We’re back! Now that the holidays are done with and out of the way, bands are starting to put out music again, and we have a whole new 12 months to look at! And for some reason, though there aren’t many releases in this first week of the year, it’s quite a punky one! Let’s check it out!
Iggy Pop: Every Loser
This impressed the hell out of me. I know he is affectionately dubbed the ‘Godfather of Punk’, but the man is like three million years old at this point (give or take a couple of months) so to hear that he can still go this hard is fantastic. ‘Frenzy’ is an angry punk masterpiece while single ‘Strung Out Johnny’ feels more of a new-wave track.
That’s how the album goes, there’s a surprising amount of depth. Tracks like ‘Neo-Punk’ and ‘Modern Day Ripoff’ are straight up punk while tracks like ‘The Regency’, ‘Morning Show’ and ‘All the Way Down’ are slower, more reflective tracks. It’s an incredibly well written album over all and full of great tracks from both sides. I’m hard pressed to find anything wrong with it, even the interludes are fun and felt fitting. 7.5/10
I’ve been a fan of this band for years, ever since that song was on the Shaun White games. The band also have one of the most consistent back catalogue’s of anyone, with everything from their debut to recent releases being stellar.
They keep up the streak with this one. They have always been some of the best lyricists in the game, and this is up their with their last album in terms of flawless anti-establishment sentiment. Going after the government and the worst parts of modern society’s way of thinking is something I can 100% get behind, and it is done masterfully here.
Plus, nearly every track featuring a different guest artist gave it all a different feel to it and most really added a lot to the tracks. Even the track with Rise Against’s Tim Mcllrath, ‘THE FIGHT OF OUR LIVES’, has grown on me a lot listening to the album since I first heard it as a single. The track is very Rise Against, which is cool. The band have seemed to attempt to adopt the style of the guest’s music into their sound for each track, which is both interesting and insanely impressive.
It’s hard to pick out a highlight here as every track is really great. If you’re in any way a punk fan you’ll love this just like I did. These guys don’t get nearly enough credit as being solidly one of the best things in the rock scene for over two decades now. Everyone reading this, check out the album immediately, it’s fantastic. 9/10
Beautiful Death: Finis
So, this was a weird one for us. Acoustic instrumental stuff isn’t usually our vibe here at Overtone. However, this was all so dark and ominous, it was essentially atmospheric black metal without the distortion and extreme vocals. I put this on a fair bit in the background over the weekend and honestly love it. It’d work so perfectly as a soundtrack to a movie or game, especially an epic or horror. I don’t have too much to say about this given that it’s all pretty similar, but it is all great! 7/10
And there we have it, everything from the first week of the year! Check out some of last weeks from our Instagram here.
Now that we are somehow in 2023 already, we have a brand new 12 months of music ahead of us to be checking out. Plenty of artists have announced or been teasing albums for the upcoming months, and we thought we’d yet again highlight a few of our most anticipated for you. Now, this is by no means all of them, and there are again too many honourable mentions to name. These are just some of the ones us here at Overtone are most looking forward to!
Metallica: 72 Seasons – 14th April
Let’s get the obvious one out of the way first. Metallica announced they’ll be releasing their 11th studio album in April of this year. Need I say more? Announced at the back end of November alongside the release of it’s lead single, ‘Lux Æterna’, it sent the internet into a frenzy. The track itself harkens back to their debut album in terms of sound and composition, and if they keep that up throughout the album, they’ll definitely have a LOT of happy fans.
While Metallica definitely get their fair share of (mostly unwarranted) hate and detractors, there’s no denying that good or bad, this will be one of the most talked about albums of the year. Speaking as a nearly life-long Metallica fan myself, it is definitely one of my most anticipated albums of the year.
Avatar: Dance Devil Dance – 17th February
A slightly more left field one now, but Avatar have been quietly bubbling away since the pandemic, putting out some cracking music. I have to admit I lost track of their singles recently, with them putting out five stand-alone tracks before starting to put out singles for their upcoming ninth album. However, sitting here listening to the three singles from the February as I write this article, they are all fantastic and have me hugely hyped. It sounds like they have drawn together the sound of their last few albums into something truly special. Heck, I remember reviewing their last album very highly upon its release and still listen to it through occasionally to this day. So yes, this is definitely a very anticipated album, at least here at Overtone!
Måneskin: Rush! – 20th January
Now, yes, we here at Overtone have been rather critical of the Eurovision winners over the last year or two. I personally don’t get the hype. Musically they are nothing special by any stretch, and are only getting big due to their punk aesthetic and attitude. That’s not a bad thing, and they definitely have at least a slight anti-establishment message, but it’d be nice if the music backed it up too. Having said all of that, they are the biggest upcoming band in the world currently, so they had to make this list.
The singles are fine. They’re inoffensive pop-rock tracks. It doesn’t sound much different from their big tracks, aside for the Maroon 5-esque ‘THE LONLIEST’ (which is good), so if you like ‘ZITTI E BUONI’ you’ll probably love it. They all have bits I really like though and I definitely wouldn’t turn any of them off if they came on. Who knows, maybe they’ll win us round with this album. That alone puts it on this list for us!
Pierce the Veil: The Jaws of Life – 10th February
Confession time… Max specifically requested this to be on the list, I wasn’t too fussed. The two singles so far have been pretty polarising for me. ‘Emergency Contact’ was very Feeder, which meh, while ‘Pass the Nirvana’ channelled some Dinosaur Pile-Up vibes which was awesome. Either way, I honestly thought the band were heavier than this. Going back to their older stuff, the stuff that I’m at least semi-familiar with, I was right. Collide with the Sky is more of ADTR meets MCR, and I remembered I actually quite liked this band. Is morbid curiosity to hear what the rest of the album sounds like enough to be one of the most anticipated albums? I mean, considering how big they are, yes, yes it is. Love that chorus for ‘…Nirvana’ though.
Babymetal: The Other One – 24th March
Another of the biggest bands of the last few years and a band that have felt like they’ve been ‘upcoming’ for ages now (c’mon guys, lets pull the trigger, we all know everyone loves them), Babymetal are releasing their fourth album this year.
This is another band I didn’t get at first, but I’ve become a big fan in recent years, in large part to their stageshow. Having said that, the two singles the band have put out so far for this album have been excellent. The heaviness is there, the amazing talent of the backing band is there, and the impressive and hugely catchy vocals are maybe better than ever. The band seem to have returned from their hiatus with a renewed passion and drive. This could be one of the biggest rock albums of 2023, so is definitely one of the most anticipated!
Avenged Sevenfold: Untitled
The only one to carry over from last year’s list, the wait from 2016’s The Stage is getting unbearable. For one of the biggest bands of this century, seven years is a long wait between albums. Especially when The Stage was so good. I’ve heard very little about the progress of this album over the last 12 months, so I’ve just got to live in hope that it is finally released soon! For now, check out one of the best tracks off the last album while we wait.
Ward XVI: Untitled
Continuing on with as-yet-unannounced albums that are sure to come in the next 12 months, one of the UK’s best underground bands are heading back into the studio early this year to record part three of their album trilogy. I’ve grown to know their music pretty well since I first saw them live just over a month ago, and cannot wait to see where the story and sound goes, following on from Metamorphosis. While they are certainly not the biggest band on this list, they have the potential to release the best, most interesting album out of all the artists on here.
Mercyful Fate: Untitled
You knew this had to show up on our list. Though not officially announced yet, with no title or release date known, the band performed their first new material (and first show) since 1999 back last summer, so we can’t have to wait much longer! Back in 2020, guitarist Hank Shermann stated that he’d already written ‘six or seven songs’ for a new album, and it seems that said songs are finally getting close to being ready for release. Seeing the live footage of ‘The Jackal of Salzberg’ has me excited too, it sounds great. It’s been a long 24 years, but we may finally have new Mercyful Fate by the end of the year!
Blink 182: Unannounced
Onto maybe just hopeful guesswork now. However, Tom DeLonge re-joining the pop punk titans, them announcing an extensive tour over the next two years AND putting out a new single a couple of months ago, surely there must be some more releases in the works soon? As I said, the touring is extensive, but there are a few healthy gaps in there, like the entirety of April and August. I’m sure it’s mainly to spend time with their families, but they can squeeze some recording in there too, right? It might be wishful thinking, but it’s still a very anticipated album, if it ever happens.
Cody Jinks: Unannounced
Another one from the rumour mill, but at least this has some merit to it. Cody was in the studio in 2022. Now, whether that’s for his solo country stuff or another release from his metal band Caned By Nod, either way it’s darn exciting. The man has my favourite voice of all time when it comes to country, and it translates surprisingly well over to rock too. Hopefully not only does this mean he’ll put out new music in some capacity this year, but that he’ll finally come to the UK soon. I’m dying to see him, and an album is the perfect excuse for a world tour, right?
And there we have it folks. What are your most anticipated albums of this year? Let us know on our Facebook here.
This was the hardest thing I’ve had to do for Overtone so far. 448 albums we’ve covered on New Music Mondays over the last year, so trying to whittle it down to just the best 50 seemed like an impossible task. So, if anyone is offended by this list, I’m sorry, but it is all personal preference from us here at Overtone. The three of us voted, arranged it accordingly, and here it is. 50 of the top albums of 2022, let’s just get into it!
Unfortunately we are going to have to skip the honourable mentions or this list would be twice as long. But trust me when I say there were SO MANY other albums we wanted to include on here. Aside for the new Slash album. And Machine Gun Kelly’s latest album. Yeah, fuck those albums.
50: Nickelback – Get Rollin’
I know, I know, the cojones on me, right? Starting off with the world’s most hated band (aside for maybe Coldplay or Imagine Dragons). But, hear me out… it’s a really good album.
You know what you’re getting with Nickelback, don’t get me wrong, but this album is the band at their Nickelbacky best. From the heavier opening couple of tracks to ALL THE BALLADS, ever track is pretty great. Is it as good as it could have been? Probably not. But that doesn’t stop this from being a damn good album and my favourite by them since Dark Horse. A fitting start to the list, in my not-so-humble opinion, hence why it got an 8/10 from us. Check it out if you don’t believe me and try and tell me otherwise!
Listen to: San Quentin, Skinny Little Missy, Does Heaven Even Know You’re Missing?.
49: Elles Bailey – Shining in the Half Light
The Queen of modern blues rock, Elles Bailey returned this year with her new album and maybe her best work to date. A lot of this list is pretty heavy, so it’s nice to write about one of the most relaxed albums we covered this year. There’s a reason it’s getting heaps of praise from other journalists, too, it’s awesome. If you’re a fan of the slower, stripped back , old-school style of rock, this is definitely for you!
Listen to: Who’s That, The Game, Cheats and Liars.
48: Patient Sixty-Seven – Wishful Thinking
Three albums in and already some metalcore… that tracks. The Australian outfit have gained quite the cult following as of late due to being really quite good at social media. However, this debut album is also excellent. It feels like classic early metalcore, with plenty of heavy riffs, growls and breakdowns. However there is that awesome Sleeping with Sirens-style clean melody at points throughout too that hook in even the most anti-metal of people.
8.5/10 seems pretty apt for this album, and I cannot wait to hear where they go from here. Hopefully it’s over to the UK soon so I can see it live!
Charlotte: This is the album I didn’t know I needed. It’s raw, powerful and unconditionally honest. Demi Lovato shifts her pop era aside for heavy riffs (thank you Nita Strauss) and powerhouse vocals (which Demi always had but the rock genre highlights this even more so). Demi is honest about her experiences and calls out anyone attempting to diminish or silence her voice. The album’s mix is astonishing – the sound engineering is incredible and makes me appreciate it even more. I’m also in love with her special features – thank you for bringing these collaborations into existence. Long may this era continue.
Demi Lovato – EAT ME Ft Royal & the Serpent
Listen to: SKIN OF MY TEETH, 29, CITY OF ANGELS.
46: Amongst Liars – Self-Titled
The heavy, dark indie rock music continues with Amongst Liars’ amazing debut album. Riffs and catchy melodies abound, this is excellent from start to finish. Like I said in my review, it was one of the few albums on NMM that I listened to from start to finish immediately, and I have done so multiple times since. It grabs hold of your attention and holds it by the balls for the entire 40+ minute runtime. There are plenty of standout tracks on here but there isn’t a bad track on the album. We gave it an 8/10 but I’mma bump that up to an 8.5!
Listen to: Reign, Burn the Vision, Black Days.
45: Tough On Fridays – The Encore you Didn’t Ask For
One of the most recent albums released on this list, this was damn impressive when I checked it out. Considering I’d never heard of the band before, they blew me away and made me a massive new fan. The band’s unique blend of pop-punk, indie and hard rock made for a ridiculously enjoyable listen. There are plenty of good tracks on here that I’ve listened to a lot since first checking them out. This band deserve to be a lot bigger than they are. We gave it a very deserving 9/10 and it definitely deserves being on this list!
Listen to: Overboard!, Sink or Swim, The Awakening.
44: Dynazty – Final Advent
The perfect blend of power metal and AOR I didn’t know I needed until I first heard this album. It’s heavy, catchy, anthemic but somehow has a slight Sleaze edge to it all too that I cannot get enough of. Every member of the band is insanely talented, too. The vocals sore powerfully across an impressive range while the soloing is some of the best and smoothest I’ve ever heard, especially from a modern band. Max gave them a 9/10 and I can’t disagree, it’s an amazing album!
Listen to: Advent, The White, Yours.
43: Cage Fight – Self-Titled
This is how you debut as a heavy band. It’s brutal throughout and such an impressive display of talent and songwriting. Their brand of thrash/hardcore/beatdown/whatever the hell else is mixed in here is a lot of fun and infectiously heavy. If you’re a fan of the heavier side of metal you’ll love this just like I did. There isn’t much along the way of dynamics and highs and lows, but if you like being punched in the face for 40+ minutes straight, this is the album for you! we gave it a 9/10 so you’ve gotta check it out!
Listen to: Killer, Make A Decision, Respect Ends.
42: RXPTRS – Living Without Death’s Permission
A band that have exploded over the last six months or so after the release of this album, and it’s hard to argue otherwise, it is very good. Walking the line perfectly between metalcore and hard rock, Simon and the gang broach some really deep topics as they slap us in the face with heavy riffs and amazing melodies. It’s a unique style and one that is clearly going to get them far over the next few years. It’s the perfect mix of modern and old-school, and got a very deserving 9/10 from us!
Listen to: Collapse, Burning Pages, Rock Bottom (Is a Stepping Stone).
41: Black Mirrors – Tomorrow Will be Without Us
The message behind this album is phenomenal, and has kept me coming back to it again and again since its release. Addressing the state of the world and how we are ruining it is always a deep talking point, but to handle it so well across a 10-track album is damn impressive. The folky ‘Ode to my Unborn Child’ has me going back again and again as it’s so emotional, leaving me covered in goose bumps. Meanwhile their usual brand of grungy stoner rock is on full display across the rest of the album, showing off their fantastic range and songwriting skill.
This is a really good album that deserves to be higher, but the sheer quality of this years releases made that impossible. Still, we gave it a huge 9/10 and a spot on this list!
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 inour 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 it9/10 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 it8.5/10 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 itis 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 9/10we gave it!
Listen to: Reckless Paradise, Judged, Hanging Out with All the Wrong People.
The last of these before the holidays, it’s only a short one this week. However, there is still some great new music released, so let’s look at it!
Green King: Hidden Beyond Time
Firstly, this is a damn good debut album. Surprisingly enough, this won’t be the first time I’m saying that this week, either.
This is a great combination of heavy metal sounds. There’s a lot of NWOBHM in there, some sludgy stoner/doom stuff, and a LOT of early Metallica thrash. His voice reminds me a lot of a young Hetfield. But then the riffing, while a bit more upbeat, remind me of a combination of Mercyful Fate, Judas Priest and Iron Maiden. Tracks like ‘Gates of Annihilation’ and ‘Steel and Ice’ are definite highlights, but it’s also just a strong album overall. If you’re going to listen to them, check out the whole album. At only 7/8 tracks and just over half an hour long, you have no excuse!
If you’re a fan of any of the bands or genres I’ve named above you need to check this out, you won’t be disappointed. 8/10.
Adam Warner: What We’re Known For
Time for some country now, which seems rare in winter. Adam‘s third album is his most ambitious yet, and looks set to catapult him to new heights. His country/blues swagger is on full display on tracks like the title one, ‘Catchin’ Hell’ and ‘Got Started’, while tracks like ‘Split a Beer’ and ‘Like Daddy Did’ shows off his slower, balladier side. And of course single ‘Reason to Redneck’ is a massive highlight, being infectiously catchy and surprisingly well written given the lyrics. Also, of course his cover of the Charlie Daniels Band’s incredible ‘Long Haired Country Boy’ is amazing, too.
Unlike a lot of country albums these days, too, it’s incredibly well structured and balanced. It’s not overly long, just 12 tracks and 35-minutes. And there’s a pretty decent ratio (and spread out too) of ballads and rockier tracks. This is one of the better country albums that I’ve reviewed by far, and I’ll be listening to this a lot over the next few months! 9/10
Highway Queen: Bitter Soul
Another great debut album this week. Opening straight into the foot-stomping, hard rock anthem ‘Hey!’, it sets the tone and pace right from the offset. From the dark heaviness of ‘Get on Your Knees’ and ‘?’ to the more AOR-leaning, melodic ‘Here I Am’, the band clearly have a lot of talent and wear their inspiration on their sleeves. There’s some fantastic riffs and a lot of amazing melodic vocals throughout the entire album, and it’s one hell of a debut. The title track and the slow, epic closing track ‘Own Will’ are also massive highlights to a great album.8/10, the band have a new big fan in me!
Bloodclot: Souls
The heaviest band to close out the year, how fitting. It’s a great thrash album and VERY Slayer. The opening and title track of the album could be ripped straight off South of Heaven and I love it. However, it does also have some awesome Gojira like riffs thrown in there for good measure, too. ‘Unhinged’ is just over a minute of thrash awesomeness and ‘Infectious’ was a more hardcore punk track, and a lot of fun. Plus, their cover of Bad Brains’ ‘How Low Can Punk Get’ is awesome and fun too! A great follow-up to their debut and I’d highly recommend them for anyone into the faster stuff! 7.5/10.
Another week where I’ve heard of just one of the six bands releasing new music. I love weeks like this as I usually find some great new bands to become obsessed with. Let’s see which it is this week, shall we?
Deathless Legacy: Mater Larvarum
I loved this from the opening track. I’m usually a bit on and off with the whole power/symphonic metal thing, but this had something about it, an edge that really kept it interesting for me.
There were a fair amount of different sounds to it, too. From Nightwish to smatterings of Fleetwood Mac to even Ward XVI, there’s a lot of great styles. Heck, ‘Moonless Night’ is very early-Meliora era Ghost and I LOVE it for that. It’s a definite highlight track. Then you’ve got tracks like the opener and the insanely good ‘Coven’ which are also amazing and highlights. I have noticed that the heavier, riffier tracks seem to be my favourite ones, but honestly they’re all good songs! The band have a new fan in me for sure from this album! 8/10
Jamie Porter: Rock N Roll Soul
Check out our full review of the album, alongside the score,here.
Rokets: Break Free
A breath of early NWOBHM Judas Priest next with Rokets’ new album. It has elements of Clutch, Volbeat desert rock and sleaze too added in for good measure, but British Steel definitely seems like the main template.
I’m honestly struggling to say much about this. It’s not that I don’t like it by any stretch, I really enjoyed listening to it and would happily do so again. But none of it was terrible, nor mind-blowing, it was just a solid rock track. It didn’t stand out, aside from having me commit the name to memory as a ‘good band’. Still though, as I said I’d happily listen to this again and most likely will be doing a fair bit heading into the new year. ‘Destroyer’ and ‘Night Time’ were personal highlights. 7.5/10
Faceless Man: Road to Darkness
This was all about the riffs, and goddamn were the riffs tasty. Don’t get me wrong, the vocals were enjoyable enough, somewhere on the death metal spectrum, but the spoken word elements were a little odd, honestly. I get that they added to the horror element of the album, and I loved the opening intro track building up, but generally the vocals didn’t land to me. The screams were better than the clean vocals.
‘Welcome to Paradise’ and the slower ‘Smile at Me’ were highlights of the album. The rest of it is still heavy and fun, though. It’s clear the band are heavily influenced by Disturbed, and could definitely get there one day. But, in the nicest but bluntest way possible, the vocals have got to change. 4/10
Arrayan Path: Thus Always to Tyrants
I also found it really hard to pick a highlight track or two from this. The opening three songs are amazing and fit what the band were going for perfectly. I’d recommend them to anyone wanting to get into anything prog or power/Egyptian/Roman metal, as they really are stellar. Then there’s the epic ‘Raid of the Achaemenids’ and ‘The Legend of Evagoras’, two power-prog masterpieces. They almost feel like rock-opera style stuff, think heavier Phantom of the Opera. It’s really fucking fantastic. I can’t praise this album enough, damn, I need to check out some of their older stuff. They have a new massive fan in me! 9/10
This was an odd, yet greatly fun, proggy power metal album. I actually loved the heavy focus on the vocals, it’s rare to have frontman take the sort of risks they are here these days, and it lead to some really cool melodies and harmonies. That shouldn’t take away from the rest of the band, though. The lead guitars were awesome and the drums and bass held it all down perfectly at whatever speed was required.
Rioghan: Different Kinds of Losses
This could be a niche reference, but this album reminds me a lot of the German band ASP. It’s that kind of epic, dark, semi-industrial, Tool-ish sound, and some of the vocal melodies in particular really remind me of their frontman.
I’m again struggling to pick particular highlights from the album, but that’s because they’re all so different and interesting. You want slow build, epic prog? Straight up rock? Awesome acoustic parts? Soring, beautiful female vocals? brutal extreme metal screams? This album has all of that and more! It’s not often I recommend a full album but stop reading this right now and give this album a listen from front to back. I promise you will not be disappointed, it really is that good! 8.5/10
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 8.5/10from 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 9/10from 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 onNew Music Mondays, and it is well deserving of its spot on this list!
Listen to: Black Sheep, Rest In Piece, A BeautifulLife.
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.
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 atWinter 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 a10/10 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 socialshere.
Not a huge week, not that we’ll get many now as we head towards the holiday season, but there’s still plenty of new music to sink our teeth into. From rock to metal to country, let’s get into it!
Brantley Gilbert: So Help Me God
This was unfortunately quite a slow country album. I’m a big fan of Gilbert’s sludgy brand of country rock, but I found it hard to get into this. It was all rather slow and acoustic, which is fine, I love a good country ballad, but it’s not what I got into Brantley because of. Heck, in some turn of über double-irony, ‘The Worst Country Song of All Time’ is one of the most enjoyable tracks on the album, despite the lyrics. ‘Son of the Dirty South’ was an awesome song and finally what I was expecting, but I shouldn’t start to enjoy an album over halfway through it. However, afterwards it very quickly gets back to the slow tracks again. Again, I’m not opposed to slower country tracks, but when it’s a whole album of them nearly, it does tend to get boring. When Brantley is cutting back and having fun, it’s the most fun I have listening to the whole album. Definitely his worst album for me. 4.5/10
Chelsea Grin: Suffer in Hell
No prizes for guessing this album is heavy as balls. The first part of their afterlife-inspired double album is filled with crushing riffs and some of the most brutal screams in the industry today. However, it will be now impossible to not compare this band with Darko US. And, I have to admit, I prefer the Darko album. It’s nothing at all against Grin, their talent for playing and songwriting is off the charts on this album. It’s simply that it’s straight-up deathcore, like they’ve always done, while Darko brings a new, interesting edge to the sound. When the band go a bit more sinister and dark on tracks like ‘Deathbed Companion’, it definitely holds my interest more. However, when bands like Whitechapel, Lorna Shore and even Darko themselves have put out some of the best deathcore albums ever these last few years, it’s a high standard to live up to, and I’m not sure this one does.
I still really enjoyed the album and I do think it’ll continue to grow on me through the next month or so. However, for now I’m going to give it a 7.5/10
P.S. sorry P67, ‘Crystal Casket’ gets my bleh of the year. That one at the end is filthy, as is the riff and breakdown in the song. A real highlight track of the album!
He is Legend: ENDLESS HALLWAY
The illegitimate lovechild of Cane Hill and Alice in Chains. Somehow, that means the album sits in an odd void between the modern nu metal revival and the mid-naughties radio rock of Shinedown, Rev Theory and Burn Halo. I love every band and genre I’ve just named so, of course, I fucking love this.
I was not familiar with this hand at all before now and this album has immediately made me a fan and want to check out more of their back catalogue. The riffing is so heavy and chuggy, it wouldn’t sound out of place on a Gojira album, but the clean, low vocals give it a fantastic radio edge. Tracks like ‘LIFELESS LEMONADE’, ‘HONEY FROM THE HIVE’ and the utterly amazing ‘CIRCUS CIRCUS’ (yes, they are another band that shout at you) are massive highlights on an album chocked to the brim of them. There’re even elements of Mike Patton or Mushroomhead on the latter track, alongside the usual Korn and Tetrarch.
If you haven’t checked this band or, more importantly, this album out yet, do it right now. There honestly isn’t a bad track on it. 9.5/10 holy crap, a new obsession of mine.
Epica: The Alchemy Project
Symphonic metal always works well with guests, and Epica may very well be at the top of the symphonic scene in recent years. After last year’s FANTASTIC Omega, the band return with an experimental side album featuring a guest on every track, hence the album title.
Safe to say it’s pretty amazing. Most of the guests are a little heavier than the band, such as Fleshgod Apocalypse, Bjorn ‘Speed’ Strid and God Dethroned. However, every single vocalist played off Simone Simons’ beautiful vocals perfectly. Simone’s soaring, operatic tones always mesh well with the heavy, chuggy instrumentation and Mark Jansen’s powerful lows and growls. However, when adding in even heavier artists and vocals on top, it somehow makes everything even more epic and enjoyable. It all combines together to form something truly enjoyable and special, and I hope this isn’t the last time we get one of these Alchemy Projects. Highlights include ‘Wake the World’ and ‘The Final Lullaby’ but honestly, any track off the album could have made that selection. 9/10
Enuff Z’nuff: Finer than Sin
Glam/Sleaze’s answer to Oasis are back with their first album in just a year. Having seen them a couple of times over the last few years, I really enjoy them live. However, I’ve never managed to get into them on track, and this album didn’t change that. It’s pretty much all at the same steady, subdued pace throughout that doesn’t appeal to me too much. It’s so massively produced and polished, drawing comparisons to Def Leppard’s Hysteria, that when talking about drug abuse and other dark topics it’s a very odd contrast. It all reminds me of Terrorvision but just less fun.
‘Lost and Out of Control’ or ‘Hurricane’ were probably highlights. It’s not a bad album by any means, I just found myself getting distracted and bored though it, outside of these two tracks. 6/10
Randy Houser: Note to Self
The first guy I discovered when I finally started to dip into country by myself. I do feel slightly hypocritical now, as this is on the slower end of country. However, this was so well written and there were some truly awesome tracks on it. From ‘Workin’ Man’ to ‘Out and Down’ to ‘Country Round Here Tonight’, there is plenty to love with this album. I’m struggling to even say much, if you like country music, no matter the style, you’ll love this. Heck, I’d recommend anyone listening to this to check it out, as I love this. 8.5/10, this was awesome.
Warkings: Morgana
The most power metal band to ever power metal, now. Warkings seem to be the butt of a lot of jokes in the dub-genre’s community, but honestly I really enjoyed this. However, that may have been more because of Morgana Le Fay’s impressive harsher vocals every few tracks, as they were definitely my favourite songs on the album. ‘Monsters’ is my favourite track on the album, but ‘Immortal’ and even ‘The Rite’ are close followers. While the latter doesn’t include Morgana, I do still think they should try and find a harsh vocalist going forward, because the contrast between the vocals added a new layer of fun and awesomeness to the tracks. You know exactly what to expect with Warkings, straight up power metal, ‘no nonsense’ or anything outside of that, and for that this album is definitely good. 7.5/10
Cassyette: Sad Girl Mixtape
2022’s answer to Avril Lavigne while also adding a bit of Billy Eillish to the rock scene… I do love Casseyette. This album blends the two previously named artists perfectly while adding an edge seen in Dorothy’s music. While generally the album gets a little boring by the midpoint for me, I can fully understand and appreciate the importance of her music. She is the perfect gateway for young people, especially women, to get into rock music. I’m personally curious to see the generation in a few years time having come up on this and see what it gets them into.
Plus, while most of it is rather pop and punkish, she still hits us with the likes of ‘Die Hate Cry’ out of nowhere, brutal, heavy and full of harsh vocals. It definitely caught me by surprise after the first few stellar pop-punk opening tracks. If you’re into pop-rock, or even metal given the last few tracks on the album, check this out, you won’t be disappointed. 8/10
REMINA: STRATA
We’ve already covered this awesome album. Check out the review and score here.
Did you enjoy our article? As always keep up to date on all of our content here.
Less massive releases this week, but plenty of great new music to sink our teeth into. Let’s dive straight in!
Devin Townsend: Lightwork
Joe: I have tried for years to get into Devin. Whether it’s his solo stuff or Strapping Young Lad, none of it seems to hook me. It’s weird too, as on paper I should love it all, but something about it doesn’t appeal to my ears.
Lightwork is no different. Don’t get me wrong, it’s certainly better than that electro-concept drivel he put out last year, but I still didn’t enjoy it too much. This is the guy who headlined Bloodstock last year, yet here he is doing synth-pop-rock, for lack of a better term. It’s like he’s trying to sound like Album of the Year or even parts of Angel Dust by Faith No More, but generally less interesting. I know I’mma catch a lot of flack for all of this as Devin has a pretty huge, devoted cult following, but I just don’t get it. Honestly, I couldn’t wait for this album to be over. I feel like maybe the tracks may translate better to me in a live setting, but I couldn’t pick out a highlight from the album. I’m sure there will be some journalists who give this top (or nearly top) marks, but I’m sadly going to have to give it a 3.5/10
Dayseeker: Dark Sun
Max: This is a review that I find quite hard to write, not because the album is bad, it is far from it, but because I absolutely adore Dayseeker. Due to this it is quite hard to not have a bias, but no one can convince me that this album isn’t phenomenal. The sheer emotion through really hits hard but it is the icing on top as it is such a raw and passionate album. The fact that they dedicated the album to the singer’s dad just makes this point even more apparent. Going from songs like ‘Neon Grave’ and ‘Dreamstate’ with the perfectly ugly breakdowns that you can’t help but pull a face to and then changing to ‘Paper Heart’ and ‘Crying While You’re Dancing’ which are so pretty and full of feeling whilst also making me want to lie down and transcend. Overall, I really think that everyone should listen to this album and just enjoy how well this band has evolved. A fantastic 9/10, quite possibly even another 10/10
96 Bitter Beings: Synergy Restored
Joe: Anyone who’s familiar with the frontman of this band will know exactly what to expect from this album. The founder of Jackass’ favourite band, CKY, formed this project in 2016, a few years after leaving his old band. As the band name implies, the band picks up right where Deron Miller left off with CKY.
‘Vaudeville’s Revenge’ is a great album starter and ‘Wish Me Dead’ is a definite highlight of the collection. The album soon runs into the same issue I have with CKY, though. I LOVE the riffs and his guitar tone is still phenomenal and surprisingly unique. But that’s where it about ends for me. The drums are pretty basic and the bass generally just follows the guitars. And there isn’t especially much in the way of memorable vocal performances throughout. Don’t get me wrong, not every band needs albums full of stadium-filling choruses, but a catchy hook to sing along with every so often would be nice. The closest I found was ‘Throw Yourself Inside’, which was another highlight. Still though, as a musician I massively appreciate and adore the guitaring, and can’t give it any less than a 7/10
Black Anvil: Regensis
Joe: Ahh, another black metal band that has such an everything-in-your-face-all-at-once production that it’s hard to distinguish anything specific, including the vocals. It’s feels like I’ve been a while since I’ve done one of these. However, I’ve clearly grown, as I was quite enjoying this! I think it helped that there were some fun vocal dynamics, with some clean backing vocals being present too. It made it all feel more epic.
Everyone played their parts well, there being some awesome riffs and some (characteristic to the genre) amazing drumming. ‘8-Bit Terror’ was my album highlight, in terms of sound ans subject matter. However, I enjoyed just about every track. Don’t get me wrong, this still isn’t my sort of music, but I wouldn’t turn it off if it came on and may probably find myself listening to this album again at some point in the future. Maybe this will be the album to win me round into the genre! 6.5/10
Black Mirrors: Tomorrow Will be Without Us
We’ve already covered this excellent album in detail. Find the full review and the score here.
Joji: SMITHEREENS
Max: So, this is an interesting album to say the least. The most important thing to note is that this album will probably make you cry just like the Dayseeker one. It tugged at my heart strings through out with lines like “I hear that you’re happy without me, and I hope it’s true” from ‘Die For You’ and basically the entirety of ‘Glimpses of Us’ where I just want to curl up and cry. This album won’t be for everyone and it isn’t perfect, but I loved it. The raw emotion in so much of Joji’s music makes it feel so personal and relatable. Never in this album did it feel to me like, like so much other similar music can, he was singing words to try and get a response from everyone or that someone in a studio had just written them for him. Instead, it felt like someone talking to someone that they can’t say is there’s anymore but still truly loves. Or maybe that’s just me hoping that’s what it is all about. Anyways it is a solid 8/10 for me.
Madeline Edwards: Crashlanded
Joe: Finally, a short, mainstream country album. At 12 tracks and just over 35 minutes long, this is like a dream come true after so many hour-long slogs! On top of that too, it’s a pretty great album!
It’s got that sort of Dorothy, folk-pop-rock style on top of the already country/americana roots. Honestly, there isn’t a bad track on the album. If you’re into country or americana or even slight rock, you’ll find a lot to love here. Having said that, it’s hard not to find the singles as the highlights of the album. ‘Hold my Horses’ is a particularly fantastic track. 7.5/10, a good, fun album!
Disillusion: Ayam
Right so a shorter album here and I can’t say that my review will be much longer. The biggest downside of this album was me not realising that there are two 11 minute songs which I thought were all multiple tracks. There are some really fun parts and I loved the changing of paces and the building up. The solo’s and the riffs were great fun. The only thing that I think might catch people off guard on their first time listening is the fact that they have songs which will end slowly or start slowly but it is worth sitting through and getting to the rest as it really doesn’t disappoint. A very respectable 7/10
Magnolia Park: Baku’s Revenge
Okay I won’t lie, not for me in the slightest. It has the same-style big catchy chorus that seems to repeat a dozen times. In fairness those choruses are fun, and the occasional scream is nice and reminds me of a more pop-centric version of A Day To Remember’s Homesick record. I think it would be pretty fun to see this band live as I can envision the amount of energy that they have on stage. For me though I don’t think it’s a genre I fit in to in the slightest 5.5/10
Ingested: Ashes Lie Still
This is more like it. This album is super heavy and intense. It was a lot to try and digest on the first time around, but it really was good fun. I love seeing bands collaborate with others and the ones in this album were fantastic. It must be said that this still has the issue that most bands within this genre have where they aren’t super accessible, but they really really are worth the effort. I hope this band tours this album near me because I would love to see it live as there is so much energy and I reckon crowds would absolutely love it. 8/10
Sarcator: Alkahest
This album grew on me more and more throughout. When the opener was a balls to the wall thrash/death metal track, I almost sighed. Not because I dislike either genre, quite the contrary actually, but because I’m pretty death-ed out in 2022.
However, by just the second track, ‘Perdition’s Hand’, my opinion had changed. the track is still heavy, but it’s a tad slower and groovier, the riffing being fantastic. By the time the album had ripped into the slow-build opener of ‘Grave Maggot Future’ and the truly epic ‘Dreameater’, I was hooked and very impressed. The sludgy, groove metal of ‘The Long Lost’ was also fantastic, especially with that acoustic intro. Heck, the same could be said about the equally proggy and epic ‘He Who Comes from the Dark’ and ‘Alkahest’. It means that when the band do go back to the all-out thrash sound on ‘Devil Sun’ it feels funner.
I know this album won’t be for everyone. It’s a heavy, dark, prog death metal album. However, if you think you’re up for the challenge I’d urge you to check out the tracks I have named above. I honestly don’t throw the word around too often, but if the opening track was just a little stronger this very well could have been a masterpiece of heavy music for me. Heck, even just a revised track order may have helped. But even so, I can’t give this any less than I 9/10
Tough on Fridays: The Encore you Didn’t Ask For
I struggled to put a genre to this, and that’s definitely a good thing. Lurking on the murky boarder of pop punk and indie, this album also feels darker, broodier and more mature than most of its genre-mates on either side. I almost called it goth pop punk but a) that seems oxymoronic or b) there already is goth pop punk, and this isn’t exactly Good Charlotte.
Oh, and did I also mention it’s an amazing album? Because it most certainly is. Its rare to find a band that would easily fit on any lineup or festival bill, and even rarer to find one that is this high a quality. Tracks like the opener, ‘Sink or Swim’ and ‘The Awakening’ all feel completely different while all being huge highlights of the album. I honestly am struggling to say much more about this album, it truly needs to be heard to be appreciated. Stop what you’re doing, especially since this is conveniently last on the list, and listen to this album right now! 9/10
So, a pretty stellar week in the end! Did you enjoy the article? As usual find more of them from our Instagram here.
