My top albums of 2022

[BumZen]

For those that care: here are my thoughts and lists of music from 2022.
I've seen many people complain about 2022 being a weak year for new metal releases. I wholeheartedly disagree this assesment. Across a wide range of genres, there has been many excellent albums, making this one of the best years of music for me, while I at the same time I feel like I listened to fewer albums. I found so much immense quality, I just wanted to stay with some of the excellent albums I had discovered already, and I can't remember the last time I had so many albums that just couldn't make the list, while the top 10 was SO good. This is why I also included a "short list".

My top 25 list:

1: Sumerlands - Dreamkiller (Heavy Metal - USA)
2: Lords of the Trident - The Offering (Power metal - USA)
3: Mø - Motordrome (Pop - DEN)
4: Freedom of Fear - Carpathia (Semi-tech Melodic Death Metal - AUS)
5: Tove Lo - Dirt Femme (Pop - SWE)
6: Incandescence - Le Coeur de L'homme (Black metal - CAN)
7: Miscreance - Convergence (Techy oldschool thrashy death metal - ITA)
8: Persefone - Metanoia (Progressive death metal - AND)
9: Tómárum - Ash in the Realms of Stone Icons (Black metal - USA)
10: Borealis - Illusions (Melodic Metal - CAN)
11: Decapitated - Cancer Culture (Death metal - POL)
12: Spheric Universe Experience - Back Home (Prog metal - FRA)
13: Stormruler - Sacred Rites & Black Magic (Melodic Black metal - USA)
14: Eliminator - Ancient Light (Heavy metal - ENG)
15: Vehemence - Ordalies (Medieval Black Metal - FRA)
16: Michael Romeo - War of the Worlds Pt. II (Prog metal - USA)
17: Fer De Lance - The Hyperborean (Epic Heavy metal - USA)
18: Sarayasign - Throne of Gold (Melodic Rock - SWE)
19: Blind Guardian - The God Machine (Power Metal - GER)
20: Psycroptic - Divine Council (Groovy/Tech Death metal - AUS)
21: Doomocracy - Unorthodox (Epic Doom Metal - GRE)
22: Star One - Revel in Time (Progressive Rock/Metal - NL / Multi)
23: Inanimate Existence - The Masquerade (Tech death metal - USA)
24: Aeternam - Heir of the Rising Sun (Symphonic Death metal - CAN)
25: Seventh Wonder - The Testament (Melodic Prog. Metal - SWE)

And the short list in alphabetical order:

AARA - Triade II : Hemera (Atmospheric Black Metal - SWI)
Acanthosis - Scriptures of the Accursed (Tech Death metal - CAN)
Allegaeon - Damnum (Technical Death metal - USA)
An Abstract Illusion - Woe (Progressive death metal - NOR)
Blackbraid - Blackbraid I (Native American Black metal - USA)
Blut Aus Nord - Disharmonium - Undreamable Abysses (Avantgarde Black metal - FRA)
Coheed & Cambria - Vaxis II: A Window of the Waking Mind (Semi-proggy rock/metal/emo - USA)
Dance Gavin Dance - Jackpot Juicer (Post hardcore/mathcore - USA)
Deathspell Omega - The Long Defeat (Black metal - FRA)
Devils of Loudun - Escaping Eternity (Melodic death metal - USA)
Esoctrilihum - Consecration of the Spiritüs Flesh (Demonic black metal - FRA)
Exocrine - The Hybrid Suns (Tech death metal - FRA)
Famyne - The Ground Below (Doom metal - ENG)
Gevurah - Gehinnom (Black metal - CAN)
Glemsel - Forfader (Black metal - DEN)
H.E.A.T. - Force Majeure (Hard rock - SWE)
Hellbore - Panopticon (Tech Death Metal - USA / UK)
Heltekvad - Morgenrødens Helvedesherre (Medieval black metal - DEN)
Holyarrow - La Legendé de Koxinga (Black metal - CHI)
Judicator - The Majesty of Decay (Progressive power metal - USA)
Kardashev - Liminal Rite (Deathgaze / Atmospheric death - USA)
Léon - Circles (Indie pop - SWE)
Manigance - Le Bal des Ombres (Power metal - FRA)
Obsidious - Iconic (Technical melodic death metal - AU/GER/SPA)
Orm - Intet * Altet (Epic black metal - DEN)
Perfect Plan - Brace for Impact (AOR - SWE)
Power Paladin - With the Magic of Windfyre Steel (POWER metal - ICE)
Priest - Body Machine (Darkwave - SWE)
Pure Wrath - Hymn to Woeful Hearts (Black metal - INDO)
Revocation - Netherheaven (Tech thrash/death metal - USA)
Ring of Fire - Gravity (Power/prog metal)
Riot City - Electric Elite (Heavy metal - CAN)
Sabaton - The War to End All Wars (Power metal - SWE)
Sigrid - How to Let Go (Pop - NOR)
Slægt - Goddess (Black/heavy metal - DEN)
Sonivinos - Sonicated Intravaginal Insemination in Numbers (Brutal tech death metal - USA/BEL/CAN)
Sonja - Loud Arriver (Heavy metal - USA)
Soreption - Jord (Tech Death metal - SWE)
Spiritus Mortis - The Great Seal (Doom - FIN)
Stratovarius - Survive (Power metal - FIN)
Them - Fear City (Heavy Metal - USA/GER)
Toxik - Dis Morta (Tech thrash - USA)
Venator - Echoes from the Gutter (Heavy metal - AU)
Voivod - Synchro Anarchy (Spacey-weirdo-thrash ??? - CAN)
Wiegedood - There's Always Blood At the End of the Road (Black Metal - BEL)
Zero Hour - Agenda 21 (Progressive metal - USA)
Σtella and Redinho - Up and Away (Indie pop - GRE)

The list above only includes full album releases, but I'll mention a few EP's I enjoyed, during the year. Note that I haven't kept check on those as much as albums, so this is just cool EP's I listened to and that I remember.

EP's:
Wuthering Heights - Nothing is Forgotten (Power metal - DEN)
Massive Ego - The new Normal (Darkwave - UK)
Brother Ali - Goin' Through It (Rap - USA)
Lamentari - Clavis Aurea (Symphonic Black Metal - DEN)
Venus - Project Lambda (Prog metal - GRE)
AARA - Phthonos (Atmospheric Black Metal - SWI)

I know the Wuthering Heights technically isn't an EP as it's only included with reissue (or "special edition") og Salt, but it contains new recordings with 4 brilliant re-recordings and two brand new songs, where the title track itself is phenomenal. But at this point anything new from this fantastic band is like finding an oasis in a desert. Brother Ali is technically speaking a single. I don't care. It's 3 songs, and I'm saying it counts. And yes, AARA made both an EP and a full album this year. Productive, but good.

I didn't find the time to write comments for each of the top 25, so this will have to do. My apologies.

[introclaus]

For those that care: here are my thoughts and lists of music from 2022.

I do

I've seen many people complain about 2022 being a weak year for new metal releases. I wholeheartedly disagree this assesment. Across a wide range of genres, there has been many excellent albums, making this one of the best years of music for me, while I at the same time I feel like I listened to fewer albums. I found so much immense quality, I just wanted to stay with some of the excellent albums I had discovered already, and I can't remember the last time I had so many albums that just couldn't make the list, while the top 10 was SO good. This is why I also included a "short list".

Yup, it was a great year for metal releases. Interestingly enough, throughout the year I probably wrote up another ~15-25 reviews that I had to cut off from the bottom of my top 100 list, so there were at least 120 albums I really liked this year.

1: Sumerlands - Dreamkiller (Heavy Metal - USA)
5: Tove Lo - Dirt Femme (Pop - SWE)
7: Miscreance - Convergence (Techy oldschool thrashy death metal - ITA)
8: Persefone - Metanoia (Progressive death metal - AND)
12: Spheric Universe Experience - Back Home (Prog metal - FRA)
18: Sarayasign - Throne of Gold (Melodic Rock - SWE)
19: Blind Guardian - The God Machine (Power Metal - GER)
21: Doomocracy - Unorthodox (Epic Doom Metal - GRE)
22: Star One - Revel in Time (Progressive Rock/Metal - NL / Multi)
24: Aeternam - Heir of the Rising Sun (Symphonic Death metal - CAN)
25: Seventh Wonder - The Testament (Melodic Prog. Metal - SWE)

All of these made my list ... okay, Tove Lo didn't (since it's not metal) but I REALLY love the album. Probably her second best ever ("Ladywood" is still my fave).

3: Mø - Motordrome (Pop - DEN)
10: Borealis - Illusions (Melodic Metal - CAN)
11: Decapitated - Cancer Culture (Death metal - POL)
20: Psycroptic - Divine Council (Groovy/Tech Death metal - AUS)

I enjoyed these, but didn't love them.

Mø I think went into some cool directions (first 3 songs are great) that she hadn't really tried before, but then rest of the albums falls back into the trap of boring Danish dance pop (no, not Medina bad, but still ...).

Borealis was okay, but unfortunately they are a one-trick pony in my book and all their albums now sound the same and all have sucky production.

Decapitated and Psycroptic are classics within "technical" death metal, but these are far from their best albums.

2: Lords of the Trident - The Offering (Power metal - USA)
16: Michael Romeo - War of the Worlds Pt. II (Prog metal - USA)

Didn't like these, even if I had expected to.

4: Freedom of Fear - Carpathia (Semi-tech Melodic Death Metal - AUS)

Damn ... how did I miss this one completely? Never heard of them ... it's like Obscura meets Cradle of Filth ... wow, the musicianship is through the roof! https://youtu.be/2_wGi11jfso

6: Incandescence - Le Coeur de L'homme (Black metal - CAN)
9: Tómárum - Ash in the Realms of Stone Icons (Black metal - USA)
13: Stormruler - Sacred Rites & Black Magic (Melodic Black metal - USA)
15: Vehemence - Ordalies (Medieval Black Metal - FRA)

I've not really been listening to a lot of "trve" black metal this year. A bunch of avantgarde/progressive black, yes, but not any classic black metal. Are any of these worth it for me to check out? You know my taste pretty well, so ...

14: Eliminator - Ancient Light (Heavy metal - ENG)

Never heard ... will check them out

17: Fer De Lance - The Hyperborean (Epic Heavy metal - USA)

Besides the cool band name (the snake in South America responsible for most fatal bites - really cool looking pit viper), I don't think I've listened to them before. I see them compared to Bathory, Atlantean Kodex, Scald and DoomSword, so I'm going to have to check them out for sure.

23: Inanimate Existence - The Masquerade (Tech death metal - USA)

I think I tried this when it was released, but there was something off-putting about it. I just gave it another listen and I think it's a combination of the drums (too "triggered" / "machine gun style") and the vocals (he sounds like he is standing at the end of a long hallway). Obviously they are great musicians, and I love the guitar work. I'll try to spend some more time with it, but not convinced yet: https://youtu.be/dnBSOHa7rn8

Allegaeon - Damnum (Technical Death metal - USA)
Coheed & Cambria - Vaxis II: A Window of the Waking Mind (Semi-proggy rock/metal/emo - USA)
Dance Gavin Dance - Jackpot Juicer (Post hardcore/mathcore - USA)
Exocrine - The Hybrid Suns (Tech death metal - FRA)
Kardashev - Liminal Rite (Deathgaze / Atmospheric death - USA)
Obsidious - Iconic (Technical melodic death metal - AU/GER/SPA)
Revocation - Netherheaven (Tech thrash/death metal - USA)
Ring of Fire - Gravity (Power/prog metal)
Riot City - Electric Elite (Heavy metal - CAN)
Sabaton - The War to End All Wars (Power metal - SWE)
Spiritus Mortis - The Great Seal (Doom - FIN)
Stratovarius - Survive (Power metal - FIN)
Them - Fear City (Heavy Metal - USA/GER)
Toxik - Dis Morta (Tech thrash - USA)
Voivod - Synchro Anarchy (Spacey-weirdo-thrash ??? - CAN)
Zero Hour - Agenda 21 (Progressive metal - USA)

These I really liked. Most of them made my list, and a few just got cut off right after #100 (Exocrine, Revocation, Them)

AARA - Triade II : Hemera (Atmospheric Black Metal - SWI)
Acanthosis - Scriptures of the Accursed (Tech Death metal - CAN)
An Abstract Illusion - Woe (Progressive death metal - NOR)
Blackbraid - Blackbraid I (Native American Black metal - USA)
Blut Aus Nord - Disharmonium - Undreamable Abysses (Avantgarde Black metal - FRA)
Deathspell Omega - The Long Defeat (Black metal - FRA)
Devils of Loudun - Escaping Eternity (Melodic death metal - USA)
Esoctrilihum - Consecration of the Spiritüs Flesh (Demonic black metal - FRA)
Famyne - The Ground Below (Doom metal - ENG)
Gevurah - Gehinnom (Black metal - CAN)
Glemsel - Forfader (Black metal - DEN)
H.E.A.T. - Force Majeure (Hard rock - SWE)
Hellbore - Panopticon (Tech Death Metal - USA / UK)
Heltekvad - Morgenrødens Helvedesherre (Medieval black metal - DEN)
Holyarrow - La Legendé de Koxinga (Black metal - CHI)
Judicator - The Majesty of Decay (Progressive power metal - USA)
Léon - Circles (Indie pop - SWE)
Manigance - Le Bal des Ombres (Power metal - FRA)
Orm - Intet * Altet (Epic black metal - DEN)
Perfect Plan - Brace for Impact (AOR - SWE)
Power Paladin - With the Magic of Windfyre Steel (POWER metal - ICE)
Priest - Body Machine (Darkwave - SWE)
Pure Wrath - Hymn to Woeful Hearts (Black metal - INDO)
Sigrid - How to Let Go (Pop - NOR)
Slægt - Goddess (Black/heavy metal - DEN)
Sonivinos - Sonicated Intravaginal Insemination in Numbers (Brutal tech death metal - USA/BEL/CAN)
Sonja - Loud Arriver (Heavy metal - USA)
Soreption - Jord (Tech Death metal - SWE)
The Devils of Loudon - Escaping Eternity
Venator - Echoes from the Gutter (Heavy metal - AU)
Wiegedood - There's Always Blood At the End of the Road (Black Metal - BEL)
Σtella and Redinho - Up and Away (Indie pop - GRE)
Massive Ego - The new Normal (Darkwave - UK)
Brother Ali - Goin' Through It (Rap - USA)
Lamentari - Clavis Aurea (Symphonic Black Metal - DEN)
Venus - Project Lambda (Prog metal - GRE)
AARA - Phthonos (Atmospheric Black Metal - SWI)

Either I didn't like these or never checked them out. You really like The Devils of Loudon since you have them twice on the list

Wuthering Heights - Nothing is Forgotten (Power metal - DEN)
I know the Wuthering Heights technically isn't an EP as it's only included with reissue (or "special edition") og Salt, but it contains new recordings with 4 brilliant re-recordings and two brand new songs, where the title track itself is phenomenal. But at this point anything new from this fantastic band is like finding an oasis in a desert.

Wait, what? Damn ... I bought the first of Erik's re-releases, but since they are expensive and postage is crazy expensive, I just couldn't justify buying albums I already have 20 different versions of lol. But ... I guess I'll have to bite the bullet now since I want to hear the re-recorded tunes AND the brand new songs as well.

[BumZen]

1: Sumerlands - Dreamkiller (Heavy Metal - USA)
5: Tove Lo - Dirt Femme (Pop - SWE)
7: Miscreance - Convergence (Techy oldschool thrashy death metal - ITA)
8: Persefone - Metanoia (Progressive death metal - AND)
12: Spheric Universe Experience - Back Home (Prog metal - FRA)
18: Sarayasign - Throne of Gold (Melodic Rock - SWE)
19: Blind Guardian - The God Machine (Power Metal - GER)
21: Doomocracy - Unorthodox (Epic Doom Metal - GRE)
22: Star One - Revel in Time (Progressive Rock/Metal - NL / Multi)
24: Aeternam - Heir of the Rising Sun (Symphonic Death metal - CAN)
25: Seventh Wonder - The Testament (Melodic Prog. Metal - SWE)

All of these made my list ... okay, Tove Lo didn't (since it's not metal) but I REALLY love the album. Probably her second best ever ("Ladywood" is still my fave).

Queen of The Clouds has become a top 10 all time album for me. Her only bad album is Blue Lips. Don't know what went wrong there. Glad you like her too. And thank you for that Doomocracy recommendation, that was awesome.

We also both agree that the new Seventh Wonder was dissapointing, but it's still better than so much else that comes out these days.

Mø I think went into some cool directions (first 3 songs are great) that she hadn't really tried before, but then rest of the albums falls back into the trap of boring Danish dance pop (no, not Medina bad, but still ...).

Hmm... with the exception of the last track, I think the whole album is good. New Moon, Brad Pitt and Goosebumps are some of the best songs on the album.

Borealis was okay, but unfortunately they are a one-trick pony in my book and all their albums now sound the same and all have sucky production.

100% agreed on the production, and yes, Borealis is quite one-dimensional. But man, their songs rocked this time around. I just couldn't stop listening to it. And I guess that's all I need sometimes

Decapitated and Psycroptic are classics within "technical" death metal, but these are far from their best albums.

Yeah, Psycroptic are in a rut creatively, but when you have Joe Haley on guitar it never really fails either.
The Decapitated is not their best ever, but it's their best album in almost 20 years.

2: Lords of the Trident - The Offering (Power metal - USA)
16: Michael Romeo - War of the Worlds Pt. II (Prog metal - USA)

Didn't like these, even if I had expected to.

I'm surprised how much I loved Lords of the Trident, but I'm very surprised you didn't like the new Romeo.

4: Freedom of Fear - Carpathia (Semi-tech Melodic Death Metal - AUS)

Damn ... how did I miss this one completely? Never heard of them ... it's like Obscura meets Cradle of Filth ... wow, the musicianship is through the roof! https://youtu.be/2_wGi11jfso

I discovered them by accident on one of those facebook groups, and was blown away. And I'm VERY happy you caught on to the Cradle of Filth sound in there, which I think works out phenomally in this techy-melodic sound.

6: Incandescence - Le Coeur de L'homme (Black metal - CAN)
9: Tómárum - Ash in the Realms of Stone Icons (Black metal - USA)
13: Stormruler - Sacred Rites & Black Magic (Melodic Black metal - USA)
15: Vehemence - Ordalies (Medieval Black Metal - FRA)

I've not really been listening to a lot of "trve" black metal this year. A bunch of avantgarde/progressive black, yes, but not any classic black metal. Are any of these worth it for me to check out? You know my taste pretty well, so ...

I think you can skip the Vehemence, I'm unsure about the Tómárum and Stormruler, but you should really give the Incandescence a listen. It's french style black metal with Quebec style death metal drumming, and it freaking works. Even if you don't like it, it's something else.

17: Fer De Lance - The Hyperborean (Epic Heavy metal - USA)

Besides the cool band name (the snake in South America responsible for most fatal bites - really cool looking pit viper), I don't think I've listened to them before. I see them compared to Bathory, Atlantean Kodex, Scald and DoomSword, so I'm going to have to check them out for sure.

They're a weird band to put in to any box, but I think they will be right up your alley.

23: Inanimate Existence - The Masquerade (Tech death metal - USA)

I think I tried this when it was released, but there was something off-putting about it. I just gave it another listen and I think it's a combination of the drums (too "triggered" / "machine gun style") and the vocals (he sounds like he is standing at the end of a long hallway). Obviously they are great musicians, and I love the guitar work. I'll try to spend some more time with it, but not convinced yet: https://youtu.be/dnBSOHa7rn8

This started out as a dissapointment to me too, but grew on me over time. They had some lineup changes, and the album still appears to be a bit of a "work in progress", where Clockworks was a monster of a complete product. Still, I like their style so much I ended up listening to it quite a bit.

Wuthering Heights - Nothing is Forgotten (Power metal - DEN)
I know the Wuthering Heights technically isn't an EP as it's only included with reissue (or "special edition") og Salt, but it contains new recordings with 4 brilliant re-recordings and two brand new songs, where the title track itself is phenomenal. But at this point anything new from this fantastic band is like finding an oasis in a desert.

Wait, what? Damn ... I bought the first of Erik's re-releases, but since they are expensive and postage is crazy expensive, I just couldn't justify buying albums I already have 20 different versions of lol. But ... I guess I'll have to bite the bullet now since I want to hear the re-recorded tunes AND the brand new songs as well.

All I can say is whatever price you pay, it's totally worth it. Almost brought a tear to my eye to hear something new. With years of increasingly poor power metal, Wuthering Heights has become somewhat of a darling for me. Their immense quality becomes more and more evident every time I listen to any of the albums. But especially Far From the Madding Crowd might be one of the best trve power metal albums ever written.

[introclaus]

TOVE LO: Queen of The Clouds has become a top 10 all time album for me. Her only bad album is Blue Lips. Don't know what went wrong there. Glad you like her too.

Yeah Tove Lo is amazing. By far the most interesting "dance pop" musician out there these days in my book.

MICHAEL ROMEO: ...but I'm very surprised you didn't like the new Romeo.

I think it ends up sounding too close to SymX now with Dino on vocals. As great a singer as he truly is, I just don't feel he is the right match for this. I don't know ... perhaps I just was upset about the change in singer to the point where I decided I wasn't gonna like it

FREEDOM OF FEAR: I discovered them by accident on one of those facebook groups, and was blown away. And I'm VERY happy you caught on to the Cradle of Filth sound in there, which I think works out phenomally in this techy-melodic sound.

Yes, CoF and Fleshgod Apocalypse all over it, which really works great for tech-death.

INCANDESCENCE: ...but you should really give the Incandescence a listen. It's french style black metal with Quebec style death metal drumming, and it freaking works. Even if you don't like it, it's something else.

I'll check it out, thanks.

FER DE LANCE: They're a weird band to put in to any box, but I think they will be right up your alley.

I listened to them - musically it's wonderful. Vocally, ugh ...

WUTHERING HEIGHTS: All I can say is whatever price you pay, it's totally worth it. Almost brought a tear to my eye to hear something new. With years of increasingly poor power metal, Wuthering Heights has become somewhat of a darling for me. Their immense quality becomes more and more evident every time I listen to any of the albums. But especially Far From the Madding Crowd might be one of the best trve power metal albums ever written.

Well, you know how much I love the band, them being one of the very first bands I ever had join Intromental and we worked on all their albums. "Far from..." is a brilliant album, and it is definitely one of the best power metal albums ever written ... you got that right my friend.