You can find the Collective List as well as all our Best of 2021 content including contributors’ individual lists, podcasts, and radio DJ shows here: CGCM’s Best of 2021 (Year in Review)
BEST OF 2021
TREVOR ‘Psychoone’ MCDOUGALL 🇨🇦
(Radio DJ/Writer)
Ah…Another year another top ten list. Probably one of the most daunting tasks of any music lover. How do you choose? So many great albums and artists. Maybe a top 50 might be better huh? Regardless of how many we at CGCM love doing what we do, and enjoy all the music we listen to whether it’s coming from a larger name or even an indy release. In this time of ongoing Covid changes, and allowances worldwide, I personally am truly grateful that so many artists did their best to keep music alive and become even more accessible to the fans with social media.
Anyways, let’s get into it, and starting at number 10…
MAD INVASION 🇸🇪
Edge Of The World
This band from Sweden is deeply influenced by the classic hard rock sound and features many heavy guitars and a solid rhythm section. Combine this with some killer melodic vocals and you end up with an incomparable listening experience. A couple of tracks to check out are, “Scream’N’ Shout” and “Fallen Angel“. So you have ten great tracks in total and an album that comes in around 42 minutes. To find out more info check them out online at their website and their Facebook. If you haven’t had time to check out Mad Invasion yet, I’d highly recommend you do, and I would recommend them to any fan of the Hard Rock Genre.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kp_p5OWTiyM[/embedyt]
WICKED SENSATION 🇩🇪
Outbreak
From Rock Of Angels Records is Wicked Sensations 5th album Outbreak. Again it features one of rock hardest working frontmen David Reece on vocals. Not sure if this is a “Covid” styled album, with the title being Outbreak, but it’s a hard-rocking album with some amazing riffs and harmonies. Tracks to check out would be, “Starbreaker” and “Step Into The Light”.
Outbreak may be in 9th place, but this album is one that did bounce around. Be sure to check them out, and it be known if you agree with its placement, or should it have been higher?
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBOpgYN9q4I[/embedyt]
HITTEN 🇪🇸
Triumph & Tragedy
Hailing from Murcia, Spain is HITTEN. Again coming a little later in the year on Nov 26th was Triumph & Tragedy. After listening it wasn’t long before I sought out their 6 other albums! Deeply inspired by 80s’ metal, it’s rich with melodies, and hard and heavy riffs. This is a true gem in their catalogue that dates back to 2011. The tracks I’d recommend checking out are, “Eyes Never Lie“, and “Hard Intentions (Secret Dance)” . ‘Eyes’ has some killer guitar playing! If HITTEN is new to you, check them out online.
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[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYdZlfG-4TM[/embedyt]
MIDNITE CITY 🇬🇧
Itch You Can’t Scratch
Coming straight from the gutters of the United Kingdom is Midnite City. This band hit the scene in 2017 and has awoken the world to their music. Appearing on Roulette Records, they have already headlined consecutive UK tours, and show no signs of stopping anytime soon short of global domination. Midnite City does not rest on its laurels. With three albums already out, it’s the plan to simply melt your faces off with their straight-up, old-school “Hard Rock” sound. On the latest release, Itch You Can’t Scratch, you need to check each song, but it’s recommended to listen to “Atomic” and “Crawling In The Dirt“. Both are singles of the latest release, but both are perfect choices to get the Midnite City vibe.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgHc20ysbZ0[/embedyt]
THE L.A. MAYBE 🇺🇸
Dirty Damn Tricks
These guys state that they are from “The Carolinas”. This may be why they are some good ol’ classic rock sounding at its finest. This 5 piece band has what rock needs. With influences like AC/DC, GNR, and Van Halen, where can you go wrong checking The L.A. Maybe out? With grooves, hooks and pounding percussions aplenty, and stellar vocals, one minute spent with The L.A. Maybe will be time very well spent.
Check out the tracks, “Mr. Danger” and “Oh Sugar” to hear the range on these guys. Hopefully, a new album is on the horizon because they do leave you wanting more.
CGCM album review by Tom Cornell HERE
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-mrrFtI6ek[/embedyt]The Top 5 Contenders
Halfway through, and still so many great bands to maybe introduce you, the reader to. It’s very possible that many of you are very familiar with all of these choices?! It is also very possible that many of you are shaking your heads saying that the placement is so wrong. To that, I say, “Hey… It’s all preference”. As long as we are all enjoying the music, it is all good. That is our mission here at the CGCM. Whether it’s our radio station, or our reviews, and even our yearly top ten lists, it will all vary, but it’s all to celebrate this thing we love called Rock! So let’s get on with it….The TOP 5!
CRAZY LIXX 🇸🇪
Street Lethal
Crazy LIXX is back again with their sixth album with Frontiers Music SRL and their 7th (if you count live albums) All the albums they have released in the last few years all seemed to have a mild theme to them, and Street Lethal is no different. No, they aren’t conceptual albums, but they all have a great individual vibe to them. No matter what they put out to their fans, it’s definitely hard rock with a true 80s’ undertone, and it all kicks some serious ass! Songs to check out if CL is new to you or if you haven’t heard anything from Street Lethal yet are “Anthem For America” and “Rise Above”
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O56OmUNEvjc[/embedyt]
WICKED SMILE 🇦🇺
Wait For The Night
This Australian band has taken the last few years by storm! FINALLY in 2021, they released the full-length album, Wait For The Night. Produced by Paul Laine, and mastered by Bruno Ravel (Both from The Defiants) this 5 piece, kickass band is living proof that rock isn’t dead at all! Wait for the Night is a must-have for any hard rock lovers’ collection! Be sure to check out the tracks, “Killer At Large”, and “Love’s Got A Hold On You“.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQHQRLXiauM[/embedyt]
WIG WAM 🇳🇴
Never Say Die
Rejuvenated, and reinvigorated after a 5-year hiatus from the music world, WIG WAM is back with their first album since 2012. This Norwegian band also hasn’t missed a step either. In this writer’s opinion, this is probably the hardest album that they have released to date! Be sure to give the songs “Kilimanjaro” and “Never Say Die” a spin.
CGCM album review by Sparky HERE
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gv3AyHcZmH8[/embedyt]
MADHOUSE 🇦🇹
Bad Habits
Another 5 piece band that again proves that hard rock is alive and doing well. Hailing from Austria, and released in April of 2021, this band on Rock Of Angels Records is probably one of this writer’s favourite bands to come out in a long time. Madhouse has a vocal sound that is reminiscent of RATT (but better), and a musical sound that if they had been around during the heyday of this style, they would have been mega-huge and headlining stadiums. Some of the lyrics have a tongue-in-cheek feel with double entendres, but the killer riffs, and hooks (probably hookers too), and the grooves here demand that it be played loud, and beg to be played over again. All this writer can say is, I want more.
Be sure to check out the tunes “Sick Of It All” and “Pure Oxytocin” for a great time. But honestly, there isn’t one bad song on this album. I’d also like to note that they released an unreleased track after Bad Habits hit the shelves, and it’s a stellar cover version of the Rocky Horror Song, “Time Warp”
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[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwjQE_f_3HA[/embedyt]
KICKIN VALENTINA 🇺🇸
The Revenge Of Rock
Finally! The number one pick of 2021!. First, let me start by stating that this has nothing to do with the Kickin’ Valentina takeover of our CGCM Rock Radio station. This isn’t playing favourites (well it is a favourite but…) This is purely on the merit of The Revenge Of Rock. This album is all killer, and worth every second of time that is used to repeat over and over again in any stereo, as long as it’s turned up loud! The guys in KV are so transparent to their fans, and really want to bring it to a live audience all the time. Due to the Covid pandemic, many things have caused issues with this fact, but that hasn’t stopped them from doing everything that they can do to appease their fans.
Hopefully, even though they still are trying to tour this album, they are using their downtime to bring us more great hard rock in the coming future. Until the next album from Kickin’ Valentina arrives though be sure to check out the tracks “Freakshow” and “Somebody New“.
CGCM album review by Trevor McDougall HERE
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[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNe02_MgmsY[/embedyt]
So there it is another year, another top 10. Here is hoping that you have found something new to check out. Agree or disagree, leave a comment, and be sure to check out CGCM Rock Radio. So until the next time…
Peace!
Trevor ‘Psychoone’ McDougall
Find more of my album reviews here: Trevor’s Archives
Email Me at: Trevormcd@cgcmrockradio.com
Don’t forget to take a look at all our Best of 2021 content including the COLLECTIVE BEST ALBUMS LIST (culminated via the ratings in the individual lists), all our contributors’ individual best lists, podcast episodes and Radio DJ shows CGCM’s Best of 2021 (Year in Review)
