Favorites of 2022 - tracker

[The Curious Orange]

It says a lot that in a year with a new Porcupine Tree album, a new Marillion album and a new Devin Townsend album, my Album Of The Year is probably The Tipping Point by Tears for Fears.

[HOF]

It says a lot that in a year with a new Porcupine Tree album, a new Marillion album and a new Devin Townsend album, my Album Of The Year is probably The Tipping Point by Tears for Fears.

The Tipping Point seems to get better every time I come back to it. Not sure if I like it better than the new Marillion album or not, but it's up there in the running for sure.

[SoundscapeMN]

My 2022 Albums of the Year List:

Went over this on YouTube (1-Hour Tour)

LPs
1.Gospel - The Loser
2 Dirt Poor Robins - Queen of the Night
3 Toehider - I Have Little to No Memory of These Memories
4 The Family Crest - The War: Act II
5 Midlake - For the Sake of Bethel Woods
6 The Dear Hunter - Antimai
7 Major Parkinson - Valesa - Chapter I: Velvet Prison
8 The Warning - ERROR
9 Team Me - Something in the Making
10 Umphrey's McGee - Asking for a Friend
11 Warpaint - Radiate Like This
12 Cloud Cult - Metamorphosis
13 Porcupine Tree - Closure / Continuation
14 Pure Reason Revolution - Above Cirrus
15 Archive - Call to Arms & Angels
16 Marillion - An Hour Before It's Dark
17 Coheed and Cambria - Vaxis II: A Window of the Waking Mind
18 Evan Konrad - Denial
19 Disillusion - Ayam
20 Von Hertzen Brothers - Red Alert in the Blue Forest
21 King's X - Three Sides of One
22 Foals - Life Is Yours
23 Sloan - Steady
24 Everything Everything - Raw Data Feel
25 Nordic Giants - Symbiosis
26 Long Distance Calling - Eraser
27 King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard - Omnium Gatherum
28 Tears for Fears - The Tipping Point
29 Sound & Shape - Disaster Machine
30 The Barnum Meserve - Designs
31 Cats in Space - Kickstart the Sun
32 Bjørn Riis - Everything to Everyone
33 jennylee - Heart Tax
34 Snarky Puppy - Empire Central
35 Tachys - Tachys
36 Markéta Irglová - Lila
37 A-Z - A-Z
38 Muse - Will of the People
39 Zero Hour - Agenda 21
40 black midi - Hellfire
41 Bubblemath - Turf Ascension
42 Grimus - Abandonic
43 The Mars Volta   - The Mars Volta
44 Ty Tabor - Shades
45 Dan Moxon - All My Friends
46 Bloc Party - Alpha Games
47 Skeleton Staff - Malapropism
48 Maraton - Unseen Color
49 The Gathering - Beautiful Distortion
50 Kings of Mercia - Kings of Mercia
51 Courtney Swain - Silver Lining
52 Josh Rouse - Going Places
53 Persefone - Metanoia
54 Matt O'Leary - Dichotomania
55 Chrome Canyon - Director

EPs
1 Typhoon - Underground Complex No. 1
2 Gospel - MVDM: The Magical Volumes Vol. 1: The Magick Volume of Dark Madder or the Magic Volume of Dark Matter
3 The Lickerish Quartet - Threesome Vol. 3
4 Oldster - The Sun Destroyers
5 Bjørn Riis - A Fleeting Glimpse
6 Lines in the Sky - Insight
      

Haven't Heard
Black Map - Melodoria
Tigran Hamasyan - StandArt
Jethro Tull - The Zealot Gene
King Gizzard and the Lizzard Wizard - Butterfly 3001
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - Made in Timeland
Eric Johnson - The Book of Making
Eric Johnson - Yesterday Meets Today
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
James LaBrie - Beautiful Shade Of Gray
Motorpsycho - Ancient Astronauts
Ryo Okumoto - The Myth Of The Monstrophus
Pattern-Seeking Animals - Only Passing Through
Punch Brothers - Hell on Church Street
Russian Circles - Gnosis
Antoinio Sanchez - SHIFT (Bad Hombre, Vol. II)
Crippled Black Phoenix - Banefyre
The Midnight - Heroes

Reissues/Archive releases
dredg - Leitmotif [20th Anniversary Vinyl]
Kevin Gilbert - The Shaming of the True (Vinyl)
KMG Archive Series: N.R.G. - Live at Keystone
KMG Archive Series - Kevin Gilbert and Mickey Sorey - Beer Jam 2
Toy Matinee - Toy Matinee (Vinyl Reissue)

[lonestar]

Marillion - An Hour Before Its Dark
Lalu - Paint the Sky
Amorphis - Halo
Bloodywood - Rakshak
Band-Maid - Unleash

Aoty frontrunner is still Allegaeon - Damnum, but Nemophila - Seize the Fate will probably snatch that title, four singles already released and they're 3/4 kicking ass.

[twosuitsluke]

@SoundscapeMN, you need to get on those King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard releases.

[ariich]

I've only got 3 more albums due to release this year, by Weezer, NOFX and Misþyrming. Not expecting any to make my top 20, but theoretically possible.

So for now, here's my provisional top 20. No 5 star albums this year, but a whole bunch of 9/10s and many many 8/10s.

1. An Abstract Illusion - Woe
2. A.A. Williams - As the Moon Rests
3. Markéta Irglová - Lila
4. Soilwork - Övergivenheten
5. Pure Reason Revolution - Above Cirrus
6. Frank Turner - FTHC
7. Disillusion - Ayam
8. Actor|Observer - Songs for the Newly Reclusive
9. Amorphis - Halo
10. The Dear Hunter - Antimai
11. Devin Townsend - Lightwork
12. Alter Bridge - Pawns & Kings
13. D'Virgilio, Morse & Jennings - Troika
14. Ghost - Impera
15. Threshold - Dividing Lines
16. Andy Gillion - Arcade Metal
17. Charlie Griffiths - Tiktaalika
18. Röyksopp - Profound Mysteries I-III
19. The Longest Johns - Smoke & Oakum
20. Porcupine Tree - Closure / Continuation

[LithoJazzoSphere]

Super loose order, my priority hasn't been on '22 music as much the last few months, and there's a lot going on in the next month, so we'll see what happens with it.

1. David Maxim Micic - Bilo IV
2. Kate Havnevik - Lightship
3. Remina - Strata
4. Red Handed Denial - I'd Rather Be Asleep
5. Giant Walker - All in Good Time
6. Sylvaine - Nova
7. Carpenter Brut - Leather Terror
8. Emily Jane White - Alluvion
9. Darkher - The Buried Storm
10. Morphide - Anhedonia
11. Dreadnought - The Endless
12. Zola Jesus - Arkhon
13. Autumn's Grey Solace - Therium
14. A.A. Williams - As the Moon Rests
15. Frayle - Skin & Sorrow
16. Messa - Close
17. White Ward - False Light
18. Ashes of Ares - Emperors and Fools
19. Shape of Despair - Return To the Void
20. Pure Reason Revolution - Above Cirrus
21. Dream Unending - Song of Salvation
22. Revocation - Netherheaven
23. Soilwork - Overgivenheten
24. Amorphis - Halo
25. Star One - Revel in Time
26. Tedeschi Trucks Band - I Am the Moon: I. Crescent
27. Oceans of Slumber - Starlight and Ash
28. Demonical - Mass Destroyer
29. Nightrage - Abyss Rising
30. Depressed Mode - Decade of Silence
31. Miseration - Black Miracles and Dark Wonders
32. Kaipa - Urskog
33. Bjork - Fossora
34. Setyoursails - Nightfall
35. Entrails - An Eternal Time of Decay
36. Evergrey - A Heartless Portrait: The Orphean Testament

EPs:

1. Kingfisher Sky - Walk the Plank
2. Spiritbox - Rotoscope
3. Vila - Liminal Space
3. Sara Gazarek - Vanity
4. Hanging Garden - Neither Moth Nor Rust
5. Marissa Nadler - The Wrath of the Clouds
6. Purity Ring - Graves
7. Frou Frou - Off Cuts
8. Emma Ruth Rundle - Orpheus Looking Back

[twosuitsluke]

Coheed and Cambria not even getting a look in? For shame.

Looking at that I can send exclusively 2022 releases in your upcoming roulette and take home the prize 

[LithoJazzoSphere]

His voice put me off when I checked them out a long time ago, but, it was a long time ago...  Probably time for a revisit at some point. 

[twosuitsluke]

His voice put me off when I checked them out a long time ago, but, it was a long time ago...  Probably time for a revisit at some point.

It's what most people struggle with but I love it. Do you remember what album you checked out?

[LithoJazzoSphere]

Good Apollo...Volume Two, probably, when it came out.  It's still sitting on one of my music hard drives.  I've heard other songs here and there as well, but nothing that recently.  The closest was the Minutes To Midnight cover of a Rush song he did with Danny Carey and some others a couple years ago. 

[ReaperKK]

I don't think I have anything left for 2022 release wise so here is how my end of year list shakes out:

1. Black Map - Melodoria - 5/5
2. James LaBrei - Beautiful Shade Of Grey - 4.5/5 - Really surprised by how good this album was
3. Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers - 4.5/5 - Loved this album from jump where as Kendrick's past two albums took time to grow on me
4. Steve Vai - Inviolate - 4/5 - My Favorite Vai album
5. Wet Leg - Wet Leg - 3.5/5
6. Alter Bridge - Pawns & Kings - 3/5
7. Ludovico Einaudi - Underwater - 3/5
8. Porcupine Tree - Closure/Continuation[/i] - 3/5
9. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Unlimted Love - 3/5
10. The Weeknd - Dawn FM - 3/5
11. 3rd Secret - 3rd Secret - 2.5/5
12. Korn - Requiem - 2.5/5
13. Joe Satriani - The Elephants Of Mars - 2.5/5
14. Brandon Boyd - Echoes And Cocoons - 2/5 - I was hoping this would be good but it was lackluster at best
15. Cave In - Heavy Pendulum - 2/5
16. D'Virgilio, Morse & Jennings - Troika - 2/5
17. Charlie Griffiths - Tiktaalika - 2/5
18. Andy McKee - Pulse - 2/5
19. Von Hertzen Brothers - Red Alert In The Blue Forest - 1.5/5
20. Muse - Will Of The People - 1/5 - Pretty bad album start to finish

[romdrums]

Albums I know I can rank:

1a. Porcupine Tree - Closure/Continuation
1b. Meshuggah - Immutable
3. Simon Phillips - Protocol V
4. Stabbing Westard - Chasing Ghosts
5. North Lane - Obsidian
6. Derek Sherinian - Vortex
7. Lost in Kiev - Rupture
8. Bonobo - Fragments

Others I can’t rank yet:
Allegaeon - Damnum
Astodan - Evora
Astrosaur - Portals
Burial - Antidawn
Cave In - Heavy Pendulum
The Comet is Coming - Hyper-Dimensional Expansion Beam
Crown Compass - The Drought
Darkane - Inhuman Spirits
Despot - Pass of Change
Distance - Everything in Exchange for Nothing
Joystick - The Landing
Long Distance Calling - Eraser
Marillion - An Hour Before It’s Dark
Mother of Millions - Others EP
O.R.k - Screamnasium
OK Wait - Well
Persefone- Metanoia
Revocation - Netherheaven
Russian Circles - Gnosis
Rolo Tomassi - When Myth Becomes Memory
SOM - The Shape of Everything
Still Motions - syn-the-sis
Sunbleed - Amphitrite
Tears For Fears - The Tipping Point
Thornhill - Heroine
Toundra - Hex
Turpentine Valley - Alder

[Buddyhunter1]

Will update if something sneaks in at the last minute but this should be pretty solid. This year was great enough that I'll make a top ten!

1: Ibaraki - Rashomon (progressive metal, black metal)
2: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms And Lava (psychedelic rock, jazz rock)
3: Cave In - Heavy Pendulum (alternative metal, sludge metal)
4: death's dynamic shroud - Transcendence Bot (vaporwave, electronic rock)
5: Ashenspire - Hostile Architecture (avant-garde metal, black metal)
6: Porcupine Tree - Closure / Continuation (progressive rock / metal)
7: Pure Reason Revolution - Above Cirrus (progressive rock)
8: David Maxim Micic - Bilo IV (progressive rock / metal)
9: An Abstract Illusion - Woe (progressive metal, death metal)
10: Celldweller - Satellites (electronic / industrial metal)

Honorable mentions:

Devin Townsend - Lightwork (progressive rock)
death's dynamic shroud - Midnight Tangerine (synthpop)
Asunojokei - Island (blackgaze)

Best EP:

Greet Death - New Low (shoegaze, slowcore)

[LithoJazzoSphere]

I really need to get to that Celldweller album. 

[Buddyhunter1]

I really need to get to that Celldweller album.

It definitely grew on me. On one hand, it’s corny as hell even for his standards and more metal-focused than I’d ideally want from him, as I think he’s generally better when he sticks to a more hard rock level of intensity. But it also has the least amount of filler of any Celldweller album I’ve beard.

[LithoJazzoSphere]

Interesting, the '03 s/t is my gold standard for him.  I don't think it has much filler, it's one of my favorite albums in general.  I'm just glad he's still releasing albums occasionally and not just remix #741 for x video game I've never heard of. 

[Buddyhunter1]

I actually haven’t listened to the s/t yet. I will at some point.

[LithoJazzoSphere]

Wow, it's like being into NIN but not having heard The Downward Spiral.

[SoundscapeMN]

@SoundscapeMN, you need to get on those King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard releases.

I've got to the point with them when are I just will randomly pick 1 album of theirs to checkout. Omnium Gatherum, from the early reviews, seemed to be best one based on my tastes.

I mean I have listened to probably 5 or 6 of their albums, which given they have 23 albums (per rateyourmusic at least https://rateyourmusic.com/artist/king-gizzard-and-the-lizard-wizard)  after forming the band in 2010. That means I have yet to even check out 17 or 18 of their albums.

Plus their music is hit and miss for me. Polygonwanaland I really enjoy, and Omnium Gatherum is fun, although I still have some reservations about the production being a little hot on it.

I mean among the other 4 albums they put out this year, which one is worth my time? I have heard some good things about "Changes," per someone I know on YouTube has been addicted to it.

[Buddyhunter1]

I mean among the other 4 albums they put out this year, which one is worth my time?

The one that's on my list.

[Zydar]

I'm ready to post my final summary of the music year 2022.

My Top 10 Albums of 2022:

D'Virgilio Morse Jennings - Troika
Ghost - Impera
The Flower Kings - By Royal Decree
Liam Gallagher - C'mon You Know
Porcupine Tree - Closure / Continuation
Queensrÿche - Digital Noise Alliance
David Longdon - Door One
Threshold - Dividing Lines
Big Big Train - Welcome To The Planet
Ozzy Osbourne - Patient Number 9

Honorable mentions:

Jethro Tull - The Zealot Gene
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Unlimited Love
Pattern-Seeking Animals - Only Passing Through
James LaBrie - Beautiful Shade Of Gray
The Halo Effect - Days Of The Lost
Bruce Springsteen - Only The Strong Survive
Nothing In Writing - New Lives For Rent

My Top 10 Songs of 2022:

D'Virgilio Morse Jennings - Everything I Am
D'Virgilio Morse Jennings - Another Trip Around The Sun
Ghost - Kaisarion
Liam Gallagher - Everything's Electric
Big Big Train - Made From Sunshine
Threshold - King Of Nothing
The Flower Kings - The Great Pretender
The Halo Effect - Shadowminds
The Halo Effect - Gateways
Ozzy Osbourne - Mr Darkness

Bands/artists I've either discovered, or already knew about but explored their discography in more detail, this year:

Alice Cooper (his 1976-1984 period)
Big Big Train (probably my most listened to band of this year)
Blondie
Blue Öyster Cult (thanks, Kev)
The Cars
IQ

Best reissues/box sets of 2022:

The Beatles - Revolver (Super Deluxe Edition)
Kiss - Creatures Of The Night (40th Anniversary Box Set)
The Beach Boys - Sail On Sailor 1972

[HOF]

Updated 2022 releases for me:

Big Big Train - Welcome to the Planet
Marillion - An Hour Before It’s Dark
Kite Parade - Letting Go
D’Virgilio, Morse & Jennings - Troika
The Flower Kings - By Royal Decree
Retreat From Moscow - The World We Used To Know
Tears for Fears - The Tipping Point
Fernando Perdomo - Out to Sea 4
Fernando Perdomo - Jangle
Ryo Okumoto - The Myth of Mostrophus
Tim Bowness - Butterfly Mind
Dim Gray - Firmament
King's X - Three Sides of One
Eric Johnson - The Book of Making/Yesterday Meets Today
PJ Moore & Co. - When A Good Day Comes
David Longdon - Door One
Esthesis - Watching Worlds Collide
Nothing in Writing - New Lives for Rent
Sweet Billy Pilgrim - Somapolis

Live and reissue categories:

Big Big Train - Summer Shall Not Fade
Marillion - Holidays in Eden (Deluxe Edition)
Tim Bowness & Giancarlo Erra - Memories of Machines

With Sweet Billy Pilgrim in, that's the last of the highly anticipated releases for me. And it's a strong candidate for album of the year too. Most likely top 10 (in order I heard them, not ranked yet):

1. Big Big Train - Welcome To The Planet
2. D'Virgilo, Morse & Jennings - Troika
3. Tears for Fears - The Tipping Point
4. Marillion - An Hour Before It's Dark
5. Kite Parade - The Way Home
6. Dim Gray - Firmament
7. Eric Johnson - The Book of Making/Yesterday Meets Today
8. PJ Moore & Co. - When A Good Day Comes
9. David Longdon - Door One
10. Sweet Billy Pilgrim - Somapolis.

[jingle.boy]

I separate things into two categories ... Purchased, and Saved (on Spotify).  I try to limit myself to 25 purchases, and be disciplined enough to only save 25 on Spotify (because, really... I just don't have time to go back to them very often, so the album needs to wow me in order to save it).  I've failed miserably at the latter so far this year - there's a lot of REALLY EXCELLENT release (for my tastes.  I haven't done a final ranking yet, but here's what I got (largely in chronological order)

Purchases:
The Ferrymen / One More River to Cross
Lalu / Paint the Sky
Evergrey / Before the Aftermath
D'Virglio, Morse, Jennings / Troika
Star One / Revel In Time
Jonas Lindberg & The Other Side / Miles From Nowhere
Michael Romeo / War of the Worlds Pt II
Altzi / All Eyes on Me
Jani Limatainen / My Father's Son
Gladenfold / Nemesis
Evergrey / A Heartless Portrait
Spheric Universe Experience / Back Home
Seventh Wonder / The Testament
Dovorian / Kneel and Follow
A-Z / A-Z
Virtual Symmetry / Virtual Symmetry
Stratovarious / Survive
Borealis / Illusions
Teramaze / Flight of the Wounded
Evership / The Uncrowned King: Act 2
Threshold / Dividing Lines

Saved:
Kissin Dynamite / Not the End of the Road
Agarthic / The Inner Side
Floor Jansen / Live in Amsterdam
Degreed / Are You Ready
Kalle Wallner / Voices
Serious Black / Vengeance is Mine
New Horizon / Gate of the Gods
Zadra / Guiding Star
Girish and the Chronicles / Hail to the Heroes
Ronnie Atkins / Make it Count
Knight Area / D-Day II: The Final Chapter
Shining Black / Postcards from the Edge of the World
Nasson / Scars
Autumn's Child / Zenith
Bomber / Nocturnal Creatures
Kingcrown / Wake Up Call
Poison Rose / Little Bang Theory
Neil Zaza / Vermeer
Jeff Scott Soto / Complicated
Crashdiet / Automation
Skills / Different Worlds
Edge of Forever / Seminole
City of Lights / Before the Sun Sets
Junkyard Drive / Electric Love
Cleanbreak / Coming Home
Thundermother / Black and Gold
Rust 'n' Rage / One for the Road
Dynazty / Final Advent
Giant / Shifting Time
Queensryche / Digital Noise Alliance
Royal Hunt / Dystopia Pt 2
Sede Vacante / Conium
Freternia / The Final Stand
Galderia / Endless Horizon
Jason Richardson / II
Captain Blackbeard / Neon Sunrise
Sarayasign / Throne of Gold
Enemy Eyes / History's Hand
Nicklas Sonne / Resonance
Journey / Live in Concert at Lollapalooza

Still TBD:
Sinner / Brotherhood
Cats in Space / Kickstart the Sun
Journey / Freedom
Ellefson-Soto / Vacation in the Underworld
Alter Bridge / Pawns and Kings
Mantric Momentum / Trial By Fire
Induction / Born From Fire

[Evermind]

3. Markéta Irglová - Lila

[twosuitsluke]

So I just ran all the albums, that I thought were worth a damn this year, through the ranker. This is what I've come up with. I need to tweak it a bit and there are some albums I want to revisit before the year is out, but this probably won't end up changing too much.

It wasn't until I did this that I realised how far down The Dear Hunter and Devin Townsend had ended up ranking this year. I must admit I'm a bit shocked by how little these two albums have hit me.


1. Coheed and Cambria - Vaxis II: A Window of the Waking Mind
2. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - Omnium Gatherum
3. The Mars Volta - The Mars Volta
4. Frank Turner - FTHC
5. Ghost - Impera
6. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava
7. Rammstein - Zeit
8. The Flatliners - New Ruin
9. Kirk Hammett - Portals
10. Venom Prison - Erebos
11. Zeal and Ardor - Zeal and Ardor
12. White Ward - False Light
13. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - Changes
14. Megadeth - The Sick, The Dying...and The Dead!
15. The Interrupters - In the Wild
16. Machine Head - Øf Kingdøm and Crøwn
17. Disillusion - Ayam
18. Worm - Bluenothing
19. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - Laminated Denim
20. Kreator - Hate Über Alles
21. Sigh - Shiki
22. Persefone - Metanoia
23. David Maxim Micic - BILO IV
24. Species - To Find Deliverance
25. The Lazy Eyes - SongBook
26. Tómarúm - Ash in Realms of Stone Icons
27. NOFX - Double Album
28. Kikagaku Moyo - Kumoyo Island
29. And So I Watch You From Afar - Jettison
30. Rolo Tomassi - Where Myth Becomes Memory
31. The Dear Hunter - Antimai
32. King Buffalo - Regeneration
33. Lamb of God - Omens
34. Dream Unending - Songs of Salvation
35. Devin Townsend - Lightwork
36. Hot Water Music - Feel the Void
37. Sarattma - Escape Velocity
38. Moontooth - Phototroph
39. Asunojokei - Island
40. Civilians - Civilians
41. Cave In - Heavy Pendulum
42. The Murlocs - Rapscallion
43. Wilderun - Epigone
44. Aenaon - Mnemosyne
45. PUP - The Unraveling of PUPTHEBAND
46. Thy Catafalque - Mezolit (Live at Fekete Zaj)
47. In The Woods... - Diversum
48. Messa - Close
49. Charlie Griffiths - Tiktaalika
50. Arch Enemy - Deceivers
51. Spirit Adrift - 20 Centuries Gone
52. Bloodbath - Survival of the Sickest
53. Norma Jean - Deathrattle Sing for Me
54. Gnome - King
55. Darkthrone - Astral Fortress
56. Chat Pile - God's Country
57. Dreadnought - The Endless
58. Holy Fawn - Dimensional Bleed
59. Blood Incantation - Timewave Zero
60. Crippled Black Phoenix - Banefyre
61. Dopapod - Dopapod
62. Conjurer - Páthos
63. Yin Yin - The Age of Aquarius
64. Kardashev - Liminal Rite
65. The Hirsch Effekt - Solitaer
66. Oceans of Slumber - Starlight and Ash
67. Elder - Innate Passage
68. Gospel - The Loser
69. Chemicide - Common Sense
70. Parius - The Signal Heard Throughout Space
71. Russian Circles - Gnosis
72. Dir en Grey - Phalaris
73. Astronoid - Radiant Bloom
74. Might - Abyss
75. Destrage - SO MUCH. Too much
76. Jamie Lenman - The Atheist
77. Psychonaut - Violate Consensus Reality
78. Ibaraki - Rashomon
79  Psychedelic Porn Crumpets - Night Gnomes
80. Alexisonfire - Otherness
81. Meshuggah - Immutable
82. Fallujah - Empyrean
83. Decapitated - Cancer Culture
84. Porcupine Tree - Closure / Continuation
85. Satyr - Totem
86. Revocation - Netherheaven

[DTwwbwMP]

My top 15 favorite albums of the year:
1. Queensryche “Digital Noise Alliance”
2. Alter Bridge “Pawns & Kings”
3. Porcupine Tree “Closure/Continuation”
4. Slash w Myles Kennedy “4”
5. Halestorm “Back From The Dead”
6. Disturbed “Divisive'”
7. Muse “Will of The People”
8. Derek Sherinian - “Vortex”
9. Ghost “Impera”
10. Ozzy Osbourne “Patient Number 9”
11. The Dead Daisies “Radiance”
12. Saxon “Carpe Diem”
13. Shinedown “Planet Zero”
14. Scorpions “Rock Believer”
15. Ann Wilson “Fierce Bliss”
Honorable mentions:
16. Def Leppard “Diamond Star Halos”
17. Ryo Okumoto “The Myth Of The Mostrophus”
18. James LaBrie “A Beautiful Shade of Grey”
....and many disappointments too

[Crow]

hmm let me throw together a top 10 just for the sake of having it counted, haven't fully dug into absolutely everything this year and this isn't final but it's good enough 

#1: Aethereus - Leiden
#2: An Abstract Illusion - Woe
#3: Wiegedood - There's Always Blood at the End of the Road
#4: Gang of Youths - Angel in Realtime
#5: Midnight Odyssey - Echoes of the Thalassic Deep
#6: Ashenspire - Hostile Architecture
#7: Am Himmel - As Eternal as the Starless Kingdom of Sorrow
#8: Beyoncé - Renaissance
#9: Gospel - The Loser
#10: Black Country, New Road - Ants From Up There

y'know what this was a pretty good year for albums if my non-finalized top 10 still looks this good 

[Elite]

Haven’t listen to a lot of new stuff (as has been the case in the last 5 years as well), but here’s a top 5:

1. Wilderun - Epigone
2. Major Parkinson - Valesa Chapter I: Velvet Prison
3. The Mars Volta - s/t
4. Gabriel Kahane - Magnificent Bird
5. Julian Lage - View with a Room

Something like this, I guess.

[LithoJazzoSphere]

Yikes Luke, are you '20-'21 me?    How many albums total have you heard this year?

[twosuitsluke]

Yikes Luke, are you '20-'21 me?    How many albums total have you heard this year?

I've checked out a lot. I try to keep up with new releases every Friday, and I'd say on average that is like 3 new releases a week. Some of those ranked above have only had one listen but the majority have at least 2.

Working from home the last few years has been a game changer for my music consumption 

[Crow]

oh yeah i listen to anywhere between 3-12 new albums a week depending on how dense/interesting the new release crop is, i've definitely heard hundreds of albums this year but only bought about 35-ish i think

[jingle.boy]

Although I tried to institute a 100 album limit per year a couple years back, I'm currently sitting at 169 albums sampled this year.

[twosuitsluke]

I could add it up from my Last.fm profile but it'd be over 150 easy.

[Skeever]

I unearthed my blog do to a top 10 this year, but I'll save youze all a click...

https://tinglereview.com/2022/12/03/top-10-albums-of-2022/

10 Porcupine Tree – Closure/Continuation
I didn’t really know that I needed Closure or Continuation regarding Porcupine Tree, but then I saw them live at the Met in Philly, and man, turns out I really missed them. Often, bands come back after decades only to release a single mediocre reunion album before returning to obscurity. C/C manages to avoid that tendency. It serves as a reminder of what we liked about PT all along, sure, but it’s also one of their strongest albums yet, and proof that the band have more to say.

9 John Scofield – John Scofield
A warm and inviting solo(?) jazz guitar album that features the masterful playing we’ve come to expect from Scofield, who fills incredible amounts of space despite each song only consisting of a few clean guitar tracks. The sound is not so much “sparse” as it is tasteful and delicate; one of the most pleasant albums I heard in all of 2022.

8 The Weeknd – Dawn FM
The Weeknd builds on his familiar dark-electronic tinged aesthetic with this masterpiece; not only one of his most fully-realized works, but one of the nicest concept albums I’ve heard in several years. It’s the type of album where you can’t listen to it without feeling drawn into the questions posed by the overarching work; and it’s incredible catchy – once you start it, you’ll just want to listen through until the very end.

7 deathcrash – Return
If you’ve got a hankering for a blend of Red House Painters-style Slowcore with American Football-style Midwest Emo, there are no better 2022 albums to turn to. deathcrash nail the aesthetic and the overall sound perfectly, so much so that, with this debut, the instantly became one of my favorite new bands.

6 Julian Lage – View with a Room
Lage’s playing is such a treat to begin with, but “View with a Room” just sounds so good. The compositions cover many different tempos, styles, and moods. And the addition of Bill Frissel as a second guitar player on this record really enhances the depth of the overall atmosphere and sound of each song.

5 DOMI and JD Beck – NOT TiGHT
A fantastic debut from two young prodigies the nails this confluence of neo-soul, nu-jazz, and chillhop influences. A starstudded affair that includes appearances from Thundercat, Herbie Hancock, Anderson.Paak, Snoop Dogg, and even the great Kurt Rosenwinkel. Honestly, with a debut like that, how much better could it possibly get?

4 And So I Watch You From Afar – Jettison
A wonderful song-cycle brimming with nostalgia and sentiment. The sparsely decorated spoken-word sections do just enough to heighten the emotional connotations of the music’s drawn out tensions. And I’m right at home with these post-rock guitars and these strings. Barely a dull moment to be found. There are plenty of post-rock bands, few reach the level of ASIWYFA when they are at the top of their game. 

3 Soccer Mommy – Sometimes, Forever
Soccer Mommy delivers yet again with another thorough record that is thematically interesting as it is rich with catchy melodies and provocative turns of phrase. Whereas the preceding record, “Color Theory”, explored the shades of grief and depression as related to the color palette , “Sometimes, Forever” looks at the contradictions that have accompanied Sophie Allison’s newfound success: the irony of the continued human struggle, and the loss of personhood that lurks behind one’s burgeoning public life.

2 Black Midi – Hellfire
Black Midi is a force unlike much else. “Hellfire” combines the energy of a punk band with the finesse and artistry of peak Peter Gabriel-era Genesis. I was blown away, at times, with how intense and aggressive this album could sound. Other times, I was swept away by its beauty. With “Hellfire” Black Midi are 3 for 3, cementing themselves as one of the best new bands around.

1 Elephant Gym – Dreams
Elephant Gym have, single-handedly, taken the genre of “math rock” and elevated it not only to the next level but several levels beyond that. Is this even “math rock” anymore? Is it jazz? Is it folk? Is it sample-based music? Throughout the course of the album, you hear all of those influence. You also will hear (I counted) at least 5 languages. I love the diversity of it all. They are  so unparalleled in their uniqueness, their approach, and their ability to inspire. And that is why “Dreams” is my favorite album of 2022.