Happy New Year
to all of you, your families and friends wherever you live on the globe 
And - similar to last year - here's my list of the best 2012 songs based on the CDs or LPs I did purchase that year - and I didn't buy much music this year but did focus on older stuff I had on my iPod for quite a while or just started listening. For instance I did get two UFO compilations, The Chrysalis Years and the The Decca Years, after listening to Try Me in the best bar on the globe.
But back to my top 2012 releases and best songs.
 | This is my true number 1 album of 2012. I know Anathema from Liverpool since 1996
and had the chance this year in early November to see them live for the
first time. And even two months after that concert I would still claim
that this was the best concert I've ever been to. Period. Just by they
way: this album became also the 2012 critic's choice of UK's Prog magazine. And there's a reason for that  Listen to: Untouchable Part 2 and The Gathering Of The Clouds |
 | Similar to Anathema Katatonia do exist since the early 90's. And back then their style was way harder than today. Bought this CD at Rasputin Records during OOW in San Francisco and did listen to it almost every second day since then. Don't get distracted by the strange cover - some bands need to have such an artwork. Simply listen to these two songs: |
Steve Wilson - Get What You Deserve - Live in Mexico City
 | Very rarely I buy DVDs or BluRays as I like more listening to music than watching it. But this one is an exception (and it has the full concert on a double CD included as well). Steve Wilson is the mastermind of Porcupine Tree, one of my true favorite bands. And he seems to sleep just 3 hours per night if you look at all the projects he had done in the past 3 years. This DVD/CD/BluRay is the entire concert of Steve Wilson's solo project after releasing Grace For Drowning in 2011. And sonically as well as visually this concert is really great. Listen to Harmony Korine and Part of Me |
 | Baroness 2012 release is my "almost" number 1 album of 2012. Actually it's two albums, Yellow and Green combined into one release. I did purchase that after reading a review in German magazine Der Spiegel a while back in July 2012. The author called it The Album Of The Year ... in July. The band is based in Savannah, Georgia, exists since 2003 and had been already on tour in the past supporting Metallica. I got really touched by the variety of styles, the rough rawness and power combined with sweet harmonies - wow! Some songs simply blew me away |
Die Toten Hosen - Ballast der Republik
 | Just a month ago a documentary in German TV did show the entire career of Die Toten Hosen now spanning over 30 years. They started as a punk band in Düsseldorf in 1982 but today they are playing true rock music. Plenty of their songs were frequently played some 20 years ago at our school parties. It's still not their best album ever (that's Ein Kleines Bisschen Horrorschau, the German interpretation of Clockwork Orange with Hier kommt Alex) but I did listen to some of their songs very often when walking through San Francisco this year at OOW - and I have them on heavy rotation in my car for longer drives (sometimes there's no speed limit on German Autobahns) Listen to Altes Fieber and Tage Wie Diese |