DDD's 2022 picks
Hello there! I liked almost everything I put my ears on this year. You know...life is good, and when it doesn't (cause it didn't) we still have (noisy) music. #1 is fived. #2 to #13 are 4.5's. |
| 1 |  | Artificial Brain
Artificial Brain
Progressive BDM, Avant Garde
Unsurprisingly amazing. See you on Afterbirth Will Smith - The Prince of Belle Gurgles. The GOAT Brain will go on hopefully. |
| 2 |  | Wormrot
Hiss
(Post)Grindcore XD
This shit rules. Honestly shake things up, and I set them high, together with with PD and FoH. They play fast. Cool atmosphere, narrative and what? Are these emotions I feel? In grindcore? |
| 3 |  | Mizmor and Thou
Myopia
Doom, Sludge, BM
It simply takes the best from both sides. Gets better every spin. Thick and grungy with an awesome grandious ending and all. Subordinate to it. |
| 4 |  | Imperial Triumphant
Spirit of Ecstasy
Experimental, Avant Garde BM
We all knew Kenny G was the GOAT. Glad they're getting along (?) I mean wtf...band is on a streak of an awesome triology. |
| 5 |  | Conjurer (UK)
Pathos
Post, Prog, Sludge, bdm
Yeah the metalcore tag would fit if this wasn't so dense. How they keep it cohesive and still make it to be this emotional and pure/genuine is beyond my reach and rare as fuck nowdays. Stay tuned on Conjurer mates! |
| 6 |  | Cult of Luna
The Long Road North
Post Metal
Can't you stop hitting us with post metal masterpieces? Yeah please don't. |
| 7 |  | Faceless Burial
At The Foothills Of Deliration
Proggy old school Death Metal
Yes it slays and it progs. Don't @. Old School single pedal death metal, spiced with some sweet Masto influences. |
| 8 |  | Ripped to Shreds
劇變 (Jubian)
Deathgrind
Impressive how memorable and dynamic it is. They even managed to put a 10 minute track (In Solitude) with a doom finale a la Hooded Menace. Also the solos are super cool! |
| 9 |  | Cloud Rat
Threshold
Grindcore
Definitely a fantastic year for grindcore (with sauce). Sometimes in the vein of Hiss, with great emotional value, even if not as fast. |
| 10 |  | Ashenspire
Hostile Architecture
Avant Garde, experimental, bm
If I have to explain how it sounds it has the kind of experimentalism like Imperial Triumphant and vocals much like Chat Pile. A dude complaining in style, on top of heavy drums, riffs, violins and sax. Love it. |
| 11 |  | Esoctrilihum
Consecration of the Spiritus Flesh
BM
Ouch...stop...ei! Cmooom...pleeeease stooop m/m/m/ for real now, probably the most violent and evil release from 2022. |
| 12 |  | Blut Aus Nord
Disharmonium - Undreamable Abysses
Atmospheric Black Metal
I am also a big Hallucinogen fan, but boy isn't this one bad bad boy? I partake the idea of this being the back mirror for Hallucinogen. |
| 13 |  | Birds in Row
Gris Klein
Post hardcore
My fave post hxc of the year and a huge step up from the previous one, imo. |
| 14 |  | No Devotion
No Oblivion
Post Punk
One of my most listened albums of the year and my first non-metal entry on this list. |
| 15 |  | Rolo Tomassi
Where Myth Becomes Memory
Post Hardcore
Less highs then Time Will Die. More consistent. |
| 16 |  | Billy Woods
Aethiopes
HipHop, Experimental
Once every 10 years I check an hiphop album. Guess I was lucky with this one. Its amazing with still room to grow. |
| 17 |  | Gospel
The Loser
Post metal, mathcore
Mathy proggy skramz show off in a massive comeback. |
| 18 |  | Ghost (SWE)
Impera
Pop Hard Rock
Listen up, you motherfuckers, I m number one you re number two...these lyrics are so shitty they will grab you by the hullaaaas! I actually like Twenties riffs lol it was funny how "they" try to memme the record but failed. |
| 19 |  | Cave In
Heavy Pendulum
Alt Rock
Another one really solid with heavy rotation since I can jam it in front of others... |
| 20 |  | Knoll
Metempiric
Grindcore, Death Metal
Speaking of accessible...lol not...If you want Trumpeting Ecstasy 2.0, go for it. Grind, sludge, industrial and doom. Tracks barely over 3 min, with the exception of the closer, (8min) with a fantastic and clearing vocal performance. |
| 21 |  | Misthyrming
Með hamri
Black Metal
A little late in the year for a propper growth, but in a couple of listens you can tell they're crafting at the highest caliber. Cold af BM! |
| 22 |  | Dream Unending
Song of Salvation
Doom Death
An authentic and epic dreamy Death Doom bath. Production is amazing, fantastic lead work and collabs that actually add variety to the output and novelty to the genre. Two monolithic tracks at the bookends. |
| 23 |  | Krallice
Crystalline Exhaustion
Prog, BM
Their best is Demonic Wealth with a rollercoaster of events. This is a solid and steady experience, and it ends with an amazing outworldly closer, that kinda burns everything around to ashes in hope. |
| 24 |  | Norma Jean
Deathrattle Sing for Me
Post Metalcore
When I thought they were out of my game with DjentHail, they offered a really cool and dynamic release. |
| 25 |  | Undeath
It's Time...To Rise From the Grave
Death Metal
Hope they keep crushing skulls every 2 years m/ hope they remain as solid as fun. |
| 26 |  | Cosmic Putrefaction
Crepuscular Dirge for the Blessed Ones
Prog Death Metal
Being the previous on the atmospheric side (as far as I remember lol), I would never thought this dude would come up with such hooks on here m/ awesome stuff. |
| 27 |  | An Abstract Illusion
Woe
Progressive Melodeath
By keeping it dynamic and "simple" they just topped Lorna, Kardashev and Warfoged latest ones for me. Actually tracks like Slaves or In Heavens Above go from 4.5 to 5 imo. |
| 28 |  | Darkthrone
Astral Fortress
BM, Black&Roll
Icy bm. Culto and Fenriz are on a cool streak. The silly cover was set on my cellphone background for weeks XD |
| 29 |  | Watain
The Agony and Ecstasy of Watain
BM
It seemed unwelcomed, yet I find the slight gothic twist in the writing kinda refreshing in their normal sound. |
| 30 |  | Conan
Evidence of Immortality
Doom Sludge
Fuzzy and Heavy. As we expect. |
| 31 |  | Hallas
Isle of Wisdom
Progressive Rock
This is their least catchy. Also their proggiest. Probably the most retro band in activity. Probably the worst cover from this list. |
| 32 |  | Blood Incantation
Timewave Zero
Ambient....................dm
Yeah...fuck you...I like Blade Runner. |
| 33 |  | Meshuggah
Immutable
Progressive Metal
They won't change. Why should though? |
| 34 |  | Aeviterne
The Ailing Facade
Death Metal, Post Metal |
| 35 |  | Gaerea
Mirage
Black Metal, Death Metal
Maybe because they're countrymen it took me longer than usual to understand this slays. |
| 36 |  | White Ward
False Light
Black Metal, Experimental
Lighty BM with awesome and fitted jazzy inputs. |
| 37 |  | Chat Pile
God's Country
Noise Rock, Sludge
An ugly piece of shit. I like it. |
| 38 |  | Greyhaven
This Bright and Beautiful World
Post Hxc
Much like Rolo's, they lost some highs/novelty yet remain a very solid listen. |
| 39 |  | Weyes Blood
And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow
Indie pop, folk
She got me with Titanic Rising. And I don't let her go. Grapevine is quite a jam. |
| 40 |  | thoughtcrimes
Altered Pasts
Post Hardcore
Similar Bands: The Dillinger Escape Plan, Every Time I Die, Azusa, Glassjaw, Deftones. And that's about it ;) |
| 41 |  | Elder (USA-MA)
Innate Passage
Progressive Rock, Stoner
Band keeps delivering and improved from the previous one. Maybe one day they match Lore's perfection again. |
| 42 |  | King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard
Omnium Gatherum
Prog Rock and everything really
I give up keeping up with them. This one is really good and covers a lot of KGLW ground. |
| 43 |  | Arctic Monkeys
The Car
Post rock, Indie
Smooth and improved take after Casino. |
| 44 |  | He Is Legend
Endless Hallway
Post Hardcore
Ouch, so they came hevy this time m/ |
| 45 |  | Psychonaut
Violate Consensus Reality
Progressive Metal
Saw them live this year and they're awesome dudes. Good to know they still got it and the debut was not beginner's luck. |
| 46 |  | Motorpsycho
Ancient Astronauts
Progressive Rock
Probably the most consistent band out there. They're also putting one out per year. Jeez! |
| 47 |  | Telekinetic Yeti
Primordial
Stoner Rock, Doom
The fuzz is stoner, and as real as it gets. Vocals are troy sanders af but always afar in the back (in a cool way). Great stuff to get stoned to. |
| 48 |  | Ott
Heads
Electronic, Chill out
6 years in the making! Heard the dude just wanted to take this out at some point. Great job drenched in Ott immediately recognizable ID. Ott is great for sunny relaxing days. |
| 49 |  | Thos Aella
Sempiternal Mobocracies
Prog Blackened Thrash
Really awesome (don't listen through stream apps - bandcamp is better). Really nasty riffs but with a cool heavy metal flirt. |
| 50 |  | Dream Widow
Dream Widow
Thrash Metal
Eheh best foo fighters in ages! |
| 51 |  | Crowbar
Zero And Below
Sludge Metal |
| 52 |  | Wiegedood
There's Always Blood at the End of the Road
Black Metal |
| 53 |  | Esoctrilihum
Saopth's
Black Metal
2 awesome ones in one year? Why? |
| 54 |  | Acausal Intrusion
Seeping Evocation
BDM |
| 55 |  | Triumvir Foul
Onslaught to Seraphim
BDM |
| 56 |  | Acid Witch
Rot Among Us
Stoner Doom
It stinks and riffs. |
| 57 |  | Ezra Collective
Where I'm Meant to Be
Jazz Fusion
Tks dedex for this vibe and the Smile cover. |
| 58 |  | Crosses
permanent.radiant
Eletronic, post rock
EP
Great ep from Chino's project. |
| 59 |  | Emma Ruth Rundle
Orpheus Looking Back
Indie
EP
3 very solid folk tracks. They also sound very distinct from each other, and also have nothing to do with Engine of Hell, besides being stripped out. |
| 60 |  | Johnny Booth
Storyteller
Post Hardcore
EP
Entertaining while we wait for the LP. Last track is a QUOTSA cover. |
| 61 |  | Absent In Body
Plague God
Post Metal
EP
Cavalera going all post and industrial, with features of vocal fella from Amenra. Btw theat track is amazing - The Acres/The Ache. |
| 62 |  | Vital Spirit
Still as the Night, Cold as the Wind
Black Metal, Folk
4.5
Raw trve bm with western folk inspired by Enio Morricone. Riffs pretty hard and still offers a lot of dynamic. So 4.5ing this! Debut of the year! |
| 63 |  | Phobophilic
Enveloping Absurdity
Death Metal
4
Big dm jam. Found after the list was made but it deserves to go up. |
| 64 |  | Blackbraid
Blackbraid I
Black Metal
4
Started skeptic, but this is really varied in pace and vocals. Great debut. Don't see any particular indian native american passages per se. The acoustic pieces fit really nice. Pretty satisfying bm overall. Expected some gimmickery but its not. |
| 65 |  | Temple Guard
Spear of the Revenant
Metal, Hardcore
4
Thickest hxc for fans of bands like Cult Leader, or Knocked Loose, full of mean af hooks and still inventive riffs, double vocals and some voice samples, to keep it informative. Amazing debut. |
| 66 |  | Jade
The Pacification Of Death
Blackened Doom
4
Riffs are weirdly BM af. DeathDoom growls emerge from depths, right next to a very unique vocal shouting. Its never as complex as you'd expect prog dm would be, and by keeping it simple and entrancing makes it a very peculiar listen. Fave track is Silk Ransoms and Saddest Night. |
| 67 |  | Revocation
Netherheaven
Prog DM
4.5
Just the perfect dose of brutallity and technicallity, and kinda fresh and tight (just prog enough) songwriting. Totally stoked with this, maybe unlike many that seem a little tired of so called formula I haven't figured out yet. Not to mention the perfect production. |
| 68 |  | Morgue Supplier
Inevitability
Deathgrind
4
Nasty and experimental deathgrind with a massive cover art and programmed drums to fuck you up. |
| 69 |  | Scarcity
Aveilut
Experimental BM
4
As if Altar of Plagues experimentalism met Lord Mantis' filthyness. Highly atmospheric release. |
| 70 |  | Abduction (UK)
Black Blood
Black Metal
4
Really cool bm, with mid tempo bits and weird creepy atmosphere. |
| 71 |  | The Antichrist Imperium
Volume III: Satan In His Original Glory
Progressive BDM
4.5
Or deathened balck metal? How did I miss this in 2022? Blasphemy! I'm sorry for the "blood" sucking bats cover art but this album is superb! |
| 72 |  | Warhaus
Ha Ha Heartbreak
Jazzed Indie Rock
4
So fresh...just found out in 2023 and I'm surprised Sput hanven't covered itn yet. It's indie, jazzy disco or whatever, super experimental but with thick songwriting. Check this out. |
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