Heavy metal music occupies an indelible place in American popular culture. From being used as an all-inclusive source of adrenaline to becoming the cornerstone of a misunderstood Stranger Things hero’s character trait, heavy metal holds immense cultural weight.
Although most Metal superstars hail from the US, listening data reveals vibrant local scenes all across the globe.
Underdark
As demonstrated by the 2022 top metal album list, trends may come and go but heavy music remains undiminished in its power and fury. Veteran acts such as Ozzy Osbourne, Rammstein and Slipknot all found fresh inspiration when writing new material for follow-up albums; breakthrough artists such as Ghost proved there is still room for fresh sounds among established acts like Metal (along with radio-friendly Nu-Metal).
Metalcore acts like Chat Pile and Blackbraid contributed their unique sonic aesthetics to a vibrant regional noise-rock scene, while post-black metal duo Darkher used atmosphere and mood to foretell an apocalyptic future on their cinematic debut. Nikhil Talwalkar made an impressionful mark within this subgenre with Reality Drips Into the Mouth of Indifference, his second full-length release under Underdark’s moniker.
Oklahoma band Chat Pile epitomized modern life’s existential despair like few bands do, crafting sludgy noise rock that captured its disenchanted nature like no other band before them. Their work sounded like the soundscapes of empty suburban business parks, interstate exits illuminated with fast food and gas station signage and endless miles of driving touring bands encounter on an ongoing basis across continental US roads.
Nameless Ghouls frontman Tobias Forge and his gang of apocalyptic henchmen continue their predictions of society’s collapse on Impera, their latest theatrical slice of thrash metal. From “Twenties” to the crushing of science on “Kaisarion”, Forge offers plenty of dystopic imagery while his band’s high-energy performances and melodic vocal melodies serve as perfect companions in this dire time.
Full Of Hell
Full Of Hell have earned themselves a reputation as one of the premier grindcore bands, creating their own distinct sound with every release showcasing different aspects. 2021’s Garden Of Burning Apparitions and 2023’s collaboration with shoegaze band Nothing proved their versatility while maintaining their trademark harshness.
Coagulated Bliss marks an inflection point in their career and is unquestionably their greatest success to date. Spencer Hazard, Dave Bland, Sam Di Gristine and Dylan Walker combine their signature sluggard intensity with more melodic songwriting that’s open to experimentation; creating an album that still packs plenty of punch while providing greater control and nuance than previous efforts.
“Aurora Leaking,” which serves as an introduction, sets the mood of this record with its heavy yet depressingly grim soundscapes and short songs featuring only short moments of silence before returning with another hate-fueled audio assault.
Full Of Hell explore new sounds on tracks like “Swarming Hornets.” Its droning bassline and stuttering vocals bring post-hardcore or noise rock influences closer to their sound than typical Full Of Hell material.
Fans looking for more melodic Full Of Hell material should listen to “Spend The Grace,” the first single off their new LP. This track may be one of their best efforts on record with an almost pop-influenced melody that still fits seamlessly with everything else on offer. In addition, “Spend The Grace” shows how this band incorporates noise into their music via feedback and harmonic interference that adds density and atmosphere into each track.
Khanate
Heavy Metal fans have long been revered as being dedicated and fiercely passionate followers. According to a 2015 study, Metal music fans are among the most ardent supporters across all genres and trends come and go; yet metal’s appeal never seems to completely fade. 2022 witnessed many bands both new and established release genre-bending albums that gave heavy metal an updated appeal.
Khanate are a drone/doom metal supergroup with links to bands such as Burning Witch, Thorr’s Hammer, Sunn O)))), OLD and Blind Idiot God. Their dark vision comes alive on their 2023 album To Be Cruel. Although it seems primitive in its sound and lyrics – dissonant guitar/bass figures, plodding tempos, high-pitched feedback and discordant downtuned guitar/bass figures all come together with dissonant downtuned guitar/bass figures while Ayla Dubin’s haunting vocals make this album hard to forget! It creates an engagingly oppressive atmosphere which cannot be shaken off easily!
Lorna Shore was another genre-defying act to come out in 2022 with their release of their fourth LP Pain Remains. Although technically extreme metal, this band also blends orchestral beats and melodic singing into their music for an unparalleled musical experience that appeals to both metal purists and those seeking more accessible heavy metal music.
Tobias Forge and his Nameless Ghouls foretell the collapse of civilization on their theatrically themed album Impera. From Broadway thrash of “Twenties” to riff-tastic “Kaisarion”, Impera delivers an intense yet compelling listening experience, leaving listeners exhausted but wanting more.
Author & Punisher have been creating their distinctive metal soundscapes for more than a decade now, and their seventh album Kruller showcases them at their best. Combining industrial sludge metal with doomy synth-wave while placing greater emphasis on melody and song writing than in previous efforts – Kruller pushes modern music production techniques while remaining true to classic metal traditions.
Author & Punisher
Heavy metal music in 2022 is in the capable hands of numerous talented artists, many of whom are making bold claims to the genre with epic, breathtaking full-length projects. Cleveland masked miscreants Midnight released Let There Be Witchery while Black Sabbath veteran Tony Martin released Thorns. These two albums stand as two of 2022’s must-listen albums with electrifying guitar solos and head-banging rhythms – two albums that mark 2022 as one to watch for in 2022!
Author & Punisher, an industrial doom and drone metal one man band led by Shone, blends complex synths with distorted vocals for an engaging audio whirlwind. Unofficially begun while Shone completed his master’s degree in electromechanical sculpture, this project involves building various custom drone and dub machines which produce electronic sounds via levers, chains, slides, cranks or other contraptions – creating audaciously creative pieces in tribute to pioneering noise and industrial metal artists of the 1960s and ’70s.
Darkthrone are at an infuriatingly unorthodox point in their career, much to the displeasure of genre elitists looking for another Transilvanian Hunger-style album. Astral Fortress’ sleeve shows this clearly with a picture showing Fenriz (presumably frontman Fenriz) ice skating on an album cover!
Mirai Kawashima has long been considered one of metal’s greatest hero’s; his classical training has translated to some of its most memorable yet captivating music. Shiki, Tokyo-based Sigh’s latest release from 2018, does not disappoint with its grandiose melodies, grand operatic vocals and striking imagery – making this album appealing both to purists of metal music as well as those embracing avant garde compositions.
Dreamkiller is Cave In’s most ambitious album yet and showcases how the band continues to expand on their musical signature. Blending elements of doom, stoner metal, and atmospheric sludge together, the album moves effortlessly between blast beats and anthemic melodic metal on tracks such as “Manifold Lens” and “Subordinate.”