Fred Phillips’ Best of 2021 Hard Rock and Metal also includes Black Label Society, Durbin, Ad Infinitum, Cody Jinks, Unto Others and Iron Maiden, among others.

Released 45 years ago today, Muddy Waters’ ‘Hard Again’ marked the kind of comeback you expect from the great ones.

‘Inimitable’ is an intimate solo acoustic bass recording where Michael Bisio seemed to have plowed ahead and played with a lot of heart and instinct with not too much forethought.

Zan Zone’s ‘It’s Only Natural’ is all over the place, and it’s all over the place in a wonderful all over and very eclectic place way.

‘Tattoo You’ could easily be called the Rolling Stones’ last really good album of original material, given that ‘Blue and Lonesome’ was a covers project.

Similarities to Weezer and Fountains of Wayne abound on ‘Conflagration Vespers,’ but the Craig Torso Show possesses more of an experimental edge.

Caravan gets a chance to “do it all over again” with ‘It’s None of Your Business’ – and thankfully, they “do it all over again” really quite well.

Mark Saleski offers an in-depth examination of Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Nebraska,’ which was primarily recorded 40 years ago today.

Sometimes you want great chops and sometimes you just want good time music. Scary Goldings’ ‘IV’ has got both covered.

On Burnt Belief’s ‘Mutual Isolation,’ the music takes another step forward in the band’s progression with a relative ‘back to basics’ approach. That’s all due to the limitless creativity and musicianship of Colin Edwin and Jon Durant.