single As It Was. Then there’s Cinema and Daydreaming, both of which have a great R&B/soul vibe, with John Mayer on guitars on both songs (and what sounds like a Nile Rodgers riff at the end of the former track). The beautifully contemplative Boyfriends has the great Ben Harper on acoustic, electric and slide guitars. These delightful variations, including Styles’ falsetto on the chorus of Satellite, are the little surprises that make this album such a joy to listen to. One can only imagine what else this talented 28-year-old has in store for his fans in the coming years.
Def Leppard – Diamond Star Halos (27th May): Def Leppard has a special place in my life, as Hysteria was the first rock album I listened to, and fell in love with, back in 1987. I chronicled this a couple of years ago in a four-part series describing my journey through rock and metal. The British band has continued to remain active through the years, although they are not the chart-topping sensations they were in the late 80’s. To their credit, they have tried to experiment with their sound on albums like Slang (1996) and X (2002), but with mixed success. Their 12th studio album returns to their 80’s template, continuing with the same line-up of the past three decades – vocalist Joe Elliot (now 63 years old), Rick Savage on bass, one-armed drummer Rick Allen, and guitarists Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell (who replaced Steve Clark after he died on alcohol poisoning in 1991). The throwback sound with their signature vocal harmonizing, works perfectly, particularly on the early tracks Kick and Fire It Up. On two songs, the band collaborates with Alison Krauss, who brings her country vibe to This Guitar and the slower Lifeless. The band has had great success in the past with ballads and acoustic songs like 1992’s Two Steps Behind, and they land a couple of winners here with Goodbye for Good This Time and Angels, enhanced by a piano and strings arrangement. Overall, this album is well worth listening to for fans of Hysteria and 80’s hair metal/pop rock.
Michael Schenker Group – Universal (27th May): I have to confess, MSG barely qualifies as an “old favourite”; I do own their best-selling live release, One Night at Budokan, but have never listened to any of their studio albums. Band leader Michael Schenker (who started his career at age 17 as lead guitarist for Scorpions with brother Rudy) has been the constant through the years, accompanied by a revolving door line-up of respected musicians. The band had released 10 albums until 2008, and then after a gap of 13 years, came out with Immortal last year and Universal this year. Both feature top class Chilean vocalist Ronnie Romero, who has also been singing for Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow on their live shows since 2016. The creative energy on Universal appears to be directed towards vocal performances rather than guitar pyrotechnics, given the other high-profile guest vocalists on the album – legendary Helloween frontman Michael Kiske brings his distinctive pipes to the Ronnie James Dio homage, A King Has Gone (the Rainbow connection is strong here as the track features Rainbow’s former bassist Bob Daisley, drummer Bobby Rondinelli and keyboardist Tony Carey); highly regarded metal vocalist Ralf Scheepers growls and shrieks on the ferocious Wrecking Ball; former MSG lead singer Gary Barden and Romero share a duet on The Universe. If you want a dose of late 70’s no-frills guitar shredding and rock vocals, then this is the album for you.
Coheed and Cambria – Vaxis – Act II: A Window of the Waking Mind (24th June): This is the American prog-rock band’s much anticipated sequel to their 2018 release, Vaxis – Act I: The Unheavenly Creatures. It’s the latest in their long-running sequence of concept albums based on The Amory Wars, a space opera graphic novel series written by 44-year-old band frontman Claudio Sanchez. At four years, this is the longest gap between album releases in the band’s twenty-year history. The synth and Auto-tune elements have been dialed up on this release, and the intros to A Disappearing Act and Bad Man would not be out of place in a 90’s pop album. I have unconditional love for this band, but in this case there are only 4 out of the 13 tracks that I would put on my repeat listening list – Comatose, Liars Club, the outstanding Rise, Naianasha (Cut the Cord) and the epic 8-minute suite Window of the Waking Mind. That’s still a better hit rate than the 2 tracks I loved on Vaxis – Act I, so I have no complaints overall and I look forward to many more years of exhilarating output from this amazing band.
Of Montreal – Freewave Lucifer f<ck f^ck f>ck (29th July): The prolific Kevin Barnes, the man behind the band Of Montreal, has released three albums in as many years, with the latest being his 18th studio album since 1997. I was an unabashed fan of his delightfully effervescent 2020 release, Ur Fun, but surprisingly I couldn’t get any excitement out of I Feel Safe with You, Trash released last year and likewise, no vibe whatsoever from this year’s 33-minute long album either; after listening to it twice, there’s not a single song that I like. The music is too esoteric, experimental and freewheeling for my taste.
Russian Circles – Gnosis (19th Aug): This Chicago-based instrumental rock trio has been quietly accumulating a legion of fans since 2006 and this is their 8th studio release. I fell in love with their highly acclaimed 2013 release, Memorial, and thereafter listened to their previous album, Empros. I lost track of their subsequent three releases and sadly also missed their live performance in Kuala Lumpur in 2015. What I find particularly attractive about their music is Dave Turncrantz‘s slow drumming cadence, which produces a heavy, brutal, almost primitive sound, around which the bass and guitars are structured. There are few surprises on the 40-minute-long Gnosis, with the band sticking to its tried and trusted formula. My favourite is the title track highlighted by guitarist Mike Sullivan‘s eastern-style rhythms. The songs do start blending into each other after a while, although the one-two switcheroo of the lullaby-like Ó Braonáin, followed by the aural assault of Betrayal, did jar me out of my trance (neither song appealed to me!). Overall, a good effort which will be of interest to hardcore fans and first-time listeners, but nothing exceptional if you’re looking for some variation from their previous releases.
The Mars Volta – The Mars Volta (16th Sep): In September, I wrote a full review of the band’s new self-titled album, their 7th studio release, which marked their emergence from a self-imposed ten year retirement/hiatus. Two months later, it continues to be top of mind; in fact, Spotify’s year-end wrap-up of my listening choices acknowledged that Vigil was my top song of the year. There’s not much more to be said beyond that, except to express my deep frustration that the band didn’t get a Grammy nomination. This is definitely a contender for my favourite album of the year.
That brings us to the end of Part 2. In Part 3, I will cover albums from Megadeth, Ozzy Osbourne, Vieux Farka Touré & Khruangbin, Queensrÿche, Joji, Bruce Springsteen and The Smashing Pumpkins.
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