Following on from part one and part two of our top 50 albums of the year list, we’re finally at the very end. With mere hours left to go until 2022 comes to a close, we present to you the top 10 records of the year.
10. Vukovi – Nula
Lab Records
Representing the starting pistol on a long arduous process to the unburdening of one’s mind, body and soul from the deepest depths of trauma; the Kilwinning duo blended the lines between nu-metal, shoegaze and “extreme pop” for a conceptual expedition which perfectly epitomises the space rock opera genre without alienating longtime fans with their unmistakably irresistible charm. In blasting off into previously unknown sonic territory with the objective of providing a universal safe space; the hyper-noise pop rockers Vukovi, fought to find their inner strength in a science-fiction universe with the immersive storyarch of their third studio album Nula.
In following the titular character of their latest album and namesake, we find the precariousness of their situation to be a bleak yet defiantly hopeful one; for an extraterrestrial held captive on a malevolent capitalist planet, who after an elongated term of forced confinement break their bounds for their first taste of freedom. Such an arch feels especially aspirational, especially when considering just how utterly dystopic contemporary civilisation has already become. With such ambitiousness radiating out of every aspect of this wondrous excursion into the emancipation of the spirit, plus the existential parallels into the yearnings of personal rejuvenation, it’s no wonder why many consider this soundtrack to be Vukovi’s most remarkable return to the airwaves. – Bennie Osborne
9. Conjurer – Páthos
Nuclear Blast Records
Conjurer blew the doors off the UK metal scene with 2018 debut Mire, and anticipation was high for its followup. So of course, Páthos upped the stakes yet again and delivered a more mature, expansive sound that in their words, was “more Roadburn” than before. That is to say, they doubled down on the more out-there influences, dialled up the atmosphere and filtered it all through their own unique lens. The end result is an album that seethes, writhes and even flourishes with stirring, unexpected melodicism.
Opening duo ‘It Dwells’ and ‘Rot’ address the impact of fear on the psyche, both from the subject and perspective of fear itself, sprawling while ‘All You Will Remember’ expands their sonic palette into prominent clean vocals. Elsewhere, ‘Basilisk’ features a deliriously heavy breakdown, while ‘Suffer Alone’ condenses all the rage and speed they can muster into two and a half minutes of bruising extremity. Conjurer proved once again that they simply can’t write a bad song; every single one here stands out for its own reason and on its own merits, but when taken as a whole, Páthos becomes even greater than the sum of its parts. Misery never sounded so damn good. – Will Marshall
8. A.A. Williams – As The Moon Rests
Bella Union
It’s hard to believe it’s only been a couple of years since A.A. Williams made her spellbinding debut onto the alternative scene, and yet she’s already throwing out strong album of the year contenders this early into her career. Her sophomore record As The Moon Rests sees her take elements of doom, grunge and other genres, twisting and melding them into her own gloomy, ethereal concoction of beautifully emotive resonance.
As The Moon Rests is an album that commands to be listened to, appreciated in full, no less, a work of art that only Alex herself could have been capable. The ambient hues that build towards fuzzy oversurges of electric guitar, the soul reaving notes of twilit melancholy that pave way for softer, more delicate strumming, the unwavering control Williams demonstrates over her impressive vocal capability, every part of her musical journey has led to this career defining moment, this one spellbinding, near perfect outpour that for many artists simply never comes, As The Moon Rests is truly an astounding body of work, and yet it seems to mark just the beginning for someone who is certain to be a very prestigious presence in the music world in the years to come. – Elliot Grimmie
7. The Callous Daoboys – Celebrity Therapist
MNRK
Do you long for the glory days of Dillinger and those mad old mathcore bands? Well have no fear, because Celebrity Therapist is everything you want from a heavy, discombobulating record and more. Lyrically, it’s a brain melting mix of metaphor, allegory and ramblings of a madman that somehow makes perfect sense. Musically, it goes off in so many directions that you’ll often have to pause and take a little break. From the Deathcore breakdown in ‘A Brief History…’ (Featuring the line, “Jerk off in your car”) to the emo/sadboy singalong that comprises most of ‘Title Track’, it barrels and scrapes it’s way along your ears until you’re left a spluttering wreck, not knowing what the hell you’ve just heard, but definitely wanting to hear it again. The most unhinged listen of 2022. – Chris Earl
6. Cave In – Heavy Pendulum
Relapse Records
Cave In, after 20 odd years, possibly proved that they could never write a bad record this year. Thunderous opener ‘New Reality’ barrelling its way past you bringing all the heaviness and the pre-chorus space rock riffage these masters are known for. The aural sensation matches the equally epic artwork. Tracks like ‘Blood Spiller’ and ‘Floating Skulls’ are also deep and rich in texture, consistently bludgeoning ear drums. Yet the quartet perfectly balance with quieter moments at the intro of the title track and interludes.
Heavy Pendulum seems to encapsulate everything Cave In have built over the years and more. Stephen Brodsky’s vocals are better than ever, his variation and flair throughout are a delight to fans old and new. And with the juxtaposition against Nate Newton’s fearsome roars and an extra treat with Adam McGrath adding his country-like vocals to ‘Reckoning’ the long run time of this album flies by. Lest not forget this was most likely a challenging and emotional album for Cave In to put together after the loss of friend and bassist Caleb Schofield during the making of last album Final Transmission. The 12 minute closer ‘Wavering Angel’ clearly a tearjerking tribute to a legend taken too soon; an apt finish. Opening with beautiful acoustic guitar, vocal harmonies before bursting into classic rock solos and then space rock once again. This is a special journey through time and space. – Adam Vallely
5. Venom Prison – Erebos
Century Media Records
It’s something of a liberty releasing one of the finest albums of the year so early on but cast your minds back to February where Venom Prison set the bar absurdly high by dropping their devastatingly impressive third album, Erebos. The album twists and turns in several directions, exploring unchartered territories for the band whilst retaining their death metal credentials. Traversing sonic extremes of pain and splendor as well as moments of haunting intimacy, Erebos breaks boundaries, further elevating the Welsh quintet to new plateaus. As the band’s back catalogue continues to grow ever stronger and more diverse, we can only sit back and revel in their glory. Where the band go next is anyone’s guess but it’s clear that the sky’s the limit for Venom Prison. So please, take a bow before finding your seat alongside the extreme metal immortals. – James Davenport
4. Rolo Tomassi – Where Myth Becomes Memory
MNRK
Back when Rolo Tomassi released Time Will Die And Love Will Bury It many presumed the band had reached the very summit of their capabilities. So good, in fact, was their 2018 effort that the record breached the threshold between the heavy music community and the wider music industry at large, becoming the topic of focus from those alien to the world of contemporary and alternative music. With that in consideration, may did wonder aloud if the band could continue to raise the bar after lifting it to new heights. Could they really release an album better than their last? Lo and behold though, for Where Myth Becomes Memory saw the now transatlantic Rolo Tomassi once again reaching the zenith of experimental expressionism.
A wide-angled expansion of the divine splendour and celestial violence that characterised their 2018 effort, Where Myth Becomes Memory is a workshop on arresting the listener lectured by the masters of the craft. As the album ebbs and flows between spellbinding atmospherics and esoteric devastation, we as listeners are transplanted into a soundscape that sounds as if it was channeled from the beyond the veil as opposed to simply being recorded in a studio. A balancing of the dark, the light and the rest of the prismatic colours in between, with Where Myth Becomes Memory it’s clear that Rolo Tomassi have become tapped into something otherworldly indeed. – Dan Hillier
3. Zeal & Ardor – Zeal & Ardor
MVKA
One of the freshest and most important heavy music projects to come up in the last few years, Zeal & Ardor combine blues, soul and gospel with blistering black metal for a unique and powerful sound primed for social commentary. Their self-titled third album incorporates plenty of experimental, electronic and atmospheric elements as well, including a blackgaze inspired track, ‘Emersion’, that stands up to genre heavyweights like Deafheaven and Alcest. The lyrical content continues the anti-religous, anti-racism themes present from the band’s inception which have only become more necessary and relevant in recent years.
Zeal & Ardor are at their best when contrasting call and response, gospel style backing vocals with complex black metal instrumentals, fans of their previous work will find plenty to love in lead singles ‘Run’, ‘Church Burns’ and ‘Götterdämmerung’ but may be surprised by the level of depth on display in tracks like ‘Hold Your Head Low’, with it’s bluesy intro and atmospheric post-metal sections, or the gloomy, electronic intro track. This self-titled album is the peak of Zeal & Ardor’s accomplishments so far, a polished, deliberate delivery of a strong concept that will be remembered for years to come. – Tom Bruce
2. Malevolence – Malicious Intent
Nuclear Blast Records
It’s been a good while, but secretly we all knew that when the third album from Sheffield crew Malevolence emerged, it would knock all of our socks off. Malicious Intent is a whirlwind of breakdowns, riffs and a lot more of the dirty yet melodic clean vocals from guitar wizard Konan Hall. The band sound as tight as ever, and pretty much every single track wouldn’t sound out of place in their live set. The two Matt’s of Metal (Heafy and Honeycutt) show up for fantastic guest spots, while Alex gives the performance of his career on the mic. This album deserves its high ranking, purely for the amount of walls it’ll make you want to headbutt your way through in pure adrenaline. – Chris Earl
The Album Of The Year: Ithaca – They Fear Us
Hassle Records
Ceaselessly pulverising the senses with a hybrid soundscape, which purposely set its sights upon the dismantlement of the heavy music scene’s at times warped and rudimentary orthodoxy; the London metalcore quintet Ithaca sought a dramatic shift in their musical progression post-immersion into what still stands as their purest exposition on the toxic afterlife of traumatic events with their debut album The Language of Injury. In experiencing their compellingly unsettling response to such an emotionally fraught time, the heavy heart their debut left us clutching in a state of immense agony has since been enlivened by the emboldenment of personal liberation, alongside a ruthless disposition and a myriad of audible inspirations all amalgamated to produce the bands latest magnificently presented sophomore studio album – They Fear Us.
As no strangers to the furtherment of experimental synergy, They Fear Us presents itself as the soundtrack to a somewhat relentlessly triumphant survival stance dedicated to speaking – or on occasion, screaming truth to power, which has left so many of us listening in awe thirsting for more of their most critical wisdom. With such an enchanting fortitude making itself abundantly pronounced across the entire record, the finest elements we as an audience are bestowed through the listening experience is that of an open door policy to emotional availability, radical defiance in the face of abusive influences and the facilitation of a gilded celestial safe haven for the use of collective healing.
Ithaca, in transcending all previous expectations and their contemporaries, have not only produced a powder keg for true feminine divinity, but also galvanised an informed hard-nosed assertiveness, inspirited a unifying symbol of queer high art and the embracement of diversification; yet, at the albums core amongst the many captivating facets seamlessly blended together, They Fear Us truly personifies a masterclass in the art of empowerment. – Bennie Osborne