2025, a barrel full of contradictions / Columns

2024, a barrel full of contradictions

After an extraordinarily fine musical 2023, I must confess that I have experienced the past year as a bit less. Of course there were great releases, but across the board I can see from my ratings that I gave a lower rating on average and then I left out a number of albums that would have scored so low that I didn't think a review was desirable. I will of course add my year list at the end.

What else happened this year that I think is worth mentioning here?

This year I have only been to two concerts and that is an all time low, not including the Covid years. Due to a combination of a number of factors, it just didn't happen. Data that were during my holidays, medical hassle but also less enthusiasm on my part. Not about music in general, but about going to concerts. Why is that? Am I getting too old for it maybe? When I look around at those concerts I go to, however, I mainly see people my age, so that's not it, is it? I think it's like it once used to be, I'd rather spend my money on CDs than on concerts. A lot of the less well known bands are experiencing financial struggles. I read that Pallas has already decided not to play live anymore because of the financial risks of a tour and I fear this will happen more often. As a former entrepreneur, however, I know better than anyone that there are risks in any form of entrepreneurship and I stand by my position that if a company cannot support itself financially, there is no longer a right to exist. Very painful, especially if you have experienced this yourself with all its consequences.

Anyway, let's not dwell on this for too long. A highlight of this year was without a doubt the request from Background Magazine to write reviews for their site. Without restrictions and at my own pace, no deadlines. I come into contact with much more music than I normally would. What has become clear to me is the fact that I am apparently quite critical and often give somewhat lower ratings than my colleagues, but I can only judge honestly and from my perspective.

The second highlight was the concert of Mystery in Zwolle. How wonderful it is to see this fantastic band at work. Especially since they played many songs from their 2023 masterpiece, Redemption, and to date, along with The Visitor by Arena, that is my favourite album of all time. What a class act and what a pleasure these sympathetic Canadians radiate, beautiful. You see, concerts can be a lot of fun.

The biggest musical surprise in my annual list is the live album of Antony Kalugin who performed songs from all his projects in Alphen aan de Rijn. Without horns, just in the standard line-up and with the fabulous Anton Bursakov on guitar. The Ukrainian keyboard wizard managed to create a big sound with just a single keyboard and vocally it was also more than okay, partly due to the two beautiful female singers. It doesn't happen often that I have a live album in my list and certainly not in such a prominent place.

I split my annual list into a top ten and added five more albums that just didn't make that list but are still good.

1 - Huis – In the Face of the Unknown

2 - Frant!c – A brand new World

3 - Antony Kalugin Project – A Message of Peace Tour

4 - Millenium – Hope dies last

5 - Drifting Sun – Veil

6 - The Ikan Project – Perfect Tyranny

7 - Lee Abraham – Origin of the Storm

8 - Broers & Klazinga – Second Thoughts

9 - Stuckfish – IV

10 - Jadis – More Questions than Answers