THE ROCK DOCTORS HOT WAX ALBUM REVIEWS – BEST OF 2025
Well it’s that time. After an attempted retirement from writing that lasted about 2 months at the beginning of the year, what follows is the best of the pile of albums I reviewed in the last calendar year. I combed through all of the columns, trimmed that down to an initial list of 93 records. From there the hard work began; scaling that down to a list of 25, plus some other ‘awards’. So sit back, grab a diet Coke or a beer, let’s have a gander and maybe a listen. Here is the best of “Hot Wax Album Reviews” for 2025…
#25: GREASE TO GRAVY Terry Hanck (Little Village)
I talk a lot about guitar and harp-centric blues, but something special happens when tenor sax is the focus- particularly in the hands of Terry Hanck. Grease To Gravy is a joyous listen as it grooves from soul to blues to New Orleans second line funk and rock & roll. This disc includes 5 covers including a jazzed up version of Wilson Pickett’s Don’t Let The Green Grass Fool You, plus 7 originals led by Hanck’s engaging voice and imaginative saxophone.
HOT TRACKS: Best Years Of My Life, Run Run Baby, Midnight On The Reef
#24: TWISTED EP Mark Thackway (independent)
This gorgeous piece of work is Thackway’s sophomore release. Twisted is finger-picking guitar at its best as Mark meditates on freedom, the passage of time, fate, mortality, relationships and even the art of songwriting. Mark’s acoustic guitar playing, while not as lightning quick as Tommy Emmanuel, is equally stunning in its expressiveness.
HOT TRACKS: Liberty, Twisted
#23: SHELTER FROM THE STORMS Lennie Gallant (independent)
There are storytelling artists and then there’s Lennie Gallant. Shelter From The Storms is his 16th album and his first English language record in 7. A combination of compelling melodies, a cross between Tom Petty and Blue Rodeo, this PEI singer/ songwriter is spinning pure gold.
HOT TRACKS: Counting On Angels, Sable Island Horses, God’s Reply
#22: COUGAR The Davidson Trio (independent)
If you look up ‘power trio’ there should be a picture of these guys. Cougar, the band’s debut, is just about as powerful as blues gets. Black Sabbath and Judas Priest are two of my favorite bands, so it’s no surprise to learn that the Davidson Trio comes from Birmingham UK too… gotta be something in the air, or the drinking water- hell, probably both.
HOT TRACKS: Medusa Touch, Blue River, Catfish Blues
#21: SEE IT THROUGH Scott McDonald (Bongo Boy Records)
What we have here is some seriously excellent rock & roll. Urgent, heartfelt and topical, the songs on See It Through bristle with rock & roll excitement. As soon as I heard the first single Wave, I knew I had to hear the rest. Some albums lift you up and put you in a great mood when you put them on, See It Through is exactly that kind of record.
HOT TRACKS: Wave, One Mistake I Can’t Repeat, See It Through
#20: STRAIGHT TO IT Zac Schulze Gang (Ruf Records)
This is the aggressive studio debut for this energetic English trio. Straight To It exists in that delicious area where high octane rock & roll and the blues happen in the same space at the same time. Inspired by Rory Gallagher, they’re meant for big things.
HOT TRACKS: Damaged Man, The Rocker, I Won’t Do This Anymore
#19: THE REVENGE OF ALICE COOPER Alice Cooper (earMUSIC)
It had to happen sooner or later… after getting together here and there for a few tunes on Cooper records like Welcome 2 My Nightmare and Paranormal, the original group finally got together for a full album. With producer Bob Ezrin at the helm, architect of the band’s sound in the 70’s, The Revenge Of Alice Cooper is a better set than we have a right to expect.
HOT TRACKS: Wild Ones, Money Screams, Black Mamba
#18: TAKE THE EDGE OFF Travelin’ Blue (Naked)
Talk about an album smacking you upside the head, Travelin’ Blue’s new one is just all kinds of excellent. Take The Edge Off has rock muscle and attitude as these 5 talented musicians rely on tradition and a ‘know your classics’ attitude with a pinch of the 70’s, yet it all sounds very 21st century. This is one blues/ rock groove that’s pretty much irresistible.
HOT TRACKS: No Gooder, Death Smiles At Us All, After All
#17: TEQUILA & BULLETS Jay Hooks (Joplin Street Music)
Every once in a while an album comes along to remind you what rock & roll should feel like. Tequila & Bullets is Hooks’ first album in years; greasy, sweaty, dirt-bag Texas blues style rock & roll that really does it for me.
HOT TRACKS: Tequila & Bullets, Left Me Cold, Mexican Larry
#16: SAVING GRACE Robert Plant (Nonesuch Records)
This is Plant’s latest solo album; his 12th overall and first since 2017’s Carry Fire. If you’ve been following his solo career, particularly since he first teamed up with Alison Krauss, Saving Grace will feel familiar. His musical curiosity has led him to some interesting destinations, and sharing the mic with Suzi Dian, the disc is a sublime wonder.
HOT TRACKS: It’s A Beautiful Day Today (Moby Grape), I Never Will Marry (traditional), Soul Of A Man (Blind Willie Johnson), Chevrolet (Memphis Minnie)
#15: MOONLIGHT MOVIN’ & GROOVIN’ GeminiiDragon (Nepotism Recordings/ Bandcamp)
New music from GeminiiDragon is always cause for celebration. More than just a blues singer Gemini, along with her husband and guitarist Christian Simeon, deliver the goods across a variety of bluesy styles on Moonlight Movin’ & Groovin’, her 4th album in as many years. The album title really captures the spirit of this collection of songs.
HOT TRACKS: Blues Is So Good, All Night (Bonafied Heartbreaker), Slow Slow Moan
#14: THE EMPATHIST Stephen Fearing (Ging Records)
Although this album has been out since March, I just recently got my hands on it. The Empathist is the sort of great storytelling music you’d expect from a guy that gets compared to John Prine and Bruce Springsteen. Canadian Beats says that fans of Bruce and John “will appreciate Fearing’s poetic lyrics and timeless melodies”… I know I do.
HOT TRACKS: Far From The Middle (with Sue Foley), Cowboy Guitar, May you Get to Heaven
#13: LEAVING THIS TOWN Levi Platero (independent)
This is some mean, mean blues/rock. Leaving This Town is a brawny bunch of songs played with a swagger and grind that recalls Stevie Ray at his best. Combine that with some soulfulness and you’ve got one hell of a record.
HOT TRACKS: Leaving This Town, Lawless, Monsters
#12: MY MISSISSIPPI ROOTS James “JB” Barnes (independent)
This is one of the most soulful blues records I’ve heard in maybe forever. With My Mississippi Roots Barnes lives up to his mission; to honor the artists that came before him while ensuring the blues remains vibrant in the present, to which I say spectacularly well done, sir.
HOT TRACKS: Go Make A Change, Brush With The Blues, Sara Smile
#11: KIMUZIKI: LIVE IN DES MOINES Hudspeth & Taylor (independent)
This jewel of an album is also Hudspeth & Taylor’s first live release. Recorded at the Central Iowa Blues Society’s 2025 Winter Blues Festival, Brandon and Jaisson didn’t know they were being recorded, so Kimusziki has a relaxed, unpretentious feel that most live records miss. It’s just two guys; Hudspeth on guitar and Taylor on the mic, resulting in elemental magic.
HOT TRACKS: Going To New York, Honey Bee, I Know It’s Going To Rain Again
#10: BORN INTO A BLIZZARD Jefferson Berry & The UAC (independent)
This album is the reason my writing retirement was so short-lived… when I gave it a spin I knew I had to tell people about it. Born Into A Blizzard is Berry’s 4th album in 5 years and it’s captivating. As Jefferson Berry & The UAC lean into their Grateful Dead and Steely Dan infused folk influences, all there is left for us to do is bask in its awesomeness.
HOT TRACKS: Leaving Santa Maria, Sleeping In Public, Born On Payday
#9: WALK THIS ROAD The Doobie Brothers (Doobie Doo Music)
The shadows grow long and the sun will set sooner rather than later, but you’d never know that from The Doobie Brothers’ 16th album. Walk This Road has no right to be this good this late in the game. Patrick Simmons, Tom Johnston and longtime guitarist John McFee welcomed smoky-voiced keyboard player Michael McDonald back into the band- this is The Doobs’ strongest set since 1991’s Brotherhood.
HOT TRACKS: Walk This Road (with Mavis Staples), Learn To Let Go, Call Me
#8: TALKIN’ HEAVY DK Harrell (Alligator Records)
If you want to talk about exciting blues guitar players, DK Harrell’s name has to come up in that conversation. Talkin’ Heavy is not his first album but it is his Alligator Records debut, a soulful explosion and exploration of the blues… what Living Blues calls “a jubilantly raucous, crispy, fully realized sound enriched by unselfconscious virtuosity (and) musically adventurous, biting and exploratory.” Harrell is just what the blues can use.
HOT TRACKS: A Little Taste, PTLD, Vibe With Me
#7: REDEMPTION Brody Buster (independent)
Well push me down and call me Susan, this dude plays some hellaciously ripping harmonica. Redemption, Brody Buster’s first album in 8 years, flat out rocks. If you’ve ever seen the Michael Keaton movie Jack Frost, this band feels like that group and I’m thoroughly digging his fire and brimstone blues.
HOT TRACKS: Can You Hear Me, This Time I Got The Blues, Protection From Your Affection
#6: WHICH WAY DO WE GO? Brandon Santini (MoMojo Records)
Seven time Blues Music Award nominee Brandon Santini is back with a new album and it’s hot stuff. Which Way Do We Go is soulful modern blues, equal parts Howlin’ Wolf and Big Sugar. This is a burly masterpiece powered by raw emotion.
HOT TRACKS: This War Ain’t Over, Working On A Mystery, Blues So Bad
#5: TRIAL BY FIRE Fran Drew & The Lucky Strikes (independent)
This is one of the grooviest blues albums to come along in quite some time. Nominated for “New Artist Debut Album” at the Blues Blast Awards for 2025, Trial By Fire from Fran Drew & The Strikes is a bold and fearless rockin’ blues record that takes no prisoners.
HOT TRACKS: Neighbor Neighbor, I Look Good In Bad, The Hunter
#4: TOGETHER ON A ROCK The Pairs (independent/ bandcamp)
Not since the glory days of Simon & Garfunkel has there been such a captivating vocal sound. The Pairs, a trio of sisters out of London Ontario call Together On A Rock their 4th album in 7 years. It’s a warm, minimalist sound with acoustic guitar, some light percussion and those 3 voices blending in a way that only siblings can. This is one of the most soothing albums I’ve ever heard.
HOT TRACKS: Good Bad Day, Rain Is Coming, Like A Moth
#3: JUST A LITTLE MORE TIME Greg Nagy (independent)
Smooth, soulful and blue… that’s Just A Little More Time, the latest from Greg Nagy. More than just blues this is an appetizing mix of R&B, rock, gospel and soul. His voice is warm and inviting, occasionally sounding like the late Doug Bennett of Doug & The Slugs, his guitar playing elegant and expressive, but when he rocks out on a cut like Between The Darkness & The Light man, he really cuts loose. This is darnn good stuff.
HOT TRACKS: Between the Darkness & The Light, Only Women Bleed, Rainy Night In Georgia
#2: HELP YOURSELF Blood Brothers (Gulf Coast Records)
Here is the 2nd studio record and 3rd overall from Mike Zito and Albert Castiglia, collectively known as The Blood Brothers. When two incredibly gifted blues guitarists, singers and songwriters get together sparks fly, as they most assuredly do on Help Yourself.
HOT TRACKS: Alive, Ol’ Victrola, Can’t Be A Prophet, Low Down
#1: AIN’T DONE WITH THE BLUES Buddy Guy (RCA)
Even at 89 years old, Buddy Guy will never be done with the blues. Despite talk in recent years of slowing down and coming off the road Ain’t Done With The Blues is proof that, if anything, Guy is doing the exact opposite. Expertly produced once again by Tom Hambridge and including several guests Ain’t Done, at 18 cuts, is a generous helping of delicious blues.
HOT TRACKS: Blues Chase The Blues Away, Jesus Loves The Sinner (with the Blind Boys Of Alabama), How Blues Is That (with Joe Walsh), Trick Bag
AND NOW THE OTHER AWARDS, GIVEN OUT EARLIER TODAY IN THE DRIVE-THRU AT A NEARBY McDONALD’S…
BEST COMPILATION CROWN JEWELS Koko Taylor (Alligator Records)
If you love the blues this is one album you’ve got to have. Crown Jewels is a best of, culled from her 34 years with and 9 albums (8 of them Grammy nominated) for Alligator. For this set the label picked and remastered songs from throughout her career, many fan favorites included. From her earth-shaking voice to stellar musicians involved, this is as blues as blues gets.
HOT TRACKS: Born Under A Bad Sign (with Buddy Guy), I’d Rather Go Blind, I’m A Woman
BEST BOX SET DRESSED TO KILL: 50TH ANNIVERSARY SUPER DELUXE EDITION Kiss (Universal Music)
Kiss’s third album, the one before Alive! Came and changed everything, was released in the spring of 1975. Dressed To Kill was short, clocking in at 30:07. It did okay, peaking at #32 on the Billboard charts. The 50th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition is an entirely different beast. The version I got on the I Tunes includes 4 different ‘discs’; the original album, a set of demos and alternate mixes plus a previously unreleased song. Discs 3 & 4 include stuff recorded at Cobo Hall in Detroit and RKO Theater in Des Moines, 2 of the 3 shows recorded for Alive; but here, though remixed by Eddie Kramer, they contain no overdubs- the difference is startling.
BEST VINYL REISSUE THE ETERNAL IDOL (vinyl) Black Sabbath (Warner Records)
After the re-release of the other Tony Martin- era Sabbath albums last year, this is a treat for the fans. Released on Record Store Day (April 12th, 2025), The Eternal Idol was limited to 6,000 copies. It’s a new remaster from the analog tapes in limited edition translucent red vinyl and includes a reprint of the original lyric sheet. It’s one of my top 5 Sabbath slabs of any era.
HOT TRACKS: Born To Lose, Glory Ride, Eternal Idol
BEST ACCIDENTAL DISCOVERY CAPTURED LIGHT Great Lake Swimmers (Spotify)
This is the 9th album for this Ontario-based roots band, and it’s a stunner. Captured Light has a comforting, breezy quality not unlike Blue Rodeo meets REM or Ray LaMontagne. The combination of deep, thoughtful lyrics and acoustic guitar-driven melodies is unforgettable.
Finding music in unexpected ways is delightful. We were watching Kaeshammer’s Kitchen on CHEK (the local TV station) here in Victoria on the weekend. It’s a cooking show hosted by pianist Michael Kaeshammer where other musicians are invited to help cook a meal, then Michael and the guest play a couple of the artist’s songs at the end of the show. Great Lake Swimmers founder Tony Dekker was the guest on Saturday, they made pizza then played a couple of songs including One More Dance Around The Sun, the latest single. I was so taken with it that I was on the computer tracking it down on I Tunes before the end credits rolled.
HOT TRACKS: One More Dance Around The Sun, Running Out Of Time, The Fledgling Jay
BEST CHRISTMAS RECORD FIRE & SOLITUDE EP Mercedes Nicole (independent)
Here is some holiday music to put a little starch in your stocking, to throw on when you and your significant other are in the mood to saw one off under the tree. Christmas music for making out? I’m not kidding. Fire & Solitude is short at just 4 songs, but Mercedes’ silky, sultry voice brings special meaning to the Yuletide season.
HOT TRACKS: Merry Christmas Baby, Close
