2022 was a pretty rough year by all accounts. The pandemic continued to echo through the music industry, with gigs cancelled, albums pushed back and a cost-of-living crisis making increasingly expensive gig tickets an increasingly hard sell. Yet, for all that, 2022 was something of a standout year for music and this list is as notable for its omissions (excellent albums from Pixies, Korn, Megadeth, Soul Glo and Meshuggah, to name just a few) as it is for its remarkable inclusions.
Dig in and you’ll find an eclectic selection of records, all of which made their mark thanks to the passion and skill of the musicians involved. You’ll find moments of blazing aggression (Autopsy, Machine Head), beautiful blues (Walter Trout and Larry McCray), sparkling electronica (Leftfield, EMF) and leftfield moments (Mr Phlyzzz, Damian O’Neill), but what links all these stunning albums together is the obvious passion the artists invested in their work. These are records with heart and soul fully intact in an industry all too often dedicated to stripping those valuable commodities from those brave enough to venture into it, and they stood out because that intangible energy never fails to communicate itself to the listener. It’s a diverse mix, to be sure, but I hope that regular readers may find a gem or two they missed in amongst this list. And so, without further ado (and in no particular order), here are SonicAbuse’s 22 albums of 2022.
Mr Phlyzzz – Cancel Culture Club
They’ll almost certainly balk at the description, but a more congenial pair of noisemongers than Mr Phlyzzz you couldn’t hope to meet. I digress, Cancel Culture Club is an awesome record that starts with a cheeky nod to The Beatles and gets progressively weirder from there. One of those albums that hauls you kicking and screaming back to the mid-90s, when searching in record bins for releases from Sub Pop and Touch and Go seemed like the most important thing in the world, it’s a blast from start to finish and surprisingly memorable while it’s at it.
Damian O’Neill – An Crann
A sublime album from a genuine artist, it took several attempts to write the review, mainly because I didn’t want the sound of typing to spoil the absolutely gorgeous music that makes up An Crann. Drawing on a variety of different approaches to folk, as well as post rock and ambient, An Crann is a life-affirming work of art, that leaves the listener somehow cleansed, and it continues to resonate long after the needle has left the groove. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Machine Head – Of Kingdom and Crown
One of those albums that bears fruit the more times you listen, Of Kingdom and Crown is a conceptual piece that neatly balances sweeping melodic passages with moments of searing brutality, resulting in a coherent album that makes good use of its hour-long run time. While not short on memorable moments, it is as an album that Of Kingdom and Crown shines, not least thanks to the intriguing conceptual framework dreamt up by Robb Flynn, and it is more than worth investing the time necessary to uncover its charms. A striking album from an exceptional band, with comparisons to The Blackening not unwarranted, Of Kingdom and Crown sees Machine Head at the top of their game.
Tony Wright – The Anti Album
The Anti Album just hooks you in and keeps hold for the duration, thanks in no small part to the breath-taking honesty of the lyrics. Like Reverend and The Makers, Tony Wright has an ability to write about the everyday and make it sound revelatory, often evoking the feeling that he’s singing just for you. Couple this with some genuinely great music and you have a strong album and, arguably, the best of Tony’s solo works to date. The Anti Album is a treasure just waiting to be discovered.
Dead Cross – II
It’s Mike Patton. It’s Mike Patton doing hardcore. It’s fucking awesome. Seriously, what more do you need? More? OK, how about the combined talents of Michael Cain (Retox), Justin Pearson (The Locust) and Dave Lombardo (ex-Slayer, Mr Bungle) jamming together on an album that somehow crams all the drama of the proceeding year into a staggeringly imaginative collection of songs. Buy it. Buy it now.
Russian Circles – Gnosis
Forced into a different mode of writing by the pandemic, Russian Circles emerged on the other side to deliver their most direct and forceful album to date. Richly textured and possessed of that rare ability to make the wider world disappear, Gnosis is a remarkable album that just seems to flow from the tense build up of Tupilak through to the gorgeous Bloom. A very special album indeed, Gnosis has reappeared on my record deck numerous times over the year, and on each occasion, some new element has revealed itself. Turn it on, turn it up and let the world drift out of focus.
Martin Bisi – Feral Myths
The amiable and open Martin Bisi would undoubtedly shrug off the tag of living legend and simply go about his business, no doubt recording another classic album in the process, but legend he is. With a resume that includes genre-defining work by Sonic Youth, Swans, Unsane and The Dresden Dolls, Martin’s legacy would be assured, but he is no less adept as a solo artist. Feral Myths in particular feels like Martin is guiding you by the hand through his lengthy career, and echoes of Swans, Sonic Youth and much more emerge from the stunning sonic stew Martin and his band have prepared.
Darkthrone – Astral Fortress
Spacey dark doom from a duo whose passion for the form is their defining characteristic. Listening to Astral Fortress is not unlike listening to the album commentaries packaged with the reissues of early Darkthrone albums, where the predominant feature was Fenriz’s unbridled enthusiasm. To listen to Astral Fortress is to spend time with Fenriz and Nocturno Culto enthusiastically swapping influences while knocking back beer and, like pretty much the entire Darkthrone catalogue, it is endlessly engaging.
Autopsy – Morbidity Triumphant
Of course there are several Peaceville offerings on this list – they remain one of the most reliable labels out there for this sort of thing, and almost every release is essential (much to the chagrin of my bank manager. Anyhow, is there anything better than relentless, grimy, old school death metal? Far removed from the overly processed and clinical sounds employed by much of modern death, Autopsy deal in a lo-fi take on the genre that acts like an aural accompaniment to the sort of grainy, desaturated exploitation movies that can only be found under the counter at a dubious market stall. This is music made by fans for fans and, like those grim flicks, it’s a smeared window into a dirty fantasy world that is morbidly fascinating. Call it sickening if you like, but you’ll not want to look away.
Suede – Autofiction
Following on from a remarkable trio of albums, Autofiction saw Suede toughening up their sound to deliver a sharper, shorter set of songs. Brett Anderson is on particularly strong form, delivering his articulate and thought-provoking lyrics with gusto, and the rest of the band revel in throwing out post-punk shapes. Not every reunion sees a band recapture their mojo, and certainly not with such poise, but Suede’s return has been nothing short of revelatory and Autofiction may just be the best album yet from the rejuvenated band.
Walter Trout – Ride
Few artists embed so much of themselves in their music as Walter Trout, but it is that very human quality that keeps listeners coming back album after album. An exceptional guitarist, Walter holds his heart in his fingertips, and while his music may not always be easy, it often leaves the listener feeling as if they have lived Walter’s experiences right alongside him. With references to a difficult childhood and a life lived to the full, albeit not without its tragedies, Ride is exactly that – a journey with Walter, and it is a bruised and beautiful experience throughout.
Bad breeding – Human Capital
Blistering punk with heavy social commentary, Human Capital comes packed with a manifesto and delivers music that is like a sledgehammer to the cranium. Intelligent, articulate and remarkably feral, few bands have this much to say, and the genuine rage that powers the music provides catharsis at a time of great turmoil. This is not so much music that you want to hear as music you need to hear, and it feels fantastically vital throughout.
Dalek – Precipice
Operating in a kind of shoe-gaze-meets-trip-hop dreamscape, Precipice is arguably the best Dalek album yet. A slow burning, remarkably immersive record, it is a sweeping work that seems to swell as it edges towards its conclusion. Packaged with suitably enigmatic artwork, the whole premise of Dalek seems to exemplify the art-first approach of Ipecac and there’s a feeling that band and label were made for each other. Simply stunning.
Decapitated – Cancer Culture
The Polish outfit have had more than their fair share of tragedy and, if any act deserves their moment in the spotlight, it is Decapitated. With Cancer Culture, the band’s first effort since their appalling experiences in America, the band’s turn has surely come for it is an absolute belter. Boasting stunning guest spots from Robb Flynn and Tatiana Shmayluk, the band emerge with all guns blazing and maintain a frantic pace over the album’s ten tracks. Epic is the only word for the scale of their ambition, and Cancer Culture stands as a testament to the band’s enduring spirit.
Mixing post-rock, post-metal and shoegaze into a beguiling whole, Cloakroom celebrated their tenth anniversary in style. Just one listen to a track like Fear of Being Fixed, for example,and you’ll find yourself lost in the haze, desperate to delve into the parent album. Heavy, psychedelic and even slightly grungy in places, Dissolution Wave draws on a range of influences from Low and Sebadoh to Sleep and Sabbath, yet the whole is a coherent and emotionally-charged experience giving the album a haunting quality that is utterly irresistible.
Behemoth – Opvs Contra Natvram
Consummate showmen, gifted musicians and unassailably ambitious, Behemoth continue to scale the death metal mountain with a maniacal glint in their eyes. Following on from the jaw-dropping In Absentia Dei live stream, the band pick up where I Loved You At Your Darkest left off and, once again, highlight their ability to straddle the divide between ferocity and grandeur. Thanks to Adam ‘Nergal’ Darski’s intelligent lyrics, the album as a whole demands attention, but you can equally enjoy standout moments such as Neo-Spartacvs, which showcase the sheer technical skill the band have amassed. With Opvs Contra Natvram, Behemoth continue their run as one of the most consistent forces in extreme music.
Absent In Body – Plague God
Although the prospect of an album gathering both present and former members of Amenra, Neurosis and Sepultura is tantalising on paper, astonishingly it fails to live up to the reality of Absent in Body. Plague God is nothing short of a masterpiece – heavy as hell, and yet nuanced and densely layered, there’s so much to explore that you’ll continue listening long after the initial shockwave has passed. Although sadly sucked into the maelstrom surrounding Scott Kelly’s departure from Neurosis, the band issued a quietly dignified statement in August, leaving the door open for a return, albeit with a different line up. Whatever the future holds for Absent in Body, this is a stunning album and an essential addition to any heavy music fan’s collection.
Ginger Wildheart & The Sinners – Self-Titled
Since the early 90s, Ginger has been a permanent fixture in my musical world. From the gorgeous melodies of The Wildhearts, via the anarchic Supershit 666, all the way to a solo career that has proved delightfully eclectic, the common thread is that Ginger invests his heart and soul in what he does. Such commitment comes at a cost, however, and Ginger’s path has not been an easy one. As such, it is nothing short of entrancing to hear Ginger back with a new band and sounding much more comfortable in his own skin. Like any blues artist worth their salt, Ginger has that rare ability to draw something joyful out of his experiences, and this self-titled effort is a perfect example. The perfect album to brighten the dark months of winter, Ginger Wildheart and The Sinners is a gorgeously melodic, life affirming album.
EMF – Go Go Sapiens
It started with the splendidly sinister Sister Sandinista. EMF announced their return with a hard-hitting single that exemplified the quite excellent music found on Go Go Sapiens. Over the course of eleven tracks, the band take the listener on a joyous, sometimes nostalgic, tour of their career, and the result is a brilliantly memorable album that evokes a similar feeling to that of walking into a festival for the first time. An unexpected highlight of the year and packed with attitude, EMF reappeared after twenty-seven years as if it was the most natural thing in the world and aced it. Let’s hope the next album appears this decade…
Leftfield – This Is What We Do
Leftfield may have lived in the shadow of the unassailable Leftism for a number of years, but the memorable Alternative Light Source saw the act reappear with gusto, and the cheekily-titled This Is What We Do further underscores much of what is great about the band. Familiar, then, but with plenty of nods to their forward trajectory This Is What We Do is endlessly danceable. However, as with Leftism, This Is What We Do exists beyond the dancefloor thanks to a mix of soulful vocals and memorable tunes, such as the excellent Full Way Round (feat. A powerful guest spot from Fontaines D.C.’s Grian Chatten). All in all, This Is What We Do is an impressive statement of intent from a legendary act.
Slipknot – The End So Far
Continuing to defy the various critics who never saw the band as more than a gimmick, Slipknot continue to evolve and refine their sound, with each album offering up a mix of the comfortingly familiar (insofar as a masked hate machine can be considered comforting) and the surprisingly leftfield. Taking its cue from the excellent Vol III (long overdue an anniversary reissue, hint hint), the cryptically-titled The End So Far is a diverse and impressive collection. From the gorgeous, melodic opener of Adderall, through the feral explosion of The Dying Song (something of a throwback to the band’s self-titled effort), The End So Far is an impressively coherent album, for all the shifts in tone and mood, and another strong entry in the ‘Knot cannon.
Larry McCray – Blues Without You
An easy album of the year, Blues Without You is a sparkling return from Larry McCray, whose last album of original material was some fifteen years previous. It was worth the wait, and tracks like Drinkin’ Liquor And Chasin’ Women are as timeless as the blues itself. Filled with memorable moments, Blues Without You sees Larry tapping into the well-worn language of the blues and bending it to his will over the course of an album that is packed with drama. Aided by the production team of Josh Smith and Joe Bonamassa, and with guest spots from numerous blues luminaries, Blues Without You lit up the early part of 2022 and remains a very special album indeed.
Reissue
Frank Black & The Catholics – Complete Albums Collection
The perfect opportunity to revisit a remarkable and oft-underrated back catalogue, the Complete Albums Collection brings together the works of Frank Black and The Catholics on gorgeous, crystal-clear vinyl. Fully remastered, with a detailed booklet and a tasteful slip case to hold it all together, the set proves to be endlessly listenable, with Dog In The Sand emerging (albeit only slightly) as the pick of the crop. Strangely overlooked at the time they were active, Frank Black and The Catholics produced a number of phenomenal albums and listening to them back-to-back allows the listener to truly appreciate just how consistent they were. There are no bonuses here, but these are albums that stand better alone, and the set also corrects the mistake of a previous collection, which placed the tracks in alphabetical rather than chronological order. A wonderful offering from Demon Records, this is a must for any fan of Frank Black and/or The Pixies, and it gives the albums the care and attention they so richly deserve.
