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Features

The Top 50 Albums of 2022 – Part 3

30: Frank Turner – FTHC

A guy who has been making fantastic music for over a decade and a half, Frank Turner also happens to be my favourite lyricist of all time. He has such a way with words, be it positive or negative he always finds the perfect ways to express his emotions. Heck, just look at ‘Haven’t been Doing so Well’ or the tear-jerking ‘A Wave Across a Bay’ to see what I mean.

This is one of the most heartfelt albums I’ve heard in years and details exactly how Frank has felt since he last spoke about his life. It’s deep, fun and hugely catchy throughout. We gave this a very deserving 8.5/10 in our review so if you like stuff on the punkier side, check this out!

Listen to: Haven’t Been Doing so Well, A Wave Across a Bay, The Gathering.

29: Oceans Ate Alaska – Disparity

Max: Oceans Ate Alaska were a band that made more exploratory music and music genres in ways that I had never encountered before. With the return of their original singer, there is so much that I love there and Chris Turners drums are phenomenal as they always have been. It’s a great metalcore album that is heavier than most and is a real return to form for a band that should be much bigger than they are.

Check out our review of the album, where we gave it and 8.5/10.

Listen to: Paradigm, Sol, Plague Speech.

28: Horizon Ignited – Towards the Dying Lands

A band that I discovered through the release of this album and New Music Mondays, and have loved them ever since. It’s another, like most on this list, that I wish I could put higher, as it deserves to be showcased as much as possible.

For just the bands second album, this was phenomenal. I’ve since been back and checked out their debut and this builds on it so well, adding fun new layers and plenty of amazing melodies. This is melodic death metal at its very best in 2022, and there are plenty of tracks on this album to prove that. We gave it a 9/10 and for clearly very good reason. Check this out, right now. Seriously, stop what you’re doing and give this a spin!

Listen to: Towards the Dying Lands, Aching Wings, Beyond Your Reach.

27: He is Legend – ENDLESS HALLWAY

It’s Alice in Chains, Gojira, Metallica and Nickelback all rolled into one. It’s fucking awesome. Having never heard of this band before, I can safely ask the question ‘what sad rock was I living under all this time?’. The band have been around for a good while now, but having checked out their older stuff, I couldn’t get into it quite as much as this. The opening four/five tracks alone are perfection for this album and blend together so many different styles perfectly. They’re heavy, fuzzy and arena-filling all rolled into one.

This got a whopping 9.5/10 from us, which it fully deserved, but I (Joe) was also the only one to check it out, so it didn’t score as high overall. Plus, it’s a little niche, I guess! But damn, if you like any of the bands mentioned above, you’ll love this!

Listen to: THE PROWLER, LIFELESS LEMONADE, RETURN TO THE GARDEN.

26: Electric Callboy – Tekkno

This album has such a strange feeling to me. I adore the singles. ‘We Got the Moves’, ‘Pump It’, ‘Spaceman’ and ‘Hurrikan’ are all some of the best tracks released in the last 18 months (and ‘Fuckboi’ was also released too). However, that’s exactly the issue. The first single off the album came out in September of 2021, a full year before the release of the album. And, said singles make up half of the album. So, honestly, I felt a little burnt out by the time the album was released, and not too many of the album tracks did much to change that. ‘Tekkno Train’ is okay, as is ‘Arrow of Love’, but the others felt a little serious and dark, contrasting strangely with the comedy singles.

We still gave it a 9/10, but that was mainly on how good the four main singles were. It’s a damn good album, but hearing it all through for the first time it’d probably come across as much better than a years worth of anticipation.

Listen to: Pump It, We Got the Moves, Hurrikan.

25: Chez Kane – Powerzone

The glammest thing I’ve heard in years, and it’s so fucking good. This is one of the best AOR albums I’ve heard in so long, and it’s going to catapult Chez to the very top of the rock world in no time at all. It’s catchy, poppy and just the right amount of rock and heavy. I’m honestly finding it hard to find words to say about this album aside for the fact that if you loved the booze soaked sunset strip sound of the 80s, the Rock of Ages tone, you’ll LOVE this. She’s already set to take over the NWOCR scene in 2023, but this deserves mainstream exposure, as it’s so damn accessible. it got another very deserving 9/10 from us!

Listen to: I Just want You, I’m Ready (For your Love), Love Gone Wild.

24: Ibaraki – Rashomon

Would it even be an end-of-the-year-best list without Matt Heafy on it? For the last two years the latest Trivium albums have ranked #1 and #2 respectively for me, and now he ends up on our list for the third straight year! Yes, Ibaraki is not quite as high as those, but that’s in part due to the death/black metal genre not appealing to me as much as metalcore, and part due to the sheer number of incredible albums this year.

However, even if you aren’t a fan of the extreme side of metal, I’d recommend checking this out. It’s not all insanely heavy, and when it gets there it feels like it’s certainly earned. Just check out ‘Ronin’ below, a plodding, slow track for the most part, but Gerard Way screams his lungs out midway through in what my be his best, most surprising vocal performance ever. It’s dark, melancolic yet wonderfully addictive to listen to, as is the rest of the album. Matt does an amazing job, but honestly the guests are the true highlights. It got a very deserving 9/10 from us!

Listen to: Ronin, Jigoku Dayu, Akumu.

23: Fit for an Autopsy – Oh What the Future Holds

Max: This album is angry and raw and there is nothing to not love about that. I have always loved the intensity of this band and their last album is still on of my favourites of all time so this really scratched the itch that I had for more.

We didn’t actually cover this one on our site at the time of release, but upon reflection it’s easily an 8.5/10!

Listen to: Pandora, In Shadows, Savages.

22: Coldrain – Nonnegative

I am absolutely gutted this didn’t make it any higher on our list. It’s so good! It was higher for a good chunk of the year, but dropped down when starting to get stuff ready for this list. That shouldn’t dull your opinion of this album at all, though, it’s amazing. From the soaring vocals to harsh screams and ch0nky riffs, it has everything you’d want from metalcore/modern nu metal and does it all perfectly. It’s only this far down because, for some reason, I haven’t listened to it as much as I feel like I should have. But damn, this thing is packed full of AMAZING tracks.

It got an 8.5/10 from us and it’s hard not to push it up to a 9 to be honest!

Listen to: Cut Me, CALLING, PARADISE (Kill the Silence).

21: Motionless in White – Scoring the End of the World

Max: So growing up, this was one of my favourite bands and I have loved seeing them get better and improve over the years and this album might well be their biggest improvement yet. There are so many fantastic things going on here that I don’t have enough time to say them all but to keep it short and sweet, the vocals destroy me in every good way and there is so much there everyone will find that they love. It got an 8.5/10 from us!

Listen to: Werewolf, Porcelain, Slaughterhouse.

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The Top 50 Albums of 2022 – Part 4

20: Stray From the Path – Euthanasia

Like Fever 333 on angrier drugs, this album is a fantastic protest from start to finish. A modern day Rage Against the Machine but with a metalcore/hardcore edge, I really loved this album, and have barely stopped listening to half of it since it was released. These guys are young, hungry and putting out a fantastic into the world, as well as playing insanely good music to accompany it. We gave it a 9/10 in our review and it’s just as good these months later. It’s packed full of great tracks, and I can see them being a massive deal in the future! Check this out if you are into heavier stuff or either if the hands mentioned above.

Listen to: Bed of Roses, III, Needful Things.

19: Northlane – Obsidian

Max: So Northlane is a band that I absolutely love and the best part of this album was the fun and the change of genres in to this almost nu-metal group with songs like Carbonized. Overall this album is just fun and there not much more that I can say. Joe gave it a very cruel 3/10 so we have compromised and bumped it up to an 8/10!

Listen to: Carbonized, Clockwork, Is This a Test?.

18: Lacrimas Profundere – How to Shroud Yourself With Night

A band that I discovered mainly by doing our reaction videos this year, I have become a little bit obsessed since! Melodic, gothic deathcore is a fantastic, rather mysterious genre for me, and this was an amazing introduction to it.

Of course Julien’s insane vocal range and prowess are the highlight, but the instrumentation behind it is also so good. Every track on this album begs to be listened to over and over and there isn’t a dud in sight. The singles are of course a massive highlight, but every album track is just as good too. We gave it 9/10 and I stand by it. It’s an amazing album and hopefully it’s the one to finally push the band into the mainstream in the West.

Listen to: A Cloak Woven of Stars, In a Lengthening Shadow, An Invisible Beginning.

17: Muse – Will of the People

This album has grown on me so much since its release. At first, after they’d put out the one, fantastic heavy single in ‘Won’t Stand Down’ I was buzzing, but the following two singles being lighter did put a bit of a dampener on it. I do like slower stuff, but I LOVE when Muse get heavy, and always feel like we’ve had enough pop music from them now. However, unlike some of their previous lighter stuff, this was so infectiously catchy and well written that I can’t not love even the weirdest of tracks from this album. Of course, the heavier tracks are great, but ‘Compliance’ and the title track are so damn catchy that I’ve grown to love it and they are massive highlights of the album. And their Halloween track is the best song Muse have put out since their Blackholes album, in my opinion.

We gave it 8.5/10 and I fully stand by that. Even if it doesn’t get bumped up any higher, this is still an amazing album and one you should all check out right now!

Listen to: You Make me Feel Like It’s Halloween, Killer Be Killed, Compliance.

16: Fit for a King – The Hell We Create

More metalcore, and this album had no right to be this good. This was the best straight metalcore album this year, and honestly one of my favourite outputs in the genre in years. It’s aggressive, heavy and hugely melodic, and pushes the sub-genre forward into a new sound almost as much as Sempiternal did back in the day.

I honestly can’t praise this album enough (as you can tell by our review). It not only made me go back and listen to their old stuff, but also listen to the early albums in the sub-genre. It rekindled a love for metalcore I didn’t know I’d let dwindle. The 9/10 we gave it is incredibly justified. For anyone who’s a fan of the genre or heavy music as a whole, thus us a must.

Listen to: Reaper, Sink Below, The Hell We Create.

15: Whiskey Myers – Tornillo

Some more country, and this time from the swaggering titans Whiskey Myers. After discovering them a few years ago at Download they have quickly become one of my favourite bands, at least from a streaming stats standpoint.

Now, I do have to admit, this wasn’t quite as good as their self-titled fifth album in 2019. But if anything that is even more a testament to how good this album is, that an album that isn’t their best is still this high. And it’s still a phenomenal album, jam packed with blues/country rock tracks from start to finish. This band are really at the very top of a very packed genre at the minute, and with albums like this they deserve to be. How they’re not at the top of the country genre as a whole already is beyond me, they deserve to be massive.

9/10 was very justified for this album, as I haven’t stopped listening to certain tracks since it’s release. I loved it.

Listen to: Feet’s, John Wayne, The Wolf.

14: Machine Head – OF KINGDOM AND CROWN

What a fantastic return to form this was. I’m a MASSIVE Machine (fuckin’) Head fan, with Through Ashes of Empires to Bloodstone and Diamonds being one of my favourite runs of albums from any band ever. However, I had not been a fan of anything the band had put out after that album… until now!

The album’s opener, ‘SLAUGHTER THE MARTYR’, is the perfect example why I love this album. It’s a 10+ minute epic with a slow, Tool-esque building intro followed by the crushing, perfect heaviness the band are typically known for. It’s epic, emotional and amazing, and it’s a perfect allegory for the rest of the album.

Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t the only or latest album on this list to not be perfect, but there is some really amazing metal in here, and reminds me of my teen years growing up with their best work. Machine Head are back with a vengence, and put out one of the best metal albums of 2022. 9/10 was fully deserved in our review.

13: The Interrupters – In The Wild

A band at the forefront of the 4th wave of ska music, The Interrupters keep going from strength to strength with each release. While I will be the first to admit this album is long and a little bloated, this is by far the most confident I have heard the band. This is a band that are writing the music they want to write, be it slower or faster, longer or shorter, and I’m fully here for it. I’m really hoping this continues to build the genre like it so sorely deserves and inspires more kids to play ska-punk. But even if not, this is a solid album that I’ve had on a lot this year.

Oh, and I’m sticking wit my 9/10 again from our review!

Listen to: Raised by Wolves, As We Live, Love Never Dies.

12: FES – With Regards from Home

A band that I only discovered last year through Overtone, but have been a little obsessed with ever since. I’ve been listening to this album for months and still cannot get over the sheer talent on display by the three of them. Their unique blend of pop rock drew me in right from the start, blending together old-school Paramore with a more math rock leaning. If you’re into the lighter stuff this one is definitely one for you, and I haven’t gotten enough of it since its release back in April. We gave it a 9/10 in our review and I stand by that today too!

Listen to: Clarinet, Sun Visor, Trial and Error.

11: Billy Talent – Crisis of Faith

Another band that are incapable of doing a bad album. I’ve been a fan of them for over a decade at this point and they are yet to disappoint. And they are one of the rare bands that can evolve their sound while still maintaining their same sound and style. The band’s sixth album picks up right where Afraid of Heights left off, and did so with all the same talent, swagger and amazing songwriting. If you’re a fan of their earlier work, or punk in general, you’ll love this. It was six long years, but well worth the wait. It definitely deserves the 9/10 we gave it!

Listen to: Reckless Paradise, Judged, Hanging Out with All the Wrong People.

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The Top Albums of 2022 – Part 2

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40: Bleed from Within – Shrine

Another heavy, aggressive slab of metalcore goodness up next. For the longest time this was in my top 10, which should say a lot about how amazing it is. The only reason it didn’t stay higher is because I’ve found myself not really listening to it much over the last couple of months, like I have others higher on this list.

However, this is an amazing album, and up there with the band’s best. It’s equal parts heavy, brutal growls, riffs and breakdowns and arena-filling melodic parts. The result is a surprisingly accessible, heavy metalcore album that wouldn’t feel out of place at the genre’s peak in the late 2000s. Having said that, this still feels like a modern album, incorporating the electronic parts that have become so prevalent in the genre seamlessly too. We gave it a 9/10 so of course it makes this list!

Listen to: Stand Down, Flesh and Stone, I Am Damnation.

39: Darko US – Oni

This is utter insanity, and it’s an amazing listen. Heavy doesn’t feel like a big enough word. Crushing, maybe, brutal, both feel like more operative words. From the insane riffs to insanely impressive drumming to some of the most downright crazy harsh vocals, everything about this screams evil. It is probably the least accessible album on this entire list, but that’s what makes it so brilliant. The sheer in-your-face brutality had me even laughing at times due to how absurd it is, and I cannot get enough. Even still, nearly three months later, I find my face screwing up every time it drops. It definitely deserves its 9/10 rating from us and it’s spot on this list. Yet again, I urge you to check this out if you like it heavy!

Listen to: Hyper Kill, Dragon Chaser, Evolving.

38: Black Lakes – For All We’ve Left Behind

An absolutely amazing debut album from another great band adopted by the NWOCR community. The bands blend of early 2000s nu/industrial metal with a modern hard rock edge is an incredible sound, and one I can see catapulting them far in the coming years. It’s like Static X meets Florence Black, and it sounds fucking awesome. And for a debut album it is mighty impressive. There isn’t a bad track on the album and the highlights are phenomenal. 8.5/10 on our review seems fitting, if even slightly too low, maybe a 9…?

Listen to: Dissident, Verity in Flames, Avarice.

37: Malevolence – Malicious Intent

What is there to say about this album that hasn’t already been said? The Sheffield massive themselves’ third album is a force to be reckoned with. It’s a heavy slab of hardcore/metalcore/groove that builds so much on their previous releases. It has a surprising level of depth, with even a slower ballad-type that I’m sure even the bands hardcore fans weren’t expecting. Don’t get me wrong, there are still plenty of heavy riffs and insane breakdowns, but it’s not all insane from start-to-finish, making it a funner, more dynamic listen.

It’s one of the best heavy albums of the year, which is why it got an 8.5/10 from us. I have to see some of this live!

Listen to: Higher Place, Salvation, On Broken Glass.

36: Mother Vulture – Mother Knows Best

One of the latest additions to this list, it only just made the cut and is in a great position for saying as much. A name that I’d heard floating around and starting to make a name in the underground scene for about a year, I hadn’t had the chance to check the band out until I covered them for New Music Mondays. Goddamn, I was missing out. These guys fit perfectly into the NWOCR scene, adding the polish and sleaze that is prevalent in the biggest bands in the genre. It’s packed full of great hard rock songs and 100% deserves the 9/10 we gave it. It’s up there with one of the best debuts I’ve heard in years, and fully deserving of this spot.

Listen to: Big Bad, Honey, Fame or Shame.

35: Carrie Underwood – Denim and Rhinestones

Hell yeah, I get to talk about more country again!

One of the biggest names in country over the late decade or so, Carrie proved with this release why she is there and has been for so long. It combines country, pop and blues rock together so effortlessly into a polished, stadium-filling 40-minutes of awesomeness. Unfortunately we didn’t cover this on the site, it came out before we started leaning into country a bit, but it easily gets an 8.5/10 from us here. Hopefully now we’ll finally get some shows over here I can finally see her…

Listen to: She Don’t Know, Hate my Heart, Crazy Angels.

34: Tallah – The Generation of Danger

This is glorious, heavy madness. Nestled within this slab of crazy riffs and harsh growls is a new nu-metal titan of a band ready to explode into the mainstream. While in previous generations they may have been deemed to weird to become major stars, I think in this day and age they are just the type of band to carry the torch for the misfits and the metalheads. It’s infectiously catchy and melodic in parts, while also having some VERY heavy elements reminiscent of metalcore or even hardcore. Every time I listen to this album I fall in love with it a little more, and cannot wait to see what they put out in the future.

A 9/10 from us made it well deserving of a place on our list!

Listen to: The Hard Reset, The Impressionist, Shaken (Not Stirred).

33: Coheed and Cambria – Vaxis II – A Window of the Waking Mind

The hardest album we’ve found to talk about this year for some reason. It’s good, clearly, as it wouldn’t make the list otherwise. But it’s Coheed, it’s going to be good. Max and I are both huge fans of the band and they put out pretty similar releases each time. So, much like us, if you’re a fan of Coheed’s back catalogue, you’ll love this too. We gave this album an 8.5/10, so it more than earns it’s place on the list!

Listen to: Comatose, Shoulders, A Disappearing Act.

32: Dorothy – Gifts From The Holy Ghost

Charlotte: We’ve waited four years for this and boy was it worth the wait. Dorothy’s Gifts From The Holy Ghost brings us heart-racing songs like ‘Black Sheep’, ‘Rest In Peace’ and ‘A Beautiful Life’ that make it clear Dorothy is entering a new era of rock anthems. Whilst we adore 28 Days In The Valley, it’s also nice to hear tracks reminiscent of the ROCKISDEAD album – proving they really can do it all.

This got a very deserving 8.5/10 from us on New Music Mondays, and it is well deserving of its spot on this list!

Listen to: Black Sheep, Rest In Piece, A Beautiful Life.

31: Slipknot – The End, So Far

If this had come out a few months earlier, it may have been a lot higher on this list. It’s growing on me slowly more and more with each listen. It’s the most experimental music they’ve ever put out, and I think it took some getting used to. Now, don’t get me wrong, tracks like ‘Adderall’ are never going to quite work for me, but there is enough great Slipknot on here that it had to make the list somewhere. Slipknot always deliver and, while this isn’t as strong and ground-breaking as some of their other releases, it’s still a new Slipknot album, so of course it’s going to be a banger.

Listen to: Yen, H377, The Chapeltown Rag.

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The Top 50 Albums of 2022 – Part 5

10: Dayseeker – Dark Sun

Max: Much like the Bad Omens album, Dark Sun is a lot of fun and there wasn’t a bad thing that I could say about this album. It should be noted that there is a lot of emotion going on through the album and that is never a bad thing. In my opinion this really made the album this good in my eyes as there was so much that I was able to connect with.

Max struggled to decide on a rating for this one when doing our review so we’ve gone for the middle ground of 9.5/10!

Listen to: Without Me, Crying While You’re Dancing, Dreamstate.

9: Palisades – Reaching Hypocritical

Joe: The last and highest ranking new-nu-metal album to make the list, and it definitely deserves such the high placement. This album came out of nowhere for me. I’d heard the band name before but had never really checked them out. This blew me away. From the heavy riffs and breakdowns to the soaring, catchy vocals, this had everything I love all rolled into one. It’s been some of my most listened to music for the latter half of the year since its release. It’s a real slab of amazing metalcore/nu metal goodness. We gave it a massive 9/10 when covering it on New Music Monday, and for very good reason!

Listen to: My Consequences, Your Misery, Better.

8: Alter Bridge – Pawns & Kings

Joe: Alter Bridge were one of my favourite bands as a teenager, much like another band a little later on this list. Much like said other band, too (more on them later), their last couple of albums haven’t inspired me. The Last Hero was okay but Walk the Sky lacked anything really memorable at all. So, after pretty decent solo releases from Myles Kennedy and Mark Tremonti over the last year or so, I was worried about another lacklustre album.

But damn, this is an amazing album. This felt like the Alter Bridge of old, the perfect blend of Blackbird and Fortress. Myles vocals and melodies were on top form and the riffs… the riffs… they were incredible. It feels like the band were on top creative form and on the same page for the first time in a while, and it most certainly paid off. Whether it’s metal or slower, more ballad-driven rock, this album knocks it out of the park with both. I gave it a 9/10 in my review for a very good reason, and I stand by that today!

Listen to: This is War, Silver Tongue, Stay.

7: Bad Omens – THE DEATH OF PIECE OF MIND

Max: This album has become super popular over the recent months and rightfully so because there is so much to love and enjoy here from the horrific screams in ‘Artificial Suicide’ to the beautiful cleans in ‘Just Pretend’ this album is a very easy listen and should be enjoyed by all.

This is another one that Max and Joe didn’t see eye to eye on, as you can tell by Joe’s review. However, Joe has officially agreed that he is old and that it is a pretty decent album all things considered. 9/10

Listen to: Nowhere to go, Like a Villain, THE DEATH OF PIECE OF MIND.

6: The New Roses – Sweet Poison

Joe: My favourite new band of the last few years, of course they were going to end up high on this list. I’ve raved about the band to anyone who’d listen since 2017, but that doesn’t mean this is a bias placement. It is a damn solid hard rock album, combining sleaze, classic and southern rock together perfectly.

From the foot-stomping hard rock tracks of the singles to the slower, ballady tracks like ‘All I Ever Needed’ and ‘True Love’, it has a bit of everything. There isn’t a bad track on this album, and I can attest to the fact that it translates somehow even better in a live setting, too. Tracks that I didn’t initially gravitate to, such as ‘The Lion in You’, have become some of my favourite tracks since seeing them at Winter Rocks Festival.

It’s very quickly become maybe my favourite album the band have put out, and that’s quite the task! I gave it a 9.5/10 in my review and I fully stand by that, though it may even be a 10!

Listen to: The Usual Suspects, Dead of Night, The Veins of This Town.

5: Zeal & Ardor – Self-Titled

Joe: What perfect chaos this album is. From folky, spiritual rock to straight up black metal, it has a bit of everything. And Manuel does it all masterfully. It’s hard not to praise it without mentioning individual songs, which I have done below, but I didn’t even manage to go into that much detail in my review, as it was for New Music Monday. However, every track on the album is special and, while I definitely have highlight tracks, there isn’t a bad one on it. The heavier or folkier the tracks the better, and ‘I Caught You’ is one of my favourite tracks of the entire year. It fully deserves the 9/10 score I gave it!

Listen to: Run, Bow, I Caught You.

4: Everette – Kings of the Dairy Queen Parking Lot – Side B

Joe: For a band that I only discovered in the summer ahead of The Long Road festival, they have become one of my favourite and most listened to bands of the year. A large part has been down to this new album, too. The duo have some of the best country songwriting skills I have heard in years, and work so well together. Whether it’s them having fun with an upbeat track or playing something slower and more emotional, they do it all with such style, swagger and polish that it’s hard not to love.

I have only fallen in love with the album since I reviewed it, and I cannot stop listening to it. Heck, there’s a reason half of it has ended up on my top 30 tracks on Spotify. There isn’t a dud on the album. I fully stand by my top marks of 10/10.

Listen to: Gonna be a Problem, Shunk as Drit, She Got That From Me.

3: Lorna Shore – Pain Remains

Max: So this is one of the highest albums on the list and rightfully so, the entire bands is doing so much throughout this album and it all just works. From the sheer emotion and pain to the filthy intensity and screams that the band is known for makes this an album that as soon as you find your footing in this genre you will absolutely love. There is definitely good reason as to why this band has become the face of deathcore for a lot of people. This got a 10/10 and rightfully so!

Listen to: Pain Remains I, II, and III, in that order.

2: Halestorm – Back From the Dead

Joe: Back from the dead indeed. Four years after the awesome Vicious, Lzzy Hale and Co. returned with their fifth album and frankly blew the doors off the place. This is another album that’s grown on me more with every listen, like just about all of their albums. There is a lot of fantastic stuff on her. I like that, unlike a lot of bands at this sort of time in their careers, Halestorm have only gotten heavier, and the result is almost groove metal.

I gave this 8.5/10 when I reviewed it and I very much stand by that! However, we have two scores on the review, one from myself and one from Charlotte, which averages out a massive… 9.25/10

Listen to: Back From the Dead, Wicked Ways, I Come First.

1: Shinedown – Planet Zero

Joe: I’ve had an up and down history with Shinedown. In my late teens they were my favourite band, with their debut through Amaryllis being perfect. However, Threat to Surviv felt flat to me, a hollow attempt to appeal to a wider audience, and ATTENTION ATTENTION put an even sourer taste in my mouth.

So, imagine my surprise and happiness that just a few years later, their new album is Overtone’s top of the entire year. It is fully, fully deserved, though. From the return to their rockier sound to the semi-concept style of the album and the amazing message behind it all, it really is a phenomenal album. It has all the hallmarks of the original style of the band yet still blends together the more pop-rock approach they’ve taken recently at times too. It’s up there with some of the very best they’ve ever released, and I’d argue maybe IS the best thing they’ve ever released. The band have somehow come into their own even more and are ready to take over the world.

After listening to this album a lot since its release, I’m bumping it up to a huge 9.5/10. Check out the full review here.

Listen to: America Burning, Dead Don’t Die, Hope.

And there we have it ladies and germs, our top 50 albums of 2022. Do you agree? Did we miss any? Either way, please feel free to let us know on our socials here.

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10 Weirdest Rock Music Videos

Though we are far removed from the music video heyday of MTV’s golden years, they still play a large part in both the style and image of an artist. Whether it’s to explain and visualise the lyrical content or have absolutely nothing in common with it, music videos help the audience relate to the artist through a whole other medium than their music. However, some videos can even become more memorable than the songs themselves due to their creepy symbolism, crazy storylines or downright wacky visuals. While of course rock is not the only home of crazy music videos, it definitely seems like it’s had more than its fair share of strange over the years. Let’s look at some, shall we?

10 – Soundgarden: Black Hole Sun

Those faces. Oh god, make it stop. While not the most disturbing video on our list by a long shot, more, Soundgarden did a wonderful job of producing an uncomfortable atmosphere throughout their 1994 single. While the opening few seconds are pleasant enough, there is an obvious strange hue over everything, making the landscape yellower and the sky a worrying red colour.

Then come some of the most unnerving smiles ever put to film, made even worse by the occasional low budget effects work extending them even larger. Add that to the sheer amount of forced eye contact with most of said faces that makes you feel like they are boring into your very soul and this is definitely one to prepare for mentally before watching. All of this is set to a typical American suburb that forms the backdrop for an impending cataclysm, how lovely. But no wonder the video is so weird when Chris Cornell has even stated on numerous occasions that the lyrics are a jumbled mess of word play with no real context or story behind them!

9 – Foo Fighters: Long Road to Ruin

While there are a multitude of incredible Foo Fighters videos to choose from, this one feels like it came at Dave Grohl’s creative peak. An on the nose rib (Or maybe more a love letter to) the cheesy hospital dramas of the 90s, it sees the band all in fancy dress yet again, though this time alongside Parks and Rec alumni Rashida Jones. Filled with all the expected overacting and silliness, it follows a mustache-sporting Grohl from daytime TV actor to rockstar before concluding with a literal car crash. This is among the best of the silly side of music, a style that Foo Fighters do so well with almost every video they make.

8 – Nivana: Heart Shaped Box

Two consecutive entries onto this list from Mr Grohl. He’s either doing something very right or very wrong! Now, where to even begin with this video. Between what one can only assume is Jesus wearing a Santa’s hat being crucified in a field of poppies, a lady dressed in a muscle suit and angel wings and even just Kurt Cobain’s odd facial expressions down the camera, this video makes you uneasy from start to finish.

However, what makes this even more disturbing is the fact that it came just three months before the singer unfortunately took his own life, giving us an insight into just how he was feeling and what was going on in his mind leading up to the devastating event. He had even dedicated the song to then wife Courtney Love and, upon hearing the lyrics, it definitely adds fuel to the conspiracy surrounding the two of them. I mean, all of that AND crows that sing, what more can you have in a creepy video!

7 – Rammstein: Sonne

Another band whose videos are becoming the stuff of legend; German industrial metal band Rammstein heaped on the weird with their 2001 single. Beginning with the band members working down in an industrial mine, it appears innocent enough. However, once they are home and sat around the dinner table an enormous version of Snow White steps through the door, and it only gets worse from there. By the end of it, it has turned far away from the kid’s movie and more like a Brother’s Grim tale, it getting to an almost sexual level in its depiction of a mistress, spanking and all.

Assumedly there is some meaning behind it; it is hard to focus on trying to see said meaning while a giant, naughty Snow White is prancing about. While it’s a fantastic song and video, it does leave you willing for it to be over by the end. Heck, the video is even age restricted, so that should say it all!

Check out our review of Rammstein’s latest album here

6 – Avatar: Colossus

The most recently released entry to our list, Swedish metal band Avatar are also no stranger to oddness. Their theatrics from their stage shows carry forward to their videos, wearing the same medieval style clothing and singer johannes eckerström keeping up his signature jester face paint. He opens the video by making a speech about the soul and free will, and it only gets stranger from there.

The band continue to backdrop the video, playing in the form of a hologram cut to every so often. The main crux of the video, however, focuses on a robot, one built in the image of a human but only from the waist up, attached to a crane to help it move. Said robot is being tasked over and over with trying to construct a mechanism within a time limit, constantly failing even after being given strange incentives. I’m sure there’s plenty of metaphors to read from this, but in terms of weird videos it’s definitely up there!

5 – Marilyn Manson: Dope Show

All controversy aside, this list wouldn’t be complete without him. While, again, there were plenty of options to choose from real name Bryan Warner, Dope Show seems to encapsulate everything his often terrifying alter-ego stands for in just a few short minutes. Manson kitted out with bright red hair, nipple-less breasts and an Action-Man crotch; being treated like an alien, captured and experimented on in a place eerily reminiscent of movies’ depictions of Area 51, this video definitely starts off odd. However, it is later on, when that same creature is then treated like a celebrity by the wider public after becoming a Manson-mirroring rock frontman that this video really takes a jump towards crazy. More metaphors and this time the visuals at least completely reflect the lyrics, but in terms of a video on its own it is certainly odd.

4 – Muse: Knights of Cydonia

Another one that is thankfully weird without being unnerving or creepy. Muse’s clear nod to the campy world of Spaghetti Westerns is six plus minutes of pure awesomeness, and something that wouldn’t look out of place in a Tarantino movie. However, while at the same time as telling the story of betrayal and saving the damsel in distress, it somehow also fits in robots, apparent time travel and a chrome clad woman riding on a unicorn. What more can you really ask for in a music video?

3 – Nine Inch Nails: Closer

Strap in kids, because here is where this list super weird. Trent Reznor is an odd but brilliant man, as demonstrated by a lot of Nine Inch Nails’ music videos. But, maybe none more so than the band’s 1994 single.  Horrible images are abundant in this one. Set in what looks like a creepy taxidermy shop there are animal skeletons and decapitated pigs’ heads and all manner of other disgusting visuals. Add that to cuts of Trent, be it in steampunk style goggles or floating and rotating in the air or even tied up and wearing some very questionable leather and you have yourself a massively disturbing music video.

Trent does such a good job of keeping it all minimalistic yet still managing to make it creepy as anything. Heck, at least the lyrics make sense with the video again in this one, as vulgar and intense as they are. Oh, and it’s another age restricted one, sorry!

2 – Avenged Sevenfold: A Little Piece of Heaven

Any video that has a censorship warning at the beginning must be a lot to take in, ey? But boy, does this video live up to that need and massively surpass it. Covering a wide range of disturbing and frankly illegal acts in surprisingly gruesome detail due to the whole video being in an animated form, it is definitely not one for the weak of heart.

Following a man’s decent into lunacy after his girlfriend rejects his marriage proposal, it soon takes a turn into the supernatural with all thing’s hell, zombies and ghosts. And, just to make things even more extreme, the lyrics follow along the storyline exactly. While a masterpiece in terms of creativity and animation (as well as song writing) this video is absolutely nuts, and really brings into question how the video ever got the green light to be made in the first place. Oh, and you also have to question the sanity of the band themselves for writing something so grotesque!

1 – Any Tool Video Ever

Okay so while putting a bands entire music video library in at number 1 maybe be a bit of a cop-out, there really is not just one video you can rank as the weirdest out all of Tool’s collection. With most featuring the creepiest animation style ever, Claymation, and the rare one or two that doesn’t still being animated in some way, there is plenty of weirdness to go around. Songs like Prison Sex, Stinkfist and Schism really turn the craziness up to 11, though, providing fans with a surreal glimpse into their often-deep lyrics and meanings.

The videos are so significant to the songs, in fact, that they are usually played while the band is playing them live at their own shows. If I did have to pick one out of all of them, however, watching those walking mouths run up and attach themselves to the protagonist’s face in the Schism video always makes my skin crawl.

And there we have it! Did we miss any? Let us know on our social medias here and keep an eye out for more lists as it’s so far looking like a biweekly thing!

Features

The Top 10 Most Underrated Guitarists

Guitarists are some of the most respected people in rock music. However, there are some that don’t get the credit they deserve. Whether it’s them being more on the unknown side or being associated with bands not universally liked, it has meant that some guitarists don’t always get the praise they should do. So, we thought we’d do a lost of ten of the most underrated guitarists of the rock world. Check it out down below and let us know if you agree!

10: Wes Boreland

Starting out with a slightly more obvious one. I have seen praise for the guy, just nowhere near as much as there should be. Yes, the riffs he writes for Limp Bizkit aren’t the most technical of things. But damn if they aren’t all great. Just have a look at the video below and tell me that this isn’t damn impressive and entertaining. And that isn’t even mentioning his solo stuff, which is just as weird but just as damn impressive. The whole band get far too much hate considering how talented each individual member is.

Check out our review of Still Sucks here

9: Kirk Hammett

I thought I’d get the most hated on guitarist out of the way early. Whether it’s him using too much wah, having to live up to Dave Mustaine or just generally being a part of the worlds most-cool-to-hate metal band, poor Kirk drew the short straw for sure. But the man is far too heavily criticised. He has written some of the best solos in metal history. From the likes of ‘The Unforgiven’, ‘Fade to Black’, ‘One’ and even more recently with stuff like ‘Judas Kiss’, all have been great. Yes, he likes to use the wah peddle a lot, but it does give him his own distinctive sound and honestly it works perfectly. While not being one of the core songwriters of the band, his contributions to the biggest band in metal are still legendary, and he deserves a lot more credit for them.

8: Myles Kennedy

Do I need to say any more than that solo in ‘Blackbird’? The rhythm guitarist of Alter Bridge often gets overshadowed by arguably one of the best guitarists of the current era in Mark Tremonti, but to sleep on Myles is a big mistake. His blues playing is off the charts and makes for a really interesting writing style when it comes to their hard rock/metal music. And he’s show plenty of versatility too, playing with Slash live at most of their shows as well as releasing two completely different solo albums. The man is insanely talented and not talked about enough when talking about great guitarists.

Check out our review of The Ides of March here

7: Mick Mars

While Motley Crue are another band that are rather unjustly hated on, it can be said that they are not nearly as talented as Metallica. However, Mars is definitely the most talented member of the glam band. I mean heck, just listen to the intro of ‘Live Wire’ and tell me he isn’t fantastic. While he isn’t hated on anywhere near as much as some of the others on this list, he simply isn’t talked about at all, which is a real shame.

6: Michael Paget

A more modern guitarist now, and one from a rather intriguing band. Exploding onto the scene in the early 2000s with some blistering riffs and solos, Bullet for my Valentine were touted as the next big thing. However, after a couple of dud albums (and a couple of great ones) they have cooled off dramatically. However, what has never changed is Page’s incredible playing. Whether it’s the punchy riffs and breakdowns of ‘Scream Aim Fire’ or ‘Knives’ or his amazing soloing on ‘Alone’, ‘Army of Noise’ or their iconic ‘Tears Don’t Fall’, the guy is a massively underappreciated technical player. If only the band hadn’t taken a hit in popularity, he may have had the respect he so sorely deserves.

Check out our review of Bullet For My Valentine here

5: Phil Demmel

Joining Machine Head after the questionable Nu-Metal days of the band was always going to be a hard thing, but to say Demmel made the most of it is a massive understatement. While 2003s Through the Ashes of Empires was already written by the time Demmel joined the band, he sure put on one hell of a performance in the studio. And from there he went to feature on a run of albums that is hard to rival in terms of quality. The praise heaped on The Blackening speaks for itself while Unto the Locust is a worthy follow-up from a songwriting perspective. Meanwhile, Bloodstone and Diamonds remains my favourite album the band have put out, a versatile, underrated gem (pun intended). And I haven’t even mentioned his early work with Vio-lence yet! A true underrated guitar god. The whole track below is a guitarist’s wet dream.

4: The Trivium Guys

Okay so a slight wildcard entry here as it’s a twofer, but it’s hard to say just the one of the Floridian metal titans. Matt Heafy and Corey Beaulieu complement each-others playing styles perfectly at this point, and Triviums albums prove that. Just go and listen to any of their last three albums, or any of their albums at all in fact, and tell me that they are not both incredible players. We all know The Crusade set them back in popularity in a lot of the fans eyes (I don’t know why, it’s a great album) so much like Bullet they are simply not as popular as they should be. But their guitar work on In The Court of the Dragon alone is some of the best I have heard, and the fact that no one is talking about it is why they make it onto this list.

Check out our review of Court of the Dragon here.

3: Dan Sugarman

The most relative newcomer on this list. He makes it so high up due to the fact that a lot of people I talk to don’t know of him. I have raved that much about Ice Nine Kills recently that I shall spare you another lecture, but their newest guitarist is VERY good. Just check out this video of him shredding to Assault and Batteries. The guy isn’t currently playing live with them but I can already tell he’ll knock it out of the park, if his studio stuff is anything to go by. Everyone go out and listen to Horrorwood now, you won’t be disappointed.

Check out our review of Welcome to Horrorwood here

2: Mick Thomson

Not even being the most appreciated guitarist in your own band must be hard. While Jim Root is a phenomenal guitarist and songwriter who definitely deserves all the praise he gets, his bandmate often gets overlooked. However, just listen to his solo on ‘Psychosocial’ or that BEAST of a riff to open ‘Surfacing’ and you will understand just how good he is. For a guy who seems to be the least appreciated out of EIGHT other band members, he is far too good to not get any credit. The video below of him recording some of the stuff for their 2008 album speaks for itself.

1: Jake Pitts

Yes, I know, but before you go hear me out. Yes, Black Veil Brides get a LOT of hate online, and for some parts rightfully so. The band are forever-pandering radio rock, trying to appeal still to this day to the disenfranchised teenagers of the world, the ones who hate mummy and daddy especially much. However, beneath all the edgy lyrics and makeup is a damn good guitarist, and one who is almost wasted in BVB. Jake and Jinx are both fantastic rhythm players, but Jake’s soloing in the likes of the video below is fantastic. It really goes to show why the band get as much hate as they do. It certainly isn’t because they write bad music. It’s a real shame because it makes the rest of the band underrated, hence why Jake is at the top of our list!

And there we have it, our list of the top ten most underrated guitarists in rock. Did we miss any? I imagine we missed a bunch and can’t wait to be told about it! You can do so on our Facebook here or our Instagram here. And do let us know if you enjoyed this list and want to see more. I enjoyed the hell out of writing and researching this and if you want more I’ll gladly make it a regular feature! Heck, I’ll even do video ones, if you really want…