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The Year In Review – Top 10 Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Albums of 2022

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“Life is funny. If you don’t laugh, you’re in trouble.” – Taylor Hawkins

And just like that, after 880 days of nothing, I was finally able to attend a metal concert this year, just like countless other metalheads who patiently waited for the Canadian government to lift all restrictions due to the pandemic to get back to our normal lives. And it was a busy year concert-wise as you can see HERE, with Judas Priest, Lamb of God, Megadeth, Iron Maiden, Cannibal Corpse, Trivium, Amon Amarth, Arch Enemy, Behemoth and several others putting a smile back on our faces and the horns back in our hands, because in the end the beauty of heavy music is when it’s played live, right? On the other hand, we unfortunately saw some important names of the global metal scene disbanding such as Nuclear Assault, Tristania and Every Time I Die, plus of course the brave warriors who left us and are now sitting beside the metal gods in Valhalla. Just to name a few, we all mourned the losses of Fredrik Johansson (former guitarist of Dark Tranquillity), Jon Zazula (co-founder of Megaforce Records), Bruce Greig (former guitarist of Misery Index and Dying Fetus), Taylor Hawkins (drummer of Foo Fighters), Ronnie Deo (former bassist of Incantation), Trevor Strnad (vocalist of The Black Dahlia Murder), Alec John Such (former bassist of Bon Jovi), Bob Heathcote (former bassist of Suicidal Tendencies), Steve Grimmett (vocalist of Grim Reaper), Stuart Anstis (former guitarist of Cradle of Filth), David Andersson (guitarist of Soilwork), and Dan McCafferty (former vocalist of Nazareth).

However, one of the biggest losses in the world of heavy music happened right here in Toronto, Canada, as we lost the biggest metalhead of the entire Torontonian scene, Walter Froebrich.  Our super fan Walter, who was a staple in the local scene for over 20 years (and I remember seeing him in every single concert I’ve attended in the past 10 years or more at least), sadly died alone at home last month following three visits to a local hospital due to severe abdominal pain. This is extremely tragic and cannot happen again, as we all have the right to decent healthcare it doesn’t matter who we are. There will be a memorial show for Walter on January 7, 2023 at The Rockpile (details can be found HERE and tickets HERE) with several local independent bands, and we at The Headbanging Moose also want to honor the life of Walter and his undisputed passion for heavy music by dedicating to him The Headbanging Moose’s Top 10 Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Albums of 2022, excluding EP’s, best of’s and live albums.

1. Kreator – Hate Über Alles (REVIEW)
Let the hate flow through you to the sound of the magnificent new opus by one of the trailblazers of the German Thrash Metal scene.
Best song of the album: Hate Über Alles

2. Lorna Shore – Pain Remains (REVIEW)
The most explosive name of the current Deathcore scene invites us all to dance like flames to the sound of their newborn masterpiece.
Best song of the album: The Pain Remains Trilogy

3. Megadeth – The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead! (REVIEW)
The unstoppable Mr. Dave Mustaine strikes again with the sick, the dying… and the Megadeth!
Best song of the album: Life in Hell

4. Rammstein – Zeit (REVIEW)
Germany’s own Neue Deutsche Härte institution wasted no time during the pandemic and is back in action with their fantastic eight opus.
Best song of the album: Angst

5. Behemoth – Opvs Contra Natvram (REVIEW)
A stunning work against religious oppression by Poland’s most important Extreme Metal institution of all time.
Best song of the album: Malaria Vvlgata

6. Arch Enemy – Deceivers (REVIEW)
One of the most important names in metal is back in action with their most solid and detailed album with Alissa White-Gluz on vocals.
Best song of the album: The Watcher

7. Lamb of God – Omens (REVIEW)
Ignore the omens and listen to the pulverizing new album by one of the best and most dynamic metal bands of the past two decades.
Best song of the album: Ditch

8. Amon Amarth – The Great Heathen Army (REVIEW)
Join the great heathen army spearheaded by one of the most respected bands of the current metal scene.
Best song of the album: Saxons and Vikings

9. Hiss From The Moat – The Way Out Of Hell (REVIEW)
There’s only one way out of hell, and that’s to the sound of the incendiary Blackened Death Metal by this Italian horde.
Best song of the album: Generation Of Cowardice

10. Diabolical Raw – Elegy of Fire Dusk (REVIEW)
Behold this grandiose album of Symphonic Black and Death Metal inspired by ancient Central Asian Turkish mythology.
Best song of the album: Face the Judgement

And here we have the runner-ups, completing the top 20 for the year:

11. Abaddon Incarnate – The Wretched Sermon (REVIEW)
12. Cage Fight – Cage Fight (REVIEW)
13. Dark Funeral – We Are The Apocalypse (REVIEW)
14. Stratovarius – Survive (REVIEW)
15. Konvent – Call Down the Sun (REVIEW)
16. Scorpions – Rock Believer (REVIEW)
17. Disturbed – Divisive (REVIEW)
18. Thundermother – Black and Gold (REVIEW)
19. Blind Guardian – The God Machine (REVIEW)
20. Ferum – Asunder / Erode (REVIEW)

In addition to all that, let’s bang our heads with our Top 10 EP’s of 2022 to prove once and for all that not all great albums of the year have to be so long. The EP’s from this list are simply awesome, showcasing the band’s talent and their ability to sound epic even if the music lasts for only a few minutes.

1. Eskhaton – Horracle (REVIEW)
2. Headfist – This New World…. (REVIEW)
3. Sullen Guest – Phase (REVIEW)
4. Pyrrhic Salvation – Manifestum I (REVIEW)
5. Klendathu – Avarist: The Beginning & The End at Once (REVIEW)
6. Through The Noise – Tragedies (REVIEW)
7. Rotten Casket – First Nail in the Casket (REVIEW)
8. Circa Arcana – Bridget Viginti (REVIEW)
9. All Else Fails – The Incident at Black Lake (REVIEW)
10. Haunted By Silhouettes – No Man Isle (REVIEW)

Do you agree with our list? What are your top 10 albums of 2022? Also, don’t forget to tune in every Tuesday at 10pm BRT on Rádio Coringão to enjoy the best of classic and underground metal with Jorge Diaz and his Timão Metal, and every Thursday at 8pm UTC+2 on Midnight Madness Metal e-Radio for the best of underground metal with The Headbanging Moose Show! And if you lost some or most of our special editions of The Headbanging Moose Show, including our Top 20 Underground Albums of 2022 – Parts I and II, go to our Mixcloud page and there you have hours and hours of the best of the independent scene, sounds good?

Metal Xmas and a Headbanging New Year! See you in 2023!

And before I go, I’ll leave you with what’s in my humble opinion not only the best song of 2022, but it also carries a very inspiring message to us all… ROW! ROW! ROW!

Album Review – Hiss From The Moat / The Way Out Of Hell (2022)

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There’s only one way out of hell, and that’s to the sound of the incendiary Blackened Death Metal by one of the best bands of the current Italian scene.

Following their 2019 acclaimed sophomore record The Harrier, Italian Black/Death Metal beats Hiss From The Moat are back in action with their impending, monstrous third full-length opus, entitled The Way Out Of Hell, an extension of their signature, menacing sound while it carves out a unique place in the blackened underground as they search for the light amidst the darkness. Produced by the band’s own bassist Carlo Cremascoli at The Obscure Country Recording Studio, The Way Out Of Hell is the representation of how vocalist and guitarist Max Cirelli,  guitarist Jack Poli, bassist Carlo Cremascoli and drummer James Payne feel that life is, a very difficult thing to go through with a lot of pain and challenges to deal with. “This album is our way to express the feelings about how life is a hard, complicated and confusing way out of hell, there are many things, emotions and people that get in your way, but that’s what life is: getting out of it going through as less suffering as possible,” commented James about their amazing new album.

Arising from the dark pits of the underworld the band comes ripping with the infuriated title-track The Way Out Of Hell, where James sounds utterly infernal on drums while Max roars manically nonstop in a great display of Blackened Death Metal, and the caustic guitars by Max and Jack will penetrate deep inside your skin in I Am Deceived, continuing their path of destruction tailored for lovers of the music by bands such as Behemoth and Septicflesh. More savagery and darkness are offered to us all in Staring At The Abyss, with Carlo and James making the earth tremble with their respective bass and drums, therefore providing Max with all he needs to vociferate like a demonic creature; and get ready for another onrush of Black and Death Metal by those Italian metallers entitled Generation Of Cowardice, sounding brutal and visceral from start to finish with the band’s guitar duo being on absolute fire with their devilish riffage.

Let’s keep raising our horns in the name of evil with The Killing Of Innocence, very progressive and groovy with Carlo sounding amazing with his bass jabs accompanied by the always massive beats by James, whereas a melodic and heavy start morphs into an ode to death and obscurity titled Bury Me, perfect for breaking our necks headbanging while Max rabidly growls the song’s acid lyrics. There’s absolutely no sign of the band slowing down; quite the contrary, their onrush of metallic sounds will hammer our heads mercilessly in All I Have, with James once again stealing the spotlight with his demented drums, followed by A Gallows Of Mirrors, a no shenanigans, Stygian creation by the quartet that exhales Blackened Death Metal for our total delight, showcasing a fantastic guitar work as usual. Lastly, there’s still time for The Magnificent Vision, one final explosion of Extreme Metal by the band where Max leads his horde with his hellish roaring and riffage while Jack and Carlo join him with their stringed weapons in a fulminating onrush of darkened sounds.

Such precious gem of the extreme music scene can be appreciated in full on YouTube and on Spotify, but as I like to say if you want to show your utmost support to the underground you should definitely purchase a copy of The Way Out Of Hell from the band’s own BandCamp page, from the Distortion Music Group’s webstore as a CD or as a special bundle including a CD, a shirt and a poster, or simply click HERE for all locations here you can find the album available. Don’t forget to also follow the band on Facebook and on Instagram, and to subscribe to their YouTube channel for more darkness in the form of music. In a nutshell, Hiss From The Moat have seriously stepped up their game with their new album, proving that if there’s a way out of hell, that needs to happen to the sound of first-class underground Blackened Death Metal.

Best moments of the album: The Way Out Of Hell, Generation Of Cowardice, The Killing Of Innocence and A Gallows Of Mirrors.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2022 Distortion Music Group

Track listing
1. The Way Out Of Hell 4:10
2. I Am Deceived 4:44
3. Staring At The Abyss 4:17
4. Generation Of Cowardice 4:22
5. The Killing Of Innocence 4:27
6. Bury Me 4:37
7. All I Have 3:46
8. A Gallows Of Mirrors 4:48
9. The Magnificent Vision 4:17

Band members
Max Cirelli – vocals, guitar
Jack Poli – guitar
Carlo Cremascoli – bass
James Payne – drums