The Top 16 Artists Set To Dominate 2022 – Part Two

In need of knowing who's about to make it big? We got you covered.

Following on from the first part of our feature – which you can find here – here is the second half of our list of the acts that are set to conquer this year.

El Moono

Like riffs? Good, because El Moono have them in spades. With one EP to their name so far and their second, Temple Corrupted, due out in February, the whispers about them amongst those already in the know are sure to only get deafeningly loud. Mixing post-rock, noise and even some stoner doom elements, songs like ‘Final Execution’ play with dynamics in a similar way to genrephobes Sugar Horse while ‘Forced To Smile’ is filled to the brim with punk snarl and off-kilter rhythms. Vocalist Zac Jackson has some serious range too, from softer croons to desperate howls; he’s never less than a commanding presence across their work. If you’re in the market for a band that care little for genre convention and very much for obliterating eardrums, missing out on El Moono is simply not an option. – Will Marshall

Burner

Burner hail from London and have just a single to their name but with the new year, comes the anticipation of new music – and a cursory listen to ‘Ingsoc’ should explain everything as to why you should be excited for that. Produced by none other than Lewis Johns (the audio engineering genius behind Conjurer, Employed To Serve and more), Burner simply sound incredible. The guitar sounds monstrous and vocals switch between a rabid howl and guttural roars. Dedicating ‘Ingsoc’ to “the Uyghurs of Xinjiang, the peoples of Hong Kong, Tibet and Taiwan”, it’s a raging screed against brutally oppressive regimes that care naught for their citizens’ lives, only their fealty. In just two minutes, Burner say more than many say in a lifetime and the dizzying level of quality on display is more than enough to generate plenty of excitement for debut EP A Vision Of The End, due early this year. – Will Marshall

Zetra

London’s Zetra occupy an oeuvre that manifests as a void bridging the future and past of gothic metal. Drawing from an encyclopaedic knowledge of the goth artform, the duo draw upon the lo-fi ambience signature of the pioneering age whilst simultaneously sounding irrefutably modern with their sense of exploration and experimentation. One only needs to look towards their modest output thus far to see why the band have already become such both a sensation. As proven with their immersive 2021 EP From Within, their work serves as an era-spanning vessel for their atmospheric storytelling, with crackling analogue synths, washed-out guitars, velveteen vocals and majestic melodies all alchemising to create a sonic concoction that’s both forward thinking and nostalgic. Yet, it’s set to be their forthcoming new EP From Without that will jettison the band from darkened obscurity and into the harsh light of recognition. Given it’s destined to be the full fulfilment of their amalgamation of gothic sensibilities, 2022 is set to be the year where Zetra remind the masses of the fatal romanticism of the goth metal. – Dan Hillier

Kurokuma

Since their inception Kurokuma have existed outside the confines of genre in order to study and synthesise their own brand of psych tainted sludge. Yet whereas the hybridisation of sludge and psych metal isn’t particularly a new notion, what makes the Sheffield trio unique is just how potent, well-refined and expansive their output is. Across a slew of extended plays – from 2016’s Advorsus up to 2019’s Sheffield’s Best Metal Bands Vol. 1, which was released on the legendary electronic label Off Me Nut Records – Kurokuma have continuously intensified their output, incorporating further strains of genres into their mind-warping work. However, their forthcoming debut, Born Of Obsidian, is set to their most concreted musical dose to date. Releasing February 4th, the record vows to transcend the Earthly plane and transport the listener into the Olmec society, a culture where human sacrifice, transmogrification and communing with the divines through the use of hallucinogenics where the norm. Even for the most experienced musical psychonauts, Kurokuma are a trip unlike anything else ever experienced. – Dan Hillier

New Ghost

Offering a mixture of dream pop, shoegaze and art rock that’s sometimes tender, sometimes abrasive but always consistently beautiful, New Ghost are an unmissable proposal for anyone with even the passing penchant for acts such as Nothing, Slow Crush, Mew, A.A Williams and others of their ilk. A collaborative effort comprised of various musicians belonging to the UK alternative and noise rock scene, New Ghost are forgo the notion of genre in order to vividly portray aura-lit musical soundscapes free from comprise, something expressed with their 2020 EP Future Is Dead. Truly, there’s something brilliant about this band. They carry the snow-kissed sense of allure that’s reminiscent of Sigur Ròs and the abyssal sense of mystique nostalgic of the aforementioned Slow Crush whist sounding completely unique. With a new full length forthcoming that promises father expansions into glitch, prog pop and all things heavy, New Ghost are set to be a vital discovery for many this year. – Dan Hillier

Inhuman Nature

Muscular, bruising and just straight up hench, Inhuman Nature are the answer to the immortal question that is ‘what if Bolt Thrower made crossover thrash?’ Existing to serve battle-ready thrash metal that takes cues from legends such as Entombed, Nuclear Assault and Obituary, the London act are a throwback to the halcyon days where thrash remained supreme, the NWOBHM wave was in full force and where most of your problems could be resolved with an axe to someone’s head. Yet, despite their allegiance to the glory days of metal, the act’s work also delivers the violent lashings associated with such modern acts as Power Trip, Enforced and Dead Heat. It’s this amalgamation of styles from across the eras that have allowed the band to become commonly referred to as one of the most promising acts in the UK crossover thrash scene – and with tours with the likes of Puppy and Underdark forthcoming – this year is set to see Inhuman Nature waving the warring flag of the new wave movement proud for all to see and hail. – Dan Hillier

Kubrick

Late in 2021 Kubrick released his debut single ‘Painfall’. This first taste of material from this solo venture that showcases a fresh blend of creative brilliance with a tonne of musical influence and inclusion within it. The song itself is a mix of electronic synths, djent riffs, melodic vocals and a soaring chorus all thrown into a mixing pot and blended effortlessly. Kubrick has been performing and composing music all his life and is the child of two opera singers and grandson to the famous film director of the same name. However, this only kickstarted the musical influences that would shape the direction for Kubrick. With a strong attachment to horror and sci-fi, the creation of music that depicts experiences of pain and loss and personal tragedies in his own life Kubrick is now harnessing all of this to release unforgivingly authentic and personal music. We’d be willing to bet that this introduction to Kubrick late in 2021 is only the beginning and it’s a name you’ll be hearing in 2022. Expect the unexpected. – Jac Holloway

The Home Team

2021 saw the release of the sophomore record Slow Bloom from The Home Team which saw them expand on their debut release and produce a more polished alternative pop-punk sound. Embracing melody, tapping into the phenomenal range of vocalist Brian Butcher and using a mix of harsh riffs and bodacious basslines to create an album that you can simultaneously dance and throw fists to. The band hit the studio in 2020 with Skyler Accord (Issues) and Seb Barlow (Neck Deep) to create the album and the mix of groove and tenacity that blurs into the sound on the record is no surprise with their inclusion. In amongst the oversaturated pop-punk minefield ‘Slow Bloom’ shone through. This album was a leap in terms of maturity and sound that sets The Home Team apart from any and all of their rising counterparts in the genre. Expect big things. – Jac Holloway