1. ANTHRAX - FOR ALL KINGS
Anthrax return once again with vocalist Joey Belladonna and like 2011's Worship Music, make one of the best albums of their career. This was definitely my "go-to", especially when working out at the local YMCA. Thanks in part to my favorite of "The Big Four" thrash bands, I ended up losing a big forty pounds this year! Beautiful packaging too! Long live physical format!!!
Top 3 Tracks: ***Zero Tolerance **Defend/Avenge *Suzerain
2. SUM 41 - 13 VOICES
Wasn't expecting this being so good. This album marks the
return of Dave "Brown Sound" Baksh after exiting ten years ago and he definitely puts his sorely missed heavy metal chocolate back into Sum-41's
pop punk peanut butter. Two of the bonus tracks ("Better Days" and "Black Eyes") on the deluxe edition are also worth your time.
Top 3 Tracks: ***Fake My Own Death **Goddamn I'm Dead Again *God Save Us All (Death To POP)
3. TEMPT - RUNAWAY
Growing up a child of the classic MTV era, I've always had a soft spot for 80's glam rock. Tempt are a young band from NYC and their debut album Runaway sounds like I put a Ratt or Dokken tape into my 1983 Sony Walkman.
Top 3 Tracks: ***Aamina **Under My Skin *Use It Or Lose It
4. MONSTER TRUCK - SITTIN' HEAVY
Monster Truck owe as much to AC/DC as they do to Lynyrd Skynyrd. This is their sophomore release and it's got a mean rooster strut with a crispy southern flavor that Colonel Sanders would approve of. Finger Lickin' Good!!!
Top 3 Tracks: ***Why Are You Not Rocking? **Don't Tell Me How To Live *The Enforcer
5. BRIAN FALLON - PAINKILLERS
Great stripped down Gaslight Anthem album that's not a Gaslight Anthem album. Fallon delivers some memorable, moody tunes with great storybook lyrics to sit back and sip Scotch to.
Top 3 Tracks: ***Honey Magnolia **Among Other Foolish Things *Smoke
6. WHITE LIES - FRIENDS
I may have missed out on White Lies fantastic 2009 debut ..To Lose My Life if
I hadn't been working in a record store. It was always fun discovering those albums by throwing on the promo copies inside the shop. Three albums later and though the record store I worked at no longer exists, we get another great album from the UK's White Lies. Brooding synths that at times can turn into downright jubilant anthems. Mascara wearing new-wave post punk to dance to Friday nights at Mad Planet in Milwaukee.
Top 3 Tracks: ***Don't Want To Feel It All **Take It Out On Me *Right Place
7. DINOSAUR JR - GIVE A GLIMPSE OF WHAT YER NOT
Top 3 Tracks: ***Be A Part **I Told Everyone *Knocked Around
This is the fourth album in a row featuring the original three members of Dino Jr and their streak of greatness continues. This one definitely feels more melancholy than the standard amount of melancholy on a Dinosaur Jr record. Reminds me of Green Mind-era a bit.
Top 3 Tracks: ***Be A Part **I Told Everyone *Knocked Around
8. RIVAL SONS - HOLLOW BONES
Top 3 Tracks: ***Thundering Voices **Hollow Bones Pt.2 *All That I Want
The blueprint to Rivals Sons may be rooted in blues based classic rock, but this album in particular really seems to imprint their own identity alongside their heroes. There is no reason this album, along with the 2014's Great Western Valkyrie, shouldn't be played on mainstream rock radio alongside Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath or the Doors.
Top 3 Tracks: ***Thundering Voices **Hollow Bones Pt.2 *All That I Want
9. FACE TO FACE - PROTECTION
The is definitely my favorite Face To Face album in the past twenty years. It lies somewhere in-between 1995's Big Choice and the self-titled album from 1996 . Super tight, modern day-classic Face To Face skate-punk anthems with the bass popping like popcorn and plenty of "whoa-oh-oh" sing-along angst to shake your fist at.
Top 3 Tracks: ***Protection **Bent But Not Broken*See If I Care
10. BLINK 182 - CALIFORNIA
One third Alkaline Trio and two thirds Blink-182 equals the best batch of tunes either band respectively have put out in awhile. Usually when a major member of a band is replaced I feel the band should change the name to reflect the new project, but Matt Skiba fills Tom DeLonge's spot quite comfortably and I'll be damned if this doesn't feel more like classic dick-and-fart joke era Blink than the last few releases with new more mature Tom.
Top 3 Tracks: ***Bored To Death **Sober *San Diego
Other albums I enjoyed in 2016...
It has just been announced that Augustines are breaking up. It's a pity, because it's a real head-scratcher how these guys never got bigger. Three albums in and the lyrics and melodies still give me goose bumps.
Top 3 Tracks: ***Landmine **Are We Alive? *The Forgotten Way
BLEACHED - WELCOME THE WORMS
These L.A. ladies play sunny, fuzzy (slightly grungy) melodic tunes laced with some beautiful harmonies. Feels like a 60's girl group but with a slacker surf vibe.
This debut had two of my favorite songs of 2016 ("Shards" and "Shrimp") and they couldn't have been any more different. At times totally brutal with monster fuzzy riffs and shredding solos. Other times completely spaced out, riding a peaceful euphoria before being sucked into the center of a sonic whirlpool.
Top 3 Tracks: ***Shards **Shrimp *Lock & Key
DIRTY HEADS - S/T -
The new Dirty Heads satisfied my rasta rap sweet spot in 2016. I obviously listened to this enough last year since I caught my 3 year old daughter singing in her room "let's all get hiiiiiigh..."
Top 3 Tracks: ***Red Lights **Smoke & Dream *Moon Tower
Definitely my favorite Green Day album since American Idiot. This one feels a bit like 2000's Warning to me. Every track is catchy and solid in a post Lookout! way. Don't see how this wouldn't be all over modern radio... but then again...
Top 3 Tracks: ***Youngblood **Bang Bang *Say Goodbye
PULLEY - NO CHANGE IN THE WEATHER I've always been a fan of Scott Radinsky's vocals since his days in Scared Straight and Ten Foot Pole. With his day job being a pitcher and now a coach in the MLB, this is the first full-length from Pulley in over a decade. The alternating tempos in the riffs on "Syndrome", the final shredding solo at the end of "Farewell" and all the awesome harmonies throughout bring back their signature 90's Epitaph style of skate punk and it feels as comfortable as throwing on an old pair of Fuct jeans.
Top 3 Tracks: ***Syndrome **Farewell *No "I" In Team
BEACH SLANG - A LOUD BASH OF TEENAGE FEELINGS Released only 11 months after their fantastic debut, the new Beach Slang full-length picks up right where they left off without missing a beat. Same great heart-tugging songs to sing along to. If you liked the first then grab on to this bratwurst! Top 3 Tracks: ***Punks In A Disco Bar **Hot Tramps *Spin The Dial 
So, I guess the story goes that the guy who produced this album was previously in a Weezer cover band and helped them rediscover that classic Blue Album/Pinkerton sound. Whatever he did worked, because this is my favorite since the Red Album (C'mon..."Pork & Beans"!!!)
Top 3 Tracks: ***Jacked Up **Endless Bummer *Summer Elaine & Drunk Dori
PURPLE - BODACIOUS
The second album from this Texan Trio is a little less chaotic and a little more polished. The singles "Mini Van" and "Bliss" were stuck in my head for a long time, even preventing me from sleeping. This was one of those albums I had to take a break from for my own sanity. As with their debut (409), they dip their toes in multiple genres from hip-hop to funk to punk to reggae to straight up pop. I'm hoping to get a chance to see them live in 2017!
Top 3 Tracks: ***Mini Van **Bliss *Pretty Mouth
