Page 20 - Classic Rock (January 2020)

As usual, the past 12 months have seen the release of excellent albums from both veterans and

newcomers, and also some surprises. Here are the 50 that Classic Rock writers deem the best.

Words: Fraser Lewry, Dave Everley, Ian Fortnam, Polly Glass, Henry Yates, Paul Elliott, Stephen
Dalton, Rob Hughes, Johnny Sharp, Tim Batcup, Rich Davenport, David Sinclair, Grant Moon

DREAM THEATER MICHAEL MICHAEL MONROE
50 Distance Over Time 48 SCHENKER FEST 46 One Man Gang SILVER LINING
INSIDEOUT MUSIC When nu prog’s poster Revelation NUCLEAR BLAST With only the main
Schenker told this writer
In 2012, Michael
man’s name on its
cover, it’s easy to not
boys convened in
upstate New York for
realise how much of
he’d entered a phase of
their fourteenth album,
his career centred on
a team effort One Man
Gang actually is.
celebrating his legacy
the keywords, according
e seeking “to make
to guitarist John
whil
guitarists Rich Jones and Steve Conte
Petrucci were ’heavy’ and ’proggy’, perhaps something more out of it”. Accordingly, That’s possibly because co-writers/
a tacit response to the mixed reviews for Revelation sees Schenker and bandmates are so perfectly attuned to Monroe’s
DT’s 2016 album The Astonishing. From the from MSG’s classic 80s line-ups (including characteristic modus operandi of high-
moment the curtain rose on the Gary Barden and Graham Bonnet) and energy, good-time party rock. Live
pummelling Untethered Angel, this was Doogie White progressing from 2018’s dynamo Monroe perpetually peaks,
Dream Theater returning to (relative) Resurrection amid an abundance of sharp mirroring Hanoi Rocks’ finest moments,
basics, walking a careful tightrope between riffing, anthemic choruses and while stamping on the record a solo
brain and brawn. HY characteristically eloquent guitar solos. RD personality that’s all his own. IF
Killer track: Untethered Angel Killer track: Behind The Smile Killer track: One Man Gang

TYGERS OF THE HU THE RACONTEURS
49 PAN TANG 47 The Gereg ELEVEN SEVEN MUSIC 45 Help Us Stranger THIRD MAN
Ritual MIGHTY MUSIC A 2019 story if there Jack White and Brendan
bent on making
Benson reconvened
ever was, Mongolian
One of the NWOBHM’s
most promising hopes,
rock/folk hybrids The
after much too long
the Tygers had the
Hu harnessed the
spent doing their own
potential to go the
thing, and seemed
power of the internet
(40 million+ YouTube
hell-
distance alongside Iron
Maiden and Saxon, only
rock’n’roll stops on this, The Raconteurs’
for bad breaks to derail them. With views and counting) to build an up for lost time by pulling out all the
international profile before they’d even
founding guitarist Robb Weir still at the left Central Asia, a testament to the power third album. On Help Us Stranger the
helm, Ritual dispels any notion of coasting of a well-made video. The band’s power raw attack of AC/DC and the Stooges
on nostalgia, mainly matching vicious riffs didn’t fade once the visuals were vied for prominence with Stonesy
with radio-friendly choruses, edging into vanquished, and The Gereg was released as rock’n’roll, bluegrass folk, raucous blues
heavier territory on the pummelling The a regular, old-fashioned – and extremely and even hints of southern rock on
Art Of Noise. RD Michael lively – album. FL a joyous comeback. JS
Killer track: Sail On Schenker Killer track: Wolf Totem Killer track: Bored And Razed

20 CLASSICROCKMAGAZINE.COM