The Cruel Intentions : "All Hail Hypocrisy"

 

The Vains of Jenna helped lead the Scandinavian hair-metal revival. Lizzy DeVine continues what he started there with this band. It's not my first rodeo with these guys. Their previous album, "Venomous Anonymous," scored a 9, which earned them a spot on our Top 10 Rock Albums of 2022. This time around, they have continued to refine their hair-raising brand of arena rock. With big choruses, but not totally weighed down by nostalgia for the 80s. Some riffs hold a more modern rock heft, and there is even a touch of pop on the title track. The one thing the songs seem to have in common is that they are well-written.

I like the more nuanced strum of "Wasteland". Lizzy's rasp is less AC/DC these days. In some ways, it still reminds me a little of Taime Downe from Faster Pussycat. To be titled "When Eden Burns," it sounds pretty happy. Lyrically, it's alright though. There is amore of a metal feel going into "Pseudo Genius." Despite the drums providing more drive, the mood is too anthemic and upbeat for my personal tastes in this sort of thing. They maintain a high-energy attack on "Bad Addiction," but it's marginally darker, which is enough to win me over. I'm pretty easy to please, even with the big chorus. 

"Porridge Head" is more melodic, and while it works it seems like they are following more of a formula on this album, which brings a more pop-punk feel to the choruses. Though I am sure bands like Cheap Trick played into the early influence of pop punk. They nail the 80s feel to the guitar solos if that is what you are itching for. "Whatcha Gonna Do" has a more aggressive attitude, which the album needs. Though it does ebb back down to give the vocals room on the verses, that works. The chorus is not as happy as the previous song, so that works for me. There is a little more tension in the guitar to "Cashed Out," which closes the album. I will give this album a 9.5, as it bridges pop-punk with hair-metal in a way that brings more relevance to both genres; it's a great-sounding album, and nobody else is doing this sort of thing this well these days. Drops May 29th. 

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the Top 10 Rock Albums of 2022

These albums are straight up rock, but not packing enough punch for the hard rock list. Much like in years past sort through the genre lists before making the overall top ten of the year The fact these artists made it on the list speaks to how great these albums are, so it's not a slight that the number 8 album is above the 9th album, there is something that just gives it an edge that makes me want to listen to it more. After all we can try to look cool and pick the hippest bands for a list, but at the end of the day what makes an album the best is that it makes you want more, you look forward to listening to it again. . I do hope you can find your next favorite on this list and have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out audio on these guys. Anyways here are the top 10 rock albums of 2022

10- Scorpions - "Rock Believer." 

There is still a great deal of gas in their tank. The Scorpions were one of the biggest heavy metal bands of their day. Once they tasted big chart-topping success with their 1984 album "Love at First Sting," they became more of a rock-and-roll band, losing much of their metallic edge. This album is big 80s-flavored rock that finds the band with their boots firmly planted in where they came from. This is album the first album with Drummer Mikkey Dee, who played with both King Diamond and Motorhead. On this album, he is collecting a paycheck as he gets nowhere near as aggressive with his playing. One thing that is impressive and perhaps the album's strongest selling point is the youthful nature of Klaus' vocals. At age 73 he can still get up there. 

Abysmal Hymns: Scorpions : " Rock Believer"

9-the Cruel Intentions - "Venomous Anonymous" 

Why did the fact Lizzy from the Vains of Jenna went on the form this band go under my radar? Not that I actively seek out a ton of hair metal. I grew up listening to this sort of thing in the 80s until I found heavier music. Compared to Vains of Jenna these guys are bigger and more polished-sounding. They do what Steel Panther does but take it seriously. 

Abysmal Hymns: The Cruel Intentions : "Venomous Anonymous:

8-the Hellacopters -"Eyes of Oblivion" 

These guys have been doing this since the mid 90s. Former members of Entombed and Backyard Babies playing straight up 80s flavored rock n roll. There was once a more punk feel to it, but now they are totally almost party 80s rock. The opener is solid, surprised how slick of a production they have.

Abysmal Hymns: The Hellacopters : " Eyes of Oblivion"

 

5- Crashdiet- "Automaton"

This band has been in my awareness for some time, as I have watched the hair metal revival of the mid 2000s from the corner of my eye. Like most of the higher quality stuff in this vein, this band is from Northern Europe. These Swedes have been at it for over 20 years, so are still going pretty strong as this has a big sound and is very polished.

Abysmal Hymns: Crashdiet : " Automaton"

 

6- Rumours-"the Lower We Sink, the Less We Care" 

This album hooked me quick has tonally it owes more to rock than metal, but it does work off a grim tension that is still explosive. This Swedish band are skilled weavers of sonic gloom, it's still punchy with a hint of 70s rock. The instrumentation is warmly recorded in analog. The retro thing is not the band trying too hard to capture a bygone era. Great dynamic vocals that belt it out with a great deal of convincing power.

Abysmal Hymns: RUMOURS : "the Lower We Sink, the Less We Care"

5-the Cult -"Under the Midnight Sun" 

Their 12th album finds the band still strong with a darker and rawer sound. The key to their success is dependent on how well Astbury's vocals hold up at the age of 60. Billy Duffy has less on the line as his guitar tone has only continued to improve the years. Ian sounds strong, his trademark croon which at one time positioned him to fill in for Jim Morrison, for a Doors reunion of sorts. That Doors like element is still in play here, though the music has a more passionate creepiness to it

Abysmal Hymns: Gothtober-the Cult: "Under the Midnight Sun"
 

4-Billy Howerdel- "What Normal Was" 

The brainchild of A Perfect Circle is back. This is not his first solo effort, as the Ashes Divide band was that as well. The only reason I can presume he is not releasing this as Ashes Divide is due to the departure from harder edged rock music here and something closer to Depeche Mode. This should not be surprising as A Perfect Circle covered "People are People" on "Emotive". There is a familiar moodiness here, though his songwriting continues to mature.  

Abysmal Hymns: Gothtober-Billy Howerdel :" What Normal Was "

3-Greg Puciato- "Mirrorcell" 

Not a huge fan of Dillinger Escape Plan I do have a great deal of respect for them and have heard most of Greg's solo work. This album is a great deal different in that it does not try to emulate new wave from the 80s he has moved onto the 90s , drawing on an alt-rock sound that makes the most of hooky choruses. 

Abysmal Hymns: Greg Puciato : " Mirrorcell"

2-Placebo -"Never Let Me Go" 

2006's "Meds" was the last album I was into by this British glam band. By into I mean listened to every moment of the day as these guys were once numbered among my favorite bands. The key to Brian's success as a songwriter lies in his ability convey the struggle of his anger, darkness, metal health and addiction. It is in that struggle where their music has found its fire. Moloko succeeds in recapturing that moodiness on their new album. It is important that Stefan is still working with Brian as that duo is clearly Placebo and not just Brian Moloko solo album. There is none of the kinetic punk tension that colored their early work. It works off smooth grooves and melodies, with sonic layers of guitar embellish the dynamics.

Abysmal Hymns: Placebo : "Never Let Me Go"

1-Ozzy Osbourne- "Patient Number 9" 

Releasing album 13 at the ripe age of 73, Ozzy is holding up better than expected, especially when you consider the tour cancelling issues of the past few years. This album has less of a pop sheen and feels more like a rock record than "Ordinary Man". He brings Zakk Wylde back, along with Toni Iommi, Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton. So, the big guns of rock guitar.  They helped him crank out a batch of songs that I have not heard him get as catchy since "Ozzmosis"   

Abysmal Hymns: Ozzy Osbourne : "Patient Number 9 "

The Cruel Intentions : "Venomous Anonymous:

Why the fact Lizzy from the Vains of Jenna went on the form this band go under my radar? Not that I actively seek out a ton of hair metal. I grew up listening to this sort of thing in 80s until I found music that was heavier. Two songs in an I can say I prefer the grittier edge the Vains of Jenna has as this very big and polished in comparison.  Though major chords aside some of this grit is restored on "Sunrise on the Sunset Strip", despite this song being for all practical purposes their version of Katy Perry's "Last Friday Night". On second listen the album opener does grow on me and packs enough punch to be called metal. It is not as dark as the Vains of Jenna. The backing vocals give the title track too much of a Bon Jovi feel. When it came to hair metal, Bon Jovi and Poison were the bands I cared for the least, probably because they were not metal at all. This band works better when they lean more into the Faster Pussycat side of what they do. 

For "Casket Case" to tackle the topic of his toxic addiction the mood is more like joyous pop punk. Granted they do not push the pop part of the equation too far.  "Kerosene" has more traditional metal elements in play, though think the Scorpions rather than their edgier British peers. He sings in Swedish on "Salt i Ditt Sar".  It works for this song, which rides the middle of the road in terms of AOR rock of that time. The guitar gets harder on "Final Deathroll", but the vocals seem to still be full of pep despite Lizzy's raspy tenor. There is a Pat Benatar like feel to "Goddamn Monday". I think a few less vocals harmonizing on the chorus might be for the best, but even this version works.  

"Bad Vibes" is the first song that feels like filler in comparison to the other songs. They rock out in a way on "Chemical Vacation " that makes up for this. "City of Lice: pretty much circles what they have been doing up to this point, no new ground broken sonically.  I will give this album a 9 as they care about the songs, despite playing it safe in the more radio-oriented direction of this genre, but pull it off really well, as there is no doubt that Lizzy is a great talent.