#The Death of Old Sea Legs

[indielightuk]

Albums Of The Year (Curated By Me, Big G)

It’s been a good year for the roses, as was said by Elvis Costello recently.  Of course, by “the roses” he meant music that I, Big G, quite like.  Therefore, to bring us to the end of the year in a flurry of doe-eyed nostalgia for a time not so long ago, I shall now present to you… a list of some albums that some guy heard within the past twelve months.  Five shall be the number of the albums, and the number of the albums shall be five.  I did find it somewhat difficult to cut it down to a mere five.  But to stick to my guns there will be no more, no less, no subtle name drops of the albums which didn’t make the final list, and no honorable mentions.  So, without further waffle, herein lies my 2022 in music presented in release order.

Album: Impera

Artist: Ghost

Genre: Sat-an Halen

Let me be clear.  I’m not dealing with the unoriginal sCoObY dOo MuSiC pish.  Ghost are a rock solid Heavy Metal band and if you can’t see that after listening to Impera… then may you go to heaven when you die and leave Ghost and me on our own in the depths of Hell where we shall have a totally bitchin’ time without you.  

I’m going to make a bold claim about this album.  And that bold claim is that “Kaiserion” is the best opening track on a Heavy Metal album since “The Wickerman” on 2000’s “Brave New World”.  Prove me wrong.  It’s so uplifting in that way that only Heavy Metal can be.  The first half of the album is much the same.  I would say that all my favourite tracks are on Side A.  There’s nothing you don’t want to sing along to.  Not just the vocals…but the guitar solos, the riffs, and the choir parts too.  It’s like a whole half album of Bohemian Raspberries.

Side B does come with a slightly different vibe.  It has two short musical interlude tracks whereas Side A only has the one, so it has fewer full-length tracks to offer.  Two of the four full length tracks are a bit mellower overall, especially “Darkness at the Heart of my Love”.  But if you prefer the upbeat stuff this is where you’ll find “Griftwood” a very Van Halen-esque take on modern satanic arena Metal.  Which is specific, but goodly specific.  And there’s a song called “Twenties” which is…also there!

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