Album Of The Year: Voivod Synchro Anarchy
Blut Aus Nord Disharmonium – Undreamable Abysses
Hangman’s Chair A Loner
Haunter Disincarnate Ails
Johnny Marr Fever Dreams 1-4
Napalm Death Resentment Is Always Seismic – A Final Throw Of Throes
I have to admit that 2022 was not my most active year for purchasing new music. In fact, there’s a chance it was the slowest year I’ve had since I started buying records with “my own money”…way back around 1982. Still, the overall lack of quantity didn’t make the quality suffer. I suppose I should just know by now that any year Voivod or Napalm Death release a record, it’s going to end up charting in the top 6 with me. I’m not exactly sure what those bands could do musically to lose my seemingly everlasting adoration for what they play. They’ve both had top records with me in various years which can be found in the post called Favorite Albums From 1970 Through 2020. My top-of-the-mountain album this year, Voivod’s Synchro Anarchy, picks up where the 2018 masterpiece The Wake left off, but packs a bit more of a 1-2 punch harkening back to the Angel Rat / The Outer Limits era of the band intertwined with their crazy take on progressive metal. Once again, all the members are utilizing every inch of their talent, but the guitar work is off the freaking charts once again. I know there will never be another Piggy (RIP you beautiful genius) but Chewy fits Voivod so well and keeps adding to the legacy of this revolutionary band. His mangled chords and left-of-center delivery have made their last three albums some of the best in the band’s catalog. Voivod finds themselves in a very elite group of artists that been around for 40 years and still improve with age. No rest on your laurels bullshit here; they are writing some of the best music of their career. Johnny Marr is also a icon at the other end of the music spectrum. The Smith’s ex-guitarist is also on a hot streak as this is the third solo album in a row that I absolutely love. More guitar-based electronic pop that has you hooked from the moment the record starts. Johnny’s records really make me think I would not hate The Smiths if he sang those songs and not that pompous, pretentious, psycho windbag they had. Yes, I still hate Morrissey. Hangman’s Chair is another band that keep blasting out high-quality records and deserve a much wider audience for their body of work. Hopefully the record deal with Nuclear Blast will help Also, Dear Nuclear Blast, could you please reissue their extremely hard-to-find albums? Thanks! The newest album, A Loner, doesn’t stray at all from the melodic doom they’ve always created; and they shouldn’t. When you’re as gifted as Hangman’s Chair are at writing depressive, plodding, melodic sadness, you roll with it as long as you can. Fans of Pallbearer should check out these doom merchants. Two spots were taken by black metal bands this year. Blut Aus Nord is a last minute entry as I only picked up the record in the last week. That right there should tell you just how phenomenal Disharmonium – Undreamable Abysses is. (just FYI, the record it knocked out of the top 6 was Kirk Hammett’s Portals) This album is a cacophony of dizzying and swirling dark passages. Blut Aus Nord is one of the leading bands in only what can be called a progressive movement in black metal as they are pushing the boundaries of the genre and taking listeners into new and overwhelmingly bleak places. It’s not surprising they are from France, where black metal bands currently seem to be the most experimental and courageous with their music. What is surprising is that the band Haunter is from San Antonio, Texas. Yes. Texas! Actually, it’s fucking crazy because they sound as if they belong in the same conversation as Blut Aus Nord and especially the French phenoms Deathspell Omega. If you would’ve played this record without me knowing who it was, my first guess would have been Deathspell Omega. That is a compliment of the highest honor as DSO are a just so groundbreaking and exceptional. Disincarnate Ails is a bit of a slower voyage than most black metal bands take, but the addition of death metal and prog elements drag you through a bludgeoning journey of multilayered instrumentation with vocals straight out of the deepest pit of hell. Fun fact: Not only are Haunter from Texas, but they used to be a screamo band. Now they are officially the weirdest new-ish band in quite a while. Both Disharmonium – Undreamable Abysses and Disincarnate Ails are highly recommended listens for those who like their music to play out more like chess than checkers. Last but never least, the kings of grindcore, Napalm Death. Talking about Napalm is now becoming redundant. No other extreme band is as consistent, ferocious, or daringly adventurous. Resentment Is Always Seismic – A Final Throw Of Throes is a short sharp shock of a record was released as a partner recording to their 2020 release. While these would assumingly be tracks that didn’t make the original record, Napalm Death castoff songs surpasses what most bands release as their best material. No other heavy band would dare to cover the song “People Pie” by SLAB! and pull it off brilliantly! They are the best at what they do. Period. Well, it wasn’t the most abundant year in music for me, yet it definitely had some epic releases that will not doubt turn into timeless classics for me. Bye-bye 2022. Happy New Year and stay safe!
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