As we move into the meaty part of the Ghost Cult albums of the year for 2022 (as chosen solely by the team that dedicate their time to promote, analyse and share the love for the great alternative music that we exist to talk about), we find a mix of old favourites and a sprinkling of new rising and shining stars…
You can read part 1 (75-41) of our Album of the Year countdown here:
40. Crippled Black Pheonix – Banefyre (Season of Mist) “Banefyre glows and blazes with resolute and almost unfalteringly pure brilliance. It contributes artfully to an important political discourse, captivatingly ebbs and flows with despair, defiance and hope, and cuts right to the core of the soul like precious few records do.” Full GC review
39. Dark Funeral – We Are The Apocalypse (Century Media) “Legendary Swedish producer Daniel Bergstrand gets the best out of the band, We Are the Apocalypse standing as one of their most enjoyable and consistent releases in years.” Full GC review
38. Bleed From Within – Shrine (Nuclear Blast) “Bleed From Within are a talented bunch who like to paint with most of the colors of the metal rainbow… I have no idea exactly where to file them in the grand metal rolodex. And that is actually a good thing.” Full GC review
37. Alter Bridge – Pawns & Kings (Napalm) “Essentially, Pawns And Kings is not going to deliver many surprises to those familiar with the band, but with that expectation comes the assurance that at times, Alter Bridge are quite simply sublime.” Full GC review
36. Slipknot – The End, So Far (Roadrunner) “Comprising aspects of every Slipknot album to date, The End, So Far is more than comfortable to experiment with different sounds… with every member at the top of their game.” Full GC review
35. 40 Watt Sun – Perfect Light (Svart) “Whether you prefer this approach or the crushing Doom of albums past, this is just another reminder that Patrick Walker remains one of the supreme crafters of the sadboi jam.” Full GC review
34. Undeath – It’s Time To Rise… From The Grave (Prosthetic) “From Browning’s cover art and pleasingly indecipherable death metal logo to Scoops Dardaris‘s production, everything on It’s Time… is polished enough for newer death metal fans but still murky and putrescent enough to appeal to old schoolers.” Full GC review
33. Soilwork – Övergivenheten (Nuclear Blast) “The sheer quality and anthemic immediacy of this album shows and, thus the elation it creates is beyond expectation. Övergivenheten is the sound of a band with a seemingly renewed conviction.” Full GC review
32. Marillion – An Hour Before It’s Dark (earMUSIC) “A stunning album where time and again the magic that is laced into the work these five musicians produce shimmers to the fore… An Hour Before It’s Dark is both contemporary and timeless, strong and vulnerable.” Full GC review
31. Kreator – Hate Über Alles (Nuclear Blast) “Kreator might not be the same unrelenting blur of (extreme) aggression that released Pleasure to Kill all those years ago but it’s great to see the Flag of Hate still being proudly flown over another exhilarating riot of violence.” Full GC review
30. Abbath – Dread Reaver (Nuclear Blast) “This album is straight-up blasting Black Metal. If there was a checklist of elements that need to be hit to make a metal album this new cut has them all. Definitely one to add to the collection.” Full GC review
29. Polyphia – Remember That You Will Die (Rise) “Ultimately the band should be applauded for their taking of risks… armed with potent musicianship across the board, the band have expanded their sound… culminating currently to a cauldron of styles and tones.” Full GC review
28. Saor – Origins (Season of Mist) By focusing on a return to their blackest roots, and allowing the guitars to add an extra sything edge, Saor have produced their defining and sharpest release to date, with the spirit of the second wave of black metal added to their more reflective leanings.
27. Greg Puciato – Mirrorcell (Federal Prisoner) “Somewhat of an emotionally pure rollercoaster ride, which definitely has a more cohesive sense of direction than its predecessor. And a record that cements Greg Puciato as one of the finest current voices, musicians and solo artists of today.” Full GC review
26. Electro Callboy – TEKKNO (Century Media) “The addition of Sallach definitely appears to have given the band a new lease of life as TEKKNO not only bristles with confidence, style and creativity but also increases the size of the silly wigs and costumes department.” Full GC review
25. Heilung – Drif (Season of Mist) “All in all, Drif is a bold step forward that sees them pushing boundaries further and shining a light outside of the already quite well-represented Nordic folk music scene.” Full GC review
24. Get The Shot – Merciless Destruction (New Damage) Aggro, riffs, hooks, power, thrashing, crushing, violence… a perfectly titled ball of hardcore meets death metal raging storm that smashes GTS through any ceiling previously imposed on them.
23. Municipal Waste – Electrified Brain (Nuclear Blast) “The artwork that emblazons Electrified Brain sets the scene as strongly as anything else could have: a Flying-V guitar violently piercing the left cheek of a skeletal head that’s also being shocked. That’s precisely what the nearly thirty-four-minute attack feels like.” Full GC review
22. Bloodywood – Rakshak (self-released) “Bloodywood marries classic Bollywood strains with some serious riffage and wicked heavy metal. Everything about Rakshak is loud and in your face. There is unrelenting movement to the songs that seep into your body and next thing you know, you, dear listener, are head banging in unison to the tune.” Full GC review
21. Wormrot – Hiss (Earache) “The three-piece absolutely shreds through twenty-one tracks of aggression that made the wait well worth it. Long-time Wormrot fans do not need to worry about this one as they continue to do what they do best, with only some experimentation peppered in so as to not feel like a copy/paste of previous releases.” Full GC review
You can read part 1 (75-41) of our Album of the Year countdown here
Read – Part 3 (20-1)
STEVE TOVEY