2019 was another busy year for album releases with swift returns from some of my favorite bands, but it did see far fewer non-studio album releases than 2018.
The year got off to a quick start featuring a surprise release from one of my favorite bands. The middle of the year was much slower, but things certainly picked up in late September as I had four consecutive Fridays with new album releases.
The year is extra significant since it marks the end of the decade, and I think I’ll also do a countdown of my favorite albums from 2010-2019… But that will have to wait until after the 2019 Album Of The Year winner is crowned.
The winner of the 2019 Album Of The Year award will be posted on the Album Of The Year page on (or around) December 31, 2019.
Studio Albums – Purchased
Weezer – Weezer (The Teal Album)
Release Date: January 24, 2019
I was already counting the days until March 1, when Weezer would be releasing the long-awaited Black Album, when they surprised everyone by releasing a full length covers album. Perhaps inspired by the two Toto covers they released in 2018 (“Rosanna” and “Africa”), they snuck into the studio to record nine more songs from the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s and released them as The Teal Album on January 24. The album just appeared out of nowhere on digital services that day and was later given a CD release.
“Africa” had become an unexpected hit, so it’s no surprise that it is the lead track on the album. Before this album, I had no idea how badly the world needed a Weezer version of Tears For Fears’ “Everybody Wants To Rule The World,” which is one of the highlights of the album. There is some standard 80’s fare here, such as “Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)” and “Take On Me,” but there are unexpected gems as well… Like Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” and Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me.” Classic rock doesn’t go untouched thanks to ELO’s “Mr. Blue Sky” and Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid.” The most left field song is TLC’s “No Scrubs,” which works insanely well.
I’m normally not a fan of covers albums, but when it’s this fun, comes out of nowhere, and is released as a bonus less than two months ahead of a proper studio album (and follows proper studio albums in 2014, 2016, and 2017), I’ll gladly take one like Teal.
Top Three Songs:
- Everybody Wants To Rule The World
- No Scrubs
- Stand By Me
Last In Line – II
Release Date: February 22, 2019
Much like with their debut album Heavy Crown, Last In Line delayed their second album’s release to allow more time to tour in support of it. The album, simply titled II, was finally released on February 22 and showcased a band that sticks to its roots but also evolves. The addition of bassist Phil Soussan in place of the late Jimmy Bain gave the album a new edge and the songwriting was more advanced than the first album following years of touring.
After a brief into, the album kicks off with a song I got to hear well ahead of its release while at a VIP soundcheck, “Black Out The Sun.” There’s no shortage of riffs on tracks like lead single “Landslide,” “Gods And Tyrants,” “Year Of The Gun,” and “Give Up The Ghost.” Frontman Andrew Freeman unleashes one of his best screams on “Electrified” while “False Flag” is a dark but awesome rocker. I caught the band live three times in 2019 and got to hear several of the new songs live.
Last In Line shows no sign of slowing down, as they have already started writing album number three… But I’ll just leave it at that.
Top Three Songs:
- Give Up The Ghost
- False Flag
- Landslide
Weezer – Weezer (The Black Album)
Release Date: March 1, 2019
After years of speculation (and an unexpected covers album), Weezer finally unleashed The Black Album on March 1, 2019. Perhaps it was all in my own head, but I’d built up an idea of a darker and heavier album than what we got. There is some darker material on this record from a lyrical sense (and includes curse words, apparently a first for the band), but musically it falls right in line with the band’s last two studio albums (2016’s White Album & 2017’s Pacific Daydream). It deals more with pop and does not shy away from synths, samples, and all the other shit you hear on modern day pop/alternative radio.
Unfortunately, this album turned out to be the least enjoyable one from the last few years. 2014’s Everything Will Be Alright In The End was a fine return to form and has become one of my favorite albums the band has ever released. White was a step down, while Pacific Daydream was only a little better than White.
Lead single “Can’t Knock The Hustle” did not click with me early on, but it did grow on me and it was actually quite a good live song. In fact, it was the only Black Album song in the set when I saw the band for the very first time on March 24, 2019 (by comparison, Teal was represented by FIVE songs). “Zombie Bastards” and “Living In L.A.” are quite enjoyable while “I’m Just being Honest” has the best groove on the album. On the flip side, “Byzantine” is one of the worst Weezer songs I’ve ever heard. Closer “California Snow” was another song that was underwhelming when I first heard it all the way back in September 2018 (when it was released as part of a movie), but it grew on me a little over time.
While there are some enjoyable songs here, I was overall disappointed with the album and I don’t think anything from it will be creeping into my Weezer Top 30 playlist.
Top Three Songs:
- I’m Just Being Honest
- Can’t Knock The Hustle
- Zombie Bastards
Tesla – Shock
Release Date: March 8, 2019
In their early days, Tesla was opening shows for Def Leppard on the Hysteria tour in 1987-1988. Tesla once again opened for Lep on select shows of the 2005 Rock Of Ages tour, including one I saw in Peoria, IL on July 27, 2005. I became a casual fan at that point and followed them from a distance. In 2015, Tesla once again was picked to be an opening band for Def Leppard and remained on the bill for 2016 and 2017. As a result, I got to see them many times. During those tours, Leppard’s Phil Collen inspired them to not only record and release a live album celebrating the 30th anniversary of their 1986 debut Mechanical Resonance (released in 2016). They started with one song, “Save That Goodness,” which featured as a bonus track on Mechanical Resonance Live. That turned out so well that Tesla tapped Phil to produce a full length studio album.
Since it was related to a Lep member, it had to take for-fucking-ever and the record that was started in 2015 or 2019 didn’t see the light of day until March 8, 2019. With Collen producing, the production itself is top notch and you can hear his influence throughout every aspect of the record from the songwriting to the backing vocals. Despite the obvious Leppard influence, it still sounds like a Tesla album and has many enjoyable tracks.
Shock gets off to a good start with “You Won’t Take Me Alive” and “Taste Like,” even though the latter has some of the dumbest lyrics I’ve ever heard in a song that wasn’t a parody. “We Can Rule The World” is a very strong ballad, but it starts a trend of having a ballad every other song and that kills the flow of the album through the entire middle section. Especially since the ballads get subsequently less interesting. “Love Is A Fire” is pretty good, but “Forever Loving You” is decent but ultimately forgettable. Between those, we get the lead single “Shock” with its unconventional programmed drums. It took a bit to grow on me but I enjoy it quite a bit now. And we have “California Summer Song,” which I really don’t like at all. I was worried about this one when I saw early comparisons to Kid Rock’s “All Summer Long” ripoff, a song I loathe almost as much as 99% of Journey’s discography. Thankfully it isn’t as similar as I feared but it still doesn’t align with my tastes all that much. But hey, it’s better here than on a Leppard album! Thankfully after the ballads, things pick up with “The Mission. It’s first song that really felt like old school Tesla. And for that it’s the best song on the album. Every member shines on this song. I was worried it would only have that soft acoustic guitar bit in the middle but thankfully they cranked up the electric guitar for a proper solo. We get two modern classics in a row since the very next song is “Tied To The Tracks,” which features solid guitar, aggressive drums, heavy verses, and an interesting contrast between Jeff’s higher lead vocal and a lower backing vocal in the chorus. Then “Afterlife” comes along and ruins the flow again. It sounds like a reworked Manraze tune. Decent verses… Horribly repetitive chorus that annoys me to the point of not wanting to listen to the song. “I Want Everything” again reminds me of Manraze, but in a good way this time. Not great but it’s unique for sure. Closer “Comfort Zone” is another song that sees Tesla stretching their wings a bit and it’s a cool song. Lots of Phil influence here as well. Nice guitar interplay and heavy riffing in the middle.
Overall, it’s the best production on a Tesla album in years. Night and day when compared to their previous album, 2014’s Simplicity. Nice to hear layers again. Phil’s writing is very noticeable on some tracks more than others. Phil’s backing vocals are distracting at times as it makes it sound more like Leppard than Tesla. There are too many slow songs and having them all jammed in the middle of the album hurts the momentum. But it’s a very enjoyable album and the singles are improved within the context of the full album.
There was a Target exclusive version that had alternate mixes of three songs (“Love Is A Fire,” “California Summer Song,” and “Forever Long You”) but if you don’t have them, you’re not missing anything.
Top Three Songs:
- The Mission
- Tied To The Tracks
- You Won’t Take Me Alive
Collective Soul – Blood
Release Date: June 21, 2019
Collective Soul is one of the most underrated bands of the 90’s. And part of being underrated is that I took them and their singles for granted, at least until the release of their excellent 2015 album See What You Started By Continuing. With how good that one was, I decided to follow a little more closely for their next move. The band didn’t waste much time before starting work on their next album, but it did take longer than expected to come out. When I saw the band live (for the very first time) on July 21, 2018, frontman Ed Roland revealed that the band had recorded 25 songs that would be released as a double album in 2019.
Coincidentally, it was exactly a year later that the new album, titled Blood, was released. But it was not a double album, as it consisted of just 10 songs. That’s quite a bit of material left on the studio floor, but it would mean that the album would be the cream of the crop, all killer, no filler… Right? Well, not so much. It certainly has its moments, including the studio version of “Right As Rain” and opener “Now’s The Time.” Both songs are as classic Collective Soul as it gets. There are several other solid tracks, such as “Crushed,” “Them Blues,” “Good Place To Start,” and “Observation Of Thoughts.” But the rest does feel like filler, and ultimately the album doesn’t quite live up to its predecessor. Still, these guys are very consistent and it’s still an enjoyable album. I was just expecting more after 25 songs were whittled down to 10.
I’ll award them one thing though… The weirdest title/cover combination of the year. And that’s really saying something considering what The Darkness would release later in the year.
Top Three Songs:
- Right As Rain
- Now’s The Time
- Observation Of Thoughts
Steel Panther – Heavy Metal Rules
Release Date: September 27, 2019
This decade has seen releases from Steel Panther every three years, so it was a surprise to have them finish off an album for release just two years after 2017‘s Lower The Bar. I really enjoyed that album even though it was a step or two down from their 2014 classic All You Can Eat, which went on to become my second favorite album of theirs. And I was very optimistic about Heavy Metal Rules after the release of the first single, “All I Wanna Do Is (Fuck Myself Tonight),” which is another Steel Panther classic. Subsequent singles didn’t impress me as much, and I began to worry about the album as a whole.
Sadly, those suspicions were right. The album features 10 tracks, but only nine actual songs since opening track “Zebraman” is merely an annoying soundbite from who knows what. There are other great moments, such as “I’m Not Your Bitch” and “Gods Of Pussy.” Everything else is good, but overall average for the band. “Always Gonna Be A Ho” still cracks me up (especially the line about Satchel), “Fuck Everybody” is especially great on a shitty day, and “I Ain’t Buying What You’re Selling” is an acoustic number in the same vein as “Girl From Oklahoma” and “Weenie Ride.”
The album isn’t bad by any means, and it’s still a fun listen. It’s just not as fun as the previous four records and it is easily the band’s weakest album.
Top Three Songs:
- I’m Not Your Bitch
- All I Wanna Do Is Fuck (Myself Tonight)
- Gods Of Pussy
The Darkness – Easter Is Cancelled
Release Date: October 4, 2019
Much like Steel Panther, I was surprised when The Darkness announced a new album for 2019 having just released the awesome Pinewood Smile in 2017. That album nearly won the Album Of The Year award for that year (and it just may snatch it via a future edition of Revoked!) since it was their best and most consistent album since their 2003 debut, the rock classic Permission To Land. My mini review of Pinewood Smile gave them props for unexpectedly becoming one of my favorite bands and ended with me saying “With three albums under their belt since the reunion, it feels like they’ve really hit their stride and I can’t wait to see what they do next.“
What they did next was put together somewhat of a rock opera/concept album called Easter Is Cancelled and released it just shy of two years after Pinewood Smile. And despite the short turnaround time, Easter is another fucking classic. Lead single “Rock And Roll Deserves To Die” took awhile to grow on me since it’s unlike anything they’d ever done before, but it’s a fantastic song with a music video that makes it even better. “How Can I Lose Your Love” and “Live ‘Til I Die” are bona fide classics, the latter of which apparently dates back to the Permission To Land era but didn’t work quite right in the studio until they had Rufus Taylor on drums. The title track is a jam while “Heavy Metal Lover” combines thrash with glam in a way that shouldn’t work as well as it does. “Choke On It” has some of the best, angriest, and funniest lyrics the band has ever done and “We Are The Guitar Men” is a beautiful and catchy ode to the almighty axe.
The standard album stops at 10 tracks, but the deluxe features an additional four, highlighted by “Confirmation Bias.” The track begins with a voice over that says it’s time for something “a little bit different,” and that it is. The song is merely an acoustic guitar with Justin’s vocals and the occasional small audience reaction. There are Queen-like backing vocals as the song builds, but it’s the audience reactions that push this song from interesting to great. The applause that corresponds to the lyrics and the gasps & murmuring when Justin Hawkins suddenly goes sky high on the vocals are just amazing and hilarious.
Following Pinewood Smile was a tough gig, but Easter Is Cancelled is as good if not better so it easily ranks in my top three favorite Darkness albums. Clearly the band has hit their stride and they’re on a hot streak, so hopefully it continues into the next decade. I definitely would not have expected to be saying that when I first got my hands on Permission To Land way back in 2003.
Top Three Songs:
- Choke On It
- Live ‘Til I Die
- Heavy Metal Lover
Down ‘n’ Outz – This Is How We Roll
Release Date: October 11, 2019
By the end of 2019, I’m once again reaching the saturation point when it comes to Def Leppard side projects. Between 2010-2019, we’ve had just one new Def Leppard studio album (plus three new songs on 2011’s Mirror Ball live album) compared to EIGHT studio releases from side projects. To be fair, Joe Elliott’s side project releases this decade had been relegated to covers only…
Until now. The Down ‘n’ Outz formed in 2009 to open for Mott The Hoople, performing only covers of songs that came from when Hoople split into various other groups. At the time, DNO was touted as a ‘one night only’ band and even then I knew it was bullshit. Now here we are a decade later and they’ve released three studio albums, two live albums, and two live DVDs. That gives Def Leppard a run for their money and that’s only a single side project. Never mind everything that Phil & Vivian have done!
And while I am getting annoyed at the abundance of side project releases and lack of legit new Def Leppard material, the Down ‘n’ Outz third album had one thing going for it… It was Joe Elliott’s first time releasing original new songs outside of Leppard. He penned eight of the album’s nine songs, with most of them written on piano rather than guitar.
“Another Man’s War” and “This Is How We Roll” get things off to a very rock-oriented start and it’s immediately clear that the 70’s piano rock a la Elton John & Meatloaf are a huge influence here. “Goodnight Mr. Jones” is an amazingly beautiful tribute to Joe’s rock idol, the late David Bowie. The lyrics couldn’t be more perfect, simultaneously telling Joe’s personal story with Bowie while also sprinkling in song & album title easter eggs. The guitar solo is straight out of the Mick Ronson songbook and the ending even features a sampling of Woody Woodmansey’s drumming from the 2001 Cybernauts album.
I remember laying in bed in the darkness listening to this album for the first time when it was released, and when “Creatures” started, a huge smile came over my face. The song is super goofy, with a vaudeville quality to it thanks to the melody and the underlying trumpet sounds. The vocals on the verses are insanely catchy while the chorus slows it down just a tad. Then it builds to a huge ending and it’s honestly one of my favorite songs to come out this year. This song never would have worked for Def Leppard, but here it’s perfect.
Joe gets a little more introspective on slower numbers like “Last Man Standing” and “Walking To Babylon,” while “Boys Don’t Cry” and a cover of The Tubes’ “White Punks On Dope” keep the rock at the forefront. There are a couple of musical interludes spread throughout and another mashup of random bits from all of the songs to finish off the album just as the first two records had.
It goes without saying that Def Leppard is my favorite band, but Joe Elliott is my favorite songwriter by far. His work in Leppard always tends to rank near the top of my lists, and his first foray into writing outside Leppard has unsurprisingly produced more ear worms that I could listen to for days. There’s just something about his writing and his voice that connects with me. This is a great album.
Top Three Songs:
- Creatures
- Goodnight Mr. Jones
- This Is How We Roll
Alter Bridge – Walk The Sky
Release Date: October 18, 2019
It’s taken Alter Bridge awhile to find their way into my top 10 favorite bands (albeit not as long as it did for Garbage), going from a band I downloaded the odd single from in 2004/2007 to one I tried to get to know in 2015/2016 to one I flat out loved in 2018. Thankfully they’ve been releasing new studio albums every three years since their debut so 2019 brought the release of their sixth album, Walk The Sky.
Since the album was written between tours and other projects (such as Myles’ solo album and another run with Slash while Mark Tremonti released another solo album), I wondered if it would have a negative effect on the songs… Thankfully, it didn’t and Walk The Sky is the band’s best album since their 2013 peak, Fortress.
Once again, the album clocks in at just over an hour long and it’s jam packed with heavy guitars throughout. After a short, quiet musical interlude called “One Life,” lead single “Wouldn’t You Rather” properly kicks the album off and it rarely lets up. “In The Deep” and “Godspeed” are fast paced rockers. “Native Son” retains the speed but takes a heavier approach. “Take The Crown” and “Indoctrination” retain the heaviness with a slightly slower approach, especially the latter. “Indoctrination” has a great riff to drive the verses but the chorus doesn’t grab me as much. “Pay No Mind” is one of my favorite songs on the album and sees the band tinker with a new direction, mixing synthesizers in with the driving guitars. Mark Tremonti takes the lead vocal on “Forever Falling,” while Myles sings co-lead on the really catchy chorus. “Walking On The Sky” is a late album gem and the epic closer “Dying Light” is the best song on the album.
If I had one gripe, the production is a bit too much, just as it was on 2016’s The Last Hero. The songs are so loud by being pushed to the max density that it can be an exhausting listen, especially with relatively few slower songs or change in pace to allow for a ‘break.’ But overall, Walk The Sky is better than its predecessor with more killer, less filler and it’s another fantastic album in the band’s already awesome discography.
Top Three Songs:
- Dying Light
- Pay No Mind
- Native Son
Studio Albums – Streamed
Scott Stapp – The Space Between The Shadows
Release Date: July 19, 2019
Former Creed frontman Scott Stapp released his first solo album in 2005. His second came in 2013 and then, like Scott Weiland, he had a very short stint as the frontman for the band Art Of Anarchy. Once he left that group, he completed work on his third solo album, The Space Between The Shadows.
I had seen good reviews of the lead single “Purpose For Pain” on a music message board, so I checked it out and I actually thought it was in fact a pretty good song. So when the album dropped, I streamed it on Spotify. The production is solid and it’s actually not a bad album overall. I wasn’t interested enough to actually purchase it
Cold – The Things We Can’t Stop
Release Date: September 13, 2019
One of the most prominent bands of my infamous junior year of high school (2003-2004) was Cold. Their 2003 album Year Of The Spider was on regular rotation that year and it had three songs placed in my Top 75 Rock Songs of Junior Year 2003-2004. I picked up their next album, A Different Kind Of Pain, in 2005 but it didn’t grab me as much as its predecessor and by then, I had moved on from the teenage angst that riddled my junior year. After that, I left Cold in the dust.
Not that they’ve been all that active since then. They didn’t release another album until 2011’s Superfiction. They went on another lengthy hiatus but returned in 2019 with The Things We Can’t Stop, their sixth studio album. Out of sheer nostalgia, I decided to give the album a try. I can still listen to Year Of The Spider for high school nostalgia, though its ties to one of the worst years of life makes it difficult to listen to. Listening to The Things We Can’t Stop was difficult for other reasons… I was bored. It doesn’t sound far removed from the last album of theirs I listened to (A Different Kind Of Pain) and this type of dreary shit doesn’t resonate with me today.
Korn – The Nothing
Release Date: September 13, 2019
Korn frontman Jonathan Davis endured the loss of both his mother and his wife in the last couple of years, resulting in a dark and personal album called The Nothing. I don’t own any Korn studio albums, as I only have their best of an the odd downloaded single here and there. But I did stream this when it came out since their previous album (2016’s The Serenity Of Suffering) had a couple of really good singles on it.
The album didn’t entice me to buy it, but it is solidly produced and sounds like a natural progression for the band.
Puddle Of Mudd – Welcome To Galvania
Release Date: September 13, 2019
Much like Cold, Puddle Of Mudd is a band that takes me back to my high school days but they’ve long since fallen out of my musical rotation. They were actually much more prominent for me, as their 2001 debut Come Clean had several huge hits on both rock and pop radio. Their sophomore album Life On Display spawned its own hits and was on regular rotation for me during my junior year. I picked up their third album Famous in 2007, but had begun to lose interest by that point. I only liked about half the album and was in the latter stages of leaving some high school music behind. By the time they released their fourth album, with its terrible lead single “Spaceship,” I dropped them. They fell apart themselves, as frontman Wes Scantlin was constantly in legal troubles and the band only managed one more album (a covers album in 2011).
Puddle Of Mudd released Welcome To Galvania in 2019, their first original studio album in nearly a decade. Once again, I gave the album a try out of sheer nostalgia. Lead single “Uh Oh” is a huge ripoff of Weezer’s “Beverly Hills” and pokes fun at the band’s own troubles in recent years. The early & middle parts of the albums really didn’t grab me, but it did pick up a bit as it went on. Certainly not enough for me to buy it but it was fun to go back in time for 38 minutes.
Non-Studio Album Releases
Red Sun Rising – Peel [EP]
Release Date: March 22, 2019
Red Sun Rising is one of the newer bands to appear on my radar and stick around in recent years thanks to their first two very strong albums, 2015’s Polyester Zeal and 2018’s Thread. In 2019, they released a four song EP that kicks off with an acoustic cover of The Beach Boys’ “Wouldn’t It Be Nice.” The EP then tackles acoustic versions of their own “Left For Dead,” “The Otherside,” and “Blister.” All of the songs are performed well but it’s not anything that has been played as much as their first two albums.
Def Leppard – The Collection Vol. 2
Release Date: June 21, 2019
Def Leppard continued their streak of releasing disappointing box sets with 2019’s The Collection Vol. 2. This set encompasses their output in the 1990’s, from 1992’s Adrenalize through 1999’s Euphoria. All four albums are featured in ‘remastered’ form along with three discs of rarities… None of which were previously unreleased. So it is yet another pricey set that offered me ZERO songs I didn’t already have.
The closest they came was including a few live songs from the Montreal 1996 show that hadn’t been officially released (“Work It Out” and “Deliver Me,” both of which were previously released in live form from Mountainview) and the first CD release of a few live songs from Tokyo 1999 that were posted as MP3s on the Def Leppard website in the early 2000’s (“Demolition Man,” “When Love & Hate Collide,” “Paper Sun,” and “Goodbye”). Once again, there was a lot of wasted space on the rarities discs and a ton of material left off. So it was yet another set I bought on CD only for the sake of displaying it only.
Slash feat. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators – Living The Dream Tour
Release Date: September 20, 2019
Following the release of their excellent 2018 album Living The Dream, SMKC set out on tour in support of the album and played shows where possible during breaks in GNR & Myles’ schedules. Their February 20, 2019 show in London was filmed and recorded for release. Much to my delight, the setlist is almost entirely drawn from Slash’s four albums released this decade with only a single GNR song included.
The energy on this show is insane and the show runs well over two hours thanks to the 22 song setlist. “We’re All Gonna Die” is an unexpected highlight. The only downside is the extended version of “World On Fire,” which runs 17 minutes long so it’s a bit excessive.
Stone Temple Pilots – Purple [Deluxe Edition]
Release Date: October 18, 2019
2017 saw Stone Temple Pilots release a 25th anniversary deluxe edition of their 1992 debut album Core, which featured unreleased demos, alternate mixes, and multiple live shows. Thankfully their 1994 sophomore album Purple got the same treatment in 2019. This deluxe edition featured a second disc full of demos, early versions, acoustic versions, and a cover of The Beach Boys “She Knows Me To Well.” The third disc features a full live show recorded in New Haven, CT on the Purple tour in 1994.
Once again I was very satisfied with this box set thanks to its newly released material and full live show, granted I had that as an unofficial mix for years. Still, the official mix sounds much better and this was a fantastic way to celebrate my favorite STP album (and favorite album of 1994).
Foo Fighters EP Series
Foo Fighters – 00950025
Release Date: July 5, 2019
It’s not often that a band has their own section on one of these entries, but the Foo Fighters’ ongoing EP series warranted it. It all started with 00950025, a three track live EP. The first two songs (“Wattershed” and “For All The Cows”) were recorded at the Reading Festival in England in August 1995 while the final track (“Next Year”) was recorded in Melbourne, Australia in February of 2000. It’s a quick and satisfying listen.
Foo Fighters – 00111125 – Live In London
Release Date: July 16, 2019
The second EP was actually a re-release of the band’s iTunes Festival: London 2011 EP originally released as an iTunes exclusive on July 22, 2011. The Spotify release has the same six song tracklist that primarily focuses on material from the excellent Wasting Light album. If only a full length live album from the Wasting Light tour would be released.
Foo Fighters – 00070725 – Live At Studio 606
Release Date: September 13, 2019
After a couple of quiet months, the first of three new EPs was released on September 13. This one featured live-in-the-studio performances of new and old tracks from the 2007 Echoes, Silence, Patience, & Grace era. “Big Me” and “My Hero” are the laid back, acoustic versions they often do in concert. The nice thing about the in the studio approach is it keeps Dave Grohl fairly in check, allowing him to better serve the songs from a vocal standpoint.
Foo Fighters – 00050525 – Live In Roswell
Release Date: September 20, 2019
To capitalize on a nonsensical ‘storm Area 51’ movement that was trending on the internet, Foo Fighters released an EP recorded live at the Walker Air Force Base in Rosewell, NM in June 2005 while supporting the In Your Honor album. As a result, three of the EP’s seven tracks are drawn from that album while older favorites round out the 38 minutes.
Foo Fighters – 01070725
Release Date: September 27, 2019
01070725 returns to the 2007 ESP&G period and is the first to feature studio recorded material in addition to more live songs. The EP kicks off with “If Ever,” originally released as a b-side to “The Pretender.” Following a demo of “Come Alive” and the bonus track “Seda,” two live covers close out the EP. First is an acoustic cover of Arcade Fire’s “Keep The Car Running” live at BBW Radio 1’s Six Weeks Of Summer, and last is the Dead Kennedy’s classic “Holiday In Cambodia” recorded live at the 2007 MTV Music Awards.
Foo Fighters – 00020225
Release Date: October 18, 2019
The first EP to hail from the One By One era is 00020225, which is another mix of studio and live tracks. The EP kicks off with “The One,” previously only available on the soundtrack for the film Orange County. “Sister Europe” is a mellow Psychedelic Furs cover while “Planet Claire” is a live B-52s cover recorded live in New York in October 2002. A live version of “Learn To Fly” from Los Angeles is also included along with acoustic versions of “Times Like These” (studio) and “Disenchanted Lullaby” (live).
Foo Fighters – 01050525
Release Date: November 8, 2019
01050525 is the second EP drawn from the In Your Honor era, and 11 songs and 45 minutes, this one is really more of an album than an EP. We get several studio original & covers b-sides, such as “I’m In Love With A German Film Star,” “FFL (Fat Fucking Lie),” “Kiss The Bottle,” “Spill,” “Born On The Bayou,” “The Sign,” and the eventual single “Skin And Bones.” Demos of “DOA” and “World,” a live acoustic version of “Razor,” and a live version of “Best Of You” round out the lengthy release.
Foo Fighters – 00999925
Release Date: December 13, 2019
The last EP of the year (or is it?) is drawn from the There Is Nothing Left To Lose era of the late 1990’s. It kicks off with two covers, first The Obsessed’s “Iron and Stone” and then Pink Floyd’s “Have A Cigar.” Track three is the an original titled “Make A Bet.” All three cuts were featured as b-sides on the 1999 “Learn To Fly” single. The then shifts to live performances starting with live-acoustic-in-the-studio versions of “Ain’t It The Life” and “Floaty” recorded in the Netherlands in 1999. We also get “Fraternity” and “Breakout” from BBC Radio 1 in Glasgow, “Learn To Fly” and “Stacked Actors” from Sydney, and “Monkey Wrench” from Melbourne. At 10 songs and 40+ minutes, it’s another album length EP full of goodies.
Foo Fighters – 00979725
Release Date: December 20, 2019
Ok so the previous EP wasn’t the last of the year, so now I’m updating this entry after it was posted. And it won’t surprise me if I have to update it again if this EP is expanded, as several of the previous EPs were released and then updated with additional tracks. 00979725 hails from the era of The Colour And The Shape, starting off with a full slow version of “Up In Arms” and an acoustic version of “See You.” Then we get a couple of live tracks, “Requim” from the BBC and “I’ll Stick Around” from the Apollo in Manchester, England. “Dear Lover” and the single mix of “Walking After You” round out the EP (for now).
Singles
Cheap Trick – “Ambush”
Release Date: June 14, 2019
Cheap Trick appeared on This Is The Town: A Tribute To Nilsson with the track “Ambush,” a laid back track that they still managed to make their own.
The Struts – “Dancing In The Street”
Release Date: June 28, 2019
The Struts took the Van Halen version of “Dancing In The Street” and made it their own as a standalone single in 2019. Not surprisingly, it fits them perfectly.
The Struts – “Pegasus Seiya”
Release Date: July 19, 2019
Not long after their last standalone single, The Struts released “Pegasus Seiya,” which is actually the theme song for the Netflix animated series Saint Seiya: Knights Of The Zodiac. And it sounds exactly like what you’d expect for that sort of thing. Straight out of the early to mid 80’s.
Weezer – “The End Of The Game”
Release Date: September 10, 2019
Because releasing two studio albums (one covers, one original) in 2019 wasn’t enough, the announcement of a 2020 stadium tour with Green Day was accompanied by the announcement of Van Weezer, yet another new album due out in May 2020. The lead single was “The End Of The Game,” which certainly showcases the riff rock that is said to dominate the upcoming album (hence the title, a play on Van Halen). The song is better than everything on The Black Album. If the band is finally returning to full on rock, then I’m all for it.
Green Day – “Father Of All…”
Release Date: September 10, 2019
As mentioned, a joint tour between Weezer & Green Day was announced and both bands also revealed new albums due for 2020. Green Day’s, due in February, will be called Father Of All Motherfuckers and its lead single is the sort-of title track. It’s a short, fast paced, and catchy rocker. It reminds me of something that I can’t quite put my finger on and it’s driving me fucking insane. A Foo Fighters track maybe? I don’t know.
Green Day – “Fire, Ready, Aim”
Release Date: October 9, 2019
Just under a month after the release of single number two was released as a tie in with the 2019-2020 NHL Season. The track clocks in at less than two minutes, almost as if it was made for commercials. It has a decent hook but its short length and literal commercial nature make it feel like a throwaway track.
Breaking Benjamin – “So Cold” [Acoustic]
Release Date: November 1, 2019
In November, Breaking Benjamin officially announced the release of their acoustic album, titled Aurora, which will be out on January 24, 2020. The lead single was the acoustic version of “So Cold,” originally featured on 2004’s We Are Not Alone. The music is as good as one would expect, but the lead vocal sounds like it was lifted directly from the original song. If that is how the new versions of all the older stuff will be, it’s a bit disappointing. But we’ll see.
Cheap Trick – “Gimme Some Truth”
Release Date: November 29, 2019
Cheap Trick returned late in the year with the standalone single “Gimme Some Truth,” a cover of the old John Lennon song that rings true as ever in 2019.
Stone Temple Pilots – “Fare Thee Well”
Release Date: December 2, 2019
Whereas Breaking Benjamin’s acoustic album features only one new song alongside nine older songs recorded acoustically, Stone Temple Pilots have written an entirely new acoustic album titled Perdida. The album will be out in February and its lead single is “Fare The Well,” which picks up right where songs like “The Art Of Letting Go” and “Thought She’d Be Mine” (from 2018’s Stone Temple Pilots) left off. It’s a beautiful song that really showcases the band’s talent for this type of song, including frontman Jeff Gutt’s vocals.
Breaking Benjamin – “Far Away”
Release Date: December 6, 2019
The lone new song on the upcoming Aurora album is “Far Away,” which features Cold frontman Scooter Ward sharing lead vocal duties with Benjamin Burnley. Their vocals blend together well on the laid back song that starts with a piano before building to a restrained chorus. I’d prefer a Breaking Benjamin-only version but the song is growing on me.
The Planet Rock All Stars – “You’re The Voice”
Release Date: December 6, 2019
UK Rock Radio station Planet Rock assembled an all star roster for a charity single released on limited edition CD and digital download. The song, a cover of John Farnham’s “You’re The Voice.” The standard version features appearances by Joe Elliott (Def Leppard), Lzzy Hale (Halestorm), Justin Hawkins (The Darkness), Doug Aldrich (The Dead Daisies) & Phil Campbell (Motorhead) among others. Of course this version has been rocked up quite a bit and its neat to hear members of two of my favorite bands (Def Leppard & The Darkness) sharing lead vocal duties. The CD version featured a Joe Elliott only version, which is also awesome. It’s a cheesy track for sure but it was for a good cause and everyone shines here.
2019 was a solid year for music, but I was actually a little disappointed with a few albums I was really looking forward to for the year. My three favorites all came out late in the year and I think it’ll really come down to two of them for the 2019 Album Of The Year Award.
TurnToDust86 