Tag: Hard Rock
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Poison ‘Open Up And Say…Ahh!’ (1988)
Open Up and Say…Ahh! is the glittering embodiment of 1980s glam rock excess, a loud, brash, and unapologetically fun album that catapulted the band to superstardom. Released in 1988, it’s a neon-lit time capsule of hair-metal anthems that continue to define that era when people think of glam rock today. The album drips with over-the-top…
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Andrew W.K. ‘I Get Wet’ (2001)
At the end of the day rock and roll is meant to be fun, and a guy like Andrew W.K. gets that. I Get Wet is a riotous, adrenaline-fueled ode to reckless abandon, capturing the sheer joy of living in the moment and completely disregarding whatever responsibilities await tomorrow morning. The album is a wall-to-wall…
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Blue Öyster Cult ‘Agents of Fortune’ (1976)
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past 25 years you’ve probably seen the SNL “More Cowbell” skit featuring Christopher Walken and Will Ferrell that parodies “Don’t Fear The Reaper”, the lead single off Blue Öyster Cult’s Agents of Fortune. It’s an iconic skit that sticks with you long after you’ve seen it,…
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Queens of the Stone Age ‘Songs for the Deaf’ (2002)
Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme has always been a personal favorite of mine. He’s an alternative rock juggernaut, with a drugged-out and sleazy vibe that immediately makes you feel like you’re halfway through a bottle of tequila every time you hear him play. He plays like the guitar with an almost Medieval…
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The Hellacopters ‘High Visibility’ (2000)
Garage rock has been one of my favorite musical genres for as long as I’ve been listening to music. The sound of a Gibson Les Paul plugged into a Marshall amp is a sound as pure as the driven snow, a timeless blend of American ingenuity and testosterone-fueled machismo that immediately burrows its way into…
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Bad Company ‘Bad Company’ (1974)
If you love yourself a good old fashioned English rock supergroup from the 70’s you’ve come to the right place. Bad Company was comprised of vocalist Paul Rodgers, drummer Simon Kirke (both ex-Free), guitarist Mick Ralphs (ex-Mott The Hoople), and bassist Boz Burrell (ex-King Crimson) all had come together at a unique time in their…
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Maylene & The Sons of Disaster ‘Self-Titled’ (2005)
I first learned about Maylene & The Sons of Disaster after falling in love with Underoath’s album They’re Only Chasing Safety in 2004. That album is a magnum opus in the post-hardcore genre, I was completely obsessed, and I soaked up everything associated with the band. Upon doing a little bit of research and listening…
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Metallica ‘S&M’ (1999)
The marriage between Metallica and orchestral music is almost too good to be true. It’s no secret that the heavyweight heavy metal band’s arrangements have always had a flair for the dramatic, and the classical music influences in their songs were a big component of former bassist Cliff Burton’s songwriting approach that dominated their mid-80’s…
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Jane’s Addiction ‘Nothing’s Shocking’ (1988)
Jane’s Addiction played a pivotal role in defining the grunge sound of the early ’90s, melding elements of punk rock, heavy metal, and alternative music in a way that influenced countless bands. Their debut album Nothing’s Shocking showcased an eclectic mix of styles, characterized by Perry Farrell’s ethereal vocals and a fusion of gritty guitar…
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Mott The Hoople ‘The Hoople’ (1974)
Mott the Hoople was formed in 1969 during an interesting time in rock history– psychedelic music was in its heyday and the advent of distorted electric guitars was becoming more commonplace. In addition, artists like David Bowie were beginning to push the pace sonically and bringing in a more avant-garde experimental sound to the masses…
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Led Zeppelin ‘Led Zeppelin’ (1969)
The term “most influential band” gets thrown around a lot to describe various acts throughout the years, but no band in history changed the trajectory of pure rock and roll more than Led Zeppelin. Since the release of their eponymous debut album in 1969, Led Zeppelin has been a fixture on the radio and pop…
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Ozzy Osbourne ‘Blizzard of Ozz’ (1980)
It was the spring of 1980 and the legendary Ozzy Osbourne was in the midst of a decade-long bender of epic proportions. Jettisoned from his former band Black Sabbath, the wayward frontman was at somewhat of a career and personal crossroads– his musical longevity was uncertain considering the massive amounts of cocaine and alcohol he…
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The Donnas ‘Spend The Night’ (2003)
I remember The Donnas pretty vividly during my early high school years. I saw them live at Shoreline Amphitheater at BFD Festival the summer after graduating 8th grade and was blown away. Keep in mind this was during the garage rock revolution of the early aughts and at peak Plank testosterone production levels– all I…
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Deep Purple ‘Machine Head’ (1972)
If you’ve ever picked up a guitar it’s nearly a guarantee that you’ve attempted to play “Smoke on the Water” by Deep Purple. It’s one of the most iconic riffs of all-time outside of maybe “Crazy Train” by Ozzy Osbourne or “Back in Black” by AC/DC, immediately recognizable for both its simplicity as well as…
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The Smashing Pumpkins ‘Siamese Dream’ (1993)
Released in 1993, The Smashing Pumpkins’ Siamese Dream stands as a defining artifact of 90s alternative rock, capturing a pivotal moment in the genre’s evolution. At a time when grunge was peaking with albums like Nirvana’s 1991 magnum opus Nevermind and Pearl Jam’s debut album Ten, Siamese Dream emerged as a bold statement, blending the…
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Meat Loaf ‘Bat Out of Hell’ (1977)
Bat Out of Hell is the first edition of the musical trilogy that made Meat Loaf a household name over the course of four decades. Bat Out of Hell and its two companion albums (1993’s Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell which features his most famous song “”I’d Do Anything for Love (But…
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System of a Down ‘Toxicity’ (2001)
Today when a band gets labelled with the term nu-metal it’s almost a credibility death sentence. Back in 2001? Not so much. This was the era when Korn and Limp Bizkit were a mainstream thing, constantly played on MTV, and every young male in their teens was obsessed. Amidst this backdrop System of a Down…
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Van Halen ‘Van Halen’ (1978)
Imagine you’re 16 years old, sitting in your bedroom at home, and your older brother bursts into your room with a new album from an unknown band named Van Halen that just released their debut album. You’re getting into rock and roll so you flip it on and you hear the guitar playing of Eddie…
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Dorothy ‘ROCKISDEAD’ (2016)
I’ve always had a soft spot for high-octane rock and roll female lead singers that totally kick ass. Dorothy’s ROCKISDEAD checks that box. Lead singer Dorothy Martin raises hell for 35 straight minutes on the band’s debut album, and while the whole affair is a pretty meat and potatoes version of dirty southern rock that…
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Slash ‘Orgy of the Damned’ (2024)
Slash just dropped his newest album entitled Orgy of the Damned this past Friday and I simply had to check it out. As dutiful readers will remember I had the opportunity to see Slash in-person at Power Trip Live last year and it was an incredible experience: I was lucky enough to catch them live…
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Free ‘Tons of Sobs’ (1969)
Born in the late 60’s British blues rock scene that would dominate the music scene in the late 60’s and early 70’s, Free was composed of Paul Rodgers (vocals), Paul Kossoff (guitar), Andy Fraser (bass, piano) and Simon Kirke (drums). They are primarily known today for their mega-smash hit “All Right Now” off their 1970…
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New York Dolls ‘New York Dolls’ (1973)
New York Dolls is a seminal punk rock band and their 1973 self-titled debut laid the groundwork for bands like The Clash, Ramones, and Sex Pistols to send punk rock into the stratosphere later in the decade. Borrowing elements from glam rock (if the cover art featuring the entire band dressed in drag didn’t give…
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Mountain ‘Climbing!’ (1970)
Climbing! is the debut album from American hard rock band Mountain and features one of my favorite guitar riffs of all time on “Mississippi Queen”. The combination of a cowbell count-in paired with the iconic slithering guitar riff sounds like cigarettes and a steak dinner– simply 70’s classic rock perfection. And alongside Leslie West’s pitch…
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Mother Love Bone ‘Apple’ (1990)
Mother Love Bone was the first of a litany of sad stories to emerge out of Seattle in the 1990’s as the grunge movement rose to prominence. A glam rock band with roots in rock and roll, Mother Love Bone’s highly anticipated debut album Apple was marred when tragedy when lead singer Andrew Wood was…
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Foo Fighters ‘The Colour And The Shape’ (1997)
Following their self-titled debut studio album in 1995 that was really the musings of a one-man band (Dave Grohl recorded every single part on that album), Grohl entered the studio in 1997 with a new stable of musicians to aid in the recording for The Colour And The Shape. The album was somewhat of a…
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AC/DC ‘High Voltage’ (1976)
Effectively a compilation of their best songs from Australia-only releases High Voltage and T.N.T. which were released in 1975, AC/DC’s 1976 international version High Voltage was the album that introduced the world to the hard rock stylings of one of the best rock and roll bands to ever do it. Since this was obviously back…
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Mötley Crüe ‘Dr. Feelgood’ (1989)
In the history of music there’s no band that better encapsulates the hedonistic and over the top lifestyle of rock and roll than Mötley Crüe. There’s been countless bands that told tales of sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll in their music, and a handful who truly lived the lifestyle. And then there’s Mötley Crüe.…
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Motörhead ‘Ace of Spades’ (1980)
There are a few bands in the history of rock and roll that have cultivated a specific style, written that same style ad nauseam, perfected it over time, and yet still have the ability to knock my socks off every time an album of theirs comes on. Off the top of my head there are…
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Hanoi Rocks ‘Two Steps From The Move’ (1984)
As if the album cover didn’t give it away, Hanoi Rocks was a Finnish glam rock band from the 80’s that encapsulated all of the excess of that era unironically. Two Steps From The Move was their breakthrough album in the United States, and with the production guidance of the legendary Bob Ezrin (who worked…
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Boston ‘Boston’ (1976)
A landmark of classic rock radio, Boston’s self-titled 1976 debut has an incredible backstory that has been described as “one of the most complex corporate capers in the history of the music business.” The Boston sound started an unlikely marriage between head producer Tom Scholz and lead singer Brad Delp. Boston famously came together in…
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Pearl Jam ‘Ten’ (1991)
Born from the ashes of Seattle grunge outfit Mother Love Bone following the death of lead singer Andrew Wood to a drug overdose, Pearl Jam’s debut album Ten is a rare debut album from a band that didn’t really know each other all too well upon entering the studio. Guitarist Stone Gossard and bassist Jeff…
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Journey ‘Frontiers’ (1983)
Not to be a contrarian, but Journey’s best song isn’t “Don’t Stop Believin’”. It’s a total banger and an iconic late night closing down the bar song, but the distinct honor of best Journey song undoubtedly goes to “Separate Ways (Worlds Away)” which kicks off their 1983 album Frontiers. It features all the best Journey…
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Guns N’ Roses ‘Appetite For Destruction’ (1987)
No album for me better represents all the glorious excess of the hard rock in the 1980’s combined with a heavy dose of top-tier musicianship than Guns N’ Roses 1987 magnum opus Appetite For Destruction. Slash and Axl Rose have become somewhat of a minor punch line in recent years due to a variety of…
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ZZ Top ‘Eliminator’ (1983)
ZZ Top’s brand of Texas blues generated a ton of smash hits during their heyday during the mid to late 70’s, and in 1983’s Eliminator they introduced synthesizers and drum machines to create a more pop-oriented and commercially viable version of the boogie rock that made them famous. If you’re looking for the album that…
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Bad Religion ‘Christmas Songs’ (2013)
Earlier this year I spoke about the impact Bad Religion had on the punk rock music I grew up on in my write-up on their 1988 album Suffer. A brief refresher in case you missed it: It’s hard to overstate just how influential Bad Religion was on the punk rock I grew up on during…
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Def Leppard ‘Hysteria’ (1987)
The history behind Def Leppard’s Hysteria is a wonderful story about persistence in the face of adversity. After releasing their breakthrough hit Pyromania in 1983, Def Leppard went on a world tour that put them on the path to becoming one of the largest glam metal bands of their era. They initially entered the studio…
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