2022 Metal Albums of the Year

As we gear up for another year of metal, hardcore and all things heavy, we here at Lambgoat wanted to take a look back at the albums from 2022 that stood out to us. From traditional hardcore and metalcore to death metal, black metal and avant-garde, there was plenty for everyone. These aren’t necessarily top ten lists — although some are — but more of a general view of the records that stood out to the members of our staff. Check them out below:

Colin, Head Writer/Editor:

40 Watt Sun – Perfect Light
Age of Apocalypse – Grim Wisdom
Cave In – Heavy Pendulum
Cinderblock – Breathe The Fire
Conjurer – Páthos
Dream Unending – Song of Salvation
Ether Coven – The Relationship Between the Hammer and the Nail
Ode and Elegy – Ode and Elegy
Oxbow & Peter Brötzmann - An Eternal Reminder of Not Today / Live at Moers
Take Life – You Are Nowhere

Eliot, Staff Writer:

Soul Glo - Diaspora Problems
Gospel - The Loser
Chat Pile - God's Country
End It - Unpleasant Living
Mindforce - New Lords
Gillian Carter - Salvation Through Misery
Vein - This World is Going to Ruin You
Cave In - Heavy Pendulum
New World Man - EP
Persona - Free Your Mind!

Jake, Staff Writer:

Doldrum - The Knocking, Or The Story of the Sound that Preceded Their Disappearance
RETADOR - Retador
Nechochwen - Kanawha Black
Sumerlands - Dreamkiller
Acephalix - Theothanatology
An Abstract Illusion - Woe
Inanna - Void Of Unending Depths
Critical Extravasation - Order of Decadence
Daeva - Through Sheer Will and Black Magic…
Meshuggah - Immutable

Kyle, Staff Writer:

Autopsy - Morbidity Triumphant
Immolation - Acts of God
Origin – Chaosmos
Morgue Supplier - Inevitability
Ground - Habitual Self-Abuse
Gehenna - Negative Hardcore
Dug - Pain Machine
Inhuman Depravity - The Experimendead
Undeath - It's Time... To Rise From the Grave
KEN mode - NULL

D. Rodriguez, Staff Writer:

SOUL GLO - Diaspora Problems
The Chemical Mind - GLOSSOLALIA
Freedom Fist - Self-titled
Inanna - Void of Unending Depths
Retador - Retador
Chat Pile - God’s Country
SpiritWorld - DEATHWESTERN
Daeva - Through Sheer Will and Black Magic…
Haunter - Discarnate Ails
Sonja - Loud Arriver

Pete, Staff Writer:

High Command - Eclipse of the Dual Moons
Darkane - Inhuman Spirits
Kreator - Hate Uber Alles
Revocation - Netherheaven
The Hellacopters - Eyes of Oblivion
Hath - All That Was Promised
Nite - Voices of the Kronian Moon
Temple of Void - Summoning the Slayer
Bloodbath - Survival of the Sickest
Decapitated - Cancer Culture

Dylan, Operations:

156/Silence - Narrative
Alexisonfire - Otherness
An Abstract Illusion - Woe
Bastions - Majestic Desolation
Birds In Row - Gris Klein
Chat Pile - God's Country
Counterparts - A Eulogy for Those Still Here
Get The Shot - Merciless Destruction
Ghost - Impera
The Callous Daoboys - Celebrity Therapist

Lurk, CEO:

As I knew this day would come, I made it a point to not only listen to most of what Lambgoat posted, but also spend the last month of the year wandering back and relistening to everything on our releases page. Rather than listing my top ten albums, I would like to share with you twenty albums that I found myself listening to more than a handful of times and revisiting frequently.

So for better or worse here is my list in no particular order (however, Phototroph was my most listened to album by far):

Albums:

Moontooth - Phototroph
Chat Pile - God's Country
Mindforce - New Lords
Rhythm Of Fear - Fatal Horizons
Birds In Row - Gris Klein
The Callous Daoboys - Celebrity Therapist
Behemoth - Opvs Contra Natvram
Colonial Wound - Easy Laugh
Terror - Pain Into Power
thoughtcrimes - Altered Pasts
Enterprise Earth - The Chosen
Comeback Kid - Heavy Steps
Inclination - Unaltered Perspective
Vein - This World Is Going To Ruin You
Drug Church - Hygiene
Bodysnatcher - Bleed-Abide
Jungle Rot - A Call To Arms
He Is Legend - Endless Hallway
Soulfly - Totem
Black Lava - Soul Furnace

EPs:

Crosses - PERMANENT.RADIENT
Law Of Power - Born into War EP
Suntouch House - Self Titled
End / Cult Leader - Gather & Morn EP
Heathen Prayer - The Devil and The Day Laborer
Jivebomb - Primitive Desires

Introducing our new columnist:

"Mean" Pete Kowalsky, Remembering Never/Ether Coven

Albums:

Terror - Pain from Power
IV & The Strange Band - Southern Circus
Conway the Machine - God Don't Make Mistakes
Machine Head - Of Kingdom and Crown
Greg Puciato - Mirrorcell
Fleshwater - We're Not Here to Be Love
Freddie Gibbs - $oul $old $eparately
Stick To Your Guns - Spectre
Moodring - Stargazer
Inclination - Unaltered Perspective
Meyhem Lauren - Black Vladimir
Extortion - Seething
Vein - The World is Going to Ruin You
Spirit World - Death Western
Colonial Wound - Easy Laugh
Conway the Machine - What Has Been Blessed Can Not Be Cursed
Hush - The Pornography of Ruin
Billy Woods - Church
Take Life - You Are Nowhere
Age of Apocalypse - Grim

EPs:

Skinhead - Skinhead
Speed - Gand Called Speed
End It - Unpleasant Living
Final Gasp - Homebound
Napalm Death - Resentment is Seismic
Drowningman - Later Day Saints
Wrong Man - Who Are You?
Domain - 2022 Promo
Suntouch House - Demonstration
Chained to the Bottom of the Ocean - I Tried Catching You But You Fell Through Me