2022.
Genre: Year in review -Well my friend. This didn’t turn out the way I’d hoped. While lots of musics happened and lots of it probably great, there’s not a lot of reason to get out of bed these days, and so it’s been hard to look for new stuff, even though there’s been a lot of good music out there.
2022 didn’t turn out like other years, because how could it? Obviously this site didn’t churn out review after review the past twelve months, but on the plus side, I’ve got a backlog of reviews to write. On the other hand, there’s a lot of stuff I’ve definitely missed on the count of this… thing.
However, not all is darkness. Light shines in the oddest of places, illuminating darkness otherwise abyssal. These are some of the songs released in 2022 that stirred great emotion, made an impression, lasted. These are some of the highlights. These songs are the lights in the darkness, the reasons I’ve survived 2022. In no particular order.
Veonity - Elements of Power
Well ok so let’s start where 2022 started. High quality, high octane power metal; furious melodic guitars, powerful riffage and mighty vocals from Sweden’s own Veonity. The opener from this years album Elements of Power is the epitome of all the theatrics that is a fun power metal tune. Beyond the Realm of Reality draws on elements from their classic When Humanity is Gone, but takes a lighter, airier approach without losing any of the gravity of the musicianship or any of the fun of a power metal banger.
Krilloan - Emperor Rising
From the first to the last one, released just a couple of weeks ago at the ass end of the year. And another power metal smash hit at that, from another Swedish outfit that knows to play to its strengths and deliver a power tune worthy of the gods. High pitched shouts from Alex VanTrue channeling his inner Kaladin Stormblessed are accompanied by furious, speedy melodic riffs and blazing solos. Stormlight is a tune that brings all the absolute cheese of a classic 2000’s era power metal song, done with all the conviction in the world. And you can’t beat that.
Avantasia - A Paranormal Evening with the Moonflower Society
Welcome to the Shadows was - with a few exceptions - the only saving grace on Tobias Sammet’s latest misfire of an Avantasia album. He opens the album just damn great though, with an eerie feel set by the keyboards and an actual plan for what he wants with the song. It builds a lot of atmosphere throughout its five minutes and still props up a melodic punch in the chorus. No guest vocalists here, just Sammet taking charge on his own, and Sascha Paeth adding crunchy guitars alongside the atmospheric keys. Too bad the rest of the album couldn’t keep up.
Civil War - Invaders
From a decent enough comeback, the opener is what really stood out. Really, the entire band fires on all cylinders, in this fairly atypical opener to an otherwise pretty standard power metal album. Daniel Myhr’s keys add an oriental flair, Thobbe Englund and Petrus Granar crushes some serious riffage and melodic leads. Newcomer Kelly Sundown finally gets to shine, and he gives a powerful performance full of conviction and hunger of near biblical proportions as he casts you off to oblivion.
Powerwolf - Sainted By the Storm
From the first to the last one, released just a couple of weeks ago at the ass end of the year. And another power metal smash hit at that, from another Swedish outfit that knows to play to its strengths and deliver a power tune worthy of the gods. High pitched shouts from Alex VanTrue channeling his inner Kaladin Stormblessed are accompanied by furious, speedy melodic riffs and blazing solos. Stormlight is a tune that brings all the absolute cheese of a classic 2000’s era power metal song, done with all the conviction in the world. And you can’t beat that.
Ghost - Impera
Ballad and gloomy rock anthem both, Respite on the Spital Fields is perhaps Ghost’s best written song to date, at least one of them. Progressive, dark and brooding, it sees the best of their post-Meliora stuff, what with the thick bass lines looming heavy across the melodic guitars. Then they toss in some groovy riffing for good measure, and Papa Emeritus pulling some dark vocals, broken by the softer, highly infectious chorus. We will go softly into the night.
Judicator - The Majesty of Decay
To another intense semi epic that almost seems like a ballad but which definitely isn’t. Judicator’s new album was an experience to say the least (and in the backlog), but they manage expertly without Alicia Cordisco. Judgment is the top dog, clocking in over seven minutes and with great performances from the entire group. John Yelland delivers a sad, introspective, deep take on passing through to the other side while Balmore Lemus riffs and guest Connor McCray’s soloing take the cake in delivering emotional instrumentals. The last few minutes where Angel Wolf-Black steals the show just puts extra icing on the cake.
Nova Luna - Nova Vita
Nova Luna’s debut was actually full of charming pieces of prog rock and metal blend, teeming with passion and quirkiness, all delivered in a distinctly professional manner and incredible performances. While the album sees a lot of softer moments, the outlier that is mad metal performance Lost in the Sky stands out most, with its hard edged riffs and passionate vocals. Melodic and heavy, it boasts some serious face slapping riffage and vocal delivery in its four minute runtime. The entire album deserves a mention, but Lost in the Sky is something else.
Poets of the Fall - Ghostlight
No one really expected Poets of the Fall to make such a strong comeback. But they did, and they delivered an emotionally packed punch of an album. It’s the closer, Beyond the Horizon that goes furthest. Unlike anything they’ve done, it’s a slow, heavy - almost doom like, sans the metal - beast, multifaceted and emotional. The melodic guitars are every bit as melodic as the flawless vocals, and even though it’s dark and brooding, there’s a sense of light breaking through the dark. We call them ghostlights.
Trick or Treat - Creepy Symphonies
You can’t beat a ten minute power metal epic. Even less so when it’s cheesy, Italian power metal based on The Masters of the Universe. This right here is what Trick or Treat has been leading up to all these years, and it’s glorious. They cram in all the wonderful theatrics the title requires, Alessandro Conti pushing some serious vocal dynamics, and the melodic section is out in full force, powerful solos unraveling one after the other. The best part of all is the guys know full well how cheesy this is and are they backing down? No they’re rushing head first like the masters of the gosh dang universe.
Stratovarius - Survive
You really can’t beat a ten minute power metal epic. Stratovarius have been around for some time and they know this by now. This one delivers in every sense; from the ground shaking rhythm section and pounding riffs, to the shattering solo dueling, to the powerful vocal delivery, thanks to a Timo Kotipelto’s commanding presence. The album mightn’t be their best, but Voice of Thunder is just Stratovarius proving they’re still giants of the genre. It’s cheesy still, but the veterans of the genre know their way around an epic, and thanks to the great performances and conviction put behind, magic is made.
Symphonity - Marco Polo: The Metal Soundtrack
I keep telling you, you can’t beat a ten minute power metal epic. Now, Symphonity’s latest album was a bit of a disappointment, but boy did Mongols carry its weight. A work of pure madness and genius from main man Libor Křivák who’s written maybe the greatest song of his career. Mongols takes a lot of twists and turns, a progressive epic thick with magic moments, Mongol inspired folk elements (duh) all set around Křivák’s symphonic style and eclectic guitars. Both vocalists get to shine as well, Konstantin Naumenko getting some operatic moments while Mayo Petranin gets the heavier stuff. I just cannot overstate what a songwriter Křivák is, and how every bit of it shines through here.
Speaking of classic European power metal, likely none have embodied the love and passion for it quite like Power Paladin did on their debut. Really, any song could be on this list - especially the final three - but it falls to Creatures of the Night. From that always sunny intro that sets the stage for perfect cheesiness, to the dramatic verses and powerful, melodic riffing; from the cheesy lyrics delivered with complete sincerity to the mighty chorus, there’ just nothing here that isn’t 500% awesome. Plus the album gets the “album of the year” gold star. Yay!
Ok, let's do the final five in order because you know me, I just have to do that. These following five are the greatest metal songs of 2022, all categories, and I think they're a fairly diverse bunch what with that pretty much only power metal filled list above... so on that note let's start with more power metal...
Power Paladin - With the Magic of Windfyre Steel
Speaking of classic European power metal, likely none have embodied the love and passion for it quite like Power Paladin did on their debut. Really, any song could be on this list - especially the final three - but it falls to Creatures of the Night. From that always sunny intro that sets the stage for perfect cheesiness, to the dramatic verses and powerful, melodic riffing; from the cheesy lyrics delivered with complete sincerity to the mighty chorus, there’ just nothing here that isn’t 500% awesome. Plus the album gets the “album of the year” gold star. Yay!
Persefone - metanoia
metanoia is by far the album I’ve listened to most this year, and it’s near impossible to pick a single song that stands above the others; you just have to listen to the entire album. I think though, that Consciousness really encapsulates the album and its entire feel. It’s introspective, almost meditative; those wondrous moments bordering on the harrowing darkness all around, Persefone prove the masters of bringing it to life with pure instrumentals, mastery of their craft. It’s in the massive riffs, the insane soloing and how everything is brought together with the melodic drama that never feels cheesy or out of place. It’s done with utter conviction and without a single word.
The Midgard Project - The Great Divide
This is a magic one. An eerie setting on the misty mountains of folklore, Marty Midgard’s intense yet solemn guitars piercing the mist and Stu Block’s phenomenal vocals bringing everything full circle. Then at the halfway mark it bursts. An absolute mad shout from Block and everything turns into an intense, powerful hunt; melodic riffs so intense they make your heart race, bombastic keyboards make the scope and the stakes even higher. Yuki-Onna is a powerful work of art, one that’s sure to stick with you thanks to that immense hook and the intense, melodic force of nature that follows in the dense rhythm section and Midgard’s guitars. It’s just a masterclass in songwriting, delivery and sweet baby jesus, Stu Block please never leave us.
Blind Guardian - The God Machine
Very few albums have dropped just so opportunely as The God Machine did; exactly when it was needed and the bards’ return to their classic sound of fist pumping speed and maniacal power. But still, it’s the middleman between their many styles that wins the day; the operatic slow cooker that is Secrets of the American Gods. An epic tale of your not so average road trip, brought to vivid life through Hansi Kürsch’s - as per usual - epic performance and intermingled with André Olbrich’s finest lead guitars this side of Nightfall in Middle-Earth, then there’s that intense fist pumping rhythm section, Wednesday have mercy on us all. The entire band just feels invigorated, hungry, powerful, and it comes through when the guys pen their most epic non symphonic metal song since 1995; still theatric as all fuck, but I don’t think they can’t not do that.
Ashes of Ares - Emperors and Fools
Monster’s Lament is, simply put, perfect. The perfect progpower epic, capsulated in dark themes and a massive scope matched by the songwriting. It’s a dark and melancholy duet between Matt Barlow and Tim Owens, both bringing their greatest, bringing to life a haunting tale of guilt and dread. It’s painted further in darkly lit colors by Freddie Vidales’ incredible riffs, thrashy - near death like at times - and progressive, but never losing the melodic flair and the inherent theatricality that comes with it. All those proggy Nevermore and Queensrÿche influences come out as they move beyond the Iced Earth-isms much of the Ashes of Ares stuff lean toward. The songwriting is perfect, making for a wild ride of dark, melodic metal with some of the most intense performances and greatest vocal deliveries this year.
Honorable mentions
Maybe something by Bifrost (The End of the World) or Limuria featuring that rapscallion Stu Block (The Day the Sea Came In). Should have given Mantric Momentum (In the Heart of the Broken) a better chance and Threads of Fate (Moonrise) would be this years symphonic metal pick. Else there were... Walls of Babylon (The Great Collapse) and Eliminator (The Nightmare of Aeon). Eh. Maybe next year.
Next year
I hear The Spectre Beneath are cooking things up. That's nice. And Elvenking I guess. I dunno, guess we'll see.