Album of the Year Pt 14 (THE TOP 5!)

5. ROLE MODELS - "Forest Lawn"

Another band who absolutely breezed the whole sophomore album thing following up 2015's storming debut "The Go To Guy". "Forest Lawn" was a worthy follow-up with nods to everyone from the full-on sonic chaos of the Stooges to the more laidback musings of Paul Westerberg and with killer tunes and riffs throughout. You can read the full review here and check out the video for "(I Broke My Back) Disappointing You" below.

4. CHEAP TRICK - "Bang, Zoom, Crazy...Hello?"

It'd be easy for a band who've been in the game as long as Cheap Trick to simply rest on their laurels and phone albums in at this point but "Bang, Zoom, Crazy,,,Hello?" was anything but a by-numbers effort with storming choruses, some great guitar work from Rick Nielsen and top drawer tunes all round. Basically, it's everything you'd want a Cheap Trick album to be and you can't say fairer than that. Full review here.

3. THE DOWLING POOLE - "One Hyde Park"

While their debut album had a bit of promise but occasionally came across as a bit too off the wall to really connect, "One Hyde Park" really saw the Dowling Poole spreading their wings. Mixing the political anger and sly sense of humour of their debut with added top drawer tunes and a real sense that you never quite know what's coming next culminating in the "Freddie Mercury jamming with Brian Wilson" epic title track, this was a triumph. Full review here and you can check out the video for "Rebecca Receiving" below.

2. HEY! HELLO! - "Hey! Hello! Too!"

Definitely the album which had the most difficult genesis of the year - after switching singers in 2015 with Hollis from the Love Zombies replacing Victoria Liedtke, Hey! Hello! had this album up and ready to go in February only for Hollis to abruptly quit the band to move to LA leaving the album pulled and the band back at square one again. However, as we all know, Ginger is a bit of an expert at making lemonade out of lemons and he quickly set about re-recording the album with a group of new vocalists and a few new tracks thrown in as well. And as always, the crafty bugger ensured it was an absolute triumph - 11 awesome songs and not a dud throughout. The group now have a full-time new singer in Cat and you can see a live version of their take on the old Sailor pop classic "A Glass Of Champagne" below.

1. THE URBAN VOODOO MACHINE - "Hellbound Hymns"

They've come very close with their last couple of efforts but with their fourth album, the Urban Voodoo Machine are deserved winners of my "Album of the Year" award for 2016. Building on everything that they've managed to put together over the previous three (not to mention the background of the group losing both Nick Marsh and Robb Skipper over the last couple of years). Tons of variety, great tunes throughout and pretty much every musical style you can think of chucked in the pot, this is a great reminder why in an era where "popular" music seems to get more anodyne and interchangable every year that we need groups like the UVM so badly. You can read my review of the album here and see the video for the group's tribute to Marsh and Skipper "Fallen Brothers" below.

Well there we go folks, odyssey at an end. Hope you've all enjoyed reading this and hopefully I'll be updating this blog a bit more regularly in 2017. In the meantime, hope you all had a great Christmas and enjoy New Year tonight!

Albums of the Year Pt 13 (The Top 10)

10. MAID OF ACE - "Maid In England"

"Maid In England" does what every good sophomore album should in that it takes all the promising bits from Maid of Ace's debut album a couple of years back, tightens up the loose fittings, adds a dose of killer tunes and riffs and lets it explode with H-bomb style power. A great effort from these Hastings punkettes - give the title track a listen below.

9. LAST GREAT DREAMERS - "Transmissions From Oblivion"

Some of you might remember the rather excellent "Oh Yes We Can Love" glam rock box set a few years back which looked at the full story of glam from its roots in 1940s music hall right up to modern day acts influenced by it. With "Transmissions From Oblivion", what Last Great Dreamers have done is essentially taken all the best bits from that and wrapped 'em up into an absolutely killer 40 minutes of swaggering tunefulness which Bolan would be proud to call his own. Full review here and you can check out the excellent video for the "Glitterball Apocalypse" single below.

8. NEW MODEL ARMY - "Winter"

It says a lot about what a career renaissance New Model Army have had in recent years that not only did they put out one of their strongest offerings for years with 2013's "Between Dog And Wolf" but they then went and actually surpassed it with "Winter". At once a reminder of everything that made them such a great band back in the day but with plenty of unexpected twists and turns on it, this is up there with their best stuff and comes strongly recommended. Full review here and you can see the video for "Devil" below.

7. CJ WILDHEART - "Robot"

A more than worthy follow up to 2014's "Mable", "Robot" saw CJ put together another great collection of earworms with plenty of variety, energy and choruses which stubbornly refused to leave your head once they'd got in there. You can read the full review here and check out the video for "FUBAR" below.

6. RYAN HAMILTON & THE TRAITORS - "The Devil's In The Detail"

A late entry on to this list but it definitely deserves to go in. Following up the excellent "Hell Of A Day" album from last year was never gonna be easy but credit to Ryan, he made it look as simple as falling off a log. "The Devil's In The Detail" contained some of the catchiest songs of the year mixed with some lovely haunting ballads and an overriding message of rising above the haters and doing what you want to do. Full review here and you can watch the video for "We Never Should Have Moved To LA" below.

Albums of the Year Pt 12 (15-11)

15. SUPERSUCKERS - "Holdin' The Bag"

Following frontman Eddie Spaghetti's brush with throat cancer in 2015, the Suckers returned in the early days of 2016 with a semi-unplugged album, kind of a follow-up of sorts to 1997's "Must've Been High". And thankfully with the tunes, hooks, attitude and swagger well and truly intact - this was a worthy follow-up to 2014's "Get The Hell" and proof that this band still have plenty of fire left. Full review here.

14. TONY WRIGHT - "Walnut Dash"

Following on from 2015's ultra-bleak and stripped down "Thoughts 'n' All", "Walnut Dash" saw Tony in a more positive frame of mind with "Music Is The Food Of Love" and "One Size Fits All" being two of the best songs of his post-Terrorvision career so far. On the flip side, the melancholy "Life's Too Short" and the sinister "Delete Repeat" provided a nice counterweight to the more poppy moments and ensured this was a good well-rounded album. Full review here.

13. SPIKE & TYLA'S HOT KNIVES - "The Sinister Indecisions of Frankie Gray and Jimmy Pallas"

After 20 years, the respective Quireboys and Dogs D'Amour frontmen finally got together to produce a follow-up to the excellent "Flagrantly Yours" and it was well worth the wait. Dare I say it, possibly even better than the actual Quireboys album that was released around the same time? Certainly the mix of Spike's more upbeat bar-room rave-ups like "Curse of the Day Time Drinker" mixes very well with Tyla's more downbeat nocturnal laments like "Enchanted" and "Anne Boleyn" and makes this a great listen from end to end. Full review here.

12. SONIC BOOM SIX - "The F Bomb"

SB6 have been at this game for quite a long time now and with "The F Bomb", they delivered one of their strongest albums to date. Fired up with plenty of political anger but with an over-riding positive message about rising above hate and staying true to yourself, this was SB6 at their best. Full review here and you can watch the video for "From The Fire To The Frying Pan" below.

11. TROPICAL CONTACT - "XS"

This album very nearly didn't get made at all - back in 2014, Tropical Contact announced that they were going on indefinite hiatus after a clutch of well-received EP's and it looked as though the world had lost yet another promising band before they filled their potential. Clearly they missed it as well though because 2015 saw them reform with a Pledge campaign for their debut album which they smashed quite easily. And it was worth the wait - full throttle Britrock with a wicked sense of humour lurking underneath - give the video for "Hero Brigade" a watch below.

Albums of the Year Pt 11 (20-16)

20. THE VIRGINMARYS - "Divides"

Definitely one of the big surprises of 2016, while the Virginmarys' debut "King of Conflict" was a decent effort, their sophomore effort "Divides" really saw them come into their own with a hefty slice of tuneful angst-rock recalling Therapy? at their prime - give the video for "Motherless Land" a spin below to see how far this group have come.

19. SPUNK VOLCANO & THE ERUPTIONS - "Shit Generation"

Brilliantly foul-mouthed glam-punk from Dirt Box Disco's guitarist and his other band which sounds like the Buzzcocks on a Special Brew bender. Sample lyric - "You're living out your life on Facebook Chat/Where she's a slag an' 'e's a twat!". Give the likes of "DNA Failure", "X-Factor", "Send The Boys Round" and "XR3" a listen for some of the most enjoyably foul-mouthed music you'll hear all year. Full review here.

18. JOANOVARC - "Ride Of Your Life"

Over a decade in the making, "Ride Of Your Life" saw Joanovarc put all of their experience to use to create a knockout debut album which saw rhem putting together some of the best songs from their early EP's along with some great new material to create a killer collection of songs. Full review is here and you can check out the video to "Live Rock 'n' Roll" below.

17. IMPERIAL STATE ELECTRIC - "All Through The Night"

A worthy follow-up to last year's excellent "Honk Machine", "All Through The Night" was an excellent varied album from Nicke Andersson and his troops ranging from flashy Hendrix style rock-outs through stomping Motown style ballads to countrified steel guitar numbers. Great stuff - you can read the full review here and check out the video to the title track below.

16. THE WITCHDOKTORS - "Voodoo Eye"

Stomping rock 'n' roll from the one-time 12 Bar regulars, "Voodoo Eye" was a great album full of tight as you like rock 'n' roll which recalls those now sadly-no-more nights out so many of us used to enjoy on Denmark Street in Soho before the property developers got their grubby mitts on it and ruined the place. Full review here.

Albums of the Year Pt 10 (25-21)

25. THE NOVEMBER FIVE - "Throwing Rocks Against The Sun"

While their debut "If You're Satisfied, You Are Dead" was a furious slice of political alt-rock with an '80s goth bent, "Throwing Rocks Against The Sun", the November Five's second album, was a full on panic attack set to music, a real 21st century breakdown album if you will. One of the darkest albums of 2016 and all the better for it - full review here.

24. THE WONDER STUFF - "30 Goes Around The Sun"

No less than the Wonder Stuff's eighth album and another solid addition to their legacy following on from 2014's excellent "Oh No...It's The Wonder Stuff". More of a mellow offering than their efforts of old but still with some fine tunes on there - give the title track and "Kids From The Green" a listen for proof. Full review here and you can watch the video for "For The Broken Hearted" below.

23. IGGY POP - "Post Pop Depression"

Iggy's output has been a bit patchy in recent years and the news that he was teaming up with Josh Homme (a man who hasn't put his name to a decent album since Queens of the Stone Age's "Songs For The Deaf" all those years ago) for his final effort didn't exactly inspire my confidence it has to be said. However, "Post Pop Depression" was a more than respectable sign-off from the Ig, harking back to the tightwire new wave sounds of 1979's "New Values". It wasn't completely flawless but the likes of "Break Into Your Heart", "Gardenia", "In The Lobby" and the foul-mouthed "f**k you" sign off of "Paraguay" were fine efforts indeed.

22. THE 69 EYES - "Universal Monsters"

Another icy slice of goth rock cool from the Helsinki Vampires and a worthy addition to their back catalogue. It combines their goth elements and their rock tendencies to good effect to make a good varied consistent album. You can read my review of it from Pure Rawk here and check out the video for lead-off single "Jet Fighter Plane" below.

21. THE HILLBILLY MOON EXPLOSION - "With Monsters And Gods"

After a disappointing previous effort (2014's "Damn Right Honey!"), the HMX put in an impressive return to form on "With Monsters And Gods", a punchy mix of country and psychobilly which was a good reminder of everything that brought them to our attention in the first place. Give the video for their version of "Jackson" a watch below and see for yourself.

Albums of the Year Pt 9 (30-26)

30. BOB MOULD - "Patch The Sky"

He may have been in the game for over three decades now but "Patch The Sky" showed that Bob Mould still knows his way around a thoughtful slice of tuneful angst with songs like "Voices In My Head", "Pray For Rain" and "You Say You" being cut from the same cloth that informed his best work with Husker Du and Sugar. Still very much a contender all these years on as the video for "Hold On" below demonstrates.

29. CHRIS T-T - "9 Green Songs"

In the year which gave us the most muddled Brexit imaginable, not to mention Donald Trump, "9 Green Songs" was an album for these times - full of political anger and desperately trying to make some sense of a world which frequently didn't compute. While the likes of "Cutting A Longbow" and "Border Crossing" were angry howls of protest at the injustice of the world, the savage "Love Me, I'm A Liberal" showed that Chris was just as angry at the apathy of his own political side as the cruelty of the other. Full review here.

28. THE EMPTY PAGE - "Unfolding"

The return of the artists formerly known as Obsessive Compulsive, "Unfolding" saw the Empty Page taking a more grungy approach to their work to good effect but keeping the fierce anger and individualism of their previous band intact on tracks like "Deeply Unlovable" and "Turbulence". Give the video for "Wardrobe Malfunction" a watch below and see for yourself.

27. TENSHEDS - "The Dandy Punk Prince"

Third album from Tensheds and it was an impressively varied effort, verging from Nick Cave style seasick blues through Springsteen style confessionals to fired up sleazy blues rock and pulling everything they turned to off with aplomb. If you've not yet discovered this band then you really should make an effort to put that to rights - in the meantime, full review here.

26. SURGICAL METH MACHINE - "Surgical Meth Machine"

Okay so essentially it's a Ministry album in all but name. But the difference is that Ministry haven't sounded this good for almost a decade. Brutal industrial rock with a wickedly sharp sense of humour lurking underneath it (just give "Rich People Problems", "I'm Sensitive" and "Unlistenable" a listen for proof). Full review here.

Albums of the Year Pt 8 (35-31)

35. THE INTERNATIONAL SWINGERS - "The International Swingers"

So imagine if Billy Idol's last album hadn't been a bit over-heavy on the ballads and had rocked out a bit more. That's the International Swingers' debut in a nutshell. Featuring various off-duty and one-time members of Blondie, the Sex Pistols and Generation X, this was a supergroup who well and truly delivered on their potential with a collection of full-throttle and rock 'n' roll tunes. Full review here and you can check out the video for single "Gun Control" below.

34. MATTY JAMES - "The Road To No Town"

Spit 'n' sawdust acoustic-led rock 'n' roll from Northern Ireland, Matty James' second album comes on like the distant cousin of Ricky Warwick's solo output with the defiance of songs like "Sticks 'n' Stones" (video below) meshing well with more downbeat country laments like "Heavy Heart". He's definitely set out his stall as a good songwriter with this one - full review here.

33. HELEN LOVE - "Classic Hits"

Scarily now in their third decade as a band, this was a most enjoyable comeback effort from the one-time lo-fi clown princesses of the Britpop era. Still packed full of the group's bubbly enthusiasm and hooks that resolutely refuse to let go of your brain once they're in there and featuring nods to everyone from the Ramones to Van Halen via Sheila E, "Classic Hits" was great fun from start to finish. Full review here.

32. AGAINST ME! - "Shape Shift With Me"

"Shape Shift With Me"'s predecessor "Transgender Dysphoria Blues" was one of the darkest albums of 2014, documenting Laura Jane Grace's gender transition with no punches pulled. Compared to that, "Shape Shift With Me" does at least seem to be focusing on the light at the end of the tunnel with some tracks that are a bit more upbeat on it but it's still a brutally raw effort for the most part and that's it's main appeal. Review wot I did for Pure Rawk here.

31. THE ZIPHEADS - "Z2: Rampage!"

Second album from this St Albans based psychobilly crew and it was a good follow-up to their 2013 debut "Prehistoric Beat". Full-on pedal to the metal greaser rock with the odd bit of surf-rock, cowpunk and ska which takes the best bits of their debut and ramps up the energy to breakneck levels. Good stuff - you can read the full review here.

Albums of the Year Pt 7 (40-36)

40. THE SPITFIRES - "A Thousand Times"

"A Thousand Times" saw Watford's premier mod revival proponents building nicely on the promise shown by their debut, 2015's "Response". Reminiscent of the Jam in their later years (think "The Gift" or "Sound Affects"), it shows them adding a few new tricks to their repertoire but keeping the energy and enthusiasm that made their debut stand out. Full review here and you can see the video for "On My Mind" below.

39. UK SUBS - "Ziezo"

After a bit of a disappointing quality dip with 2015's "Yellow Leader", 2016 saw the Subs finally complete their A-Z album journey in style with "Ziezo" being a neat summation of everything that's made them such a good band down the years veering from full-throttle punk to the odd ska or metal curveball thrown in to keep things interesting. Full review here.

38. LOLA COLT - "Twist Through The Fire"

Mesmerising goth rock with a psychedelic twist from these London hopefuls, "Twist Through The Fire" was a good opening statement from them with the hypnotic likes of "Gold", "Eagle" and the epic title track showing a hell of a lot of promise. Keep these standards up and they could be a band to seriously watch out for. Check out the video for "Gold" below.

37. THE DIRTY STRANGERS - "Crime And A Woman"

The Dirty Strangers are one of those bands who these days seem to pop up every four or five years to remind everybody that they're still about. "Crime And A Woman" was the follow-up to 2010's "From West 12 to Wittering" and was an equally enjoyable knockabout slice of Stonesy swagger meets Sham 69 style street punk with a side dose of Steve Marriott style nudge and a wink cheekiness. You can read my full review of it here.

36. RUTS DC - "Music Must Destroy"

Hand on heart, my expectations weren't too high for this - since reforming, Ruts DC have been mostly concentrating on the reggae/dub side of their output. However, "Music Must Destroy" was a very impressive comeback effort mixing the reggae and punk sides of their output to blistering effect. Definitely one of the most impressive resurrections of this year - full review here and you can check out the video for "Psychic Attack" below.

Albums of the Year Pt 6 (45-41)

45. THE TRAILER TRASH ORCHESTRA - "Grave Tales"

Blasting out of St Albans like the Urban Voodoo Machine's long-lost redneck cousins, the TTO's second album was a moonshine-sodden collection of skid row country laments about drink and death. Some of the darkest music of this genre you're likely to hear this year and all the better for it. Full review here.

44. DAVID BOWIE - "Blackstar"

I know that some will see "Blackstar" being this far down the list as sacrilege but bear with me here. Bowie has made his name over the years as someone who's not afraid to turn his hand to any sort of music you care to mention and while he doesn't always get it right, that sheer guts to take risks is a big part of the reason why he's so fondly remembered and so sadly missed. "Blackstar", while not a bad effort, is unfortunately not an album I'd put up there with his best stuff and it definitely gets a bit rambling and impenetrable in places such as on "Sue" or "Girl Loves Me". However, the epic title track, the hypnotic "Lazarus" and the closing "I Can't Give Everything Away" were fine efforts indeed and more than a good enough reason to give this one a listen. Video for the title track below.

43. PROPHETS OF ADDICTION - "Reunite The Sinners"

Strange things are afoot down on Sunset Strip and it sounds oddly like evolution. Prophets of Addiction may look like yer stereotypical second division LA sleaze band with the big hair, glam rags and tats plus members previously doing time with LA Guns and Pretty Boy Floyd but beneath the surface, "Reunite The Sinners" is actually an impressively varied album ranging from sneering punked-up riff-fests to the odd bit of Lords of the New Church style swooping goth melodrama. You can read a bit more about it here.

42. THE QUIREBOYS - "Twisted Love"

If I'm honest, this did feel like a bit of a step down quality wise from the last few Quireboys albums like "Homewreckers and Heartbreakers", "Beautiful Curse" and "St Cecilia And The Gypsy Soul" just because it felt a bit one-paced compared to its predecessors. But it's still a solid effort from Spike and the lads with the likes of "Torn And Frayed" and a re-recorded "Gracie B" are fine tunes in their own right making it well worth a listen. Full review here and you can watch the title track's video below.

41. BRIJITTE WEST & THE DESPERATE HOPEFULS - "From NY With Love"

A worthy follow-up to 2010's self-titled debut, "From NY With Love" saw Brijitte (backed up the excellent Fiascos) deliver an enjoyable 40 minutes of Big Apple style glam-punk with "Typical Drunken Loser", "Permanent Ink" and "We Didn't Make It" all being stand out songs. Definitely a good album to put a bit of sunshine into your life with.

Albums of the Year pt 5 (50-46)

50. DRAMA CLUB REJECTS - "Drama Club Rejects"

Formed by the ex-Whatever duo of Nick Parsons (ex-Almighty/Supercharger) and Stidi (ex-Wildhearts/Jellys), the Drama Club Rejects' album was a good solid 40 minute slice of Britrock with plenty of meaty riffs and good tunes to satisfy. Hopefully the first of many from this group. Review here.

49. KING HARVEST & THE WEIGHT - "Maps"

Hailing from Halifax, King Harvest & The Weight's debut album was a supremely tuneful slice of melodic rock reminiscent of groups like the Babys with a spot of Thin Lizzy style tightwire guitar lines thrown in. A strong first effort and hopefully it'll give them a good base to build on for album number two. Review here.

48. BLACK BOMBERS - "Black Bombers"

Hailing from Birmingham and featuring former Gunfire Dance bassist Darren Birch, the Black Bombers' debut album was a vicious scuzzed-up beast of a record owing sly nods to everybody from the Dead Boys to the Flamin' Groovies. And the Stooges obviously. If pure raw garage rock is your thing then there's not many new bands do it better than this lot. Review here.

47. THE CAVEMEN - "The Cavemen"

These New Zealand punks actually managed to put two albums out this year but I'm gonna plump for their debut rather than the still-pretty-good follow-up "Born To Hate". 13 tracks, 19 minutes, zero f**ks given for causing offence to people. If you like your punk loud, snotty and foul-mouthed then this definitely takes some beating.

46. BAR STOOL PREACHERS - "Blatant Propaganda"

There's been quite a few ska-punk bands pushing themselves over the parapet into the big leagues in the last couple of years (some of whom may be elsewhere on this list) but the Bar Stool Preachers are definitely one of the best of the bunch, barrelling out of Brighton with a pinpoint working class fury that recalls the Specials in places. Definitely one of the most assured debuts of the year - you can read a bit more about it here.

Albums of the Year Pt 4 (55-51)

55. THE BEAT - "Bounce"

That's the UK Beat (Ranking Roger's version as opposed to Dave Wakeling's US version) for those wondering. Taking their classic ska sound and giving it a bit of a 21st century makeover, "Bounce" was a good 35 minutes of upbeat music with the Beat's trademark thoughtful lyrics lurking beneath the surface as demonstrated well by the video for the single "Walking On The Wrong Side" below.

54. SUEDE - "Night Thoughts"

A big brooding epic of an album which harked back to "Dog Man Star" in its scope (if not quite in the quality of the tunes therein but it wasn't far off), "Night Thoughts" was further proof that Suede in 2016 still have plenty to say with the sinister dynamics of the songs and Brett Anderson's soaring vocals combining to make it a very beguiling listen. The video for "No Tomorrow" is below if you want to judge for yourself.

53. THE MISSION - "Another Fall From Grace"

After the curveball which was "The Brightest Light" (an album which I really liked and was in my Top 20 albums of 2014), "Another Fall From Grace" saw the Mission return to their more trademark goth sound and I have to admit to being a bit disappointed the first time I heard it - it kind of felt like a bit of a step backwards after "The Brightest Light" (and it's predecessor "God Is A Bullet")'s more 'outside the box' approach. I'll admit though, it's a grower and tunes like "Met-Amor-Phosis" (vid below) and "Blood On The Road" will definitely creep into your conscience with repeated listening.

52. THE DESCENDENTS - "Hypercaffinum Spazzinate"

Packing 21 songs into just 42 minutes, it's obvious that age isn't making the Descendents any less urgent and for that we should be grateful. "Hypercaffinum Spazzinate" was a worthy addition to the veteran US punks' repertoire with the likes of "Victim of Me", "Beyond The Music" and "Comeback Kid" showing the fierceness that informed their best work is still very much intact.

51. KID CONGO & THE PINK MONKEY BIRDS - "La Arana Es La Vida"

A massively varied album from the former Cramps and Gun Club guitarist taking in everything from rockabilly through seasick swamp-rock to punk and psychedelia. And all with an impressive dose of energy and tunes. You can read Muggins' review of it 'ere.

Albums of the Year Part 3 (60-56)

60. THE DEAD DAISIES - "Make Some Noise"

About as obvious a rock album as you'll hear all year but no worse for it, the Dead Daisies' third effort was another credible bunch of big hands in the air rock anthems with sly nods to everyone from Queen to the Cult. Don't go expecting the unexpected but if it's good simple old skool rock that you're after then this should satisfy nicely. Review here.

59. ELECTRIC SIX - "Fresh Blood For Tired Vampyres"

Yup, another year, another Electric Six album (their twelfth in all no less) and still no sign of them getting any more sensible with age. While "Fresh Blood..." wasn't quite up to the standard of recent efforts "Mustang" and "Bitch, Don't Let Me Die!", it was still a good effort with the likes of "Mood Is Improving" and "Lee Did This To Me" being as wonderfully unhinged as ever.

58. THE MUTANTS - "Your Desert My Mind"

When the Mutants (headed up by former Adam & Ants bassist Chris Constantinou and former Damned drummer Rat Scabies) put their debut album out in 2014, it was a straight-up punk/ska effort featuring Jake Burns, Neville Staple, Charlie Harper and countless others. They then followed that up last year with a J-Rock album recorded in Tokyo. Next stop? Well, a desert rock album recorded in the Mojave obviously. Featuring various reprobates from the likes of Queens of the Stone Age, the Dandy Warhols and Masters of Reality, "Your Desert My Mind" was a good solid effort and proved that the Mutants are proving a very adept band whatever style of music they turn their hand to. Review here.

57. THE ADMIRAL SIR CLOUDESLEY SHOVELL - "Keep It Greasy!"

Similar to the first two ASCS albums, "Keep It Greasy!" is a big woozy juddering fuzzed-up beast of a stoner rock album. Heavier than a concrete brontosaurus, it's also great fun to listen to as the scuzzed-up glam rock of "U Got Wot I Need" testifies. Danko Jones approved and really, who are we to question that? Review here.

56. D GENERATION - "Nothing Is Anywhere"

When it was announced that Jesse Malin and Richard Bacchus would be reforming their seminal early '90s glam-punk outfit a couple of years ago, there was some worry over whether their new work could reach the heights of their classic early albums. However, as songs like "Apocalypse Kids" (vid below) and "Piece Of The Action" demonstrated, this is still very much a band packing a punch two decades on.

Albums of the Year (Pt 2 - 65-61)

65. BORDELLO ROSE - "Bordello Rose"

A proper "everything but the kitchen sink" album and credit for Bordello Rose for making their debut album work as well as they did. Sounding like Iron Maiden one minute then Nightwish the next and the Doors the one after that, you certainly couldn't accuse this lot of not being varied. Certainly a group with a hell of a lot of potential and it'll be interesting to see where they go next. Full review from Pure Rawk by yours truly here.

64. MIDWAY STILL - "Go Team No Hope"

Early '90s indie veterans Midway Still are continuing to plough away in 2015 and "Go Team No Hope" might just be their most consistent album to date with songs like "Hey Summer" being a good reminder of why the early '90s indie scene (go on then, "fraggle" if you must) was such a criminally underappreciated genre. Review here.

63. THE EXHAUSTS - "Leave The Suburbs"

One part South London, one part Glasgow, the Exhausts' debut album is exactly the sort of closing time pub punch-up punk that you'd expect but with a righteous fury railing against smalltown life reminiscent of the Ming City Rockers. And rest assured that with "Move To South Norwood And Always Leave" and "Journey To The Call Centre Of The Earth" they at least came up with two of the best song titles of 2016. Review here.

62. BRUCE FOXTON - "Smash The Clock"

Second solo album from the former Jam and Stiff Little Fingers bass player and it was a good continuation from 2012's "Back In The Room". With Foxton's From The Jam bandmate Russell Hastings providing good vocal ammunition, the likes of the title track and "Sunday Morning" fizzle with an impressive energy. Definitely worth a look.

61. GIUDA - "Speaks Evil"

Maybe not quite as good as their first two albums but this third effort from the Italian bootboy glam revivalists did at least show that their sound was progressing nicely with a hitherto untapped AC/DC ("Mama Got The Blues") and ZZ Top ("Working Class Man") influence coming to the fore alongside the more expected Slade and Sweet influences. Review here and you can check out the video for "Roll The Balls" below.

Albums of the Year (Part 1)

As far as reviewing goes, this year has been absolutely mental, not to put too fine a point on it. I'm not sure why but I seem to have been doing tons of it for Pure Rawk, possibly due to my inability to say no when something decent looking lands in my inbox. So deciding this year's best of the best was gonna be tough. In the end, the original list of 20 became 30, then 40, then 50 and even that was a struggle. After a lot of deliberation I eventually decided, what the hell, I'll chuck a list together of everything decent (ie that got 3.5/5 or above when I reviewed it) and just include everything. The final list came to 70 albums so I'm gonna post five a day from now until New Year's Eve. Hope you find something you like in there. :)

But first, something a bit less edifying

GOLDEN TURKEY AWARD - WORST ALBUM OF 2016

Last year I did a list of a few bands who'd put disappointing efforts out and should really know better but this time there was one contender which stunk way worse than the rest, this being Steven Tyler and his truly abysmal pop-country album "We're All Somebody From Somewhere". Let's be honest, you can pretty much count the number of good songs Aerosmith have done since 1982 (ie since John Kalodner sunk his claws into them and turned their music into unmitigated AOR dross) on one hand but even by these standards, "We're All Somebody..." was dire, veering between dull acoustic ballads and, even worse, cringe-inducing attempts to sound "modern" (Hilariously bad Kid Rock style rap track? Check. Dismal country-pop track that was so bad it was sub-Taylor Swift? Check. 69-year-old man singing about how he's gonna "bang bang you like the 4th July"? Check.) I'd really rather not dwell on this abortion of an album for any longer than I have to but if you really must know more, you can read my review of it on Pure Rawk here.

Right, now we've got that out of the way let's get on to the decent stuff.

ALBUMS OF THE YEAR 2016

70. SLAUGHTER & THE DOGS - "Vicious"

Forty years on from being the great "almost weres" of the early days of punk, it was good to see Slaughter & The Dogs back with a decent new offering. Even if it was very much a case of a band staying firmly within their comfort zone, songs like "Hollywood Whores", "Ultimatum" and "You Got Class" at least packed enough of a gut punch to make "Vicious" well worth a listen.

69. MOTHER FEATHER - "Mother Feather"

So imagine what might happen if Garbage or Curve had been fronted up by Alison Goldfrapp and amped up their guitar riffs a bit. That's Mother Feather in a nutshell pretty much. Signed to Metal Blade, their debut showed quite a bit of promise even if there's a tendency to go into Kaiser Chiefs/Franz Ferdinand raised eyebrow indie on a few tracks which they really need to nip in the bud. Give the stomping likes of "Natural Disaster" and "Egyptology" a spin for proof of how good this band are when they're on their game. Review here.

68. THE CULT - "Hidden City"

Here's the thing about the Cult - for better or worse they will always be playing and singing over the echoes of "Love" and "Electric", two albums which you're going to struggle to ever top. But that's not to say that "Hidden City" is a failure - like "Choice of Weapon" and "Born Into This" before it, it's a good solid 21st century Cult album as long as you're not expecting anything as awesome as they did in their glory days. Certainly the likes of "Dark Energy" are as good as anything the group's done in the last 10-15 years even if there's a few tracks later on that ramble a bit. You can read the review I did of it for Pure Rawk here.

67. LOVE ZOMBIES - "Passionfruit"

The release of the Love Zombies' debut album was overshadowed somewhat by Hollis and Davey's sudden upping of sticks to California from London to put a whole new band together under the name (not to mention Hollis' abrupt departure from Hey Hello). Which is a shame because "Passionfruit" wasn't a bad effort at all marking a significant step up quality-wise from the band's early EP's even if it didn't quite manage to keep up the high standards all the way through. Review by Muggins here and you can check out the very fun video to lead-off single "Birthday" below.

66. MFC CHICKEN - "Goin' Chicken Crazy!"

Third album from the fried chicken-obsessed North London '50s influenced rock 'n' rollers and it's just as enjoyably daft as ever. Put it this way, there's a song on here called "New Socks" about the joy of, surprisingly, buying a new pair of socks and whether that makes you chuckle to yourself or cast your eyes heavenwards and mutter "Oh for f**k's sake..." probably dictates whether you'll like this or not. But as we say up north, it's alright for them what likes fun. Review here.

More of this nonsense to come with Part 2 tomorrow - don't forget to tune in...

Premier League Predictions 2016-17

Last season proved if anything that maybe the Premiership isn't always as easy predict as we sometimes think it is. To wit - your correspondant wrote of Leicester that he thought that they could easily prove a surprise package under Claudio Ranieri...and make the top half. Well, that was an understatement if ever there was one. Meanwhile, my tip (and most people's) for the title Chelsea self-destructed quite spectacularly and limped their way to a 9th place finish, their worst for over a decade.

So what of this season? Well, I'm going to stick my neck out, go against the flow and say that this will be the season that Arsenal finally end their ten year wait for a title. The fact that they came in second last time around despite being supremely inconsistent highlights the quality of their squad and although pre-season transfer activity has been fairly quiet at the Emirates, Arsene Wenger normally tends to leave his deals until late anyhow. There's a big "if" attached to this though - the Gunners need to stay injury free which has been their downfall the last few seasons. Can they manage it? Some would say they're due a season where things go right on that front for a change...

North London neighbours Tottenham should run them close again - they did brilliantly to finish third last season and keep the pressure on Leicester until the very late stages and have kept last season's squad intact. As long as the likes of Harry Kane and Dele Alli don't suffer a hangover from England's disastrous Euro campaign, there's no reason they can't challenge again.

Stung by last season's failure, Manchester United and Manchester City have both made sweeping and expensive changes but as last season proved, mass spending doesn't necessarily guarantee you the title anymore. Jose Mourinho's appointment on the red side of Manchester could go either way but it took him two seasons to turn a fading Chelsea side into champions a few years ago and I suspect it may be the same at Old Trafford this time out. That said, they should comfortably make the Champions League places.

Meanwhile on the blue side of the city, Pep Guardiola is a very ambitious appointment by City following the departure of Manuel Pellegrini but he's untested in the Prem and for every Mourinho that joins the Premier League and gets it right first time, there's a Phil Scolari or Andre Villas-Boas who come in with a great reputation abroad but never quite adapt. Guardiola has been splashing the cash like there's no tomorrow but I get the impression that it could go either way for City this season - either they'll walk it or things'll go wrong and they'll come in fourth again. My money's on the latter.

Leicester's title win last season was a story to warm all but the coldest of football fans' hearts but with an added Champions League campaign to occupy them this season and the test of having to stay injury-free for a second consecutive season, a repeat may just be beyond them unfortunately. Nevertheless, confidence will be sky high at the Walkers Stadium going into this season and it should propel them to at least a UEFA Cup place.

Jose Mourinho paid the price for last season's failure at Chelsea and with Antonio Conte stepping into the hotseat, expectations will be higher this time around. However, confidence is likely to be low at Stamford Bridge right now and the half dozen or so big money new recruits will need to settle in fast. They may be in with an outside shot of the Top 4 but I suspect they may stall just outside it.

West Ham's best chance of upsetting the apple cart with a Top 4 finish may have come and gone last season but they've managed to keep a hold of pretty much all of the squad that did so well under Slavan Bilic and added a couple more signings. They should finish well inside the top half.

Liverpool underachieved badly even after Jurgen Klopp replaced Brendan Rodgers in the hot seat last season and given that their big summer signing is the massively inconsistent Georgino Wijnaldum from relegated Newcastle, I'm not so sure that this season will be any better for them. Klopp may need a good Cup run to keep the Anfield faithful on his side this season if things start to backfire.

Across Stanley Park, Everton's recruitment of Ronald Koeman should reinvigorate them a bit but Southampton, the club who he left the Toffees for, not only have to rebuild but also have a UEFA Cup campaign to test the fitness levels of their relatively small squad. They should just scrape a top half finish but no higher.

It's difficult to see Stoke and West Brom doing anything other than their usual mid-table spot (though the former's capture of Berahino from the latter should be interesting). Sunderland have appointed a relatively safe pair of hands in David Moyes to replace England-bound Sam Allardyce and should achieve safety a bit more comfortably this time out. Of the three promoted clubs, Middlesbrough look best equipped to survive at this level with Aitor Karanka using his connections across the continent to bring in almost a whole new squad. How quickly they gel will be key to Boro's success but if all goes to plan then they shouldn't be unduly worried about an instant return to the Championship.

Looking at those likely to struggle, I think it'll be three from the following six to face the dreaded drop this season. Bournemouth did well to battle their way to safety in their first season in the Prem but the departure of Matt Ritchie to Newcastle is likely to hurt them. They'll be hoping that Jordan Ibe will be able to find his scoring boots quickly following his move to the south coast from Liverpool.

Burnley at least have the relative luxury of having been in the Prem fairly recently and should know what's required to battle their way to safety this time around but with a small squad they'll be hoping to stay injury free and that the likes of Andre Gray can continue the form they showed in the Championship last season. Swansea, meanwhile, drifted backwards badly last season and with several players having taken part in Wales' Herculean European Championship adventure and no doubt feeling the after-effects, it could be a testing season for them.

Watford and Crystal Palace both went into freefall at the tail end of last season and that's often a bad omen for the following campaign (as Newcastle fans will doubtless regretfully testify). Palace's capture of Andros Townsend from the relegated Geordies is a good signing but they've lost Dwight Gayle, one of their better players, in exchange. They badly need a good start or it could be a very long hard winter at Selhurst Park. Watford, meanwhile, have changed managers yet again (now on their fourth in three seasons) and the lack of stability could well come back to bite them this season.

Compared to Hull, however, Watford look like a relatively stable outfit - with Steve Bruce leaving a matter of weeks after helping the Tigers to promotion via the play-offs and no incoming transfers to speak of, the situation at the KC Stadium looks very messy to say the least. Barring a miracle, unfortunately it looks like this is going to be a very short stay indeed in the Premiership for them. But hey, a lot of people were saying that about Leicester last time out so you never know...

FINAL TABLE

1. Arsenal
-------------------------------------
2. Tottenham
3. Manchester Utd
4. Manchester City
-------------------------------------
5. Leicester
-------------------------------------
6. Chelsea
7. West Ham
8. Liverpool
9. Everton
10. Southampton
11. Stoke
12. Middlesbrough
13. West Brom
14. Sunderland
15. Bournemouth
16. Burnley
17. Swansea
-------------------------------------
18. Watford
19. Crystal Palace
20. Hull

Championship Predictions 2016-17

The Championship is looking like a particularly tough division to escape from this season with three strong relegated clubs and a lot who missed out last season strengthening. Nevertheless, I think it'd be a brave man who bets against Newcastle. Having defied expectations by persuading Rafa Benitez to stay on as manager and with a clutch of exciting signings, tradition dictates they should walk this division. However, they need to be aware that they're likely to have a very big target on their backs with a lot of teams out to put one over the big dog in the yard. Can they handle the pressure? We'll see...

Brighton were very unlucky to miss out last time and should go one better this time round with the majority of last season's title-challenging squad still in place at the Withdean Stadium. Norwich should be in the mix-up as well as they've kept the majority of the squad (not to mention the manager Alex Neil) who got them out of this league two seasons ago although the departure of Nathan Redmond to Southampton makes me think they may get edged out by Brighton and have to settle for a play-off place.

Sheffield Wednesday were the form team at the end of last season and should make the play-offs again - they could even go one better with a bit of luck and other teams slipping up. The big unknown quantity are Wolves with a new board, new manager and a huge transfer war chest. A lot is going to be determined by how they spend it between now and deadline day but don't bet against them finishing the highest out of the three West Midlands clubs in the Championship.

Can Derby finally put the hoodoo of the last few seasons behind them? Nigel Pearson is a good appointment as manager and should see them back for a play-off challenge after the disappointment of just missing out the last couple of times but I think there's just too many stronger teams for them to make the top two.

Cardiff and Ipswich could be outside bets for the top six - both have come close in recent years and have a good solid core of players to build their team around but their comparative lack of spending power might see them edged out. Aston Villa, relegated last season, have at least had a clearout following Remi Garde's disastrous reign and Ross McCormack should get them plenty of goals but getting back into the Premiership looks likely to be a two-season job for them and they may have to settle for a spot just outside the play-offs this time out.

QPR and Birmingham have a slim chance at the top six as both have good young managers (Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Gary Rowett respectively) and are making steps back in the right direction after recent troubles but this may be a season too soon for them to challenge. Leeds have got a good manager in Garry Monk who's already attracted some promising signings to the club but as long as the pantomime off the field under Massimo Cellino continues I just can't see them getting any higher than mid-table. Likewise, Wigan did well to bounce back from relegation at the first attempt last season but while they should stay comfortably clear of the drop zone, it's difficult to see them gunning for a second successive promotion.

Brentford were actually my tip for the title last season but a series of injuries to key players and others underperforming saw them finish mid-table and I can't see anything different happening this time around. Many were expecting Blackburn to freefall following the departure of Jordan Rhodes to Middlesbrough but they managed to stay afloat with room to spare and with a few canny looking signings coming in they should manage a comfortable mid-table finish this season. Similarly, Preston, Reading and Bristol City all finished mid-table last time out and look likely to do so again with no real exciting developments or worrying signs to speak of at any of them.

Looking downwards at the teams likely to struggle, Huddersfield always seem to be down among the dead men but end up avoiding the drop. With little activity on the transfer market this summer they could end up struggling but I think there are weaker sides down there which should mean they stay up by default. It'd be tempting to mark Barnsley and Burton down as relegation fodder following their shock promotions last season but Barnsley went into the play-offs on a storming run of form and if they can carry that over into this season (big if), it should be enough for them to survive. Likewise, Nigel Clough is an experienced manager at this level and with a few canny signings coming in, Burton might actually surprise a few people by battling their way to a second season at this level.

The big irony is that this may come at the expense of one of their much larger near-neighbours Nottingham Forest who've been on the skids for quite some time now. Philippe Montainer is no less than their fifth manager in two years and with financial problems off the field, Forest may find themselves facing an unwanted trip into lower league football in 2017. Fulham only just scraped home last season and the loss of top scorer Ross McCormack to Aston Villa may well be a death blow for them while Rotherham's failure to tie down Neil Warnock, the architect of their great escape last time out, to a long term contract leaves them with a mountain to climb to stay in the second tier this time out. But then again, they can take comfort in the fact that I said that about them (and Fulham for that matter) last season and they still managed it. Like I said, it's an unpredictable league the Championship...

FINAL TABLE

1. Newcastle
2. Brighton
------------------------------------------------
3. Norwich
4. Sheff Weds
5. Wolves
6. Derby
------------------------------------------------
7. Cardiff
8. Ipswich
9. Aston Villa
10. QPR
11. Birmingham
12. Leeds
13. Wigan
14. Bristol City
15. Brentford
16. Blackburn
17. Preston
18. Reading
19. Huddersfield
20. Barnsley
21. Burton
------------------------------------------------
22. Nottingham Forest
23. Fulham
24. Rotherham

League One Predictions 2016-17

The third tier is always a difficult one to predict in football and this season is no different - however, with a trio of weak teams being relegated it seems that the most obvious contenders would be the losers in last season's play-offs.

Bradford are my choice for the title this time. The departure of Phil Parkinson was a big blow but the return of Stuart McCall to the hotseat after gaining some extra experience north of the border should soften the blow. With some promising summer signings and an increased transfer budget, don't bet against the Bantams joining Huddersfield and Leeds in the Championship next season.

Millwall, defeated in the play-off final by Barnsley, should be up there as well. They've kept the nucleus of their side together and finished last season strongly. With a weaker division this time around, the omens look good for them returning to the second tier after a two year absence.

Sheffield United were my pick for the title last season but they blew it pretty comprehensively and failed to even make the play-offs. Manager Nigel Adkins paid the price with former Blades player Chris Wilder being brought in from Northampton to replace him fresh from lifting the League Two title there. With seven players in and a massive seventeen released, Wilder is clearly set on streamlining the squad which makes me hesitant to tip them for automatic promotion but they should have enough for another shot at the play-offs.

Joining the Blades in the end of season lottery, expect to see Scunthorpe who finished last season like a house on fire but timed their run just too late to make the top six. With the squad that put that run together pretty much still intact, expect them to go one better this time. Similarly, Gillingham who are slowly creeping up the table season upon season might well breach the top six this time. Coventry and Walsall have both lost key players since last season but in the absence of any major competition should still be well placed for a tilt at the end of season lottery.

I can't see any of the relegated clubs challenging for promotion back to the Championship at the first attempt. MK Dons, who are at least financially sound off the field, are probably the best placed of the three but they had a wretched finish to last season and finished ten points adrift of safety. A good start is essential if they're to challenge this time out. Charlton have a pantomime going on behind the scenes with a mass fan boycott, fourteen players leaving and just five arriving. Nicky Ajose should at least bang in the goals and Russell Slade is at least a wily veteran manager who knows this division well but they're going to need a lot more than this to get a challenge going. Bolton meanwhile will just be glad to be starting this season at all after the financial chaos of the previous term. Phil Parkinson is a good lower league manager but turning things around at the Reebok Stadium is likely to be a two season job at least and consolidation is probably the watchword for this time out.

Also in the mid-table melee, Peterborough are the perennial almost-weres of the third tier and there's little to suggest anything other than another frustrating narrow miss on the play-offs is on the cards for them. Rochdale's best chance at a top six shot may have been last season when they didn't really kick on from the previous season's impressive campaign but they should still comfortably manage a top half finish. Chesterfield's decision to bring Ched Evans out of the football wilderness to provide their firepower up front could go either way but if he can get back on the goal trail then they should improve on last season's disappointing finish. Southend meanwhile did well to consolidate in mid-table last season following promotion via the play-offs but getting much higher is probably beyond them.

Northampton's promotion party was soured a bit by manager Chris Wilder's departure to Sheffield United shortly afterwards but Robert Page is a good replacement and he should be able to guide the Cobblers to mid-table consolidation this time around while Bristol Rovers' upward momentum that saw them get back to back promotions should propel them to safety with room to spare. Shrewsbury disappointed last time out but a change of manager may do them good this time and see them claw their way up to lower mid-table.

Looking at clubs in danger, Swindon underachieved last time and the departure of top scorer Nicky Ajose to Charlton could spell trouble for them. Their near neighbours Oxford did well to get promoted last year but with three key players from that team leaving, Michael Appleton will need to have his wits about him to make sure they don't get sucked into a relegation dogfight. Bury meanwhile are beset by financial problems off the field (not for the first time) and have seen several players leave over the summer. They did well to make mid-table last season but may find the going considerably tougher this time around. Port Vale meanwhile have lost manager Robert Page to Northampton and appointed an inexperienced replacement in Bruno Ribiero who has quickly brought in a raft of signings from the continent. How quickly they adapt to the physical nature of third tier football will be a key factor in whether the Valiants sink or swim this season.

Three clubs, however, look to be in serious danger. Oldham have been battling financial demons for a few years now and the departure of manager John Sheridan to League Two Notts County says a lot about their predicament. With players jumping ship and a motley crew of free agents replacing them, things are looking pretty bleak for the Latics. Fleetwood only just scraped home last season and the pre-season sacking of Steven Pressley after bringing in a dozen new players only to lose six friendlies on the bounce denotes a club in turmoil. His replacement Uwe Rosler will be hoping to repair his reputation after an unsuccessful spell at Leeds but he faces a huge uphill battle to keep the Cod Army in League One with a squad that isn't his own. Finally Wimbledon did brilliantly to power their way into the League Two play-offs and win them last season but with a small squad and even smaller budget, they'll be relying on the famous Dons fighting spirit for survival. But looking at what they're up against, even that may not be enough this time out.

FINAL TABLE

1. Bradford
2. Millwall
----------------------------------
3. Sheff Utd
4. Scunthorpe
5. Coventry
6. Gillingham
7. Walsall
----------------------------------
8. MK Dons
9. Peterborough
10. Bolton
11. Rochdale
12. Charlton
13. Chesterfield
14. Southend
15. Northampton
16. Shrewsbury
17. Bristol Rovers
18. Swindon
19. Bury
20. Oxford
----------------------------------
21. Port Vale
22. Wimbledon
23. Fleetwood
24. Oldham

League Two Predictions 2016-17

As is customary around this time of year, I'll be updating the blog with my predictions for the new season in the days ahead. Feel free to keep them and have a good laugh at my expense come May next year.

Anyway, starting as always with League Two. For the second season in a row, my tip for the title is Portsmouth - Pompey didn't quite fulfil their potential last season and lost in the play-offs but they've kept the nucleus of their squad together and added some useful looking new signings meaning they should be up there or thereabouts. I expect Doncaster who were unlucky to get relegated last season and have a scary amount of firepower in their squad, to run them close.

Until a few weeks ago, Plymouth would have been my tip to complete the automatic promotion places but a series of departures has left me less sure. They've got enough promising signings to make sure they should still make the play-offs but I'm going to go for the summer's big spenders Luton who now have a very promising looking squad shaping up to complete the top three.

Joining Argyle in the play-offs, Notts County may have just pulled off a masterstroke with the appointment of John Sheridan as manager and with a crop of useful looking new signings they should put last season's disappointment behind them. Cambridge have also been active in the transfer market and should build on last season's progress while I'm gonna go for Carlisle to sneak the last play-off spot - the signing of Shaun Miller from Morecambe to partner Jabo Ibehre up front has all the makings of a 30 goal strike partnership.

I would have predicted my own lot Hartlepool to make a play-off place as we had a good second half to last season and have made some decent signings over the summer coupled with a promising young manager in Craig Hignett. However, I know that if I do that then I'll almost certainly jinx us so I'm gonna plump for us to finish just outside. Others who could be outside bets for the play-offs but will probably miss out are Accrington who did fantastically well last season but will have lost the element of surprise that they had twelve months ago and Colchester whose success really depends on what sort of a start to the season they make following last season's disastrous relegation.

Looking at the other two relegated clubs, I don't see Crewe or Blackpool finishing higher than mid-table - the former have a very small squad and a few injuries could easily see them struggling at the wrong end of the table while the latter are probably still wandering around like plane crash survivors following the last few seasons. At least the appointment of Gary Bowyer as manager should give them a bit of much-needed stability but starting their journey back up the leagues is likely to be a two-season job at the very least.

Mansfield and Exeter both look set for another mid-table season - both did well enough last season to suggest they won't struggle but neither has really made any particularly eye-catching changes to their teams to boost them further up the table. Joining them there should be Conference promotees Cheltenham and Grimsby who are both likely to view this as a season for consolidation.

Looking down towards the sharp end of the table, Wycombe and Leyton Orient both fell away from the play-off pack alarmingly at the tail end of last season and will need a good start to stop the rot setting in. Both have at least got strikers who can fire goals in (Ade Akinfenwa and Jay Simpson respectively) which should save them from being too closely involved with a relegation scrap but I'll be surprised if either of them finish above mid-table. Likewise Yeovil finally hit a decent run at the tail end of the season after a disastrous first few months following relegation and should be able to breathe a bit easier this time around but are unlikely to be troubling the top half.

Barnet consolidated last season after being promoted from the Conference but they've had a very quiet summer in terms of transfers and will desperately be hoping to avoid injuries while Newport have at least boosted their faltering attack with veteran Jon Parkin fresh off a 20-goal season for Forest Green in the Conference. I still don't see them finishing outside the bottom half but they should scrape home safely again.

Which leaves three teams looking set for a season of struggle to try and avoid the dreaded drop into non-League, namely Morecambe, Stevenage and Crawley. Stevenage had a wretched season last time out with the appointment of Teddy Sheringham as manager being a colossal misfire and only just clawed their way to safety with a couple of games to spare. With no eye-catching new signings to speak of, it's difficult to see anything other than a season of struggle for the Borough this time out. Morecambe were also in the pack sat just above the drop zone last time out and the departure of top scorer Shaun Miller to Carlisle could be fatal for them especially with such a small squad. Crawley meanwhile have an inexperienced new manager in Dermot Drummy and practically a whole new squad but none of the new signings really look likely to set the division alight. Final prediction - Morecambe and Crawley to face the dreaded drop with Stevenage just sneaking home on the final day.

FINAL TABLE

1. Portsmouth
2. Doncaster
3. Luton
-------------------------------------
4. Notts County
5. Cambridge
6. Plymouth
7. Carlisle
-------------------------------------
8. Hartlepool
9. Accrington
10. Colchester
11. Mansfield
12. Cheltenham
13. Blackpool
14. Exeter
15. Grimsby
16. Leyton Orient
17. Wycombe
18. Yeovil
19. Crewe
20. Barnet
21. Newport
22. Stevenage
-------------------------------------
23. Crawley
24. Morecambe