- Visions of Atlantis – Pirates
- Envy of None – Debut
- The Blackheart Orchestra – Hotel Utopia
- Midnight Oil – Resist
- Tears for Fears – The Tipping Point
- Her Shadow – The Ghost Love Chronicles
- Victoria K. – Kore
- Moon Letters – Thank You from the Future
- MindAheaD – 6119-Part I
- Imaginaerium – The Rise of Medici
- Nick Fletcher – The Cloud of Unknowing
- Hats Off Gentlemen It’s Adequate – The Confidence Trick
- Daymoon – Erosion
- Verbal Delerium – “Conundrum”
- JPL – Sapiens, Chapitre 3/3: Actum
- Black Swan Lane – Blind
- Sparrohs – Chariot
- Chaos Magic – Emerge
- Angel Nation – Antares
- Evenflow – Mediterreno
- The Fixx – Every Five Seconds
- Simple Minds – Direction of the Heart
- Edenbridge – Shangri-La
- Orianthi – Rock Candy
- Orianthi – Live from Hollywood
- Chez Kane – Powerzone
- Mimesis – Trilogy
- Mercury X – Imprisoned
- The Erinyes – The Erinyes
- Ultima Grace – Ultima Grace
- Kandia – Quaternary
- Venus 5 – Debut
It has been a magnificent year of music!
Visions of Atlantis put together a flawless album full of songs which will be played well into the future. It was such a thrill to interview VoA and I plan to meet them in February, at their show in Seattle. VoA also had the best year of touring I think any band I know of enjoyed, in a while.
Yes, a year full of wonderful discoveries and a return to form for some bands that I have listened to for years.
Envy of None, opened the year with the first new surprise, followed by Mission Jupiter, Victoria K, Her Shadow, MindAhead, Nick Fletcher and Attractive Chaos. It was another wonderful year of discovery for me. I look forward to all these bands, and their music of the future.
Tears for Fears opened the year with a return to form. Hope they won’t wait so long between albums. Midnight Oil followed, with what I hope was not their last album, but they will no longer tour. The Blackheart Orchestra made what I believe was their best album ever, but I know they have plenty in the works…soon. Moon Letters returned with a great follow up and more touring dates for next year. Hats Off Gentlemen; Daymoon; Verbal Delirium; Black Swan Lane and Sparrohs returned with more great music this year.
Edenbridge completed a wonderful progressive metal comeback. Orianthi had enough in the tank to release two albums and she is working on more for next year. I finally reviewed Chez Kane and look forward to her bright future.
Late last year, I began interviewing bands on Zoom for the first time. It has been the fulfillment of a wish I have had for a long time. I am already planning some great surprises for the end of this and next year!
If you missed any of the albums on this list please use it as a reference to find some wonderful music to fill your day. We need this creative talent in this increasingly cynical and scattered world. Let the music bring us together as it always has and will forever!