Albums of the year

[Slaughterday]

Riot City - Electric Elite

In a year of thousands of Identikit heavy metal albums being released, this one is head and shoulders above them all. Improves on 'Burn The Night' in every way. Severed Ties is one of the best epic heavy metal tunes I've heard since 'The Reflecting Pool'.

Grand Belial's Key - Kohanic Charmers

Not their best work and the drums sound like shit, but still a great release. Classic GBK. Bodes well for the new Arghoslent album too, if it ever surfaces.

Negative Plane - The Pact

Probably my favourite NP album at this stage and have waxed lyrical about it previously. Worth the 11 year wait!

Was late to the game on properly getting into the new Coscradh but it gets better with every listen. Same with Hearse - Traipse Across The Empty Graves, really growing on me. New Autopsy album is their best in years too. 

[Shitstirrer]

Negative plane -the pact
Devilpriest -in repugnant adoration
Bran -Odcházení
Whoresnation -dearth
Putrefaction sets in-Repugnant Inception of Decomposing Paroxysm

[Pagan Saviour]

New Autopsy album is their best in years too. 

Ah don't know about that. It's no better or worse than any of the post reformation albums, i.e. on the disappointing side

[Thorn]

It definitely didn't grab me like ,say, Macabre Eternal, I don't know if maybe there was just too much of it in the same way as the Immolation one. I'll throw up my Top 20 Xmas day and avoid this thread til then, which is hard when it's always one of my favourites.

[ldj]

Negative Plane - The Pact

Just great black metal, love the Mercyful Fate influence.

High Command - Eclipse of the Dual Moons

Best thrash album I've heard since Vektor a few years back, great NWOBHM influence that most modern thrash bands seem to have lost in their open E chugging.

Artifical Brain

Great spacey tech death.

Sumerlands - Dreamkiller

Sounds like a long lost relic from 1987, what's not to love?

[Bürggermeister]

Greg Puciato - Mirrorcell
Probably the highlight of the year, really enjoy this one

Crown Compass - The Drought
Ex-Exivious lads, technical with decent melody and heaviness throughout

Skid Row - The Gang's All Here
A very pleasant surprise because they've been total shit for 30 years

Strigoi - Viscera
Mackintosh is far better outside of PL

Voivod - Synchro Anarchy
Voivod are always fucking class, I really like the Chewy and Rocky lineup. It's total Voivod but still quite different to the Piggy and Black stuff

Goatwhore - Angels Hung from the Arches of Heaven
Not their best, but still enough to look forward to the gig next year

[Pagan Saviour]

Jesus I thought that Greg Puciato record was cringe.

[Deranged Bear!]

Revocation - Netherheaven. Definitely my album of the year

Undeath - It's time...To rise from the grave
End It - Unpleasant Living
Trivium - In the Court of the Dragon
Arch Enemy - Deceivers
Jivebomb - Primitive Desires

Lamb of God, Clutch and Crowbar also got a few spins!

[Blizzard Beast]

Faith No More 

[Thorn]

Fuck it , Ill shoot now and put these to bed for a while. 61 2022 pick ups whittled down to these twenty, disappointed that neither Queensryche nor Darkthrone made it as two of my all time favourites, maybe next time.

1. NEGATIVE PLANE - THE PACT
   Another masterpiece from a band who seem to literally be on a different plane to most bands.

2. WATAIN - THE AGONY AND ECSTASY OF WATAIN
   Never been their biggest fan but this one was never far from the stereo all year, stellar effort.

3. VOIVOD - SYNCHRO ANARCHY
   Just the gift that keeps on giving aren't they? Feels like Planet Eaters has been stuck in my head all year.

4. SIGH - SHIKI
   I wouldn't argue with anyone who has this top of their pile, a bit calmer than usual but no less effective a headtrip.

5. BLIND GUARDIAN - THE GOD MACHINE
   Huge return to form and guitar driven Metal from these stalwarts, welcome back indeed.

6. CULT OF LUNA - THE NORTH ROAD
   This probably defines 'epic' but I'm never going to get fully on board with those vocals.

7. ELIMINATOR - ANCIENT LIGHT
   Surprise of the year for me, flying the flag for classic British Trad Metal, check it if your fed up with Maiden's meanderings.

8. EREB ALTOR - VARGTIMMEN
   Another unexpected one, first pick up by them and loved it.

9. KAMPFAR - TIl KLOVERS TAKT
   More excellent pagan black from this ever consistent crew. Hail Dolk!

10. WOLF - SHADOWLAND
    Just an all round very enjoyable HM album that stuck with me all year, not a weak track on it, always earmarked for the top ten.

11. MEGADETH - THE SICK, THE DYING AND THE DEAD
    Flawed, but when it's good it's very good. And it's Megadeth, so that's good enough for me.

12. ARTIFICIAL BRAIN - S/T
    This one was a brain melt alright but with just enough signposts and hooks to keep me coming back.. love the cover too.

13. DESTROYER666 - NEVER SURRENDER
    Wee bit on the clean sounding side for D666 but you gotta hand it to 'em... they know how to write some banging songs

14. XENTRIX - SEVEN WORDS
    Wasn't prepared for these boys finding their mojo again, big step up from the last one in all departments especially vocals.

15. DRUDKH - ALL BELONG TO THE NIGHT
    Some of the icy repetitive riffing on this brought me right back to Varg's heyday, one of their best for me.

16. EXHUMED - TO THE DEAD
    Pure dumbed down Carcass worship, gotta love it

17. AUTOPSY - MORBIDITY TRIUMPHANT
    Don't know why this hasn't fully clicked with me , vicious little fucker that it is, maybe its the unwieldy title(!). More great cover art.

18. SAXON - CARPE DIEM
    First pick up of the year from what I remember, steady is as steady goes from Biff and the boys.

19. CHEMICIDE - COMMON SENSE
    First encounter with these Costa Rican thrashers, simple, straightforward, easy to dig thrash, ticked a lot of boxes for me throughout the year.

20. EVIL INVADERS - SHATTERING REFLECTION
    Another first encounter for me, these Belgians caught me early doors with their raucous amalgam of Priest/ Exciter/ WASP, good stuff, pass the
    bourbon.
   


#Artwork of the Year goes to WORM 'Bluenothing' which would be definitely on the above list if I was including EPs.

   

[ResidentOfBok]

Stuff from this year I really liked:

Beyond Mortal Dreams - Abomination of the Flames
Autonoesis - Moon of Foul Magics
Sedimentum - Supperation Morphogenesiaque
Abyssus - Death Revival
Moon Tooth - Phototroph
Sumerlands - Dream Killer
Negative Plane - The Pact

[ochoill]

In absolutely no order whatsoever, here's a list of stuff I liked:

KEN Mode - Null
Gilla Band - Most Normal
Chat Pile - God's Country
Satyricon - Satyricon & Munch
Cave In - Heavy Pendulum
Mizmor & Thou - Myopia
Wild Rocket - Formless Abyss
The Magnapinna - Party Rumours
Elder - Innate Passage
Unyielding Love - Flesh of the Furnace
Loop - Sonacy
Sumac / Haino - Into this Juvenile Apocalypse...
Helms Alee - Keep This Be The Way
Deathspell Omega - The Long Defeat
Los Bitchos - Let the Festivities Begin
The Web of Lies - Nude With Demon
Mindforce - New Lords
Crosses - Permanent Radiant
Katie Kim - Hour of the Ox
Blut Aus Nord - Disharmonium: UA

Actual favourites are probably Magnapinna, Sumac, or Chat Pile.  There's rakes more I listened to that didn't make it on there and even more I have to check out.  Good year for music.

[mickO)))]

Absurd - Schwarze Bande
Grand Belial's Key - Kohanic Charmers
Bekëth Nexëhmü - De evigas gravrit
Crucifier - Say Your Prayers
Exhumed – To The Dead
Hate Forest – Innermost
Meshuggah - Immutable
Pharmacist - Flourishing Extremities on Unspoiled Mental Grounds
Vothana - Game Over
Vothana - Pestilence

[Trev]

Allegaeon - Damnum
Persefone - Metanoia
Disillusion - Adam
Devin Townsend - Lightwork
Blind Guardian - God Machine
Stratovarius - Survive
Imperial Triumphant - Spirit of Ecstasy
Artificial Brain - Artificial Brain
Goatwhore - Angels Hung from the Arches of Heaven

[Lurker]

What a year for metal.All itches scratched to the bone. Top 5 in order.
Unyielding love/Flesh of the furnace.Has a filthier more depraved crowd ever roamed the land. Fuckin monsters.
Aeviterne/ The ailing facade.Majestic stuff here.
Malthusian/ Times withering shadow.I'm only choosing the Malthusian side here.Top 2 played tracks this year and after succumbing to Dissolution.. live it's definitely cemented in as tune of the year.
Vacuous/ Dreams of dysphoria. More savagery.
Hath/ All that was promised.Felt like 3 weeks trying to get Hath off the list.I fairly know why they should be there but still unsure of the resistance to its place.