Top 25 for 2021

This was a very difficult year to decide on what my favourites were and a lot of great stuff came out in November and December (Black Label Society, Gin Lady, White Manna, Eldovar, etc..)..  Anyway, for sure Saturnia was the album that I played the most this year as well as Samsara Blues Experiment (but that was released in 2020!). The rest of the order could change each week...  The Winner was Saturnia! 

1. SATURNIA- STRANDED IN THE GREEN

I think this is the best Saturnia record Luis has made. Such great songs and the sound on the vinyl is amazing. Parabéns!! Congrats.

2. BLACKBERRY SMOKE- YOU HEAR GEORGIA

My wife and I love Blackberry Smoke and while they keep getting a bit more and more mainstream and soft and not rockin´ as much, Charlie keeps writing fucking great songs that after a while you just get hooked on. Having Warren Haynes and a collaboration with Ricky Medlocke on one of the albums best songs, Scarecrow, I loved it..

3. Zach Oakley- Badlands

This is a record that has been long in the making and I recorded some synths on an early version of the opening track, Freedom Rock. Anyway, Zack, really has a winner here with such a great variety of songs and styles. I have played this one a lot. Great great record..

4. MONSTER MAGNET- A BETTER DYSTOPIA

What can I say?? Monster fucking Magnet rocks!  I would have preferred a new studio album but this sort of us is in a way as they really have taken a wide range of cool mostly 70s tracks and made them their own.  We were Born to Go Baby.. played this a lot…  Cool stuff..

5. Sendelica – And Man Created God

This album is my fave of all the Sendelica albums I have heard (probably heard half of their output).  Just love the flow and subject matter, being an atheist.  Fantastic album. Pity I did not manage to get a copy of the album. 

6. ASTRAL MAGIC- VISIONS OF INFINITY

My good friend, Santtu asked me to collaborate and mix this record for him and so I have heard this a lot and it is just a classic space rock record and having my musical partner, Martin, playing most of the guitar was a bonus.  It will be a space rock classic one day.. Great great album..

7. Motorpsycho- Kings of Oblivion

You are never quite sure what you are going to get these days and for sure I did not like this album as much as the last one due to the shorter songs but damn there is a lot of cool music and they keep pushing themselves.  One of the best live bands on the planet these days…

8. DELVING- HIRSCHBRUNNEN

Nick from Elder put out his first solo album and he sent me the CD.  What an awesome album and very impressive playing since he played virtually all the instruments.  I was not very fond of the more mainstream sound of the last Elder record and it was a bit too much vocal heavy but this is all instrumental and just super songs..  Heard it a lot of times..

9. HEAR THE CAPTAIN SPEAK, THE CAPTAIN IS DEAD- FLUX CAPACITOR

This band is flying the space rock flag high over in Spain and really made a cool album for their 2nd one.  I really enjoyed this one as well…

10. Sula Bassana- Loop Station Drones 

Dave also put out the CV sessions this year but this was the music that really grabbed me. I jsut got intranced and he play really cool and spacey, heavy, light, all sides of the types of music I dig.. Just awesome..

11. AGUSA- EN ANNAN VARLD

IT has been a long wait for a new studio album from Agusa and a lot of members have come and gone and now only Mikkel remains from the first line up of the band. Anyway, this could very well be the best album the band has made!!! Two just awesome album side prog tracks. They have stepped back a bit from the folky riffs that were repeated a bit too much and take a breath of fresh air and made a great record..

12. KANAAN- EARHTBOUND

This album really blew me away as I had not expected the band to get so heavy but after a few listens, I really got sucked into the sound and vibe a lot. Cool playing.. 

13. MNGLT- PURE 

I had never heard of this guy before but we listened to this CD quite a bit when we got it. A lot of great songs. 

14. SUPERFJORD- FOR THE MOMENT VOL 1

This is a live album series by the Finnish band, Superfjord. I have some of their other stuff but this live album is so good. Great tracks and jams and sound…  Look forward to more volumes of this series!!

15. Gov´t Mule- Heavy Load Blues 

Any year Gov´t Mule releases a record it is likely to be in the top. While this album is about half cover songs, it has such a great sound and vibe to it.  I have loved this band since I saw them the first time in 1994 with my friend Carl..  Still love em today..

16. CLUTCH- THE WEATHERMAKER VAULT SERIES VOL 1

While this mostly cover the songs, the band also belt out a few of their faves live in the studio.  I love some of their cover versions, especially Fortunate Son by CCR. Cool record!

17. IRON MAIDEN- SENJUTSU 

This was totally unexpected. I have been a fan of IM since I first heard them in 1980 and was lucky to see them every tour in the 80s.  While I don´t listen to much metal these days I have a soft spot for these guys. I have to say this is an awesome record, even if the band fail to innovate or progress much. Great art, lyrics and playing with in the rigid template they have created for themselves.  We loved it.

18. Temple Fang- Fang Temple

This one really caught me by surprise. While the physical album is not out until April 2022, they released the digital files. It is 4 long tracks and pretty spacey and cool vibe. I expected something a bit more hard rocking but they stay in the zone with some great music.. Cool Dutch band..

19. KOMBYNAT ROBOTRON- -270° C

I have a soft spot for these guys and when I first got this I played it a lot.  True to the Kraut feelings of the early 70s but done their own way… Wish there were not so many small releases in such limited amounts as you miss out on so much of their music, when the demand is way bigger than numbers releases. Does not make any sense to me?? 

20 Oresund Space Collective- Relaxing in the Himalayas

I don´t usually include any of my bands and projects but this CD, I am really happy with the long jam and the cool artwork and we had so many positive responses from the fans about it…  

21. 10000 Russos- Superinteria 

22. Black Label Society- Doom Inc

23. GIOBIA/THE COSMIC DEAD- THE INTERGALACTIC CONNECTION LP (2021)

24. Gin Lady- Camping with Bohdi 

25. It was the Elf- Ancestors