Memento Mori by Depeche Mode
Released in March, Memento Mori is Depeche Mode’s fifteenth studio album.
After the death of founding member and keyboardist, Andy Fletcher, remaining members Dave Gahan and Martin Gore decided to soldier on as a duo. I am really glad they did, as Memento Mori is an inspired work and in my opinion their best album since 2005’s Playing The Angel. Lyrically it appears to be themed around death and mortality but musically this is classic Depeche Mode. Has been on and off high rotation for me in the nine months since its release.
Favourite track: “Caroline’s Monkey”
72 Seasons by Metallica
After a seven year gap, Metallica released their eleventh studio album, 72 Seasons, in April
Although I enjoyed 2016’s Hardwired…To Self-Destruct I enjoy 72 Seasons so much more. I find it difficult to articulate why, but I believe it may be that as a collection of songs it holds together much better as an album. The album received three Grammy nominations and 5 singles were released.
Favourite track: Metallica’s longest song to date, the epic “Inamorata”
Road by Alice Cooper
Road is the 29th studio album from Alice Cooper and his 22nd since becoming a solo artist
The aptly-titled Road features and was written with, his live band and the album has a live feel having been recorded with no overdubs. Alice has described it as a concept album about things that happen while a band is on the road. Featuring his old partner in crime on the mixing desk and production duties, Bob Ezrin, Alice sounds great on the album. Big name guests include Roger Glover and Tom Morello too.
Favourite track: “Big Boots”
Hackney Diamonds by The Rolling Stones
Hackney Diamonds is the first Rolling Stones studio album of original material since 2005
How have they done it? I was very pleasantly surprised by how good this album is. I did not have high hopes when I took it home but I was blown away. They have not sounded this good in decades. Jagger is singing surprisingly well for an octogenarian and although Keith may have adjusted his playing style due to his arthritis, he still sounds rifftastic!
Favourite track: “Whole Wide World”
i/o by Peter Gabriel
More than two decades in the making, i/o arrived 21 years after its predecessor, Up
I was very excited when I heard Gabriel was releasing a new album called i/o (inside/outside) in 2023. I have been a fan for many years and waited with baited breath. Gabriel being Gabriel, he decides to release a new song every full moon and a new mix each new moon. Wait, multiple mixes of the same songs will be available. Yes, 3! The physical versions of the album would not be released until 1st December but it was worth the wait. I got myself a copy of the 2CD/BluRay version as it contains one disc of the Bright Side Mix, one disc of the Dark Side Mix and the BluRay features the Inside Mix. They are all good, if slightly different, and at the time of writing I prefer the Dark Side Mix of the tracks. Great stuff and my contender for album of the year.
Favourite track: “i/o”, the title track
The Slabthrower 