B.J. LISKO 1 year ago

B.J. Lisko’s Top Ten Albums Of 2022

2022 saw the release of a number of quality hard rock records, many of which leaded towards my penchant for AC/DC, ’80s rock and big hooks all over the place. Here’s my personal top 10. What were yours? Hit me up with them on Twitter: @BJLisko.

First up, the honorable mentions …

Turbo Lovers — “Lettin’ It Fly”

Of course I’m gonna do a little shameless self promotion and plug my own project here. I’ll just say, if you dig AC/DC, Social Distortion, Kiss and artists similar, give it a spin.

Ripper — “Return To Death Row”

I had the chance to talk to Tim “Ripper” Owens about his excellent new EP for a Web Is Jericho exclusive, and it would be in the top 10 if it was a full album. A new, long-play record is likely to arrive sometime later this year, and again “Ripper” will team up with Jamey Jasta and his excellent production team for a highly-anticipated effort.

Autograph — “Beyond”

I didn’t even know Autograph (known mostly for their ‘’80s hit, “Turn Up The Radio”) was still around. Lo and behold, “Beyond” showed up in my promo folder, and was a pleasant surprise. Nicely written, catchy hard rock. Looking forward to what they do next.

Generation Radio — s/t

Frontiers Records is the label home of numerous supergroups, and Generation Radio is one of the better ones. Featuring members of Rascal Flatts, Chicago and Journey, it’s a fun AOR-style album that does pretty well to blend the styles of the legendary bands its members come from.

And now, the countdown …

10. Lit — “Tastes Like Gold”

Lit were powerpop/punk royalty in the late ’90s and crafted well-written tunes that were as catchy as they come. After a brief foray into country music with their last effort, Lit returned with “Tastes Like Gold” and are back in all their partying, pop punk glory. Choice Cuts: “Yeah, Yeah, Yeah,” “Mouth Shut,” “The Life That I Got.”

9. FOZZY — “Boombox”

I did a full review of FOZZY’s latest, “Boombox,” earlier this year, and used an analogy once told to me by L.A. Guns guitarist Tracii Guns. “We called it ‘Hook City,’ one hook after another,” he said. “You don’t write a verse, a pre-chorus and a chorus. You write a short verse, then a chorus and then a bigger chorus. That was what we always went for.” FOZZY certainly found “hook city” on “Boombox,” a raucous, anthemic and infectious album that does well to further the band’s canon. Choice Cuts: “Purifier,” “I Still Burn,” “Army of One.”

8. The Black Halos — “How The Darkness Doubled”

Vancouver rockers The Black Halos always injected a bit of glam rock into their gutter punk sound, and “How The Darkness Doubled” was a pleasant yet familiar surprise in 2022. The album marked the band’s first full length since 2008, and it sounds just as scuzz-soaked and catchy as anything they’ve ever done. Choice Cuts: “A History Of Violence,” “Uncommonwealth,” “Better Days”

7. Chez Kane — “Powerzone”

Interviewing Chez Kane earlier this year, it’s clear the UK-based singer is getting comfortable in the sultry and hard-rockin’ ’80s realm that Crazy Lixx mainman Danny Rexon has helped her craft. An absolute powerhouse vocalist, Kane embodies the best parts of ’80s-era Heart, Robin Beck and Lita Ford. I’m pretty sure she actually did a power slide straight off the set of “Kiss Me Deadly” into a video of her own. Choice Cuts: “I Just Want You,” “Love Gone Wild,” “Children of Tomorrow Gone.”

6. Wolfsbane — “Genius”

Before Blaze Bayley fronted arguably metal’s biggest global band in Iron Maiden, he was the hard rock voice behind Wolfsbane — a rock/punk mash-up that actually cut their first album for Rick Rubin’s Def American label. Every so often the band gets it going again and releases another collection of feel-good rock that would fit nicely next to the likes of The Wildhearts, Quireboys and David Lee Roth-era Van Halen. “Genius” is as advertised. Choice Cuts: “Zombies,” “Impossible Love,” “Rock City Nights.”

5. Skid Row — “The Gang’s All Here”

Skid Row has been doing albums since splitting with original, iconic frontman Sebastian Bach decades back, but none as good as this. Former H.E.A.T. howler Erik Gronwall brings some serious vocal chops to “The Gangs All Here,” a Skid Row album that finally sounds like Skid Row again. Choice Cuts: “Hell or High Water,” “The Gang’s All Here,” “Tear It Down.”

4. Nestor — “Kids in a Ghost Town”

When I first heard and saw Nestor, I thought they were taking the p*ss. They literally embodied every ’80s rock cliche there is, and I thought it bordered very closely on parody. Then I wised up and realized that any dudes who would take this much effort to do albums like this clearly have to love it. That, and the fact that their damn tunes are so wildly infectious and unforgettable, made this the feel-good record of the year. And anyone who does a cover of Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” this well deserves serious props. Choice Cuts: “These Days,” “Perfect 10 (Eyes Like Demi Moore),” “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” “1989.”

3. Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts — “Ballad Of A Misspent Youth”

Poor Tuk Smith is a dude that’s been rode hard by the record industry and put away wet more than once, yet here he is again with another collection of ultra catchy, ’70s classic rock and glam rock-inspired jams (think Thin Lizzy meets Cheap Trick meets AC/DC). He was supposed to be the opening act on the oft-canceled Stadium Tour, but said “f*ck it” to his label when they told him they would only put out his record if he kept sitting idly by waiting for the damn thing to happen. Tuk Smith and staying idle are two things that will never pair well. Choice Cuts: “Ballad Of A Misspent Youth,” “Ain’t For the Faint,” “Shadow On The Street.”

2. Treat — “The Endgame”

I legit had barely heard of these guys until their new album showed up in my promo folder. Turns out they’re aging rock ’n’ roll lifers from the guts of Sweden who toured with Queen, appeared on the Monsters of Rock festival and have generally been a melodic rock juggernaut in their homeland and beyond for decades. Song after song after song, “The Endgame” doesn’t let up. Well-crafted, memorable melodic rock with a modern edge, Treat more than live up to their moniker. Choice Cuts: “Both Ends Burning,” “Jesus From Hollywood,” “Carolina Reaper.”

1. Thundermother — “Black and Gold”

Four beautiful, badass Swedish ladies crank out AC/DC-inspired jams with a singer (Guernica Mancini) who has the pipes to rival Ann Wilson. Fresh off a world tour opening for the Scorpions, Thundermother have always rocked hard, but “Black and Gold” might just be their best to date. Side note: I saw these ladies play an off-night show in Cleveland, and I legit choked up when they did the super anthemic “I Don’t Know You.” Lemmy used to say about country gal singers something to the effect, “Their voices are so beautiful, it’ll make you cry.” Thundermother ain’t country, but Lemmy wasn’t lying. Incredible stuff. Choice Cuts: “I Don’t Know You,” “Hot Mess,” “Loud And Free.”