chrisp65 Posted December 28, 2022 Share Posted December 28, 2022 Top ten ‘new’ in no particular order: London Odense Ensemble - Jaiyede Sessions Vol 1 Mythic Sunship - Changing Shapes Pixie Jones - Bits n Bobs Ynys - Ynys TVAM - High Art Lite Orville Peck - Bronco Soul Revivers - Grove Dub Melts - Maelstrom Horace Andy - Midnight Scorchers Gwenno - Tresor honourable mentions: Rude Scott Osborn Trio - Virtue of Temperence Cate Le Bon - Pompeii Pale Blue Dots - Lots of Dots Papur Wal - Amser Mynd Adra Dennis Boval - The Dubmaster Horace Andy- Midnight Rocker Rosalia - Motomami A solid year, looking forward to something new from Dexys in ‘23. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyrusr Posted December 31, 2022 VT Supporter Share Posted December 31, 2022 (edited) So, last day of 2022 and finally sorting this out… I initially thought “not bought much music that has come out this year”. 73 albums later… So on that note this year I have gone for a top 5 with a few honourable mentions as I have had quite a few... So, to start with honourable mentions/shoutouts in alphabetical order. Spoiler 1. Clutch – Sunrise on Slaughter Beach – another record full of good old fashion bluesy stoner rock it does have some good songs on it. Not as catchy as the last few, it does feel it needs a little warming up to it, it is still a good record and definitely one to check out. 2. Conjurer – Pathos – Villa fans from Rugby making their big label debut after the demise of Holy Roar Records. This is an album of development and heavy sludgy metal that is a great listen to. Think I really got into the last album after heard it live (and they are great live) and not had the pleasure of hearing them with this record yet but I think I will enjoy more when I do. 3. Down I Go – Aum Shinrikyo – oddly these guys got a little mentioned in my last year list in reference to Dillinger Escape Plan and this album has a little of a sour note to it. From the band, they explain it was going to be released on Church Road Records. However, when it went to vinyl press, the plant saw the title and that the name of the album is an active cult, which led to the label pulling out. As such the album is on “pay what you want” as they wanted it out there (buy the album here for what it’s worth https://downigo.bandcamp.com/album/aum-shinrikyo). The album is a great post-hardcore (?) record but is a bit crazy all around. Genuinely worth checking out and helping the band out. 4. Holy Fawn – Dimensional Bleed – this I think has been mentioned by others but is another good album in the weird blend of black metal and shoegaze. Leaning more on the shoegaze side rather than black metal, great listen. 5. Ibaraki – Rashomon – the long awawited black metal project from Trivium frontman Matt Heathy, it has a clear influence from Ihsahn which is not a bad thing. A little hit and miss but you can tell he can play and there are some good songs on it (even the one that features Gerard Way from My Chemical Romance…). It is a good record and worth checking out. 6. Jazz Sabbath – Vol. 2 – Jazz covers of Black Sabbath songs done by Adam Wakeman which spawned out of the last tour of sabbath and him playing on hotel pianos (or something to that effect), it is a great listen to and worth checking out. 7. Møl – Diorama (instrumental version) – my AOTY last year, this year they released the instrumental version of it. So, if you like blackgaze without the harsh vocals, listen to this! Seriously, great album and this provides another excuse to listen to it. 8. The Mars Volta – The Mars Volta – the long awaited return of them, I enjoyed this record. Much more mellow than previous albums, which is cool but I do miss that “edge” that the others albums had. Still good though and a worthy listen. 9. Sabaton – The War to End All Wars – Sabaton always have a soft spot in my heart and the last few albums have been “good” but not really grasped. This again probably hits a similar vein but again give that power metal formula a good bashing. Historically always great (they have their own YouTube history channel) it is a great education bizarrely. 10. Devin Townsend – Lightwork – love Devin in every possible way. This is a delightful record and its companion piece Nightwork is great as well. First time he has another producer with him though and it definitely works. Might have made the top 5 however I haven’t had as much time with the record as I would have liked to be honest. 11. Venom Prison – Erebos – death metal band with hardcore elements, it has created a very catchy, heavy album that is generally a good listen. Again very catchy and worthy listen. 12. A.A. Williams – As the Moon Rests – the 2nd release from her, this provides more progression than her debut and is genuinely a great record. She is a singer songwriter with significantly darker undertones and there is a definite step up in heaviness in this record. Like with Devin, not had as much time with this as would like, but I would recommend heavily as well. So here we go with the blurb in spoilers to make the post smaller… 5. Boris – W Spoiler With 3 albums this year (“Heavy Rocks” [2022 – 3rd Heavy Rocks for those not aware of Boris] and “fade” being the other 2), “W” was the one that was the most interesting for me. For those not aware of Boris, they always mix it up with different styles and it can be somewhat difficult to predict where they will take the next album and what style it will be. These 3 are no exception and I would certainly recommend checking out the other 2 as well. “W” though for me is probably the best of the 3 and a great album. A companion piece to their 2020 release “NO” (to create “NOW” – I suspect they have been playing scrabble) it provides an ambient and ethereal feel to it that suits Wata’s vocals to a tee. Whilst there are definite shoegaze elements to it, there is a certain oddity to the album that sticks with you. Certainly, the most chilled out album on this list and a real treat of one. 4. Ghost – Impera Spoiler I know this one has split the fans a little, but I have to say I have thoroughly enjoyed it and to be honest feels like a continuation of where they were “Prequelle” and the noises against this album were probably the same that didn’t like Prequelle and the “pop” direction... It still very firmly is in the rock/metal genre, it is unabashedly camp and fun. Tobias remains an incredibly engaging frontman and he remains full of flair and pomposity as “Cardinal Copia/Papa Emeritus IV". Even songs that’s I thought were questionable on first listen (“Call Me Little Sunshine”, I’m looking at you) have become far more enjoyable later on. As “Twenties” for all its stupidity is just very, very catchy. Full of hooks, it is a very catchy record and certainly one to keep coming back to. 3. White Ward – False Light Spoiler This was a new band not heard before this year and a very good one at that. A Ukrainian “post-black metal” band which has somewhat more connotations this year (thanks Putin), it is a record that is an excellent show of how complex and experimental black metal can be whilst remaining in the genre (unlike the multiple 2nd wave copycat bands). The addition of the saxophone within the songs as another level to the song and adds a real jazz levity to the album whilst remaining very, very heavy. Each song takes a different turn/feel to it and it is something which is just intricate and again the saxophone is an absolute joy to listen to within the album. Has elements similar to “Five the Hierophant” (one of last year’s best records – check out my list last year), this is just an utterly incredible record to listen to. 2. Fellowship – The Saberlight Chronicles Spoiler Right. This is cheese. This is possibly one of those cheesiest cheeses you know, a really stinky piece of brie or stilton. You have been warned. A brand-new band, this is their debut album and is power metal to its very core. Named after LOTR (I am more surprised that another band hasn’t already taken this name to be honest, it seems too obvious) each song follows the Power Metal formula (fast, melodic guitar riffs with high, clean vocals) but it is a real show of when things are done properly, it can be a fantastic, catchy sound and the musicianship is excellent throughout. The album is generally very uplifting and positive in tone, they are tales set in fantasy (naturally) and are about overcoming adversity. Hell, they have also released a digital book of the stories from the album and a Dungeon & Dragons supplement to go with the album (yes, you read that right). Like I said, this is pure unadulterated cheese, but I love a good bit of Brie, and this is probably the finest piece of cheese you can eat this year. Put the record on, grab your sword and go charging around the forest. I’m sorry. 1. Zeal & Ardor – Zeal & Ardor Spoiler When this was announced, I already knew it was going to be a contender for AOTY (the pre-released songs just were incredible as well). Their last record, "Stranger Fruit" was an excellent album and real step up from their debut “Devil Is Fine” (which is still good in its own right) and they released the politically charged “Wake of a Nation” EP in 2020. This is the culmination of their sound of black metal and “African-American spirituals” which has now is fully blended (alongside other genres). What this is now, is an exceptional project of exceptionally well-crafted songs that engage you in a way unexpected. This shouldn’t work, the idea came from a racist comment on 4Chan, and it is incredible live (even if half the band was ill when saw them). There is not a band that quite sounds like them and they make it work in way that still engages the listener. It is also contains probably their “heaviest” song in “Götterdämmerung” which from the first riff is wonderful. Shame it came out in February as it felt very much every album had a huge standard to follow. Absolute love and worthy check out if you haven’t already. So that’s it, there have been other good records you should check out (Rolo Tomassi, The Callous Daoboys, Municipal Waste, Autopsy, Porcupine Tree, Coheed & Cambria, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard (only 4 albums this year), but I am running out of steam! Go check them out, hopefully you will enjoy too Thanks to all those that read every word, as you know sometimes I can't be succent! Pretty decent year, all in all, bring on 2023 Edited December 31, 2022 by cyrusr 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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