The Best Rock of 2002 (aka "Flavors, Volume VIII")

2002 was a pretty good year for music - rock music in particular. In a year where federal judges ruled that record companies were overcharging for CDs, and the prices actually still managed to go up, it was still a good year. Are these really the best rock CDs of 2002? Well, certainly not to everyone, and maybe not to anyone, but they made it into my list, and well, I'm writing the article, so there.

NOTE: If you compare this to the list featured in the Portsmouth Free Press, you will notice that numbers 5 & 6 are reversed... this was my fault... and by the time I noticed it, it was way too late...

10. Chevelle - �Wonder What's Next� - Brothers Sam, Pete, and Joe Loeffler's sophomore release (and major label debut) packs a lot of raw guitar chops and Tool-esque vocal stylings without all the �prog-metal� trappings of today's rock. It's hard to pin their sound down to any particular influence, which tells me that they're doing something right. Also, the video for the first single, �The Red� (also on the CD), is one of the better videos in the market. Chevelle, Inc.

9. The Donnas - �Stay the Night� - Mtv is trying to tout the Donnas as a �brand spankin' new band,� and as usual, they are completely retarded. In fact, the Donnas have been around releasing music for ten years (I discovered them after reading an article about them in a trade rag back in '96)... AND their oldest member is a whopping 23 years old. If you like cowbell-driven, '70s-sounding �chick rock,� the Donnas (who don't have a real �Donna� among them) is definitely for you. The Donnas Online

8. Sinch - �Sinch� - Catchy hooks, a great guitar sound, sneaky samples, and powerful lyrics... but some kind of Creed this band is definitely NOT (Creed can't carry these guys' jockstraps in a suitcase). You'll probably have to listen to this album a few times before really being able to make up your mind if you like them, or not... I do... They also have a totally unique live thing - a member of the band actually �plays� the light show, thanks to a device he invented call the Ocular Noise Machine which can be better explained at their website. Sinch Online

7. Foo Fighters - �One by One� - The latest offering from ex-Nirvana drummer-turned-guitarist Dave Grohl. Not quite as good as '97 release �Colour and the Shape,� but full of all kinds of sonic treats. Yeah, Grohl is a whole lot wealthier than he used to be and it might be a little more refined than past releases, but he still manages to pull off the �I'm emotionally tortured� vibe pretty well. Foo Fighters Online

6. Mudvayne - �The End of All Things to Come� - I really tried to play some of their stuff from �L.D. 50� (a reference to the lethal dosage of a drug it would take to kill 50 of 100 subjects) on the radio, but it was so garbled up, it wasn't worth hearing. This album will probably not receive that much airtime, either, but it's an incredibly dense journey into some very dark recesses that most bands dare not go, nowadays. Mudvayne Online

5. Queens of the Stone Age - �Songs for the Deaf� - After Kyuss lead singer John Garcia departed the band in '95 (to disappear into some type of oblivion), the remaining members later became Queens of the Stone Age (a title of a Kyuss album). This, their third �legit� release, actually features �The Most Powerful Drummer in the Universe,� Dave Grohl, doing what I think he does best... beating the hell out of the skins. Kyuss was way better, but in the time where Avril �Commando Britney� Lavigne garners FIVE Grammy nominations (gimme a break), it will do nicely, indeed. QotSA Online

4. Down - �II (...a Bustle in Your Hedgerow)� - One of what seems like about fifty side projects for Pantera frontman Phil Anselmo, the Down boys (ack, did I really just say that?) provide some sonic excess in its purest form. Written and recorded in less than a month in a converted barn, �II� picks up nicely where their debut �NOLA� left off some seven years ago. Down Online

3. Glassjaw - �Worship and Tribute� - One of the more versatile rock bands out there, right now. Willing to slow it down and be extremely melodic one second, and five seconds later ripping your speakers into shreds with vocal wails and massive guitar attacks. Fans of bands like deftones should give these fellas a listen. Glassjaw Online

2. Taproot - �Welcome� - Honestly, the only thing I can find NOT to like about these guys is that they're from Ann Arbor, Michigan (home of the (blecch) University of Michigan). I read a review that was talking about how they �abandoned rap-rock� (they've NEVER been rap-rock... EVER - what a shitty generic label) and �gave up the dropped guitar tunings� (hmmm... they use 7-string guitars and still play a LOT of stuff in the lowest of registers... HELLO??? nothing like a music critic that doesn't know what the hell he's talking about...). I had a lot of trouble deciding if this was my #2 or #1 pick. It actually turns out to be more of a tie. Taproot Online

1. nonpoint - �Development� - WAY more mature than their debut, �Statement,� nonpoint has earned themselves a much-deserved place out of the �indie� shadow and into the mainstream spotlight (and atop my list, as well). Full of passion, teeming with aggression, intelligent lyrics, addictive hook-o-rama... If they can keep it up, this Florida-based quartet is destined for great things in the future of the rock world. They like to play in this part of the country quite a bit, so if you have a chance to see them, do yourself a favor and do so. You won't be sorry. nonpoint Online

So, there you go... my top ten rock albums of 2002. Honorable mentions go out to bands like Dredg, StoneSour, and Ra (who I didn't get ahold of until it was too late in the year to put into the list)... Here's to hoping that 2003 will be as fruitful... See ya next time.

And as always, thanks to all the great people at Sam Goody of New Boston, Allegro Music of Portsmouth, and The Record Shop of Portsmouth for all the good tunes...
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For a copy of this article, pick up a copy of the latest Portsmouth Free Press
All rights reserved 2003, Anthony Phillips/Xtatic Media. Reprinted with permission.

Listening to: Sevendust - "Animosity" (2001)