Distorted Sound’s Top 20 Albums of 2022
Ah 2022, the year where our musical world came back with a vengeance. With the last of COVID-enforced restrictions and protocols ending, and mandatory quarantines for international arrives over, the UK finally welcomed back our friends from overseas. And despite the ongoing calamity with the cost of living crisis, internal implosions at Westminster and anxieties over war in Europe, 2022 has seen our world return to (almost) a sense of normality. Quality releases came relentlessly throughout the year (largely down to delays caused from the height of the pandemic), full international tours hitting our shores, and the first proper festival season for three years: 2022 has had its brilliant moments. As such, the task of whittling down all the sublime releases to just 20 twenty records was one of herculean effort. After much deliberation and debate, the results are in. This is Distorted Sound‘s Top 20 albums of 2022.
Belgian trio BRUTUS make genre-smashing sound easy, and with third album Unison Life, they’ve continued to evolve their sound at both ends of the spectrum. The lighter moments are even more uplifting or serene, while the heavier moments get even more cathartic. Their lightning-in-a-bottle fusion of post-rock, punk, shoegaze and post-metal (to name a few) is scintillating and wondrously compelling. Miles Away opens with swelling synth and soft vocals, while Liar is a self-castigating tirade about the dangers of lies, no matter how small, while the closing combo of Dreamlife and Desert Rain showcases BRUTUS at their bruised, emotionally raw best.
19. Shrine – BLEED FROM WITHIN
It’s no surprise that BLEED FROM WITHIN have managed to steadily expand in both their sound and general notoriety for the past couple of years. With their sixth record Shrine, they continued further to welcome back fans and open themselves up to further new listeners with new flourishes to their sound. It would have been easy to follow suit with their previous body of work, or to push into the stereotypes of masses of metalcore bands, but they instead chose to be somewhat experiment. The addition of songs like Flesh And Stone, which plays with blastbeats that feel like new territory for BLEED FROM WITHIN, or the atmospheric sing along of Paradise, there’s clearly a push into spaces musically that they’ve never been before. The idea that you can hear the influence of ARCHITECTS on Levitate and LAMB OF GOD on Stand Down through Shrine, it’s more than clear that there are some new staple songs for fans of every inflection of metalcore on this record. High points like Temple Of Lunacy and Sovereign, the album has such repeat value for new listeners, and is a really rewarding new chapter to see as a long time listener.
ALEXISONFIRE could’ve spent the rest of their days blissfully playing the hits at festivals and no one would’ve batted an eyelid. But rather than rest on their laurels any longer, the post-hardcore pioneers put out their first album in 13 years – and once again shaped the sound of the genre to come. Drawn from demos dating back to 2009’s Old Crows/Young Cardinals sessions, Otherness stretches their post-hardcore into stadium-sized shoegaze. Committed To The Con kicks you in the head with it’s post-hardcore punch whilst Sans Soleil soothes your headache. Elsewhere, they lean into guitarist Wade McNeil’s DOOMS CHILDREN psychedelics on Sweet Dreams Of Otherness, and slides off into prog-rock oblivion with eight-minute epic World Stops Turning. It’s rare returning bands make records that fit right next to their back catalogue, but ALEXISONFIRE well and truly break the mould with Otherness.
What a year it’s been for heavy music when Liminal Rite has only just clipped into the top twenty. With their debut EP already putting them in a league of their own, KARDASHEV left everyone desperate for a full-length release. Finally, it arrived, and they’ve obliterated the realms of emotionally visceral music with their fresh take on shoegaze combined with death and black metal, ambience and post-metal with this year’s Liminal Rite.
The entire record has melancholy nostalgia that it explores in a rich variety of ways, from cinematic opener The Approaching Of Atonement right to gargantuan Beyond The Passage Of Embers. Liminal Rite manages to deftly play with blackened vocals, poetic spoken word and death metal roars without ever feeling bloated. On the contrary, there’s room for everything to breath, with the blast beats and soaring post-metal ambience and black metal riffing all seamlessly interweaving. Masterfully narrating through both lyrical performance and hugely inspiring instrumentation, the record is bleak and beautiful in equal measure. With air of cold and yearning through each song, Liminal Rite is genuinely compelling in all aspects, solidifying KARDASHEV as the pinnacle deathgaze.
It’s no secret that Australia has taken over prime real estate in the world’s pop-punk monopoly. On F.E.A.R., STAND ATLANTIC stake their claim for the throne whilst plotting world domination. For an album made as a last-ditch attempt at saving their band as vocalist Bonnie Fraser spiralled, F.E.A.R. shoots straight out of the gate, serving up a cocktail of sweet synth-pop and bitter alt-rock before slinging out pop-rap, hardcore punk, and glitch-pop shots for you to sing-along to. From long-distance relationships spread across continents to being taught homophobia in her Christian school; from ripping off porno’s to cutting their ears off a la Van Gogh, STAND ATLANTIC leave no stone unturned. As soon as Doomsday explodes into action, F.E.A.R. takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions in a carnival of futuristic pop-punk. This is the sound of a genre’s future arriving today.
15. Celebrity Therapist – THE CALLOUS DAOBOYS
THE CALLOUS DAOBOYS attracted some hefty comparisons with their excellent 2019 debut Die On Mars, but it’s the Atlantan septet’s unwavering commitment to being completely themselves that sees them step into a world of their own on Celebrity Therapist. From violent mathcore to delicate jazz, THE CALLOUS DAOBOYS throw their full weight behind every idea they have for an album that stuns not only because it never fails to surprise, but also because it hides an unforgettable hook around every corner. It all culminates in the triumphant Star Baby – a sax-laden sing-along that leaves the last of the record’s many indelible marks.
After the divisive and polarising Undying Light in 2019, FALLUJAH had a point to prove and Empyrean is not only the strongest record in the catalogue to date, it’s always one of the finest tech death records of the year. Recapturing the magic of their blistering riffage with the gorgeous atmospherics akin to The Flesh Prevails and Dreamless, and with enough forward thinking ideas to showcase the band’s next chapter, Emyprean is astonishing. From the endless guitar trickery from band mastermind Scott Carstairs (the shred on Into The Eventide is simply jaw-dropping) to a consistently impressive display from new vocalist Kyle Schaefer, with Radiant Ascension and Soulbreaker being two standouts, FALLUJAH have presented a scorching return to form with Empyrean.
What happens when you create a concept album set in the distant future about an alien being held captive for 25 years, finally breaking of her oppressors and exacting revenge? For VUKOVI vocalist Janine Shilstone, NULA is the answer – and it sounds a world away from what you’d expect. A powerful statement of strength told through 13 tracks of aggressive electro-rock, this album takes you on a journey through the trials and tribulations of a modern woman trying to navigate the world around her after a period of great change, it’s voice finally pushing VUKOVI to the forefront of becoming Scotland’s brightest stars.
12. Days Of The Lost – THE HALO EFFECT
Supergroups can sometimes be a last ditch resort to hang on to the glory of yesteryear but when your band consists of members that assisted in revolutionising the genre of melodic death metal you know you’re in safe hands. Days Of The Lost sounds as nostalgically comforting as it is modern and contemporary. The copious dual guitarwork is a joy to behold and Mikael Stanne proves once again why he is one of the most highly regarded vocalists in the game.
11. The Death Of Peace Of Mind – BAD OMENS
A bumper-sized masterclass in atmospheric metal, BAD OMENS used the time that everybody else in the world took as a break to completely overhaul their entire DNA; stripping their musical process right back to its bare bones, using mostly household items to create the unique soundscape backdrop for which Noah Sebastian’s haunting vocals portray tales of an angry, exhausted broken heart. It’s a personal risk which has paid off tenfold for them, between a string of sold-out tours and recently finding a larger audience for an album which was released back in February thanks to TikTok, The Death Of Peace Of Mind feels like the birth of greater success for these men in the future.
Never known to take the easy or safe route, ELECTRIC CALLBOY have only continued to grow throughout the entirety of their career so far and show absolutely no signs of slowing down anytime soon. TEKKNO is a stratospheric leap forward in every way, and a truly monumental representation of everything this band stands for – music for those brave enough to do things their own unique way and stray from the pack, a total breather of positive escapism whilst staying rooted in the hallmarks which continue to connect them to so many, and a very sincere reminder not to always take life too seriously – Viva La ELTON JOHN.
Death metallers VENOM PRISON have consistently reimagined themselves throughout their career, and with third album Erebos they metamorphosed once more from furiously unhinged technical death metal to a grooving, progressive-tinged beast of modern metal. It’s not as full-bore as before, though; Pain Of Oizys shows a surprising melodicism with the appearance of piano and clean vocals before they once more bring the hammer down. Raging against injustices from the appalling treatment of refugees to the criminal justice system, VENOM PRISON have taken the last few years of enforced downtime to expand their sonic palette and redefine themselves with resounding results.
8. Rakshak – BLOODYWOOD
Metal is very much a global affair in 2022 with quality bands emerging from all nooks and crannies of the planet and New Delhi’s BLOODYWOOD are living, breathing fact that heavy music can emerge from anywhere. Despite originating as a parody band when forming six years ago, 2022 saw the Indian metallers unleash their debut album of original material Rakshak and it’s a record in which firmly establishes the band in the subconscious of many heavy music enthusiasts. Fusing traditional Indian instrumentation with the unadulterated ferocity of nu-metal, Rakshak is a wild ride. Opener Gaddaar is a wild statement of intent and has cemented itself as an anthem for the ages whilst the likes of Aaj and Endurant showcase the vast range of talent and influences at their disposal. Naysayers might brandish BLOODYWOOD with the gimmick tag, but Rakshak is a unique listen and one that showcases metal’s continuing expanding sphere of influence.
7. Vaxis II: A Window To The Waking Mind – COHEED & CAMBRIA
Few bands bring out a masterpiece 27 years and 10 albums in, yet on Vaxis II: A Window To The Waking Mind, progressive metal’s answer to the marvel cinematic universe – that’s COHEED & CAMBRIA – have delivered their definitive album. The fifth story in the Amory Wars tells the tale of Vaxis, their Thanos, through tear-jerking ballads (Blood), arena-sized synth-pop bangers (A Disappearing Act), and prog-rock odyssey’s (Rise, Nainasha). If you’ve ever wanted to binge-listen an album like you do Netflix shows, Vaxis II is the comfort show you need.
6. The Long Road North – CULT OF LUNA
Post-metal is a bold, exploratory genre and CULT OF LUNA are the boldest, most expansive of the lot. Ninth album The Long Road North is the culmination of the latest leg of their arduous, apocalyptically heavy journey. The opening ‘BWAHM’ of Cold Burn is pure Hans Zimmer cinema, a blaring alarm call that heralds the coming storm. An Offering To The Wild brings in Hereditary composer Colin Stetson, while Beyond I and Beyond II are two halves of a counterpointed whole. It’s CULT OF LUNA exactly as we know them; expansive, layered music that’s redolent with emotion and sheer tonal weight.
5. Euthanasia – STRAY FROM THE PATH
The New Yorkers have built a reputation for putting the corrupt and the lawless under the spotlight (lets face it, they’ve not been short of inspiration lately!) with their raucous hardcore stylings over the years. Euthanasia is as vicious and as scathing as they come. From caustic vocal assaults to jarring instrumentation, STRAY FROM THE PATH have channelled every ounce of that disgust and aggression towards mankind into this release and created the perfect soundtrack to a world which is hellbent on self-destruction.
Exploding to viral stardom can make or break a band. Is it a flash in the pan or is the first sign of something truly special? For LORNA SHORE, following their explosive breakout with To The Hellfire last year, that showcased the demonic range of new frontman Will Ramos, and subsequent EP …And I Return To Nothingness, anticipation for a full-length record was at fever pitch for extreme music enthusiasts. And it did not disappoint when Pain Remains arrived in October. Balancing the bludgeoning deathcore with the swirling symphonics to perfection, in particular the monumental Pain Remains trilogy in the record’s latter stages, LORNA SHORE not only rode the wave of hype, they’ve cemented themselves at the precipice of the resurging deathcore scene.
Considering we had CONJURER‘s debut at number three in our albums of the year for 2018, and number six in our albums of the decade the year after that, it’s no exaggeration to say that Páthos was the most anticipated record of the year for many of us here at Distorted Sound. Not that there was ever much doubt it would be excellent mind; in the years since Mire‘s release the UK metallers have launched quite the campaign for world domination, with the forced stop of the pandemic likely the only reason this album arrived when it did.
Still though, the band had to deliver, and deliver they have. Where some would’ve rehashed their debut into some kind of diminished returns sequel, CONJURER have nailed their sophomore effort by gathering up all the stuff they threw at the wall last time around and imbuing it with fresh levels of atmosphere, emotion and dread. Doom, sludge, black metal, post-metal, prog, hardcore – the band remain masters of it all, and they even find room for a little more beauty in tracks like All You Will Remember and Cracks In The Pyre for a work of striking juxtaposition and even more staggering quality.
There’s never been much denying ITHACA‘s sense of self-confidence – bravado even – so it was no great surprise when they titled their sophomore effort They Fear Us. Of course, they had every right to back themselves; picking up every ounce of promise shown on 2019’s The Language Of Injury and throwing it into a fresh melting pot of searing hardcore, hulking groove metal, sparkling blackgaze, progressive rock and even full-blown R&B in closer Hold, Be Held, the five-piece have produced a record that could and should go on to define all that metalcore can be in the 2020s.
Of the album’s many surprises, easily the most impressive is vocalist Djamila Boden Azzouz‘s significantly increased use of cleans. These bring out the different extremes of the band’s sound on a whole new level, the album housing just as many soaring melodies and startling moments of delicacy as it does crushing breakdowns and swaggering mosh calls. Also key is the band’s renewed perspective – a proud focus on self-love and inner strength in place of the kill the world ferocity of their debut, and an emphatic encouragement to others to pursue the same. Fear them we absolutely should.
1. Malicious Intent – MALEVOLENCE
The establishment of MALEVOLENCE as one of the UK’s finest metal bands has been a long time coming. A firm favourite in underground circles, thanks to a fierce live reputation and solid records in the form of 2013’s Reign Of Suffering and 2017’s Self Supremacy, it was 2020’s EP The Other Side and a jaw-dropping display at Bloodstock last year, that set the mob from the Steel City on their way to dominance. With third album Malicious Intent, MALEVOLENCE not only matched their lofty standards, they exceeded them with the utmost conviction.
From the moment the title track erupts, you feel the urge to strap yourself in to experience a wild aural ride. And the record keeps on delivering. A one-two punch of Life Sentence and On Broken Glass is the perfect injection of adrenaline, Karma packs a punch with the weight of a sledgehammer, Still Waters Run Deep showcases the band’s admiration for NOLA-esque grooves with aplomb and then there’s Higher Place. Continuing to showcase the band’s softer edge we first glimpsed with The Other Side, Higher Place is emotional, moving and hugely powerful; everything a modern metal ballad aspires to. MALEVOLENCE have been on course to explode into the stratosphere for some time, and with their third album, they have made 2022 their year.
Words: James Weaver, Ellis Heasley, Jack Press, Laura McCarthy, Chelsea Cochrane, Dan McHugh, Will Marshall
And that rounds off our Top 20 Albums of 2022! What made your list? Let us know in the comments below!
Well, this is the list of completely dull releases. Current state of music i guess. You couldnt tell which band is playing on the blind test. Lack of originality is astonishing. Everything was done to death before. Sad.