Sound Obsession

To borrow from a Brent Cobb album title, the dominant musical theme for me this year was "ain't rocked in a while."  Despite auditory excursions into electro, drum & bass, and country music, my craving for guitar riffage and six-string shredding was strong, and 2025 delivered.  Long time favorites like Deftones and Ghost returned with late career highlights while the next generation of Gen Z artists inspired by Gen X sounds - Doomsday, Die Spitz, and Rocket - picked up guitars and released outstanding debut albums. These are my top ten favorite albums of 2025, in alphabetical order by artist name . . . . Client_03:   Testbed_Assembly     (Client_03, 7/4/25) Electro has roots in krautrock, funk, and the cut-up rhythms of the nascent hip-hop scene - a cyborg groove built on 808s, synthesizers, and ...

Another year done and gone, and what a great year for music.  These are my top ten favorite albums of 2023, in alphabetical order by artist name . . . . Baroness:   Stone     (Abraxan Hymns - 9/15/23) Not so long prior to 2015’s   Purple , Baroness’ excellent fourth album in a color-coded series that concluded this year, their tour bus flipped in Bath, England, resulting in both shattered bones and band lineup.     Founder and frontman John Baizley remains as the sole original member of this Savannah, GA, sludge and progressive metal group.     2017’s   Gold & Grey   introduced fans to axe-shredder extraordinaire Gina Gleason, cementing a new and now consistent dynamic that pays dividends on Baroness’ latest LP,   Stone .     As its title implies, this one is rock solid with drums and bass locked in propulsive motorik tempo, Gleason’s soari...

What a year, right?  With live music shutting down in mid-March, the last nine months or so have been all about studio albums for me.  Here are my top ten favorites of 2020, in alphabetical order.  Not too many curveballs.  We're talkin' comfort food here.  Many of these artists have made my top ten favorites lists in recent years, and here they are again.  This time though I was happy to see and hear some stylistic experimentation, lineup changes, and pushing of envelopes.  Check out my runners up and honorable mentions list too.         Have a listen.  Hope you enjoy, and Happy New Year! Brent Cobb:   Keep 'Em On They Toes    (Ol' Buddy - 10/2/20) South Georgia native Brent Cobb, cousin to country super-producer Dave Cobb, released his fourth studio album this year.  This time Brent switched gears, enlisting indie-folk p...