Oh, yeah, he's always had great guitarists working with him (I means, Zakk Wylde is no slouch either). It's just that the songs began to seem a bit too forced.

This got 5 stars at The Dissolve.
But an A- from Dowd is like 6 stars from a normal person.

I've got some of those albums too. I know there's a lot of great metal around these days.
But you've inadvertently supported my initial point: by putting metal in its own list, they're ghettoising it, cordoning it off in its own little niche bracket. They're effectively saying that metal isn't part of the music…

Not that I've noticed.
To test your theory, I just went an examined Pitchfork's '100 greatest albums of the decade so far' list. There was ONE album that could charitably be called metal, and that was Deafheaven, some screamo crap that isn't anything one would listen to for fun, like Dio.

The stuff with Randy Rhodes still holds up IMO (give or take the odd synthesiser). After that, he was always trying to hard to live into his 'myth'.

I agree that Dio has always been the epitome of cool in metal circles.
In places like The AV Club? Not so much. This place barely covers metal anymore, nor prog or hard rock for that matter.
Haven't you heard? As far as the internet tastemakers are concerned, rock is dead! Punk still gets a look in because its got…

Haters can suck it. Archie has always been a reliable source for good-natured wholesome fun. Ain't nuthin' wrong with that. And they've been on a roll with lately, what with Afterlife, Sabrina, Archie VS Predator etc. And that is some serious comic talent they've attracted.
I hope they do still find room for…

If you neede a Marvel mention, you should have gone with the Spectacular Spider-Man

I fluctuate on which series is better, but you simply can't watch Korra unless you've watches ATLA beforehand. More to the point, why wouldn't you want to watch ATLA as well?

I don't know what your second paragraph there is describing, but it certainly isn't any on the Marvel films.

I agree with you in principle, that we shouldn't limit our appreciation of different kinds of creativity.

You make some really interesting arguments. Otis Blue came out the year before Pet Sounds, the album often cited as the first 'auteur' pop album, where the performer, producer and writer being the same genius was considered significant.

The Neville Brothers cover of 'Change…' is exquisite. Aaron Neville's is the only voice that could challenge Cooke's for purity, and the Daniel Lanois production is ghostly and aching.

This album is brilliant, but then everything Otis Redding made was brilliant.
Actually, everything Stax/Volt records put out was exceptional.

We have something like that in Australia - Triple J. Though it has been tending more mainstream over the last decade. But I discovered a lot of new rock bands last year through it.

That's true. That's how I discovered the band. But they are on the lo-fi/hispter end of the rock spectrum.

No wonder the US turned away from rock: for them, the late 90s weren't defined by Oasis, Blur, The Verve, Manic Street Preachers, Gomez or Prodigy, but by Korn, Limp Bizkit and Staind. No wonder to them bands like Interpol seemed interesting.

Absolutely. It's not even possible to feel as if there's a rock band for everyone to be into, because those who don't like radio will listen to any number of other bands on any number of streaming services. The rock audience has splintered irrevocably.

Well I like pompous shit. Died-in-the-wool King Crimson, Hawkwind and Mahavishnu Orchestra fan, right here.

I only discovered her this year, through the 'Saving Country Music' blog, which is a great source for actual roots rock. Sturgill Simpson is also one I should have included in that list.