If there’s one thing that helped me through the last few crazy years it was music. And even if the end is not nigh, normality seems to be seeping back into the world. Music has been and always will be a huge part of my life, this year I found some new friends and leaned on a few old favourites to help me through. 2022 was once again a bumper year for metal with legacy bands cranking out some of the best music of their careers and new bands rising to the top giving the world a glimpse of the future.
In a surprise to me I did not expect to see any metalcore in my top 10, but as they say in the classics; "never say never". Good music is good music regardless of the genre and I have a couple of metalcore acts mixed in with my usual fist of power, melodic death and thrash metal.
TOP 10 RELEASES OF 2022
10. Patient Sixty-Seven – Wishful Thinking
9. Amon Amarth – The Great Heathen Army
8. Dream Widow – Self Titled
7. Rammstien - Zeit
6. Fozzy - Boombox
5. The Hu – Rumble of Thunder
4. Kreator – Hate Über Alles
3. Bloodywood - Rakshak
2. Silent Knight – Full Force
1. Parkway Drive – Darker Still
TOP 10 SONGS OF 2022
10. Metallica - 'Lux Æterna'
9. All This Filth – 'Still Bleeds My Heart'
8. Sicksense – 'Forgotten Days'
7. Dream Widow – 'March of the Insane'
6. Redhook - 'Say'
5. Fozzy – 'Army of One'
4. Parkway Drive – 'The Greatest Fear'
3. Bloodywood – 'Dana Dan'
2. Silent Knight – 'Blood In the Water'
1. Kreator - 'Hate Über Alles'
[embed]https://youtu.be/YVfEW5mgrd0[/embed]
TOP 5 MUSIC VIDEOS OF 2022
5. Nini Music – 'LongMa'
[embed]https://youtu.be/dOn7uCux0uc[/embed]
4. Amon Amarth – 'The Great Heathen Army'
[embed]https://youtu.be/bK4MbGyCSXU[/embed]
3. Rammstein – 'Angst'
[embed]https://youtu.be/ONj9cvHCado[/embed]
2. Kreator - 'Midnight Sun'
[embed]https://youtu.be/5REwYjaYKLk[/embed]
1. The Hu – 'Black Thunder Part 1'
[embed]https://youtu.be/3aguZjkVLaE[/embed]
BEST GIG YOU CAUGHT THIS YEAR?
For me this year has been gig free, so yeah, there’s that.
FAVOURITE CONTRIBUTION YOU PRODUCED?
For various reasons, 2022 was a quiet year for me musically, but a band I’ve been following for a few years genuinely surprised me with their latest release. They scored pretty high on this year’s wrap up and I had a great time reviewing the Silent Knight album Full Force. Check it out HERE
FAV NEW BAND/MUSICIAN DISCOVERED IN 2022
Thanks to the power of social media, a fellow metalhead posted a Youtube video of Nini Music, and down the rabbit hole I went. Nini is a Taiwanese musician who blends traditional Chinese instruments with western rock and metal, in a similar vein to The Hu. Her Youtube channel has a ton of covers with Iron Maiden's 'The Trooper' a standout for me, but the EP of original music Legends is where this artist really shines. It may only be 5 songs buts it's packed with emotion, creativity and stunning musicianship.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glVJtlDkDIQ
NEXT BIG AUSSIE ACT TO WATCH IN 2023
Redhook! Admittedly their EP Bad Decisions dropped in 2021 but it took me until this year to sit up and pay attention. The Sydney natives have a very cool mix of rock, pop, rap and metal that hits my sweet-spot. Collaborating with the likes of Perth locals Sly Withers and former Windwaker vocalist Will King shows their versatility. The band write some seriously hooky tunes with thoughtful lyrics. I see big things in the future for Redhook.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59gtK8J4nOo
WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO IN 2023
I’ve been given the heads up on some very exciting music and tours dropping next year with the opportunity to interview and review some of my favourite and most respected people. So aside from a well-earned holiday in Aotearoa where I’ll be doing my best to check out some Kiwi bands (don't tell my girlfriend), I’ll be head down and horns up here at Wall of Sound covering local and international artists.
Written by Gareth Williams
