As 2022 comes to a close, musicians from the heavy side of music give their input on the best albums of the year. Make sure to check out part one featuring indie rock and pop artists.
Joy Von Spain of Eye of Nix and To End It All
Synchro Anarchy by Voivod
Disharmonium – Undreamable Abysses by Blut Aus Nord
Ancient Tomes, Volume I: Mother of Light by Serpentent
Overtaker by Hammers Of Misfortune
Legacy Of Ruin by Eight Bells
With Open Arms by Cult Of Youth
Kinnery Of Lupercalia; Undelivered Legion by Munly & The Lupercalians
Closure/Continuation by Porcupine Tree
Gehinnom by Gevurah
Ever Crashing by SRSQ
Veldune by Veldune
Eye of Nix’s third full-length album Ligeia was released in 2020 through Prophecy Productions.
Dave W. of White Hills
Sonancy by Loop
“First proper album by Robert Hampson and crew since 1990. Well worth the wait. Heavy and hypnotic.”
Landslide Eyes by The Gentle Cycle
“The latest offering out of Los Angeles from Derek See and Roger Brogan on the always great 300mics record label. Derek’s guitar playing is so fluid and the songwriting is impeccable. For fans of all things Paisley Underground and Big Star/Alex Chilton.”
The Art Gray Noizz Quintet by The Art Gray Noizz Quintet
“Stuart Gray (aka Stu Spasm) of Lubricated Goat, now based in NYC offers up a trashy, noisy and dirty slab of rock n’ roll goodness. One of NYC’s best kept musical secrets.”
Blending by High Vis
“British post-punk/post-hardcore band released on the great Dais Records. The music is melodic, infectious, and heavy. Well worth it.”
Strange Desires by Holy Scum
“Noise rock at its best. Features members of the always amazing GNOD.”
Precipice by Dälek
“Dark, heavy, abstract and industrial hip hop for modern times. Dälek never ceases to amaze me.”
Sewer Bait by JK Flesh
“One of Justin K. Broadrick’s (Godflesh) many projects. Industrial electronic techno done right.”
Tick Tick Tick by Stephen Mallinder
“Another fine release from the people at Dais Records. One-time Cabaret Voltaire member shows us he still has the goods.”
Silver Sash by Wovenhand
“Infectious and haunting.”
Fear of The Dawn by Jack White
“Genre-bending rock n’ roll of the highest ordering.”
Rock duo White Hills’ latest album The Revenge of Heads on Fire was released in September.
Joshua Strachan of Blacklist
Hegemonikon – A Journey to the End of Light by Rome
The Apocryphal Spells I & II by Rotting Christ
Aveilut by Scarcity
Lovecraftian Echoes by Blut Aus Nord
Dreams Drenched in Static by Cremation Lily
Coast Guard Gulf of Blood by Vatican Shadow
FOREVERANDEVERNOMORE by Brian Eno
Autofiction by Suede
Blacklist’s album Afterworld was released in October.
Taylor Iversen of Abrams
Dissolution Wave by Cloakroom
“That bass tone is truly insane and those melodies and harmonies, without compare. Their magnum opus, for sure, and def my AOTY.”
Heavy Pendulum by Cave In
“A masterpiece. Nate Newton tears it up. Brodsky sounds like he’s conjuring Lane Staley.”
Hygiene by Drug Church
“Every release just gets better and better. One of the best live bands around, such positive energy.”
Wilderness of Mirrors by The Black Angels
“Hit after hit, reminiscent of earlier masterpieces such as Passover and Phosphene Dream/Phosgene Nightmare.”
Folium Limina by The Otolith
“From the ashes of Subrosa rises the phoenix named The Otolith. Heavy beyond all reason. An addictive listen.”
Devotional by The Lord and Petra Haden
“Greg Anderson and Petra Haden flip this newer project on its head- taking the nightmarish dreamscapes of Forest Nocturne (a close exclusion from this list) and twists them into paradisical Gregorian hymnals of burning light. Hail to the eternal church of the Southern Lord.”
The Space by Somali Yacht Club
“Bass-driven melodic rock done expertly here. Catchy earworms, and epic progressions. Can’t stop listening.”
The Shape of Everything by SOM
“One of the fullest sounds both on record and live. Awash in a heavy, spacy, shoegaze wonderland in the chartreuse key of Type O [Negative].”
Timewave Zero by Blood Incantation
“Listened often while writing a sci-fi novel this year. Perfect soundtrack for getting lost in the void. Exceptional seeing a band master a specific genre, and then go full Vangelis on Blade Runner and knock that outta the park too.”
Promethean Pathology by Lykotonon
“A bunch of rad Denver dudes doing a good. Kinda reminds me of Dimmu [Borgir] at times. It’s varied and wild. You can tell they’re having a ton of fun. The music is unique and fucking great.”
Abrams released their album In the Dark back in September, and will be opening for Unsane in Denver this February.
Classless Act
Chuck McKissock of Classless Act
Will of the People by Muse
“Muse does a great job capturing a doomsday, sci-fi sound that I think is super cool, and it’s sort of a fitting touch to 2022. Two of my favorite songs off the album are, “You Make Me Feel Like It’s Halloween” (the chorus is super catchy and gives off major spooky season vibes) and “Compliance” (the vocoder effect they have going on Matt Bellamy’s vocals makes for a great hook, and the drum groove is so infectious).”
Derek Day of Classless Act
Fear of the Dawn by Jack White
“The album as a whole experiments with different noises, arrangements, and unconventional concepts that speak true to today’s social and political climate. Listening to the album is a great way to get inspired. My favorite song off the album is, “What’s The Trick?” This song opens up a space for rock ‘n’ roll musicians to execute maniacal sound through a stream of consciousness.”
Griffin Tucker of Classless Act
Gifts From The Holy Ghost by Dorothy
“This combination of smooth yet powerful vocals, classic-turned-modern production, rock and roll instrumentation, and spiritually revealing lyrics is certainly worth an involved listen. My favorite song off the album is “A Beautiful Life.”
It’s a song about going from the darkest struggles of self-worth to the realization that we’re all created with love for a special and unique purpose. It’s a great theme to kick off the album while the accompanying melody and surrounding instrumentation gets your body moving and mind excited for the rest of the album.”
Classless Act’s debut album Welcome to the Show was released in June
Chad Gailey of Mortuous
Acts of God by Immolation
At the Foothills of Deliration by Faceless Burial
Succumb to Rot by Corpsessed
Song of Salvation by Dream Unending
Through Sheer Will and Black Magic by Daeva
Timewave Zero by Blood Incantation
Persecution of the Living by Grave Infestation
Enveloping Absurdity by Phobophilic
Mortuous released their second full-length album Upon Desolation in September. They will be performing in Oakland on December 30, and then will be heading to Copenhagen in June for the Unearthed Morbidity festival.
Mike Miczek of Black Cross Hotel
The Man from Waco by Charley Crockett
Regenesis by Black Anvil
The Blues Don’t Lie by Buddy Guy
Bound for Hell: On the Sunset Strip by Various Artists
Immolation by Acts of God
Heavy Pendulum by Cave In
Psychedelic Degeneracy by Jesus Wept
Eyes of Oblivion b.y The Hellacopters
The Tipping Point by Tears for Fears
Free LSD by Off!
Black Cross Hotel’s debut album Hex was released in November. The industrial punk group will be performing at Chicago’s Forever Deaf Fest in January.
Johan Murmester of Vittra
The Great Below by Kvaen
Survival of the Sickest by Bloodbath
Netherheaven by Revocation
The Sick, the Dying…and the Dead! by Megadeath
Voices in the Sky by Brymir
Hiss by Wormrot
Heavy Steps by Comeback Kid
Justitita (EP) by Baest
Vittra released their debut studio album Blasphemy Blues last month, as well as the music video for the track “Self-Loathing.”
False Figure
Andrés of False Figure
Die Verlierer by Die Verlierer
“Crazy good new Berlin punk. Buttoned up and manic at the same time. Sounds (and looks) like it’s straight from 1978.”
Body Scam by EX-HEIR
“San Francisco’s own industrial powerhouse has been cranking out recordings in the past year or two. Fucked up and heavy.”
Demo by XUI
“Full disclosure- these guys are friends and bandmates from a different project. However, this would still be on my list. Ripping hardcore from the Bay, crushing beats, nasty hardcore half times, and feral vocals.”
Ian of False Figure
Forestdale Sessions by Abi Ooze
Must Be Nice by Dark Thoughts
+ by La URSS
Noise Is Law by NÜTT
Dylan of False Figure
Endure by Special Interest
“Catchy pop filtered through grime. Queercore industrial future.”
The Leather Lemon by P.E.
“Funky, trippy, dance jams with demented synth hacks and velvety vocals.”
Mutilated Systems by Cyberplasm
“Been obsessed since I saw them live. Punishment for pleasure please.”
False Figure released their album Castigations in October.
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