Top 10s and lists - MMA Best of Year 2022 Results

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)

#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)

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)

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)

#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)

#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.