Favorites of 2022 (so far!) (Secular)

I know we usually do a ranking at the end of the year, but I’m curious as to what has stood out to you so far. I thought we could maybe discover some more cool music this way! 

I’m behind on my secular metal this year, but both Saxon’s Carpe Diem and Voivod’s Synchro Anarchy are killer. 

What has impressed you?

MUSE - Will of the People!!!!! The songs that have been released so far are heavy, catchy, relevant with awesome melodies!!!!!

I'm also looking forward to listening to Megadeth's whole album, but it won't topple Muse off my 2022 secular pedestal.

2022 did not yield any interesting christian metal releases for me so far. All the more secular ones though. I'll list them alphabetically.


Arcane Tales - Steel, Fire and Magic: the most kvlt Italo sympho power band that I know. DIY project that cranks out approximately one album a year, improvements made in songwriting and major improvements in sound (making it less kvlt but whatever)

Hammerfall - Hammer of Dawn: just the usual heavy/power metal, but the sound and lyrics are the most positive than they have been in 20 years so that's great.

Power Paladin - With the Magic of Windfyre Steel: fairly standard power metal with a few interesting little twists, songwriting needs to be streamlined for the next release though. Major selling point for me was that it is the first Icelandic power metal band that released an album of decent sonic quality.

Riverwood - Shadows and Flames: progressive oriental metal, a more cinematic and bombastic Orphaned Land with mostly clean, warm sounding vocals. Amazing album.

Vanaheim - Reuzenspraak: epic folk metal in the vein of Ensiferum and Equilibrium, sung entirely in a somewhat clumsy style of pseudo old fashioned Dutch.

Wind Rose - Warfront: folk/power metal as we know of them. Too many midtempo songs though, and less adventurous than their former albums. They still have a great sound so I like it.

Inhuman Condition - Fearsick

Eric Wagner - In the Lonely Light of Mourning

Ted Nugent's "Detroit Muscle".

On the secular side these are favorites so far:

Robin Trower - No More Worlds To Conquer   

Sumerlands - Dreamkiller 

Tinsley Ellis - Devil May Care

Iconic - Second Skin

Looking forward to checking out the new albums by Leatherwolf, Talas (heard a few songs so far, they're pretty good), Queensryche, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and a few others.  The King's X album is pretty good but so far not a favorite.

Those new Sumerland songs are so good.

Add HammerFall’s Hammer of Dawn to my list.

Man, I recently checked out Sabaton’s The War to End All Wars and that’s my #1 now.

Sabaton is like AC/DC, pretty much the same thing but I really enjoy it.

Pethead wrote:Man, I recently checked out Sabaton’s The War to End All Wars and that’s my #1 now.

I listened to them all day today. I REALLY like that style. I love his growly, melodic voice (weird combination), the energy, the tight playing, the arrangements. Does anyone know what the other albums by them are like?

^I became a Sabaton fan in 2009 and I bought almost every album since then on the release date, except for Heroes because the disappointment about Carolus Rex had not worn off yet (Heroes was a great return to form, fortunately). But their new album... I don't know, maybe the magic has finally worn off, I decided not to buy it, at least not at full price.

Sevenoneself wrote:

Pethead wrote:Man, I recently checked out Sabaton’s The War to End All Wars and that’s my #1 now.

I listened to them all day today. I REALLY like that style. I love his growly, melodic voice (weird combination), the energy, the tight playing, the arrangements. Does anyone know what the other albums by them are like?

My favorites are Attero Dominatus and The Last Stand. AD is a little more straight ahead metal for them while TLS has different touches like The Blood of Bannockburn with it's bagpipe flourishes. This band just makes me happy.

Soulfly - Totem, Iconic - Second Skin, Cleanbreak, looking forward to Megadeth, King’s X and Xentrix.

This year so far for me has been a little slim...though it's looking like the last half of the year will pick up.
Nightrage "Abyss Rising"
Evergrey "A Heartless Portrait"

Andreas89 wrote:2022 did not yield any interesting christian metal releases for me so far. All the more secular ones though. I'll list them alphabetically.


Arcane Tales - Steel, Fire and Magic: the most kvlt Italo sympho power band that I know. DIY project that cranks out approximately one album a year, improvements made in songwriting and major improvements in sound (making it less kvlt but whatever)

Hammerfall - Hammer of Dawn: just the usual heavy/power metal, but the sound and lyrics are the most positive than they have been in 20 years so that's great.

Power Paladin - With the Magic of Windfyre Steel: fairly standard power metal with a few interesting little twists, songwriting needs to be streamlined for the next release though. Major selling point for me was that it is the first Icelandic power metal band that released an album of decent sonic quality.

Riverwood - Shadows and Flames: progressive oriental metal, a more cinematic and bombastic Orphaned Land with mostly clean, warm sounding vocals. Amazing album.

Vanaheim - Reuzenspraak: epic folk metal in the vein of Ensiferum and Equilibrium, sung entirely in a somewhat clumsy style of pseudo old fashioned Dutch.

Wind Rose - Warfront: folk/power metal as we know of them. Too many midtempo songs though, and less adventurous than their former albums. They still have a great sound so I like it.

Gonna check some of these out. Been digging some power metal lately.

Anyone here heard Civil War’s Invaders? It’s a monster.

I'm not big on Civil War, voice is odd to me.

Love his voice.

Another couple of good DM selections to add along with Inhuman Condition - Fearsick:

Molder - Engrossed in Decay

Suppression - The Sorrow of Soul Through Flesh

.

Blind Guardian is ahead by miles. Megadeth is second.

Sabaton is still easily my #1. Second might be Civil War, but I need to spend more time with it.

Traitor: Exiled to the Surface is in my top 3. If you like thrash, you need this! (I’m not sure why it’s flagged as explicit, because the lyrics are basically just based on video games, horror films, and sci-fi shows. Pretty tame stuff).

Not a big fan of the vocals, just one of those things.