the Top 200 Greatest Rock Singers -80 to 71

Now  past the half way point of our  list of the top 200 greatest rock singers, inspired by the travesty that was Rolling Stone's supposed list. Where they got it wrong, this list hopes to be more effective,  not only focusing on rock singers and those adjacent to the genre. If you have been reading you know the focus is not only on  technical vocal ability, in terms of range and power, as well as their dynamics, phrasing and the overall character of their voice. Can they emote from different places? How well does their voice hold up live? . How they control a crowd or their entertainment value as performers is also not a factor; there are some great front men who are also sub-par singers. There are also not going to be any Bob Dylan like singers, who are better songwriters than vocalists.

Pop singers, are far and few between, with  a few country or jazz singers who crossover just enough to qualify for this list, while having a significant influence on rock music. Don't expect rappers on this list or metal vocalists who just scream or growl, but never actually sing. I am keen on singers who are derivative of other singers. The bulk of these do their own thing, the few paying tribute to other artists made enough of an impact with their music. Having a unique vocal quality is going to be one of the most important factors often trumping technical ability. If they sound too much like Steve Perry from Journey after listening to their vocal coach rather than developing their own style, it is also not going to fly. Some of these might have been ignored by mainstream music media, but by the time we get to the top 10, I am sure it will all make sense, so here are the Top 200 greatest rock singers.

80-Jason Isabell

Breaking the country mold in many ways, he often takes the stage with his rock band the 400 Unit. His warm baritone does not rely on a country twang. He can also belt it out from his chest register as well as any rock singer.

 

 79- Phil Lynott 

Thin Lizzy is another band that if you judged them by their radio singles you would havea skewed idea of what they do. Due to this I used to think Phil just sang like a 70's cab driver in New Jersey, after hearing songs like "Jail Break" and "the Boys are Back In Town". He has a warm soulful voice that balances attitude with a lot of heart. His matter of fact delivery gives their songs an honest feel.

   

 78-Mikel Akerfeldt  

The Opeth mastermind might no longer employ his powerful death metal growl, but that is typically ok as he has perfected his clean singing voice. There is a mix of soul and 70's prog to the cadence of his voice. Light and introspective, he has slowly worked in more command to his singing though never really belts it out preferring a softer touch.

 

77 -Eugene Edwards

His band 16 Horsepower was ahead of their time as they laid the ground work for the current trend of apocalyptic bluegrass.  His voice however matured to his final for with his project Wovenhand, that is sonically heavier, calling him to deliver a more powerful performance.

  

76-Taylor Swift

Before you talk shit about Tay Tay, let me ask you one question... have you heard her "Folklore" album? Chances are you have just lumped her in with other pop singers. She proves she can use her voice as an instrument. Her country beginnings taught her a lot when it comes to having chops. She can throw her voice around how ever she sets her mind to it, and makes the most of studio tricks and stacking vocal tracks rather than relying on them.

 

 75- Simon Le Bon

Of all the big 80s super stars who emerged from the New Romantic movement, I listened to Duran Duran the least. That is not to say I do not respect the hell out of them as I do. Le Bon's vocals are at the center of that respect as his voice is pristine with a tenor that smoothly glides where he wants it. 

 

 75- Madonna 

She really became a powerhouse, once she accepted the fact she is an alto and started singing where her vocal cords were meant to go, gaining a great deal of power. She has some really impressive low notes in her range

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73- Mick Jagger

The idea of Jagger would rate higher , but we are talking about what the actually do as singers. His biggest asset is his attitude and always knowing how to put his voice in the right places. His solo work proves he can stand on his own without Richards.

 

72-Eddie Vedder

His growly baritone inspired other singers to try their hand at grunge in the 90s. Often imitated Vedder was an original, who drew from greats before him without trying to be anyone but himself. He is very emotive and uses his voice like an  instruments often making his lyrics obsolete. 

   

71- Paul McCartney

Technically he might be the best singer of the Beatles, might be. This is not a list of favorite singers, if it was Paul would not be on here, he is too sappy for my tastes. I am not going to deny his talent and he has a set of pipes on him that have graced some of the Beatles best work.

 

Weathered Statues : "Borderlands"

Svart Records is gradually getting more into goth and post-punk, which is fine by me. I haven't reviewed any in a while so I am taking a stab at this band from Denver, whats up with Colorado ? It must be the weed. Anyways members of Planesmistakenforstars and Woven Hand are in the band. It starts off making me think of Siouxsie due to the vocals, apparently Lol Tolhurst of the Cure remixed this song. The bass line stays at the forefront which is consistent for this sort of thing. The second song really doesn't go any where that different from where they started. By "Dark Tides" they begin to establish more of a uniform sound varying only by the syncopation of the bass lines. Drawing from the typical bat cave bag of tricks. "Heather" finds these elements shift in a more organic way that works better. There is a subtle aggression to the song's dynamics. The tension is more tangible.

They find a more Cure like guitar tone which works better . I prefer there more introspective and atmospheric moments. I prefer these from Siouxsie as well. The angrier bass tone to "Sabbat' is pretty awesome and the band sounds like they are beginning to find who they are here. It has that heavier sense of sonics like the Cure does when they are really bringing it home. Less impressive is "the Widow Sunday" that feels more like upbeat indie rock, thought after a few listens it began to grow on me when I focused on some of the layered guitar. "Ossuary"  had less of a post-punk feel and sounds more like new wave.

They close with the more driving  "Holy Masquerade" . The more aggressive touch is cool, though the vocals feel a little redundant at this point. It seems like we have already heard a performance too similar to this one already on the album. Overall despite the moments of Siouxsie Worship, there is not as much of this kind of post-punk coming out so I'm much more open to hearing it than when I was getting this kind of stuff in my in-box all day long. I'll give this album a 7.5 as these guys have potential and get some pretty cool guitar sounds. Svart Records is putting this out April 26th.

The Top Ten Rock Albums of 2016

Some rock harder than others. Some girls mothers are bigger than other girls mothers. the definition of metal has changed over the years some might have qualified for being metal back in the seventies, so artists on this list rocked harder in the 70s and are now laying back for a more reflective view on their arts. In the end this list is pretty self explainitory and boils down to what I listened to the most as providing the inspiration to indluge multiple listens is the goal of every great album others are forgotten as time goes on. These are really ranked by what survived the  year the longest in my iPod. So enough talk lets get to the Top 10 Rock Albums of 2016.

10-Hammers of Misfortune- "Dead Revolution"


The first song off Hammers of Misfortunes new album is much more aggressive than what I remember hearing from them in the past. The more prog moments haven't gone any where. The production sounds more organic and helps to give the guitar a rougher edge and a little grit to the otherwise smooth vocals. Joe Hutton who also sang on their "17th Street " album is manning the mic again. He sounds pretty strong and on the title the band continues to keep the chug alive as it falls somewhere between Deep Purple and Motley Crue's "Looks That Kill.If you just like prog rock that is heavy on the retro then this is also worth your time. If you have likewise pined for these guys to be more of a metal band you have also gotten your wish, if your definition of metal includes bands from the 70s.


http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/07/hammers-of-misfortune-dead-revolution.html

9-Skunk anansie - "Anarchytecture"

If you aren't familiar with this band you are more than likely American or born after 1990. In the states the brushes with mainstream came from Skin lending her voice to a Deftones song and Kevin Bacon singing along to them in the car in the movie "Hollow Man" .The openers is smooth electro rock with a cool vocal hook that made me forget the harder rock elements of "Post Orgasmic Chill" are not still intact and this is perhaps more along the lines of the Gathering's current state of the union. Electronica has always been an influence they have just made more of transition. The guitar than is present is hardly over-driven until the second verse of "Victim". It all is riding on Skin's voice, which is a good place to hedge your bets from. She isn't flexing her pipes in the quite as a dramatic manner as she once did , but she still has the goods


http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/01/skunk-anansie-anarchytecture.html

8-Kyng- Breathe In the Water


These guys are an interesting mix ball busting riffs set agains catchy melodic sections that are not unlike those of say Red Fang. Eddie Veliz's vocals are the high light as he takes a Chris Cornell approach, though no where as Robert Plantish in his upper range. In some way the are more like a pumped up harder version of Bad Company.  In terms of song writing these guys are strongest on a song like the title that takes more melodic nuances and sets them against the burlier riffs in a more Queens of the Stoneage manner.


http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/10/kyng-breathe-in-water.html

8-Kidney Thieves -" the Mend"


It sounds like no time has passed and they are picking up where they left off. When you are ahead of your time then this is fine. Free Dominguez is obviously a vampire since her voice has not aged. "the Co-dependent Song" finds them letting up on some of the more industrial strength aggression very early on and putting them in a zip-code much close to Guano Apes.This new kinder, gentler version of Kidneythieves closes out the album with an even more atmospheric piece.Id you are a fan then this will make your day, because even a more pop minded version of this band is better than most of the other shit out today and a reminder that music was once better. They Kick Starter'ed this so there was no labels pressuring them to go one way or another.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/09/kidneythieves-mend.html.

7-Iggy Pop-" Post Pop Depression"

 He is the last man standing from a by gone era of Punk. For me losing Iggy would be a bigger blow than Lemmy. I got a ton of play out of both the Stooges and Motorhead in the 8th grade, but started listening to Iggy first and as this album shows, Pop still has it in him while the last Motorhead album, saw Lemmy already waning. Iggy sounds better than he has in sometime. I'm sure Homme's sense of production, doesn't hurt. The first song sounds like you would expect from Iggy Pop, playing with Queens of the Stoneage. While I disliked Queens of the Stoneage's last album, this coupling has injected new life into Pop. His croon is more careful and Josh's backing vocals work well with his voice. Iggy sounds almost as good as he did on "Blah Blah Blah".


http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/02/iggy-pop-post-pop-depression.html

6-Subrosa - For This We Fought the Battle of Ages"

 I am not the biggest fan these days of songs tipping the scales at over ten minutes, they make the most with the powerfully dynamic opener. The violins weep against the slabs of sludged out distortion. The vocals are generally pretty delicate. A thick bass line leads you into "Wound of the Warden". There is more motion in the ocean on this one . Not quite metal in the way it builds up in the first couple of minutes, while riding a similar groove.Often bordering metal by even using harsh vocals the over all feel is something more expansive


 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/08/subrosa-for-this-we-fought-battle-of.html

5-Hexvessel- "We Are Death"


 Way more rock n roll than I thought it would be, but this band is fronted by Mat McNerney who we also know as Kvohst the lead singer of Grave Pleasures / Beast Milk. This album finds this project now occupying a more similar sonic space as Grave Pleasures , just dipping into a another decade . So perhaps Kvohst is a time lord and he hops back and forth from the 80s to the 60s collecting melodie. The folk has been dialed way back on the opener. This eases back into a mellower psychedelic trip on the second song, but the rock element are still dominate over the folk, which is not a complaint, perhaps if you are really invested in these guys being a neo-folk then it might need more time to grow on you , but the songs really handle the slightly morose melodies well. This is not totally happy hippy music that is just the undercurrent. It is totally groovy, but a lava lamp is not a requirement.Then things really ease back for "Cosmic Truth" that has more of a Moody Blues feel. There is more of a straight up 60's rock feel to "When I'm Dead" .

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/01/hexvessel-when-we-are-death.html

 4-Wovenhand- "Star Treatment"

 Being a big fan of Eugene Edwards, expectations were high, but  I can say I ever doubted his ability to deliver as he has been very consistent over the years. It opens with a pounding rock gallop that pretty much picks up where "Refractory Obdurate" left off. Things take a turn for the weird on "Swaying Reed" that sounds like the acid kicked in at the same time the Holy Ghost descended upon them in the studio. This does capture the same abstract tone the Doors touched upon, but strikes me as more of an interlude than an actual song. "the Hired Hand" struts in with a ghostly western feel. Edwards' resonant baritone is commanding as it is emotive. What different this time around is more trippy space like sounds zoom out of the corners of the song. A more deliberate rock inspired stomp haunts "Crystal Palace" though the intervals of the melody in the back hearkens back to tribal music of the American Indians.  This album is certainly more atmospheric, though it's reined in to serve the songs

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/09/wovenhand-star-treatment.html

3- Dinosaur Jr - "Give a Glimpse of What You are Not" 


 They come back strong and rocking out of the gate. It sounds like a slacker version of the Foo-fighters holding no aspirations of gaining radio play and more power to them for this attitude. They surprised me on the first song, but will they be able to hold the momentum is what I wonder during the jangle of the second song. They let up on the attack in favor of a more garage like sound, that still holds hints of the more sonic barrage of alternative rock this band is known for.The production on this album is generally on point, lets face it these guys are old pros so they are not going to let that slip. The guitar tones is great and Mascis really cements his place as one of modern rock's best guitarists on "Mirror". The song carries enough a groove to create the illusion it's not as melancholy as it. The last song is pretty dynamic, while also being some what laid back in it's solid groove.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/07/dinosaur-jr-give-glimpse-of-what-youre.html

2-Black Foxxes- "I'm Not Well" 

 This band is interesting as it's hard to imagine that they did not come from the late the 90s. While middle of the road when it comes to how hard the they do or do not rock,  I can appreciate the role the vocals play in their sound. As the opener builds there is more of  an early Pearl Jam like angst to the grit added in the vocals. They lock into a more traditional rock role on "Husk". When they ease their foot off the gas it offers a more dynamic glimpse at the band , but flirts with a more emo side than I am not sure I was ready to see yet on "Whatever Let's You Cope" .  There is an androgynous quality to their sound that doesn't glam it out like Placebo, but is there. They narrowly edged out Dinosaur Jr , I think I listened to this one a little more.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/10/black-foxxes-im-not-well.html

1- David Bowie - "Black Star"

 It was the Thin White Duke's 25th album. He released it on his 69th birthday. Then he died and most of you made me sick the way you ran out to get this looking for clues if he was hinting that he knew the time was coming. So lets talk about the music ...it's vulgar I know but some body has go to do it. The lead single and title track opens the album, finding Bowie in a darker and more surreal place than his last album. There is a very experimental ambiance to things that will delight fans of his Brian Eno years. His collections of musicians  ranges from LCD Soundsystem to avant garde jazz , with the jazz contingent weighing more heavily. Not his best album ever, or even post-"Lets Dance" I think "Outside" is way better and "the Next Day" might be as well, but it's Bowie so no one can really compete making this almost a no contest.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/01/david-bowie-black-star.html

Wovenhand : "Star Treatment"

 This past weekend was spent at Dragon-Con, so I was only able to catch fleeting listens of this album while in transit. So now I can give it my full attention. Being a big fan of Eugene Edwards, expectations were high, but  I can say I ever doubted his ability to deliver as he has been very consistent over the years. It opens with a pounding rock gallop that pretty much picks up where "Refractory Obdurate" left off. Things take a turn for the weird on "Swaying Reed" that sounds like the acid kicked in at the same time the Holy Ghost descended upon them in the studio. This does capture the same abstract tone the Doors touched upon, but strikes me as more of an interlude than an actual song. "the Hired Hand" struts in with a ghostly western feel. Edwards' resonant baritone is commanding as it is emotive. What different this time around is more trippy space like sounds zoom out of the corners of the song. A more deliberate rock inspired stomp haunts "Crystal Palace" though the intervals of the melody in the back hearkens back to tribal music of the American Indians.  This album is certainly more atmospheric, though it's reined in to serve the songs. This is displayed on the exotic chord progression of "Crook and Flail" which finds keyboards playing a much larger role on this album. This opens a door to fans of progressive rock and psychedelic. Edwards elegantly weaves his voice around this song.

Speaking of psychedelic, the album gets a dynamic shift on "The Quiver". The vocal melody gets more breathing room on this song. There is also a very relaxed drifting Pink Floyd like feel to this one. There is a more surreal spell binding throb to "All Your Waves". This invokes a similar hypnotic feeling as the Holy Ghost inspired jamming on "Swaying Reed" the difference being, the vocals are more focused and it sounds like this is a song rather than Edwards just being poised at the threshold of another dimension where he might break out into tongues at any moment. The tribal influence of American Indians can once again be felt here. There is a lighter mood to "Golden Blossom". This is a more accessible ballad that touches on neo-folk, but has a more emotive soaring to it. It's a testament to Edwards ever expanding skills as a song writer, as this is just good music without the bounds of genres to confine it.

From this point on the song writing displayed stays pretty stellar.  Not that the songs on the first half are filler, it's just that these find Edwards at the peak of his prowess. There is a Neil Young or maybe even Johnny Cash like saunter to the tempo of "Go Ye Light", but Edwards being the superior singer gives this song the authority of an Old Testament prophet. There is much beauty to be found in the layers of "Five By Five".  Edwards backs off from the mic to get a little more introspective. Contrasting sounds color this song, the guitar might not be out of place on a Peter Murphy album, though there are lighter keyboard melodies trickling over this. The drums foreshadow a shift in intensity. This build in sonic intensity is very well played. This album only flirts with the darkness, but it is still satisfying. Maybe it's not as heavy as the previous album, "Star Treatment" is as powerful in other regards as Edwards other work.In certain places it's more accessible, but far from selling out by any means. I can easily round this one up to a 10 as I can hear it already growing on me with each listen.

Chelsea Wolfe & Wovenhand @ Aisle 5

Located in Little Five points Aisle 5 is in the former home of the Five Spot a bar that catered to jam bands. My first time at this venue in its newest incarnation and It now feels less like a bar and more like a venue. The show was sold out so when we entered there were people lined up with their backs to the wall. Wovenhand was already on stage when we got there. This was my first time seeing them live and as one of my favorite bands the bar was raised pretty high for them and they delivered. This was one of those shows where both acts hit the sweet spot that I often refer to here where a rock band hits a place that is heavy sonically but not heavy metal. It was not a matter of volume as they were loud enough, but not operating in vibrations alone. It was more about intensity. David Eugene Edwards and company tackled material from their 2014 album "Refractory Obdurate" which if you are a regular reader here you have heard me rave about as it took the number one spot on last years Top 15 Rock Albums of 2014. While filters through the same effects he uses on the album, Edwards vocals were commanding as he belted out his biblical narratives. The conclusion I cam to after his set was there is no way I'm ever going to miss one of his shows again.

 This was the fourth time for me seeing Ms Wolfe. Each time has been a unique experience, but this go around it was the a dramatic blossoming of her live persona. In the past it has been her and her backing band, whom were still intact along with the addition of guitarist Aurielle Zeitler from Giant Squid / Ghost Marrow. This time it felt like they were a band. Perhaps it's the more amplified nature of the new album or just hours clocked in on the road. Going into it I did not know what to expect as "Abyss " is a hybrid of genres, would it be more of the electronic/ industrial side or they doomy side? The answer was gloomy rock with plenty of power. The rock chords were empowering to her. Not that is was a case of instant rock star just add distortion,but she has taken another confident step forward , which for some one whose music is often so introspective is enough of a change to create a tangible difference. One major factor in the punchier live sound was her constant collaborator Ben Chisholm spent more time playing bass than keyboards. Dylan's drumming was pretty constant and when the opened with "Carrion Flowers" the execution was more organic rock than industrial even in the more pounding sections. "Dragged Out" carried much more power as well, with the build having ten times more intensity than the album version. My fiance has at times a love/hate relationship with Wolfe in general, I can be a little obsessive about the artists I'm into, so living with that more than likely ads negative bias, but a couple songs in and even she was impressed. She has always said she prefers her live to her studio work and this show certainly made a good argument for that. But that is what I want from concerts, I can press play on my iPod at any time I want to hear what is added and both Wolfe and Edwards delivered on that end.

 When she went into "Iron Moon" I have never seen the crowd so enraptured in her performance before. I realized this is going to be the last time I see her in a venue this intimate for some time if ever again. Not that she has sold out with her new album, but she continues to walk her own path in the best manner possible and the end result is people are beginning to take notice. The protective feeling you get when you watch an artist from their inception edge toward the mainstream is normally scary, but I feel she is handling it in a way that takes that into consideration, pulling from a few older songs, such as "Kings", "We Hit a Wall", and even going back as far as "Mers" all of which benefited from her amped up approach.

This is not to say she did not take things down a notch for a few introspective moments with songs like "Simple Death" from the new album. This exploration of her dynamic range was not off putting for the crowd , whose attention she held in just a solidly in these moments. Her voice sounded better than ever, much like the new album the effects where minimal and it was bared up front in the mix. Overall if you have seen her before, and are thinking "I've already seen her at blah, blah , blah", this tour has a different feel as she continues to evolve and it no where near even the show you might have caught on the "Pain is Beauty Tour" . For  old and new fans she is not to be missed either and will exceed your expectations as much as she  continues to exceed mine, giving me a deeper level of appreciation for "Abyss".

Top 15 Albums of 2014

In looking at the list 2014 was an odd year. Some of the greats didn't release what I would consider their best work, but even when the likes of Morrissey dials it in, the result is still better than what most do. Some younger bands stepped up their game and grew in ways that shifted them from one genre to the next. All of these albums either scored a ten or grew on me and proved their perfection down the road.

15- Kall -s/t

Lifelover is back, but not as black.This has a more droning black n roll feel. It just falls shy of being black metal, but an excellent melancholy affair .

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/12/kall-st.html



14-Emptiness -"Nothing But the Whole"

A stunningly desperate soundtrack. This album oozes both atmosphere and emotion defying sub genres.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/11/catching-up-with-2014-emptiness-nothing.html

13- Mayhem-"Esoteric Warfare"

If Mayhem had tried to make another "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas" it would have bored the bullet belt right off me. Instead they release an album with pristine production, that takes chances and takes no prisoners. Attila has never sounded better and Hellhammer makes his case for being the best drummer in black metal. As Spinal Tap once asked "How much blacker can you get ? the answer was none then and it is none now.

12-Youth Code- A Place to Stand

One of the best industrial bands I have heard in some time. This duo is dark, mean and confrontational, even if their singer is a little blond girl.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/10/youth-code-place-to-stand.html

11- Atriarch- " An Unending Pathway"

They graduated from the metal chart to goth, as the death rock vibe is stronger. The metal elements are now more of a sonic Neurosis thing and they have left doom and black metal at home.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/10/atriarch-unending-pathway.html

10-Swans - To Be Kind

My favorite band this side of the Smiths takes the number ten, because "To Be Kind" is more like a  series of live jams they translated to the studio, but even when Gira is just playing around he is still better than most.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/05/swans-to-be-kind.html

9- Ice Age -"Plowing into the Field of Love"

These guys have grown in leaps and bounds, so much so the rock swagger injected on this album now makes them much more qualified for this list than being called post-punk.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/09/iceage-plowing-fields-of-love.html

8- Nasheim - "Solens Vemod"

The Swedish act is another one man show. The master mind behind this is Erik Grahn. Grahn  came out  of the gate on his first full length and killed it. This album sweeps you away. Combining the lush romanticism of Emperor, atmosphere and incredible arrangements, my only regret it not finding this masterpiece when it came out under the radar back in February.