The Best & Worst Of 2026, So Far

Time is marked by tentpole moments, whether they be events in our lives or pieces of culture that move us. We use those dates to remind ourselves of how much time has passed, but when the distances between those moments grow larger, it makes us question whether it is time that is changing, or merely our perception of it.

This year is quickly approaching the midpoint, and to say it has been slow on the musical front would be an understatement. The calendar has been more empty than full with interesting releases, and as I sit here to go over what the first half of the year has given us, these quick lists are the majority of everything I've cared enough about to think through, for good or bad.

Once again, in alphabetical order (so as not to spoil anything):

The Good:

Evanescence - Sanctuary

I would not have expected Evanescence to make this list, but for the first time I hear what all the fuss is about. After years of rejecting piles of symphonic metal for the vocal approach, Amy Lee is a refreshing bridge, and her anger at the state of the world is palpable. I wasn't into them when they were lumped in with nu-metal, but that's probably a good thing. This is better.

Evermore - Mournbraid

Power metal is often regressive and nostalgic, but rarely do I hear a band that borrows from the history of Edguy. That's what Evermore seems to be doing, both in sound and a lyrical nod, and it's especially welcome to my ears. Since Edguy seems to be retired for good, and I'm sick of Helloween clones, this reminded me of the time when I actually cared about power metal.

Karcius - Black Soul Sickness

Blending Opeth-ian guitar riffs with an atmosphere of grunge is not something I would have thought would work, but that's the feeling I get from this album. It's progressive, but it's also immediate. There is a stridency to it that overcomes the usual tedium of prog, and makes this something unlike anything else I've heard this year.

NMB - L.I.F.T.

It's been a long time since Neal Morse made one of my lists on the good side of the ledger, but the wait was worth it. This is easily his best album in over a decade, and has an emotional resonance with me that goes deeper than I can get from his usual religious fare. This is more human, and parts of it connect with what I've been thinking. This might actually be one of Neal's best albums ever.

Xtasy - Phoenix

These melodic rockers deliver exactly what I would want from them. I loved their previous album, "Eye Of The Storm", and this one doesn't change the formula. They give us a collection of songs that are bright, energetic, and sticky from the first time you hear them. It's great to hear a band at the top of their game be able to maintain that success, and Xtasy is doing just that.

The Bad:

Geoff Tate - Operation: Mindcrime III

There was no need for this, and we all know attempts to recapture the past rarely work. This one suffers from boring songwriting, punctuated by a vocal performance that only reminds us how much Tate has lost since the glory days. I don't like the first album (controversial, I know), but it's miles better than this thing. The only third chapter worse might be "The Godfather".

Morrissey - Make-up Is A Lie

Morrissey is a lazy writer. It's no fun to say this album is as turgid as it is when it sounds like Morrissey put as little effort into making it as I did into listening to it. He has always been an overrated lyricist, but now he doesn't even have an interesting croon to mask his literary impotence. He could have used some make-up to make this thing look decent.

Rob Zombie - The Great Satan

My colleague D.M said this album is great because it reminds you of classic Rob Zombie, and terrible because it reminds you of classic Rob Zombie. That's far more generous than I would be, as the only positive I can say is that it isn't his most mind-numbing record since he became more of a filmmaker than musician. Small miracles, eh?

Foo Fighters - Your Favorite Toy

When a band in their 'old man' phase tries to be young again, you get an album like this one, where noise is used as a fill-in for the energy they don't have. It's loud and dirty, but not in a way that sounds like aggression or passion. The songs are flat and dull, and ugly production doesn't help, it just gives me another reason to turn the album off.

Cherry Poppin' Daddies - Boners In The Street

This one is a song, not an album, but it deserves a spot on the list. I still kind of like "Zoot Suit Riot", but no, I don't want to listen to that guy talk about getting erections while watching people walk by on the street. Thinking that he's the kind of guy who wears grey sweatpants to 'show off' what is happening isn't funny, or subversive, it just makes him an asshole.

The Disappointing:

Alter Bridge - Alter Bridge

This record isn't bad, but it suffers from the fact that Alter Bridge, Tremonti, and Myles Kennedy's solo career are all making nearly identical music now. There is nothing about this that sets it apart from all the other albums that sound just like it, so I find myself both bored and confused which project I'm listening to. Same music, different branding.

Michael Monroe - Outerstellar

Diminishing returns continues along, as Michael Monroe has been on a downslide since I discovered him with "Blackout States". This record is the most frustrating, as the back half is quite good, but you have to sit through five of the worst songs from this run of albums to get to them. The bifurcation ruins the flow, and I have no interest in listening to the whole thing just for the good parts.

Soen - Reliance

It has bene no secret how I feel about Soen around here, so the worst thing about this year is finding the band hitting the point of saturation. This is the third straight record that is interchangeable, with riffs and melodies that could easily be swapped from one to the other, and that's one too many. It's a good record, but I've heard enough of this exact sound, and when I started humming the wrong songs to myself as they played, I knew the fun was over. Disappointment of the year, so far.