In 2022, this website has reviewed 72 albums, and I have enjoyed the year tremendously. 2022 will live in the memory for a long time as a year in which some exceptional music was released, and I am so grateful for this music enhancing my life, the wonderful artists who have contributed to making this website something special, either by interviews or by sharing my words, and, of course, to my readers.
Most websites produce a “top album” list, and I stated a long time ago that this website would not be doing anything that stereotypical. Instead, I have come up with a list of “awards” which really acts as a commentary on the year.
In truth, I could easily have come up with 72 separate awards, and simply mentioned a track from each of the albums reviewed, but on music websites as well as in life, there are always winners and losers. Some of these awards are serious. Others are done with a loving nod and a bit of mischief.
So, without further ado, the Lazland 2022 Award Ceremony begins (drum roll, PLEASE, maestro!):
Track of the Year
There really is some extremely stiff competition for this award, but the choice at the end of the year is clear to these ears. It is one of the finest pieces of music I have ever heard, period.
Mare. Dim Gray from Firmament
Those Who Served and are Deeply Missed
A special mention here for Neil Pepper, who we remembered again late in 2022 with Another Life Not Lived, co-written with Stu Nicholson on Galahad’s remarkable The Last Great Adventurer.
However, this website bows its head and remembers with love and affection Eric Bouillette, who reminded us this year of how his talent will be sorely missed on Solace Supplice, Liturgies Contemporaines and Imaginærium, Rise of the Medici
Take Notice for an Extremely Bright Future Award
An award dedicated to those artists who burst onto our scene in 2022 and really should be followed in years to come. I found it impossible to differentiate between Willow Beggs who played bass guitar on Solace Supplice, Liturgies Contemporaines and Pepjin Gros, the drummer for Inhalo, whose remarkable debut, Sever, is a favourite of 2022.
Covid Track of the Year
An award dedicated to Mr Lurgy, whose impact upon our society, economy, and my professional life with HMRC will be felt for years to come but which acted as a spur for some incredible artistic creations.
There was some tough competition in this, but ultimately the most moving track of the year dealing directly with the pandemic was Care by Marillion from An Hour Before It’s Dark. The Angels on Earth segment is extraordinary.
Single of the Year
I have relistened to thirteen contenders for this award, but I have plumped for a track reviewed quite late in the year, namely Saviour by Grice from the remarkable album, Polarchoral.
Of our Time Album Award
A clear winner here. The exceptional album The Confidence Trick from Hats Off Gentlemen It’s Adequate. This award is given for its knowing and intelligent discourse on the human condition.
Album Cover of the Year Award
I reduced this category to six clear contenders, but in terms of its stark beauty, the winner must be The Space by Somali Yacht Club.
Short Track of the Year Award
This award is for the piece of music which only bothered our eardrums for a very short time, and I felt I could listen to for a lot longer. I have given this award to t (Thomas Thielen) for the simply gorgeous How Not To Speak, a short track from the exceptional Pareidoliving. You can read my interview with Thomas by clicking on the button below.
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Best Band Name Inspired by a Law Firm
This award is provided in loving memory of the original bunch of solicitors responsible for suing Yes West back in the day, namely Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman & Howe. There was only one clear winner here, and that was D’Virgilio, Morse, & Jennings.
Pastoral Track of the Year Award
I was originally going to name this Folk Track of the Year award, but not necessarily by a folk band. However, I think pastoral is a better indicator here. The award goes to a piece of music which fills me with joy and is rooted in the English tradition, namely Ringing the Changes by John Holden taken from the wonderful Kintsugi. You can read my interview with John by clicking on the button below.
Spoken Album of the Year Award
An award dedicated to the spoken lyrical voice. A monotoned narrative in which the “singer” talks or gurgles his or her way through the tome. There was absolutely no contest in this category this year. The award must go to Jethro Tull – The Zealot Gene.
Ode to the Sea Award
A category as old as progressive rock itself. Simply listen to Mr Gabriel’s early stuff with Genesis, and you will know that the sea and water have inspired some mighty epochs down the years. In fact, the wet stuff continues to inspire, with Lazland reducing this list to a final seven contenders.
I will give a very special mention to Lanterna by Big Big Train from Welcome to the Planet and Omega Lights by Galahad from The Last Great Adventurer, but the award ultimately goes to Held By Trees for the evocative Wave Upon Wave from the remarkable album, Solace.
Classical Reference of the Year Award
An award also as old as progressive rock music, namely referencing or directly speaking to ancient history, indeed human history so old that I had to discount The Round Window’s Avalon as being positively modern in comparison.
Our classicists have not let us down this year, and, indeed, the winner could also have won the Disgracefully Short Track of the Year Award. Listen to and mourn deeply David Longdon’s voice on Capitoline Venus for BBT from Welcome to the Planet.
Instrumental Track of the Year Award
There have been some corkers in 2022 but for the sheer warmth of the music, the winner is Theme – Hall of Mirrors by Kaprekar’s Constant from The Murder Wall.
A special mention here to Nordic Giants for the beautiful Hjem from Symbiosis and The Tangent for GPS Vultures from Songs from the Hard Shoulder, an incredible epic track.
Best Guest Vocal of the Year
A very hard one, this, because there have been some exceptional guest performances. I have plumped here for Leah in her appearance with Eye of Melian on Light from Legends of Light, a wonderful track.
Tales from Topographic Oceans Award (Qualification 20-minutes plus)
An award dedicated to that finest of progressive rock traditions, namely a single piece of music lasting the length of an old-fashioned album side, named after our ultimate heroes in this regard, Yes, who plastered four of them on a double album and thus provided punk rock with a reason to exist.
There have been some fine epics this year, but I have narrowed them down to two joint winners because I cannot choose between them. The artists themselves are wholly different in their musical approach, but again that just shows to me the wonderful eclecticism which exists in rock music.
So, the winners of the TFTO Award 2022 are:
The Lady Tied to the Lamp Post – The Tangent from Songs from the Hard Shoulder, and
The Old Man of the Mountain – Chest Rockwell from Mentis Oculi.
Siberian Khatru Award
This one is also for epic tracks, but those which do not take up an entire side but last at least nine minutes.
I narrowed this down to seventeen choices before sitting down to write this piece, and in all honesty they all could have won. However, a decision such as that would have taken longer than the interminable robe-wearing sports washing witnessed in Qatar last night, so I have decided to narrow this down to two fine pieces of music, namely:
The Garden Shed – Flamborough Head from Jumping the Milestone and
Critical Mass – Winter In Eden from Social Fake
Old Farts of the Year Award
Those acts of a certain vintage who just keep on rocking and rolling along and thank the heavens for that. This year, we have seen albums by Marillion, The Flower Kings (not my favourite by them at all), Saxon, Magnum, Magenta, Kaipa, and Galahad. However, the award must go to a band who almost reinvented themselves with the vocal performance as welcome as it was stunning by Damian Wilson on Arena’s The Theory of Molecular Inheritance.
Channelling One’s Inner Trevor Rabin Track of the Year Award
No contest here whatsoever. Trev would be extremely proud of Reset to Preset by Lalu from Paint the Sky.
Bird Song of the Year Award
Dedicated to evoking scenes of our feathered friends in hedges and trees, Circling Ravens by Odin Dragonfly from Sirens just pipped this one.
Hammer Horror Album of the Year Award
An award dedicated to those tracks which bring back some wonderful memories of the movies which scared us rotten back in the day, this year the award is presented to Inner Prospekt for the exceptional album, Grey Origin.
Ballad of the Year
I want music to move me, to reach inside me, to take me to places which make me happy, and a good ballad will always push those buttons in Lazland. Again, there was some extremely tough competition for this award, and I have gone for Am I Right by James LaBrie from his seriously impressive album, Beautiful Shade of Grey.
The Fletcher Memorial Home Award
This award is in recognition of albums or tracks which continue to provide us with intelligent commentary on the depressingly eternal preoccupation of mankind, namely war.
I have split this award into both a track and a whole album. For the track, honourable mentions go to Saxon for Dambusters from Carpe Diem and Knight Area For Those Who Fell from D-Day II, The Final Chapter, but the winner simply must be Refuge by Hats Off Gentlemen It’s Adequate, the story of Malcolm Galloway’s great grandmother’s flight from persecution, a truly remarkable narrative and piece of music.
In terms of albums, there could only be one winner of this award, and that is the stunning piece of work Heroic Materials by Cosmograf, which had a WWII veteran at the heart of a superb narrative about life’s journeys and the changes inherent as time passes.
Debut Album of the Year Award
I have genuinely struggled with this award. There have been some seriously impressive debut albums in 2022, with Ou bursting out of China, strong albums by Ghost of the Machine, Enma, and Silver Nightmares, but I have decided to jointly award this to two extremely strong albums in:
Inhalo – Sever
The Round Window – The Round Window
Both bands will, I know, continue to delight us for some years to come.
Instrumental Album of the Year Award
There have been some exceptional instrumental albums in 2022, continuing a long and proud progressive rock tradition, but my winner here is an album by an artist who continues to seriously impress, Eddie Mulder with Signature.
Dystopian Track of the Year Award
Or “The As Dark As A Sparrow’s Arse Track Award”. Given the times we live in, it is hardly surprising that there have been many fine instances of artists addressing the darker side of the human condition. The winner of this award has a video which rather lulls one into a false sense of security, thinking it is a homage to classic children’s television shows of yore. What follows, though, on The Island of Misfit Toys by John Mitchell’s Lonely Robot is an altogether darker situation.
Best Named Tracks of the Year Award
No contest whatsoever. It simply must be The Syrtis of His Patrimony and The Charybdis of his Possessions by Chest Rockwell from Mentis Oculi.
It’s Bloody Lovely in Scandinavia Award
Here in Lazland, it must be said that we feel the cold. Indeed, plans are afoot to spend winters in Malta when the glorious day of retirement beckons (at the time of writing, two years, and ten days). However, artistically and in terms of sheer beauty, one must admire the northern climes. In a year of close competition, the award goes to Kaipa for Urskog for painting such a stunning visage of their homeland.
Tribute of the Year Award
My final review of 2022, and one of the best was saved until last. This award is given to The Last Great Adventurer, Stu Nicholson’s loving tribute to his father for Galahad from the album of the same name.
Forbidden Love Track of the Year Award
An award recognising intelligent commentary on the persecution of people for the “crime” of falling in love with others whom the presiding society persecutes. A very clear winner here, The Blue Light of a Star by Silver Nightmares from Acopalypsis
Saved from Oblivion by a Wonderful Track Award
I thought this award would be slightly better than a “not very good album at all” award, because within every album, no matter how ordinary, there is usually a shaft of light which relieves the gloom.
The award this year is given to Of the New Day by Porcupine Tree from Closure/Continuation, an album I otherwise found rather disappointing, in contrast to 95% of other critics.
So, there we go. I, for one, am seriously looking forward to 2023. I have the new Riverside album on pre-order, and that should drop in January. Katatonia are also releasing in January as will the delayed Built for the Future album. We will have new works from Nine Skies and Nova Cascade. I am also hoping the Round Window sophomore album is completed.
I somehow doubt that I shall be raving about another promised Tull effort, but I live in hope as a “glass half full” type of chap.
There will be pleasant surprises and the usual roller coaster rides. Seatbelts on!!
Thank you all so much for reading my musings on the music and wider world. Only one thing is certain in 2023. This site, despite blandishments to the contrary, will continue to be advert free and there are some ideas in the pipeline to introduce some new features. You will definitely continue to get the very best of reviews and in-depth interviews. I wish you all the best for a peaceful and prosperous 2023.