01) Oceans Of Slumber, Starlight and Ash (Century Media)

Oceans of Slumber’s Starlight and Ash was my second-best record until I decided to give the album one more go. Waterworks will hit you during “Red Forest Roads.” Cammie Beverly’s vocals continue to impress and shine after each record. This group has evolved so much, and each chapter is stronger and more heartbreaking than the next. What are you waiting for if you haven’t listened to this album or given them a chance just yet? In my interview with Cammie, she explained that the group decided to write a record for them with no restrictions on trying to make everyone else happy. Doing so definitely worked out quite well.

Key Track: “Red Forest Roads”

 

Bonus) Kirk Hammett, Portals EP (Blackened) & Epica, The Alchemy Project EP (Atomic Fire)

I rarely ever write about EPs. However, this year, Metallica’s Kirk Hammett released his debut EP, Portals. I knew he was going to do something like this eventually, where he had fans listen to his horror-inspired solos during his horror collection showcase. Epica surprised us with The Alchemy Project featuring collaborations we can only dream of appearing on a full-length offering from them. Give both of these a listen in physical formats. 

Key Track: “High Plains Drifter” & “The Great Tribulation”

 

Honorable Mentions (in no particular order):

My honorable mention list is extensive, from EPs, dinosaurs to death, and everything in between. There was going to be an extensive top 75 list, but I went with this instead. There are many gems from this year, so most of these considerations are high-level contenders. Therefore, I gave each album a key track added to my 2022 favorites playlist. Enjoy!

Mariangela Demurtas, Dark Ability EP (Self) – Key Track: “City”

Massacre, Mythos EP (Nuclear Blast) – Key Track: “Behind The Serpent’s Curse”

Lamb Of God, Omens (Epic) – Key Track: “Vanishing”

The Cult, Under The Midnight Sun (Black Hill) – Key Track: “Knife Through Butterfly Heart”

Charlotte Wessels, Tales From Six Feet Under Vol. II (Napalm) – Key Track: “Against All Odds” 

Slipknot, The End, So Far (Roadrunner) – Key Track: “The Dying Song (Time To Sing)

Machine Head, Of Kingdom And Crown (Nuclear Blast/Imperium) – Key Track: “Slaughter The Martyr”

Karl Sanders, Saurian Apocalypse (Napalm) – Key Track: “No Creature More Deserving of Cataclysmic Annihilation”

Ardours, Anatomy Of A Moment (Frontiers) – Key Track: “Chasing Whispers”

Edenbridge, Shangri-La (AFM) – Key Track: “At First Light”

Raven, Leave ‘Em Bleeding (SPV/Steamhammer) – Key Track: “Metal City”

Avatarium, Death, Where is Your Sting? – Key Track: “Death, Where Is Your Sting”

Allen/Olzon, Army Of Dreamers (Frontiers) – Key Track: “All Alone”

Venom Inc., There’s Only Black (Nuclear Blast) – Key Track: “Don’t Feed Me Your Lies”

Lorna Shore, Pain Remains (Century Media) – Key Track: Pain Remains Trilogy

Incantation, Tricennial Of Blasphemy (Relapse) – Key Track: “Ethereal Misery”

Wilderun, Epigone (Century Media) – Key Track: “Identifier”

Trollfest, Flamingo Overlord (Napalm) – Key Track: “Dance Like a Pink Flamingo”

Saxon, Carpe Diem (Silver Lining) – Key Track: “Carpe Diem (Seize the Day)”

Wind Rose, Warfront (Napalm) – Key Track: “Together We Rise”

Persefone, Metanoia (Napalm) – Key Track: “Consciousness (pt.3)”

GWAR, The New Dark Ages (Pit) – Key Track: “The Beast Will Eat Itself”

Satan, Earth Infernal (Metal Blade) – Key Track: “Burning Portrait” 

HammerFall, Hammer Of Dawn (Napalm) – Key Track: “Brotherhood”

Saor, Origins (Season Of Mist) – Key Track: “The Ancient Ones”

Jungle Rot, A Call To Arms (Unique Leader) – Key Track: “Haunting Future”

Vorga, Striving Toward Oblivion (Transcending Obscurity) – Key Track: “Starless Sky”

Candlemass, Sweet Evil Sun (Napalm) – Key Track: “When Death Sighs”

Brymir, Voices In The Sky (Napalm) – Key Track: “Rift Between Us”

Darkthrone, Astral Fortress (Peaceville) – Key Track: “Caravan of Broken Ghosts”

Grave Digger, Symbol Of Eternity (Rock Of Angels) – Key Track: “Battle Cry”

Stryper, The Final Battle (Frontiers) – Key Track: “See No Evil, Hear No Evil”

Psycroptic, Divine Council (Prosthetic) – Key Track: “This Shadowed World”

Queensryche, Digital Noise Alliance (Century Media) – Key Track: “Lost In Sorrow”

Die Apokalyptischen Reiter, Wilde Kinder (Nuclear Blast) – Key Track: “Wilde Kinder”

Haunted Shores, Void (3Dot) – Key Track: “OnlyFangs”

Abbath, Dread Reaver (Season Of Mist) – Key Track: “Dream Cull”

Konvent, Call Down The Sun (Napalm) – Key Track: “Grains”

Manegarm, Ynglingaättens Öde (Napalm) – Key Track: “Freyrs blod”

Black Lava, Soul Furnace (Season of Mist) – Key Track: “Eye of the Moon”

Exhumed, To The Dead (Relapse) – Key Track: “Putrescine and Cadaverine”

Immolation, Acts Of God (Nuclear Blast) – Key Track: “The Age of No Light”

Glasya, Attarghan (Scarlet) – Key Track: “Battle for Trust”

Orden Ogan, Final Days (AFM) – Key Track: “Let the Fire Rain”

Russian Circles, Gnosis (Sargent House) – Key Track: “Conduit”

Ibaraki, Rashomon (Nuclear Blast) – Key Track: “Susanoo No Mikoto”

Destruction, Diabolical (Napalm) – Key Track: “No Faith in Humanity”

Visions Of Atlantis, Pirates (Napalm) – Key Track: “Pirates Will Return”

Dynazty, Final Advent (AFM) – Key Track: “Power of Will”

Sabaton, The War To End All Wars (Nuclear Blast) – Key Track: “The Unkillable Soldier”

Civil War, Invaders (Napalm) – Key Track: “Oblivion”

Victorius, Dinosaur Warfare Pt. 2 – The Great Ninja War (Napalm) – Key Track: “Dinos and Dragons”

Obsidious, Iconic (Season of Mist) – Key Track: “Sense of Lust”

Evergrey, A Heartless Portrait (The Orphean Testament) (Napalm) – Key Track: “Call out the Dark”

Aethereus, Leiden (The Artisan Era) – Key Track: “Upon Infinite Seas”

Astronoid, Radiant Bloom (3DOT) – Key Track: “Eyes”

Kreator, Hate Uber Alles (Nuclear Blast) – Key Track: “Hate Uber Alles”