2. Heavens Basement Filthy Empire
Theres not one second of this that isnt sublime hard rock heaven. From the opening scream of Welcome Home, to the laser-precision-songwriting that etches the likes of The Long Goodbye and Cant Let Go into your cerebellum. Then you have the pugnacious fury of I Am Electric, the building crescendo of Executioners Day, and the contrasting confessional ballad The Price We Pay that has a touch of the Myles Kennedys about it, they all showcase each band members ability to play proficiently to their hearts content. Until Basement recruited Aaron Buchanan on lead vocals the band were treading water around the likes of other retro-rockers The Answer, The Last Vegas, or any other nondescript artist merely re-walking the steps of yesteryear rather than treading new paths with signature boots, but now hes on board, Aarons incredible projection gives rise to some weighty screams and passionately sung vocal lines. The subsequent EP Unbreakable in 2011 shook the foundations of the hard rock scene, to which the deployment of Filthy Empire has smashed through completely, demanding the attention of all and sundry. If its clichéd to say something keeps on giving, thats usually because it has been applied for the sake of hyperbole, but rest assured, Heavens Basement, from their live performances to every single second of this LP, have enough content to satisfy the thousands of generations to come, for thousands of different reasons.