image: sportscasualties.com

2012 appears to be the year of grandpa-rocker reunions. Is it the nigh end of the Mayan Calendar or the general fear of remaining wrinkly musicians of an era parents can relate best to? Be that as it may, at least four bands who peaked once upon a time have announced new releases. ‘What a drag it is getting old’ is a line the Rolling Stones might have recalled before deciding to bring out another Greatest Hits album entitled Grrr! – out November 12th. It includes their very first single ‘Come On’ as well as their last recordings ‘Gloom And Doom’ and ‘One More Shot’.

image: rollingstones.com

Others are more courageous and have announced the launch of new material. ’80s alternative rockers Dinosaur Jr‘s third album, after J Mascis and Lou Barlow’s beef loosened up in 2005, I Bet On Sky hit the stores on September 18th.

image: captainsdead.com

image: slicingupeyeballs.com

Stone Roses fans have to wait a bit longer and, alas, put up with the risk of the band not outliving their life expectancy. The release of the UK Manchester music scene members after they split up 16 years ago is set for post-apocalyptic 2013.

image: clashmusic.com

 
Also latching on to the come-back spirit are influential grunge band Soundgarden with a recent recording. King Animal is co-produced by Adam Kasper, known for his work with the Foo Fighters, Nirvana and Pearl Jam and is available on November 12th. Reunited in 2010, the latter’s contemporaries re-released an old single ‘Hunted Down’ with the song ‘Nothing to Say’, headlined Lollapalooza and released Telephantasm: A Retrospective to prepare their fans’ eardrums for their new rock creations.

image: digitalspy.co.uk

Let’s hope the alt-rockers’ musical veins have kept the quality alive and the album doesn’t turn out to be a flop. Sadly, greed for instant reinstatement of fame allows this to happen way too often. Watch out for the first single ‘Been Away Too Long’ on September 27th. Until then here’s a little musical titbit on youtube:
 

 
Words: Christine Hogg
images: sportscasualties.com, rollingstones.com, captainsdead.com, slicingupeyeballs.com, digitalspy.co.uk, clashmusic.com