Music N' Other Drugs

It’s a little-known fact that the more mainstream coverage you consume, the more you realize that other people have abysmal taste in music. Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, and Spin conspired this year in an attempt to convince the public that Olivia Rodrigo, boygenius, and Miley Cyrus made the only “rock” albums worth listening to, because they were universally lauded and nominated for what the earliest users of Rec.Music.Industrial would refer to as a “shit ton” of Grammy Awards. After giving each album a fair shake on my own time, I didn’t hear a whole lot of rocking going on, but that’s why I’ll never be afforded the opportunity to opine for a major publication.

I don’t drink the Kool Aid and have never been one to opt for the blue pill that Morpheus offered up to Neo once upon a time, so don’t confuse me with someone for whom landing a position among the establishment would be a step up from what I’ve been building on my own for the last 15 years. I consider this platform sacred and take the responsibility of turning people on to music that they would otherwise never hear as seriously as Robert Christgau ever has.

With that said, what follows is a list of 10 albums that spoke to me the most during the past 12 months and a few honorable mentions that are still solid efforts.

Peter Gabriel – “i/o”

Peter Gabriel’s first album since 2002 proved to be worth the wait, as he offered up both bright and dark side mixes of songs that explore issues consistently plaguing the human experience.

Screaming Females – “Desire Pathway”

I interviewed singer/guitarist Marissa Paternoster earlier this year with neither of us knowing that the band wouldn’t survive until the end of it, but this collection makes for a riveting swan song.

Foo Fighters – “But Here We Are”

I checked out on the Foos following the last three albums, but they pulled me back in with their strongest statement since “Wasting Light.”

Primordial – “How It Ends”

Describing what Primordial sounds like doesn’t do the material justice. You just have to listen for yourself and bask in the glory.

Ayron Jones – “Chronicles of the Kid”

Jones builds on 2021’s “Child of the State” with even better songs and an even dirtier Strat tone.

Gord Downie and Bob Rock – “Lustre Parfait”

Downie’s estate has released a lot of stuff since his death in 2017, but this varied collection recorded during the “We Are the Same” era of The Tragically Hip separates itself from the pack early and often.

Lana Del Rey – “Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd”

As long as Del Rey keeps disrupting the flow of modern pop music, I’ll always be here for her.

Rival Sons – “Darkfighter”

Jay Buchanan is my favorite rock singer to emerge in the past decade and this album rips Greta Van Fleet a new asshole.

Steven Wilson – “The Harmony Codex”

After the divisiveness of 2021’s “The Future Bites,” Wilson rekindles the prog flame on his latest project while still maintaining the same sense of sonic adventure we’ve come to expect.

Sevendust – “Truth Killer”

Most mainstream metal bores me to death, but Sevendust has been keeping me invested since 1999 and “Truth Killer” finds frontman Lajon Witherspoon in peak form.

Honorable Mentions – Dokken – “Heaven Comes Down,” Metallica – “72 Seasons,” Overkill – “Scorched,” Rolling Stones – “Hackney Diamonds,” and Enslaved – “Heimdal”