the Top 10 Rock Albums of 2017

Rock is anything that is rooted in the blues origins, here there are many different brands of rock some harder than others. It's less heavy than metal, with typically more attitude than any genre except may be punk. Some of these bands are hard rock, but not heavy enough to make even the main stream metal list I am going to be working on. This year on all the lists I am including a reason why it beat out the album under it, to provide some clarity. Rather than obsess over what belongs where I defaulted to what Last Fm said I listened to more. In some cases the answer is a little more complicated that. I have included in most cases links to the reviews so you can get a bigger picture. So I'll let you read this list for yourself and stop with the commentary.

10- Atomic Bitchwax- "Force Field" 

10- Atomic Bitchwax- "Force Field"

This album is a lot of fun, they are typically thought of as stoner rock, but the bpms are dialed way up on this album. Maybe it's the cocaine, which is all the more reason this one is just partying rock n roll. Sure they race off in a cloud of bong smoke when the album gets going , but it's in your face attitude gives you the middle finger in the most upbeat manner possible.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/12/the-atomic-bitchwax-force-field.html

9-Crystal Fairy-s/t

The singer from Bosnian Rainbows fronts this super that combines  Buzz Osborne  with the dudes . While she steals the show they churn out some rock that is both burly and angular , almost slightly Zeppelin but through a filter of sludged rock n roll. More dynamics than Atomic Bitchwax.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/02/crystal-fairy-st.html

8-The Black Angels- "Death Song"

 The opening track off their new album "Death Song" holds all the qualities that originally attracted me to their sound. It's dark and sonic with a exotic pulse. Though the bulk of the album finds them drifting out into a more Stone Roses like psychedelia. More depth in the song writing than Crystal Fairy.


 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/04/the-black-angels-death-note.html

7-Ryan Adams- "Prisoner" 

 This album is pretty introspective but still manage to rock as it is balanced out  with  punches and melody in a manner not unlike some of Tom Petty's more rockin moments from the late 70's -early 80's. Classic rock styled guitar solos are sprinkled in the album though less frequent than say War on Drugs.  Adams vocals still carry the twang I associate with his work . More depth of feeling to the vocals on this one than the Black Angels.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/01/ryan-adams-prisoner.html

 6- Quicksand-"Interiors"

This band is under rated, I think they are more like a post-hardcore version of Tool, as they almost could hang with Maynard and the boys until after "Undertow" then the drugs kicked in and Tool got the unfair advantage. Well if you think Tool takes a long time to make an album this once took 22 years. The opening song is strong , it sounds like these guys are back in true form even if the guitarist got kicked off the tour for trying to steal from a drug store, every body has their shit.  The syncopation is there and the guitar sound is dialed in. More groove than Ryan Adams.

5- Mastodon-" Emperor of Sand"

 Overall this might be the band's best album since "Crack the Skye" so it will be making the much envied trip over to my iPod and then I will see how it stands the test of time. For now I'll round it up to a 9.5 as some of the songs that didn't hook me in as strongly as the groovier poppier numbers still have room to grow on me. Better vocal hooks than Quicksand.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/03/mastodon-emperor-of-sand.html

4-Royal Thunder- 'Wick" 

 A more organic feel to this one. While it's a step in more of a hippie rock direction away from "Crooked Doors" they have grown as musicians and this became a album I never go tired of. It had more emotion to it than Mastodon so that why it is here at number four.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/03/royal-thunder-wick.html

3- Chelsea Wolfe- "Hiss/ Spun"

This is the first album that is not a hard left turn in another direction and works off a similar formula to it's predecessor. The heavier dynamics are much more metallic and even has guests coming in to donate harsher vocals. So perhaps she is reconciling her self to her metal fan base...is that selling out ? If it is then it's on her own terms. The albums more powerful moments put it where it is. Even in my mild disappointment that she was not striking out on new ground again, it still drew me in an earned the listens to be here in fact perhaps more than the top two albums, but I feel the top two bands went out on a limb and stepped forward into more new ground which is why they beat her out, though it's a more powerful album than Royal Thunder.


http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/07/chelsea-wolfe-hiss-spun.html

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My thoughts on the whole Jesse Lacey are here...
http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/11/the-strange-case-of-jesse-lacey.html.

I really only care about the music, in fact what kind of music that is worth two shits don't have a member who is a train wreck, it's only rock n roll. On further listens this album grew on me and looks at some of his mental health issues. They took more risks and struck new ground in a more rock direction while Chelsea Wolfe heated up the leftovers from her previous album.


 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/08/brand-new-science-fiction-full-album.html
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1- Queens of the Stoneage- "Villians"

. I needed them to quit playing around and rock out. While they did not return to the kind of aggression that kicks you face, they do rock out in more of a coked out 70s manner. In interviews Homme has called what they do a rock version of electronic music and I can hear that in some of the grooves n this album. It's clear years in the vocal booth have improved Homme's singing . He has always had a pleasant voice, but showcases his croon to a fuller extent on this one. The album grew on me to earn it's place here. Brand New could have been in this place to, I defaulting to Last Fm on this one to break the tie.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/08/queens-of-stoneage-villains.html

The Atomic Bitchwax :"Force Field"

Going into this all I knew was two of the members are in Monster Magnet. I  loved Monster Magnet's first three albums. These guys might be stoner rock , but that is where the comparisons end. They race off into a cloud of bong smoke. It was when I got to "Alaskan Thunderfuck" that it hit me 'Damn, these songs are fast for stoner rock, these guys must be doing more cocaine than they are smoking pot". The songs are all very brief, so think more in terms of punk rock when it comes to something "Shocker". The vocal are really well produced. The lyrics are amusing. Even though it's pretty uptempo when they slow down a few bpms on"Crazy" the song excels as it feels less rushed.

There are some interesting guitar tone. Normally its very compressed and not a fuzzy as you normally associate with this kind of thing. On the instrumental "Fried , Dyed and Laying to the Side" you can tell that these guys would be fun live. The first song that I really hear a touch of metal is "Shell of  a Man". The thing that keeps this from being metal more often than not is how it's fun, but it's not dark, in fact it's very bright sometimes reminding me of the Foo-fighters. I like these guys better than the Foo-fighters because they are devoid of the radio cheesiness. In my book everything after the Foo-fighters second album sucks. I will say their formula gets a little stale by the time we get to "Houndstooth" as this sounds like all the other songs.

I like the title "Tits and Bones". The song itself runs at a hyper shuffle. The vocals are very deliberate. The way the vocals fall remind me more of Queens of the Stoneage. "Humble Brag" kinda raced by it blurred in with the other songs.  The vocals to "Super Highway" have a little more to hook you in and the guitar more punch so these two factors work for me. "Liv A little" has a Gary Glitter kind of stomp to it's 70s rock aspirations until it gets into it's boogie. This is the first time I notice the bass player. I'll give this album a 8.5 and see how it grows on me. Some of the racing paces to these songs make them blur a little , but I like the kind of smart ass cocky vibe of the lyrics as this is a ton of fun.