MMA Best of Year 2022 Results

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   Metal Music Archives Best of Year 2022

Welcome to the results of the MMA Best of 2022 as voted for by site Members, Reviewers, Collaborators and Admin.

Many thanks to Adam (adg211288) and Patrick (Vim Fuego) for helping with the write ups and thanks also to everyone who took the time to vote.

#49  (78 Points) #49 (78 Points)  #48 (81 Points) #47 (82 Points) #46 (83 Points)

Kirk Hammett - Portals (EP)
Progressive Metal 
Amorphis - Halo
Progressive Metal 
Wilderun - Epigone
Progressive Metal 
Fallujah - Empyrean
Technical Death Metal 
Saxon - Carpe Diem
Heavy Metal
#45  (84 Points) #41 (85 Points)  #41 (85 Points) #41 (85 Points) #41 (85 Points)

Gaerea - Mirage
Black Metal 
Tankard - Pavlov's Dawgs
Thrash Metal 
Rolo Tomassi - Where Myth Becomes Memory
Mathcore 
Qrixkuor - Zoetrope (EP)
Death Metal 
Dragonland - The Power Of The Nightstar
Power Metal
#40  (89 Points) #36 (100 Points)  #36 (100 Points) #36 (100 Points) #36 (100 Points)

Megadeth - The Sick, The Dying...And The Dead!
Thrash Metal 
Proudhon - Social Tympanum
Deathgrind 
Mechina - Venator
Symphonic Metal 
Devin Townshend - Lightwork
Metal Related 
Dawnwalker - House Of Sand
Progressive Metal
#35  (102 Points) #34 (108 Points)  #33 (114 Points) #32 (115 Points) #31 (118 Points)

Oceans Of Slumber - Starlight and Ash
Metal Related 
Ratos De Porão - Necropolítica
Crossover Thrash 
Michael Romeo - War Of The Worlds// Pt. 2
Progressive Metal 
Gospel - The Loser
Hardcore Punk 
Sabaton - The War To End All Wars
Power Metal
#30  (121 Points) #29 (122 Points)  #27 (125 Points) #27 (125 Points) #26 (126 Points)

Soilwork - Overgivenheten
Melodic Death Metal 
Stratovarius - Survive
Power Metal 
Witchery - Nightside
Thrash Metal 
Pure Wrath - Hymn To The Woeful Hearts
Atmospheric Black Metal 
The Callous Daoboys - Celebrity Therapist
Mathcore
#24  (131 Points) #24 (131 Points)  #22 (140 Points) #22 (140 Points) #21 (141 Points)

Bloodbath - Survival of The Sickest
Death Metal 
Arch Enemy - Deceivers
Melodic Death Metal 
Xentrix - Seven Words
Thrash Metal 
Chat Pile - God's Country
Metal Related 
Voivod - Syncro Anarchy
Technical Thrash Metal

#20 (143 Points)
Wake - Thought Form Descent
Black Metal

On their last album Devouring Ruin (2020) the Canadian band Wake no doubt surprised their followers by making the jump from playing grindcore to a sludge/post-metal and even progressive infused black metal sound. Thought From Descent continues the same approach, though they've nerfed some of the more death metal based inclinations, honing their genre towards the black metal cacophony that, for now at least, seems to be here to stay with Wake's output.  

#19 (144 Points)
Revocation - Netherheaven
Technical Death Metal

Revocation have been skilfully producing
technical thrash/death metal with jaw dropping musical technique for over
fifteen years now. On the strength of Netherheaven that trend is unlikely to
change anytime soon. It may not be their best but that’s only down to the highs reached on past albums rather than any weaknesses here.

#18 (146 Points)
Wiegedood - There's Always Blood At The End Of The Road
 Black Metal

Wiegedood is a black metal act that's been around a few
years now, delivering a trilogy of atmospheric black metal albums, De doden
hebben het goed I – III, between 2015 – 2018. In 2022 they came up with their
next effort, showing that those days are done. There's Always Blood at the End
of the Road throws out their atmospheric black metal sound and goes for pure
aggression instead. And as a group, they seem all the better for it, like
they've found the sound they excel at and gone from a merely good to a great
black metal band.

#17 (151 Points)
White Ward - False Light
Atmospheric Black Metal

White Ward hails from Ukraine and only those who have been living under a rock for the last year won't see the significance of them being able to continue to put out music during this terrible time for their homeland. False Light is their third studio album, bringing a fresh dose of their jazz infused post-black metal for our ears. As a band they continue to go from strength to strength and our thoughts are with them and all those in their situation during this trying time.

#16 (160 Points)
David Maxim Micic - Bilo IV
Progressive Metal

Probably the least known artist
to make our best of 2022 top 20. Bilo IV is largely a solo project with guests
but no less ambitious for it. An impressive collection of, for the most part,
instrumental  music that deserves far
more attention than it’s likely to get.

#15 (164 Points)
Zeal & Ardor - Zeal & Ardor
Avant-garde Metal

On their eponymous fourth album Zeal and Ardor are fearless
in delivering an impressive piece of work mixing numerous musical styles. Black
metal, electronic, blues, spiritual, alternative metal and more. They somehow
manage to make it all work producing one of the years most eclectic successes. 

#14 (167 Points)
Evergrey - A Heartless Portrait: The Orphean Testament
Progressive Metal

Evergrey don’t surprise with A Heartless Portrait: The
Orphean Testament. What they do though is deliver one of their finest collection
of songs in some time. Fans of the band will already know how good this is, but
anyone with an interest in progressive metal in general would be advised to
spend some time with this.

#13 (187 Points)
Immolation - Acts Of God
Death Metal

There’s only a handful of bands who don’t have at least one
dud in their back catalogue. One band that doesn’t is Immolation. All the more
impressive as Acts Of God is album number eleven which maintains the high
benchmark set by career highlights such as Close To A World Below and Majesty
And Decay. Whilst they don’t re-invent the wheel here they continue to deliver
compelling dissonant death metal that still sound fresh and vibrant.

#12 (190 Points)
Meshuggah - Immutable
Progressive Metal

Whilst the sound of Immutable is very familiar it’s also one
of Meshuggah’s most diverse collection of songs with a more organic sounding
production too. It’s testament to the strength of the material on offer that it
can maintain the listener’s attention for almost 67 minutes.

#11 (198 Points)
Avatarium - Death, Where is Your Sting
Heavy Psych

Avatarium oozed quality from day one with perhaps the finest
doom album of the last ten years and lesser bands would have been content to
repeat the undeniably strong formula of that release. Since then though they
have continued to expand their sound, with less reliance on doom and more
emphasis on light and shade in their heavy psych framework. Death, Where Is
Your Sting is one their finest collections of songs to date.

#10 (206 Points)
Kreator - Hate Uber Alles
Thrash Metal

The Kreator of today not surprisingly may not have the sheer
raw aggression and intensity of their earlier albums but they compensate with
musical precision and strong hooks and there’s no denying they can still pack a
considerable punch when they want to. There may be one or two lulls on Hate Über Alles but as whole Kreator
maintain the quality of recent albums making this another winner.

#9 (209 Points)
Artificial Brain - Artificial Brain
Technical Death Metal

Artificial Brain’s self-titled third album sees the band maintaining
the high standards laid down on their previous two. Technical death metal is
not always an easy genre to love but their ability to write an inventive and  memorable dissonant riff and the intensity of
it all make it another winner and deserves to raise their profile much higher.

#8 (212 Points)
Elder - Innate Passage
Heavy Psych

Elder are a band that have steadily evolved over the fifteen
years since their first album was released. These days largely eschewing the
stoner metal and rock of earlier albums, they have gravitated more towards
progressive and psychedelic territory. They can still pack a punch when
required but Innate Passage’s strengths lie in subtle melodies and slow builds the
long song lengths allow that very soon get under the skin. If you liked their
last album, Omens, you’ll likely enjoy this one even more. Elder really are on
top of their game with this, the best of their six albums so far.

#7 (219 Points)
Allegaeon - Damnum
Technical Death Metal

If it ain’t broke don’t fix it may be the approach adopted
by Allegaeon on album number six Damnum but they have nevertheless continued to
perfect their craft of top tier technical death metal. Whilst I don’t rank
amongst the Allegaeon faithful many fans of the band claim it to be their best
work yet and who am I to argue!

#6 (321 Points)
Star One - Revel In Time
Progressive Metal

Star One may not receive the same attention that Arjen Lucassen’s
main project Ayreon does but that doesn’t mean it’s not as good. He proves that
here with Revel In Time, being the best of the three albums so far and is also
up there with the best of Ayreon. In power metal opener Fate Of Man I’ve rarely
heard better from the man and the rest of the album is not far behind. 

#5 (323 Points)
Threshold - Dividing Lines
Progressive Metal

Studio album number twelve of a thirty year career once
again sees Threshold deliver the goods. Darker sounding than 2017’s acclaimed Legends
Of The Shires, Dividing Lines maintains the high standards set by their back
catalogue and is another excellent progressive metal album in the classic
Threshold tradition. Like all their albums, a mixture of longer and shorter
songs of varying complexity but never losing sight of the importance of
memorable and powerful hooks.
Dividing Lines is not their best album but this is more down
to the high peaks reached on past work than any shortcomings here and still
ranks very highly in one of the most impressive discographies  in progressive metal.

#4 (332 Points)
Wormrot - Hiss
Grindcore

Often from adversity comes great music. Such is the case with Wormrot and their incendiary album "Hiss". Before the departure of co-founding vocalist Arif and his wife Azean, the band's manager, so they could concentrate on family life, Wormrot once again redefined pure grindcore. "Hiss" spits forth 21 tracks of societal and political rage, thrilling long time listeners, and wowing hordes of new fans. Luckily for all fans, the band are soldiering on for now with stand-in vocalist Gabbo Dubko.

#3 (389 Points)
Spheric Universe Experience - Back Home
Progressive Metal

Spheric Universe Experience rightly deserve their high
postion in the MMA vote. A stunning piece of work with complex compositions,
soaring melodies and heavy riffs played by excellent musicians. Back Home is a
long album of 68 minutes and its testament to the strength of its songs that it
doesn’t feel  anywhere near that. A must
hear for fans of progressive metal.

#2 (458 Points)
Sigh - Shiki
Progressive Metal

Sigh have never been an easy listen but with Shiki we have
probably got as near to that as is ever likely. We are talking relatively
speaking of course, so long time fans won’t be disappointed and they are as
eclectic as ever. The excellent musicianship is present and the music still
comes from a myriad of sources including black metal, doom, prog and Japanese
folk to name a few. Where Shiki stands out to is its immediacy and strong
songwriting without compromising on what the band are about. Shiki may just be
a career best.

#1 (507 Points)
Blind Guardian - The God Machine
Power Metal

Premium German power metal act Blind Guardian are a group that need no introduction. While never the most productive of artists compared to those who turn out an album at least every other year if not more frequently, their qualitative over quantitative approach has resulted in one of the strongest discographies in metal music. 

Though evolving into more symphonic and progressive tendencies in the latter part of their career, their latest album The God Machine sees them almost at a regression: raw, fast, hard, like a classic Blind Guardian album of the 1990s. And it is glorious. By this point, no one really thought we'd hear a new Blind Guardian album that sounded quite like this again. While the only thing perhaps missing is one of their signature folksy ballads, it is by and large what the power metal genre was always supposed to be: hard hitting metal that isn't messing around, with still enough elements of the modern Blind Guardian to balance it out. 

In short, it's among the best albums they've ever produced. And with a discography as strong as theirs, that's really saying something. 

Releases By Main Genres

Progressive Metal: 12

Death Metal: 9

Thrash Metal: 7

Black Metal: 5

Power Metal: 4

Metal Related: 3

Grindcore: 2

Hard Rock: 2

Metalcore: 2

Avant-garde Metal: 1

Hardcore Punk: 1

Heavy Metal: 1

Symphonic Metal: 1

Edited by Nightfly - 26 Mar 2023 at 6:55am