Top 5 of 2022!!

Yup, it's that time of year again.  I've been relistening to everything from the past year that I reviewed, and I have to admit that it was a pretty solid year.  However, as I was comparing and sifting these albums, these are the five that stood out the most to me.  Putting them in order from fifth to first was quite the challenge as well, as they're all pretty good.

Of course, some pretty good stuff had to get dropped.  While HammerFall and Hammer King put up good efforts, they didn't quite make the cut, as I think there were better power metal performances this year.  Beriedir was another close one, but it couldn't make its way in.  It's just my opinion, but I really do think these five are the ones that edged out everything else, so here's my Top 5 of 2022!

5. Birth - Born

While this band may have come from the remains of Astra, they have carried on their classic, spacy prog rock sound.  Filled with great 70s atmosphere and neat little guitar noodles, it's a great album for letting music just surround you so that you can soak in it.  

4. Iron Allies - Blood In Blood Out

This is probably the first surprise of my list.  While this list did have some solid competition, I couldn't deny that Herman Frank, David Reece, and company had really put together a solid classic metal album.  With so much classic metal experience on board, perhaps it was inevitable, but it was never a guarantee it would be this good.

3. Borealis - Illusions

In terms of prog metal, there were some splendid music, but I think Borealis stood out more than the others.  Between the songwriting and the production, this album is lush and layered in a way that really brings out the emotions.  Very bombastic and cinematic, I knew this one was going to be in my top 5 when I first heard it.

2. Blind Guardian - The God Machine

I admit I'm still pretty new, relatively speaking, to these German legends of power metal, but with their latest album, it's quite clear that they aren't all just whimsical fantasy ballads.  They really brought the heavy but they didn't lose an ounce of their epicness, making for one of the best power metal albums of the year, and I know I'm not alone in that.

1. New Horizon - Gate of the Gods

Better than HammerFall?  Better than Sabaton?  Better than Blind Guardian?  Yes, I really do think so.  For a debut album, these guys do a lot of things right, making me think of the classic 90s sound of Helloween and Gamma Ray, and as such, it hits all the right notes for me.  While I know the two guys on the project have other bands to work in, if they decide to make a follow up to this, it will definitely get my attention!

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Well, that was certainly not easy, and now that there's a new year upon us, I have to do it all over again!  Seriously, though, it's been fun doing this year after year, giving me an opportunity to check out what's new and to champion what I think is the best!

Looking ahead, things are already feeling pretty stacked.  Twilight Force, Arctic Rain, Lovebites, Rick Wakeman, Kamelot, and of course Metallica, there is plenty more to look forward to.  It's starting to feel like I don't have enough time to really give them all justice!!  However, I plan on continuing to plug along, so I'll get to them when I can.  Until then, rock on! \m/

New Videos - 2022 Wrap Up!

Hey, sorry for not posting much this month, but things have been a bit rough for the start of the year, but I know there are good things coming!  At the very least, we have one more videos article to wrap up some of the things from 2022!  Some are from last year, some looking ahead to this year, but they're all worth checking out.

Featuring the singer of Pyramaze, this is some anthemic mid-tempo metal.  While the video itself is pretty minimal, I can't deny the song has some decent catchiness.  The Archives describe the band as power metal, but based on just this single, it's more like a melodic traditional metal.  Maybe they had some more uptempo tracks on their album, so I might check it out at some point.

After enjoying their last album Point of No Return, I knew I would be on board with whatever these Brits do next.  This track has some interesting dynamics, starting with a bit of a jangly riff before bringing in the heavy riffs, with Shane Greenhall vocals really sealing the deal.

Okay so this one feels a little closer to the band's general sound (as best as I'm familiar with it).  However, there is still some of that atmospheric tension of the earlier single, and the bridge builds pretty well.  This last album of theirs might be quite the hard rock highlight for this year.

Here's one I simply overlooked.  I'm not sure how I really missed these guys as I was on board with Atomic Fire Records when they started.  Basically, it sounds like if Beast in Black traded in their synths for more of a symphonic vibe.  It's pretty epic sounding, with some solid power metal chops to back it up.  I may have to come back to these guys when I get a chance.

Another one I missed!  These guys, despite being from France, sound like many German power metal bands, making me think of Gamma Ray and Freedom Call in particular.  I really like all the noodly guitar riffs and solos, while still maintaining the epicness.