I can’t believe we are through with another year. And what a year it was, It saw me complete my goal of one post for every day of the year and it saw me start and still not finish the massive Jeff Scott Soto Series. I still have about 6 months to go on that one. Crazy. It saw some struggles as I had a minor surgery but the two week recovery was hard and then I got sick and was miserable for another two weeks and that put a massive damper on my enthusiasm for writing. For October, I barely wrote anything. Thankfully, I keep ahead so it had no impact on my readers, you probably didn’t even notice, but for me, it was hard. But we are way past that now and all is good.
With the Soto series and the Scorpions series, I actually didn’t spend much time with new releases, but I did have a bunch that I liked and wish I spent more time with. So, we are going to go through the Top 10 Rock Albums of 2022 and of course there will be some honorable mentions, a worst of album and some of my favorite Non-Rock albums. Sit back, grab a cup of coffee if it is morning, or a beer if it is any other time of day…and enjoy!!
TOP ROCK ALBUMS OF 2022:
#10 – HALESTORM – BACK FROM THE DEAD: Lzzy Hale and the boys are back from the dead and they are rocking the hell out of you with this one. With the title track, then “Wicked Ways” and “The Steeple”, they showed they mean business and are carrying the torch for rock. Listen to this and you know Rock Ain’t Dead!! And if you want more great ones, I really like “Psycho Crazy” and the ballad “Raise Your Horns”…oh sooooo good!!
#9 – H.E.A.T. – FORCE MAJEURE: I thought there last album was amazing with Erik Gronwell on vocals, but Erik left and is now with Skid Row who also released an album this year. Original H.E.A.T. lead singer, Kenny Leckremo, returned and they released another stellar release. I like it way better than the new Skid Row…sorry Erik. Such stellar tracks as “Back to the Rhythm”, “Nationwide”, “Tainted Blood” and “Demon Eyes” to only name a handful.
Continue reading “The Top Rock Albums of 2022”
Halestorm – Back From the Dead (Deluxe Edition) – (Atlantic Records)
Cheap Trick – Live at the Whiskey 1977 (45th Anniversary 4CD Set) – (Real Gone Music)
Frank Zappa – Waka/Wazoo – (Universal Music)
Seether – Disclaimer (Deluxe Edition) – (Craft Recordings / Concord)
Kansas – Another Fork in the Road: 50 Years of Kansas – (Inside Out Music)
Bloodclot! – Souls – (Upstate Records / Blood Blast Distribution)
Jacquees – Sincerely For You – (Cash Money Records)
Marcotic – Mobile Home Rich – (Mobile Home Records)
Percussor – Ravenous Despondency – (Horror Pain Gore Death Productions)
Circa Survive – Two Dreams – (Rise Records)
Mimi Barks – Deadgirl – (Silent Cult)
Mori Calliope – Sinderella – (Universal Music)
Journey – Live in Concert at Lollapalooza – (Frontiers Records)
David Crosby – Live at Capitol Theatre – (Three Blind Mice / BMG Rights Mgt)
Sabu – Banshee – (Frontiers Records)
Rob Moratti – Epical – (Frontiers Records)
Landfall – Elevate – (Frontiers Records)
Nevena – Nevena – (Frontiers Records)
Tony DeCarlo – Dancing in the Moonlight – (Frontiers Records)
Kenny Wayne Shepherd – Trouble is 25 – (Mascot Label Group / Provogue)
Janis Joplin & Jorma Kaukonen – The Legendary Typewrite Tape: 6/25/64 Jorma’s House – (Fantility Corp & Jorma Kaukonen / Omnivore Recordings)
The Beach Boys – Sail On Sailor 1972 (Super Deluxe Edition) – (Capitol Records / Brother Records)
Paul McCartney – The 7″ Singles – (MPL Communications)
Cody Johnson – Cody Johnson & the Rockin’ CJB Live – (CoJo Music / Warner Music)
NOFX – Double Album – (Fat Wreck Chords)
Elvis Presley – Elvis on Tour – (RCA Records / Sony Music)
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers – Live at the Fillmore, 1997 – (Petty Legacy LLC / Warner)
David Bowie – Divine Symmetry – (Parlophone Records / Jones & Tintoretto Entertainment)
Ringo Starr – Live at the Greek Theater 2019 – (BFD)
Sword – III – (Massacre Records / Soulfood Music)
Our Mirage – Eclipse – (Arising Empire)
Stormzy – This is What I Mean – (Def Jam / Hashtag Merky Music / Universal)
Felix Riebl – Everyday Amen – (My Shore Productions / AWAL Recordings)
High Command – Eclipse of the Dual Moons – (Southern Lord)
Leather – We Are the Chosen – (Steamhammer)
Kiss – Creatures of the Night (40th Anniversary Edition) – (UMe / UMG)
Queen – The Miracle (Deluxe Edition or Collector’s Edition) – (Hollywood Records)
Nickelback – Get Rollin’ – (Nickelback II Productions / BMG Rights Mgmt)
Disturbed – Divisive – (Reprise Records)
Michael Jackson – Thriller 40 – (Sony Music)
Dolly Parton – Diamonds & Rhinestones: The Greatest Hits Collection – (Sony Music)
Guns ‘N Roses – Use Your Illusion Super Deluxe – (Geffen Records)
Mammoth WVH – Mammoth WVH (Deluxe Edition) – (EX1 Records)
Bruce Springsteen – Only the Strong Survive – (Columbia Records / Sony Music)
Last in Line – A Day in the Life E.P. – (earMusic / Edel Music)
Louis Tomlinson – Faith in the Future – (78 Productions Ltd / BMG Rights)
Black Eyed Peas – Elevation – (Epic Records)
Morris Day – Last Call – (Morris Day Entertainment)
Larkin Poe – Blood Harmony – (Tricki-Woo)
Epica – The Alchemy Project – (Atomic Fire Records)
Enuff Z’Nuff – Finer Than Sin – (Frontiers Records)
The Pretty Reckless – Other Worlds – (Goin’ Down Inc. / Fearless Records / Concord)
Devin Townsend – Lightwork – (Hevy Devy Records / InsideOutMusic)
Dean Lewis – The Hardest Love – (Island Records / Universal)
Dermot Kennedy – Sonder – (Riggins Recordings / Interscope Records / Island Records) 
First Aid Kit – Palomino – (Columbia Records / Sony Music)
Teddy Swims – Sleeping is Exhausting E.P. – (Swims Int. / Warner Records)
Luke Evans – A Song For You – (BMG Rights Mgmt)
Dayseeker – Dark Sun – (Spinefarm Records / Universal)
Joe Lynn Turner – Belly of the Beast – (Mascot Label Group / Music Theories Recordings): Joe Lynn Turner is throwing all caution the wind, he is letting go of the wigs and letting loose the metal. I’m really excited about this one as he has one of the greatest rock voices out there and I can’t wait to see what he brings us this time around.
Foo Fighters – The Essential Foo Fighters – (Legacy Recordings)
Beatles – Revolver (Super Deluxe) – (Calderstone Productions / Universal)
Pentatonix – Holidays Around the World – (RCA Records / Sony Music)
The Damned – A Night of a Thousand Vampires – (earMusic / Edel Music)
Fear Factory – Recoded – (Nuclear Blast)
Taylor Swift – Midnights – (Taylor Swift): She’s BACK!!! Taylor is knocking out albums faster than Aaron Judge was hitting homeruns. This one is supposed to be about dreams or nightmares she has had…or something like that. All I know are my kids are excited. And Taylor will sell more albums than anyone and she hasn’t even released one single for this album yet…as a result, no video to show. If I get up in this morning and there is one, I will update.
Stryper – The Final Battle – (Frontiers Records): Micheal Sweet and company are back again. Talk about putting out a lot of albums. Michael Sweet is a freaking machine. And I think the quality has been there so I am on board for another one. Bring it Mr. Sweet!!
