Here’s my favorite music from last year.

It seemed like there was so much music coming out in 2022, maybe because of Covid and the pandemic that delayed everything. Old thrash metal bands released new albums this year after a couple decade absence like Razor and Toxik. Even the big four German thrash bands (Kreator, Sodom, Destruction and Tankard) all put out new albums in 2022. I couldn’t pick my absolute favorite album and my list of top releases is pretty long. There was a ton of great music last year. I discovered a lot of awesome new bands and music (like Messa and White Ward), while diving deeper into other metal genres outside of my usual thrash/heavy comfort zone. A lot of these albums down below were my first time exposure to bands (like Immolation, along with other death or black metal), so it was fun getting into all of them.

All albums are listed by order of release date.

Metal:

The Best stuff:

• Abyssus – Death Revival (Jan. 21, Transcending Obscurity Records)
• Saxon – Carpe Diem (Feb. 4, Silver Lining Music)
• Voivod – Synchro Anarchy (Feb. 11, Century Media Records)
• Schizophrenia – Recollections of the Insane (Feb. 15, Redefining Darkness Records)
• Immolation – Acts of God (Feb. 18, Nuclear Blast)
• Venator – Echoes from the Gutter (Feb. 25, Dying Victims Productions)
• Messa – Close (March 11, Svart Records)
• Nite – ‘Voices of the Kronian Moon (March 25, Season of Mist)
• Evil Invaders – Shattering Reflection (April 1, Napalm Records)
• Destruction – Diabolical (April 8, Napalm Records)
• Undeath – It’s Time… To Rise From The Grave (April 22, Prosthetic Records)
• Haunter – Discarnate Ails (May 6, Profound Lore Records)
• White Ward – False Light (June 17, Debemur Morti Productions)
• Inexorum – Equinox Vigil (June 17, Gilead Media)
• Critical Defiance – No Life Forms (July 18, Unspeakable Axe Records)
• Oceans of Slumber – Starlight and Ash (July 22, Century Media Records)
• Funeral Chic – Roman Candle (July 29, Prosthetic Records)
• Toxik – Dis Morta (Aug. 5, Massacre Records)
• Hell Fire – Reckoning (August 12, RidingEasy Records)
• Megadeth – The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead! (Sept. 2, Universal Musical Group)
• Blind Guardian – The God Machine (Sept. 2, Nuclear Blast)
• Mortuous – Upon Desolation (Sept. 16, Carbonized Records)
• Phobophilic – Enveloping Absurdity (Sept. 16, Prosthetic Records)
• Riot City – Electric Elite (Oct. 14, No Remorse Records)
• Steel Inferno – Evil Reign (Oct. 21, From The Vaults)
• High Command – Eclipse of the Dual Moons (Nov. 25, Southern Lord)

Hardcore:

• Combust – Another Life (March 18, Cash Only Records)
• Gridiron – No Good at Goodbyes (March 25, Triple B Records)
• Terror – Pain into Power (May 6, Pure Noise Records)
• Mutually Assured Destruction – Ascension (May 18, Triple B Records)
• End It – Unpleasant Living (July 8, Flatspot Records)
• Life’s Question – World Full Of… (Aug. 8, Triple B Records)
• Mind Force – New Lords (Sept. 16, Triple B Records)
• Regulate – Regulate (Sept. 30, Flatspot Records)
• Bloodclot – Souls (Dec. 16, Upstate Records)

Honorable mentions of other stuff I liked (metal):

• Wilderrun – Epigone (Jan. 7, Century Media Records)
• Maule – Maule (Jan. 14, Gates of Hell Records)
• Vorga – Striving Toward Oblivion (Feb. 4, Transcending Obscurity Records)
• Amorphis – Halo (Feb. 10, Atomic Fire Records)
• Hammerfall – Hammer Of Dawn (Feb. 25, Napalm Records)
• Vio-Lence – Let the World Burn (March 4, Metal Blade Records)
• Gauntlet Rule – The Plague Court (March 18, From the Vaults)
• Bomber – Nocturnal Creatures (March 25, Napalm Records)
• Emissary – The Wretched Masquerade (March 25, released independently)
• Luzifer – Iron Shackles (March 25, High Roller Records)
• Hallas – Isle of Wisdom (April 8, Napalm Records)
• Black Mask – Queen Of The Beasts (April 18, released independently)
• Tyrannus – Unslayable (April 22, released independently)
• Livewire – Under Attack! (April 28, released independently)
• Molten Chains – Orisons of Vengeance (May 6, released independently)
• Predatory Light – Death and the Twilight Hours (May 20, 20 Buck Spin)
• Kreator – Hate Über Alles (June 10, Nuclear Blast)
• Seven Kingdoms – Zenith (June 17, Distortion Music Group)
• SAOR – Origins (June 24, Season of Mist)
• Protector – Excessive Outburst of Depravity (July 1, High Roller Records)
• Traitor – Exiled to the Surface (July 8, Violent Creek Records; has a song about an X-Files episode)
• Inhuman Condition – Fearsick (July 15, Listenable Insanity Records)
• Molder – Engrossed in Decay (July 15, Prosthetic Records)
• Savage Master – Those Who Hunt At Night (Aug. 5, Shadow Kingdom Records)
• Soulfly – Totem (August 5, Nuclear Blast)
• Acid Blade – Power Dive (Aug. 12, Jawbreaker Records)
• Spirit Adrift – 20 Centuries Gone (Aug. 19, Century Media Records)
• Sumerlands – Dreamkiller (Sept. 16, Relapse Records)
• Razor – Cycle of Contempt (Sept. 23, Relapse Records)
• Intranced – Intranced (Sept. 23, released independently)
• Sonja – Loud Arriver (Sept. 23, Cruz del Sur Music)
• Stratovarius – Survive (Sept. 23, earMUSIC)
• Tankard – Pavlov’s Dawgs (Sept. 30, Reaper Entertainment)
• Autopsy – Morbidity Triumphant (Sept. 30, Peaceville Records)
• Stryper – The Final Battle (Oct. 21, Frontier Records)
• Iron Kingdom – The Blood of Creation (Nov. 4, released independently)
• Xentrix – Seven Words (Nov. 4, Listenable Records)