Here are my top 10 albums of the year for 2022. Part 1 of this list (albums 25-10) can be seen here.
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| Combust |
10. Gridiron - No Good at Goodbyes (Triple B)
Rap metal is usually disparaged, but when it's done well -- with musical chops and tongue firmly in cheek -- it can be extraordinarily fun. Case in point: this Gridiron record, which is chock full of football themed one-liners and absolutely assbeating riffs. Members of Never Ending Game and Simulakra make this record proficient and well-written enough to be interesting even when the jokes wear off.
9. Combust - Another Life (Cash Only)
Late 80's New York Hardcore heads will find lots to love about this record. It's some of the most faithful genre worship imaginable, channeling bands like Killing Time and Breakdown right down to the guitar tones and drum fills. Combust are students of the game -- New York dudes who love NYHC and know the formula inside out. There's certainly no dearth of New York inspired shit floating around right now, but few do it as convincingly as Combust on Another Life. They've got you covered if you want the real deal.
8. Tribal Gaze - The Nine Choirs (Maggot Stomp)
Is there such a thing as crossover death metal? I've never heard that term before, but it seems apt to describe this wave of hardcore kids trying their hand at OSDM. It's definitely death metal, but the songs are shorter, lean heavily on stompy midtempo riffs, and even feature the occasional two-step part or stop-mosh chug. I would call it deathcore but that's a different thing. Anyway, Tribal Gaze stands out from that whole crop for me because they embrace a sort of dirgy, sloppy approach that can be found in both bands like Autopsy, and the more metallic side of the Deathwish Records catalog. Tribal Gaze have metal flowing through their veins. They're not just Knocked Loose fans trying to write moshcore songs with trem riff fast parts and Obituary breakdowns. This record is steeped in black denim Texas weirdness.
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| Raw Breed |
7. Raw Breed - Universal Paranoia (Convulse)
I might have picked this for album of the year if I discovered it before October. I'm pretty open with my thirst for Rival Mob style "Boston meets New York" basement-core, and this record really scratches that itch. It's got the speed and raw nerve of DIY punk, with the palm muted bounce I love in my hardcore. This record also has a dash of that feral, Youth Attack-influenced intensity we expect from the Denver scene. That mainly comes across in the riffing. There's not a ton of delay and reverb in the mix here, which is a nice change of pace compared to a lot of bands that Raw Breed presumably plays with. It's simple, straightforward and catchy. Hardcore for hardcore, if you will.
6. Dream Unending - Tide Turns Eternal (20 Buck Spin)
This record technically came out right at the end of 2021, but I didn't hear it until this year, so I'm counting it. This feels like the more ambitious effort compared to their newer album, despite the (somewhat) shorter track lengths . Every layer of texture and every moment of momentum seems pondered and poured over. It's also the heavier of the two releases, retaining the most crushing qualities of that Peaceville Three material, with heavy ass doom breakdowns and pummeling double-kick. This record is great, and in the right mood, under the right circumstances, it can reach transcendent levels of emotional catharsis.
Listen to "Tide Turns Eternal"
5. Mindforce - New Lords (Triple B)
Mindforce is like chocolate ice cream. They really haven't ventured from their formula over four proper releases. So what? I'm still gonna shove it down my throat with a spoon whether someone is watching or not. This record tightens up the technical intensity, but at the core, it's the same ol' same ol'. Shredding, circle pits, singalongs, breakdowns. Don't like that? You don't like hardcore. BOOM!
Listen to "Survival is Vengance"
4. No Pressure - No Pressure (Triple B)
I thought Triple B hit a bit of a downswing over the pandemic, but this year they bounced back with a smattering of incredible records. My favourite of the bunch is No Pressure's self-titled LP. My normie girlfriend and I had a very lengthy debate about whether this was hardcore or pop-punk, but one thing we did agree on is that it slaps. Endless melody and nonstop up-tempo energy make this an absolute staple for (short) road trips and summertime fun. This is even more straightforward in songwriting than Saves the Day and Lifetime, who people will inevitably compare it to. That's why I argue it's a hardcore record. You also can't argue the fact that these songs would sound perfect in an early Blink-182 set. I'd actually take them over most of Dude Ranch in a heartbeat,.
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| End It |
3. Age of Apocalypse - Grim Wisdom (Closed Casket Activities)
I found myself going back to In Love There is No Law by Twitching Tongues over and over again this year. That record is a Life of Agony inspired CCA classic brought to you in large part by hardcore guitar wizard Taylor Young. In that same spirit, I spent a lot of time with Grim Wisdom, a record that feels very much like a spiritual successor to the Twitching Tongues catalog. It's definitely not a one-to-one. Grim Wisdom has a big helping of Hudson Valley thrash. It also doesn't reach the creative heights that the TT record does, but we're talking about comparing it to an all-timer. The fact that it's even in the same conversation speaks volumes.
2. XweaponX - Weapon X Demo (Self Released)
The world needed a vindictive, uncompromising straight edge demo after a pandemic which saw millions of people turn to a lethal combination of substance abuse and Facebook misinformation to deal with unprecedented levels of stress, anxiety and grief. I made a conscious decision late in 2021 to completely stop indulging in the self-destructive behaviour I'd made part of my personality for over a decade at that point. This record validated my choice, and fuelled the anger I felt as parts of my past slipped away because of it. Musically, this sounds like Harm's Way trying to write Tragedy songs and failing in the most amazing way possible.
1. End It - Unpleasant Living (Flatspot)
Just like the Raw Breed record gets me salivating over the nods to Rival Mob, I go bonkers for a band who can channel Trapped Under Ice at their best. Many try, only the realest succeed. This End It record rips. People forget how many 80's punk records TUI jammed when they were lifting weights in their underpants and writing the demo. This type of hardcore NEEDS to be fast. The riffs on the End It record are legit hard to play because they blow by. Then there's Akil Godsey, the classically trained choir performer who decided screaming clever one-liners in a BCHC tough guy band was more their speed than performing at the philharmonic. This is meathead hardcore played by highly talented individuals, and the results are astonishing.
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Honorable Mention: Lexan - Demo, Poison Ruin - Not Today, Not Tomorrow, Snuffed - Coping Human Waste, JID - The Forever Story, NBA Youngboy - The Last Slimeto, Undeath - It's Time to Rise From the Grave, Candy - Heaven is Here, Anxious - Little Green House, Simulakra - The Infection Spreads, Downfall - Behind the Curtain.
Needed More Time - Regulate - Regulate, Inclination - An Unaltered Perspective, Blackbraid - Blackbraid I.
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