Well, here we are. Just over a week into 2016 and so far, nothing feels that different (apart from the crushing absence of Lemmy). Rather than look at some of the albums that I didn't get a chance to listen to last year, I'm kicking things off the same I did last January; a list of 10 songs I loved from 2015, along with a few Honourable Mentions.
I suppose I should mention that any of the songs released in the last year that were included in the previous Taster Session post will be omitted from here, although it's safe to say I loved them. You may also find that several tracks listed here have been mentioned in other posts on this blog, although I'll try to stick to newer ones. As always, my Tenology posts are generally opinion based and these songs reflect what I enjoyed listening to throughout the year. I haven't listed them in order of greatness but you'll probably be able to tell which ones I favoured more than others from my write-up of each song.
It's also worth mentioning that there are bound to be several songs from 2015 that I will really like but have yet to listen to, so if you've got any recommendations then feel free to list them. Anyway, time to start another 2015 countdown!
1. "Cirice" - Ghost B.C.
Yes, I did mention this in a separate Taster Session post and yes, I still like it now as much as I did when I first wrote that. I should've listened to the whole album by now although I seem to recall this band releasing a song called "If You Have Ghosts" which is fucking terrible. I don't know what the original sounds like but it was almost enough for me to completely write off this band, as it sounds less like a Metal anthem and more like a generic Foo Fighters track. However, if you've heard that shitty cover and agree with me then you should know that this song is enough to make you forgive them.
2. "Cold, Clear Light" - Johnny Blazes And The Pretty Boys
OK, I talked about this one a little bit on the blog too. Basically, it's a great Blues track with a semi-decent couple of solos and an incredibly catchy melody. It's also very fun to play on Rock Band, if that kind of thing appeals to you. I'm not sure if the album this comes from (Soul Vernacular) is available on iTunes yet but if you want to buy this track, they have a Bandcamp where you can support them.
3. "Fire And Ice" - FM
Finally, a new song to talk about! I never really got into FM's earlier material but last year, they released another comeback album that actually contained many great tracks such as "Cold Hearted", "Diggin' Up The Dirt" and "Life Is A Highway". However, my favourite off Heroes And Villains is easily "Fire And Ice", a tune which borrows the piano refrain from Joe Cocker's "Woman To Woman" at the start but eventually breaks into its own song after the drums kick in. Definitely an underrated tune from 2015 in my books.
4. "Flying" - The Answer
Aaaand back to tracks already mentioned on the blog, specifically in my review of Raise A Little Hell - The Answer. I didn't spend much time talking about this song, as it was a bonus track on a deluxe edition, but I reckon it was probably my favourite new song by the band. It's a great driving song and deserved a spot on the main tracklist although I guess the band couldn't charge extortionate prices for three new songs if they weren't very good ones now, could they?
5. "High Country" - The Sword
As well as reviewing the new album released in August, I discussed this track in particular on yet another Taster Session post. It's not as heavy as some of their better known material but it's got some powerful riffs (including one that's a wee bit close to a certain Audioslave track) and I still enjoy listening to it. It's probably my favourite tune off the album too so it definitely belongs on this list.
6. "Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart" - Chris Cornell
Another album I should probably check out after the rest. There's a strange sort of fairytale sound to this song thanks to the pizzicato strings and mandolin intro, two things you wouldn't expect to hear in a Rock song. However, Chris Cornell pulls through and creates a song that's both memorable and better after multiple listens. If you haven't heard this song yet, don't expect it to sound like Soundgarden 2 or even Soundgarden Lite, unless Soundgarden went through a soft Alternative Rock phase I'm unaware of.
7. "New Day Rising" - Von Hertzen Brothers
Possibly my favourite song of the year but only in single edit form as the album version goes on a bit too long. Great riffs, awesome vocals, good use of dynamics and I bet it fucking slays when performed live too. I know a few other tracks by this band and I like them too so maybe I should give an album of theirs a listen. If you like this song and want another track to check out, try "Insomniac".
8. "Open Fire" - The Darkness
If you like The Cult or the song "Hooks In You" - Marillion, you'll want to give this track a listen. I talked about it briefly in my review of the album Last Of Our Kind but one thing I can officially confirm is that this album (and this song) helped get me into The Darkness. At first, I couldn't stand the falsetto vocals but "Open Fire" focuses more on the guitar riffs and less on screeching every line. There's a bit of falsetto in the chorus but it fits in well with the rest of the song, unlike others where it just sounds forced. Definitely one of my favourite songs by the band as well as favourites of 2015!
9. "Reapers" - Muse
I was tempted to review Drones - Muse but ended up tweeting my thoughts about it instead. In short, it's a good album but there are still traces of Matt Bellamy's inflated ego littered throughout. However, one of the album highlights is the track "Reapers" which I suspect was originally meant to be the album's title track before they decided to change it to some wanky album outro. A top notch riff reminiscent of "Still Of The Night" - Whitesnake and some great guitar work too. The only downside is the unnecessary outro that sounds a bit like the end of "Blinded In Chains" - Avenged Sevenfold.
10. "Speed Of Light" - Iron Maiden
I may be ending the list on another track I've already discussed twice but goddamn, it's a strong track. Lyrically, it may not fit in with the album's main concepts but as far as singles go, it was enough to get me excited for their new album. At first, I wasn't sure about Bruce's vocals but those doubts were easily extinguished after multiple listens.
Before you tell me that I've missed a song or that one of those tracks doesn't belong on the list, here are some tracks that didn't quite make the cut but were still decent.
"Breakaway" - Inglorious
It's hardly one of the bigger songs of 2015 but among all the comeback albums and surprise singles, this track stood out for me. It's got a great riff, a driving rhythm and some solid vocals too although I wouldn't rate it in the top ranks of my favourite or even highly enjoyable songs. It's mediocre by Hard Rock standards but good for a few listens every now and then, thus making it into my Honourable Mentions.
"Demolition Man" - Razzmattazz
I reviewed the album this came from on the blog as well so that's probably the best place to go if you want to know more about this band. However, this is the song that introduced me to it and for another AC/DC tribute act, these guys definitely bring a punch worthy of the Honourable Mentions section.
"Martyr" - Last In Line
I haven't talked about these guys on the blog yet because I only found out about them a few weeks ago. Basically, Vivian Campbell (Dio & Def Leppard guitarist) has put together a supergroup named after Dio's second album and they'll hopefully be releasing an album entitled Heavy Crown this year. It's something that caught my attention because I seem to recall all the band members being pretty respectable musicians. However, out of both tracks they've released, this is probably the superior recording and even then it's not great. I'll keep an ear out for Heavy Crown but in case I forget, I thought I should mention it here too.
"Orphan" - Toto
I've been waiting to find another great Rock track from Toto for ages (ignoring "Hold The Line" and "Africa", of course) and these guys must have heard me. Unlike some of their more Pop or Prog oriented tracks, "Orphan" definitely belongs to the Rock genre and considering it was released over 30 years after the peak of their career, it's still as strong as their signature songs to me. If I had to expand this list of my favourite songs from 2015, I reckon this would be number 11.
"Sean" - Foo Fighters
In case you missed it, Dave Grohl and his backing band decided to release a 5-song EP of Foos tracks entitled Saint Cecilia that had been unassigned to previous albums but written throughout their career. Since they released it for free without any hype, I wasn't exactly expecting much. However, two tracks ended up on my phone after I listened to the whole EP (the other one being "The Neverending Sigh") and I would recommend listening to it if you preferred the Foo Fighters before they got all shouty and angry. It's a little bit short for it to make it onto the main list but it's still my favourite off the EP.
Next week, I'll try to review one of the albums released towards the end of last year. Either that or something to do with video games, depends on how much time I have.
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