Breezy's Top 15 Albums of 2012! Pt. 1

I might be the worst blogger ever.  I listen to music everyday, mostly the classic stuff, but I don't seem to find the time to put in a new post for you all.  I promise I'll be better in the new year ;).  There was a ton of great new music as well this year, and I've put together a little list of albums and bands that I played a ton over the past 12 months.  Some bands you may recognize, and there are some cool new bands that hopefully I'll turn you on to.  I'm going to do them in groups of three or four this year, so I can finish the list by New Years.  I hope you enjoy this years list!

#15. Propagandhi - Failed States

I've always been a fan of punk, mostly the classic UK and US stuff.  Here is a band who's back catalog I need to check out.  Propagandi are a four piece from Portage la Prarie, Manitoba, and this is their 6th(!!) album...I have to pay more attention, because these guys are brilliant.  Manic, yet somehow controlled, Failed States owes more to Canadian legends Rush and Voivod than it does to The Clash or Sex Pistols.Lets call it metallic punk, firmly rooted in the left.  Great musicianship (killer guitar work) and vocals, with progressive tendencies.  Opening track, Note To Self, is six minutes long (which is about 4 minutes longer than your average punk track).  The title track is a stormer, along with Cognitive Suicide and Duplicate Keys Icaro (An Interm Report).  My surprise of the year.  An excellent record.

#14. Huntress - Spell Eater

Huntress are a band from Oregon/California, who look like a bunch of hippy bikers fronted by a platinum blond model, and they sound like 1982 was last year.  This is a good thing.  Classic sounding metal, with hints of classic Priest and Maiden, along with the Thrash giants of the 80's. This album is thrashy and modern, and will appeal to fans of older metal. Songs like Eight Of Swords, Snow Witch and The Dark show where the bands roots lie, but it is done in a refreshing manner with lead vocalist Jill Janus powerful style. It seems the metalheads are split on this release; some love it, some not so much.  Any band that embraces what metal was about back in it's heyday is ok with me, and I'm pretty sure Huntress with continue to do so. Here's the vid for Eight Of Swords. Check it out!

#13. Steelwing - Zone Of Alienation

The past few years have seen a resurgence of retro-styled bands. Like Huntress, Steelwing are flying the classic metal banner high.  From Sweden (who have always produced some great hard rock and metal), this is Steelwing's followup to their fantastic debut, Lord Of The Wasteland. Tons of guitars, great melodies, catchy choruses and soaring vocals are all here.  Along with influences like Maiden and Manowar, I hear some Dokken and Crue in Zone Of Alienation. Flat out rockers like Full Speed Ahead and Solar Wind Riders sit nicely along more lengthy epics like Lunacy Rising.  I've said it before, I'm happy there are bands that still put out music like this.  If you liked metal in the 80's, you need to give Steelwing a spin.  Check out the vid below!

I'll be back soon with my next batch of albums that made up my soundtrack for 2012!