SOUND BITES

It can't be coincidental that the cover of the newly released EP from Nine Inch Nails bears striking resemblance to that of the deluxe edition of And All That Could Have Been , the live album NIN released in 2002. That tour was for the 1999 album The Fragile , a vast and exploratory record that Trent Reznor and frequent collaborator turned full-time NIN member Atticus Ross have been listening to a lot lately; a reimagined version of that record was constructed as part of the massive NIN resissue campaign set to launch in 2017 (alongside, presumably, a new album). Not to say that the five new songs handed in to fulfill Reznor's promise of new NIN in 2016 completely mimic the music from The Fragile , but much of the mood and tone of that album is present on Not the Actual Events . Burning Bright (Field On Fire) is the closest cousin to The Day the World Went Away we're ever likely to get, while the plodding, percussive beat that buoys centerpiece She's Gone Away ca

(Full disclosure: I'm writing this article on December 18. At the time of writing, to my knowledge none of the artists listed below have actually confirmed a release date for a new album in 2017. Some are very close to doing so, and some give me little reason to doubt they'll get one out, but as of the moment I'm typing this none have nailed down the details.) For the past handful of years, around the turn of the calendar I've published lists with the title "What Are the Chances?"; it's where I've tried to predict the percentage chance that an artist will or will not get a new album out within the calendar year to follow. Traditionally, I pick 25 artists and assign a percentage based on my gut. This year, like a damned fool, I've decided to expand it just a bit. Suffice to say, if half of these artists manage to produce a record in 2017, I'll be a very busy boy.

Well, I'm ready as I'm going to be. As per tradition, allow me to take a moment to thank everyone who stopped by to read a review, check out the chart, scratch their head over one of my stupid lists or all of the above. Since bringing this thing online a little more than five years ago, good folks like you have helped rack up nearly 55,000 page views; that's about 15k in the past year, so it seems like we're still growing. As always, I thank you for your continued patronage, and I look forward to serving up lots of piping hot content in the new year. Right now, though, I'm a little beaten down from the past twelve months; so let's put this hellish year to rest, crown some champs and go into hibernation (until next week, when the Year in Rock 2017 preview is posted). Deal?

Having filled my old CD Plus messenger bag with the 20 CDs that made this year's longlist and pored over them bit by bit, I feel I'm comfortable enough to slice that list in half and finalize this year's shortlist. Now, the real work starts; over the next week, I have to figure out which of the ten deserves my greatest honour. This is going to be an incredibly tough decision: I get to choose between three previous AOTY winners, two runners-up, four first time nominees and one deceased legend. Wish me luck. Your Year in Rock 2016 nominees for Album of the Year are:

With Year in Rock 2016 winners announcements a week away, it's time to trim the fat. What started as a list of 40 a few weeks ago (check it out here if you haven't already) has been cut to ten. While whittling away those other thirty songs, it became even more apparent just how strong some of this year's singles have been. From new blood making bold opening statements to towering legends saying goodbye, 2016 was undoubtedly a quality year for rock. Your Year in Rock 2016 nominees for Song of the Year are:

Though I don't pay as close attention to it as I once did, I still get my horns up for a heavy riff, a monstrous groove and a fleet tempo. The best heavy music gets the adrenaline flowing, the fists pumping and my problems taking a back seat for a while; we've badly needed to forget a lot this year and, as this year's nominees prove, there's still a place for brutal escapism. Your Year in Rock 2016 nominees for Heavy Artist Recording of the Year are:

My national pride is no secret; I've been a staunch supporter of Canadian bands since my formative years watching MuchMusic as a kid. As we've evolved as a nation, so too have our bands; for decades mostly overlooked and/or not taken seriously even here at home, Canadian artists are now just as formidable a force worldwide as their international competitors. Accordingly, this year's nominees have all done varying degrees of damage well outside the Great White North. Your Year in Rock 2016 nominees for Canadian Artist Recording of the Year are:

Artists who stand alone, who put their name on their album jackets and assume full responsibility for the art they give to the world, exhibit a kind of bravery that I've always admired. It takes courage to stand on that proverbial stage in solitude; this year's nominees faced varying degrees of challenges, but they all shared the desire to stare down the criticisms and expectations of every other individual they shared the air with and exclaim, "Don't worry. I've got this." Your Year in Rock 2016 nominees for Solo Artist Recording of the Year are:

Why I haven't instituted a category like this before now is beyond me; it only makes sense to give the old guard its own props given I've been championing new talent all this time while holding a special place in my heart for the artists I grew up with. So, I feel it's only right (especially considering the rate by which we're losing legends) that I tip my hat to artists who laid the groundwork for future generations of rock. To be nominated in this category, the criteria is simple: your first recorded output must have been released more than 25 years ago. Your Year in Rock 2016 nominees for Legacy Artist Recording of the Year are:

When it comes to the term "new artist", the lines have become increasingly blurred. The criteria to determine just what a new artist was used to be cut and dried for me; any artist that released their first record within the year of nomination was it. As I've learned this year, though, my rules are changing rather drastically and, when considering this year's nominations in this category, I found myself bending like Beckham. As a result, this year's candidates include only two bands that fit the original criteria of releasing their first album this year. The other three are comprised of a band who's yet to release an album at all, a band who released three EPs and an album independently before making their official debut on a label this year, and a band whose first record was released on a label last year but the songs were re-recorded versions of songs from his ten or so self-released records thereby making this year's record the officially official de