Ten Best Albums of 2022

Ville S. January 16, 2023 Music Reviews

2022 was a special year for music. After two weird years without live music, many postponed albums, and tours, life came back on earth. The year was full of releases by big artists and many interesting debut albums. Let's see which of them made it to the top albums of 2022. As music is an art form, the list is in random order.

Honningbarna - Animorphs

This album is packed with high-level energy. The brave way 'Honningbarna' combines hardcore punk with rock reminds of the attitude of early 'Refused'. Not exactly in a musical way, but being bold and experimental. The lyrics in the Norwegian Kristiansand dialect add another distinctive level to their music. Besides listening to this album, if you ever have a possibility to catch the band live, don't hesitate!

Three tracks to sum up the album:
Animorphs
Avanti
En av oss er idiot

Birds In Row - Gris Klein

The French band 'Birds In Row' has the special skill of putting all the emotion on the table at once. There are so many great things to mention about this album that it's hard to choose where to start. First of all, the album is heavy, but it has so many great melodies. The balance between chaos and beauty is very present. The combination of many different sub-genres makes the whole package very hard to predict. Time after time, there are many new details to be noticed. Did I mention the great emotion packed into this album?

Three tracks to sum up the album:
Noah
Cathedrals
Trompe L'oeil

Danger Mouse & Black Thought - Cheat Codes

Such a MASSIVE hip hop album! It's packed with soulful beats, an old-school boom-bap feeling, and a HUGE list of featured artists. Imagine 'Raekwon', 'Joey Bada$$', 'MF DOOM', 'Michael Kiwanuka', 'Run The Jewels', 'Conway The Machine' and many more being on the same album; this is it! Let's not forget the awesome flow of 'Black Thought', the album's main character. There were huge expectations for this collaboration, and they were answered in multiple times!

Three tracks to sum up the album:
No Gold Teeth
Aquamarine (feat. Michael Kiwanuka)
Strangers (feat. A$AP ROCKY, Run The Jewels)

Asunojokei - Island

This album really came out of nowhere. 'Asunojokei' combines blackgaze with very emotive hardcore and a certain Japanese vibe. Many parts feel very fresh because of the unique melodies used in their songs. The album is hopeful and optimistic, even though there is much emotion. The Japanese band has created something you need to listen to all the way from the beginning until the very last seconds. No skipping tracks, no breaks!

Three tracks to sum up the album:
Heavenward
Footprints
The Sweet Smile of Vortex

Viagra Boys - Cave World

'Cave World' is in many AOTY lists, and no wonder why. It feels relevant with all of its stories about humanity while the whole album is same time taking it not too seriously. There are so many things on 'Cave World' that you don't hear in any other album this year. Greasy saxophone, combined with brilliant synths, badass bass, and vocals that sound pretty timeless, create a different world.

Three tracks to sum up the album:
Troglodyte
Ain't No Thief
Return To Monke

Soul Glo - Diaspora Problems

One of the best feelings in music is finding something new. These days it's pretty rare. 'Diaspora Problems' is one of these rarities. Their way of combining the flow of hip-hop with classic hardcore is something out of this world. The chaos is very present throughout the album; you never know what will happen next. Same time the whole album is a tight package. Even though 'Diaspora Problems' is pretty varied, everything is in the right place.

Three tracks to sum up the album:
Coming Correct Is Cheaper
Driponomics
GODBLESSYALLREALGOOD

Greentea Peng - GREENZONE 108

'GREENZONE 108' is another brilliant album that flows just so smoothly. 'Greentea Peng's flow is one of the strengths of her music. She raps well and sings with such a tremendous smoky sound. No matter the track, the vibe is so laid-back that all the worries will be forgotten. The soundscape and mixing of the album are another incredible things. It feels and sounds just so soft and smooth that you can imagine being in the middle of the whole band with the best acoustic system.

Three tracks to sum up the album:
Look To Him
Stuck In The Middle
Our Father

Nostromo - Bucephale

Heavy, brutal, and raw. Three words to describe 'Bucephale', an album filled with grindcore, death metal, thrash metal, hardcore, and post-metal. The Swiss band has created something that will make all metalheads go crazy about it. These ten tracks have a good balance between slower jams and faster and more aggressive tunes. Both are working more than well.

Three tracks to sum up the album:
Ship Of Fools
A Sun Rising West
Asato Ma

Westside Gunn - 10

'Griselda Records' puts out many releases, most being some of the top hip-hop releases each year. '10' by 'Westside Gunn' is definitely one of their best releases in a long time. 'Westside Gunn's flow is nicely dragging with his distinctive nasal voice. The list of featuring MCs keeps things interesting while not stealing the show. The beats are the same time classic hip-hop but unique in many ways.

Three tracks to sum up the album:
Peppas (feat. Black Star)
Science Class (feat. Busta Rhymes, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Stove God Cooks)
Mac Don't Stop

Crows - Beware Believers

Simple and noisy rock. Sometimes you don't need so many tricks. 'Beware Believers' has everything in the right place. It sounds raw but catchy. It's fresh but has the soul of an old English pub. It's not giving a f##k but still taking care of you. There are no boring tracks; all will hold the tension and interest. Rock is everything, and 'Beware Believers' has proved that.

Three tracks to sum up the album:
Garden Of England
Healing
Meanwhile

BONUS

The Three Best EPs of 2022

Shaw Calhoune - GOAT CHEESE

'Shaw' is one of the best underground MCs at the moment. He released an excellent trilogy of three different EPs in a short period. 'GOAT CHEESE' is filled with five strong hip-hop tracks. Both the flow and beats are solid. Hope to hear more from 'Shaw' any time soon!

Marko Nyberg - Ingrid

This is mindblowing! Some of the best electronic music released this year. The EP feels like watching a movie without the movie itself. The cold soundscape is beautifully crafted. It's haunting yet pleasing. The dynamics between minimal and massive worlds are in balance.

Josin - Traveller

'Josin' could be one of the most significant music creators of the future. She has a fantastic voice, a way of touching the soul, and an interesting way of producing and arranging her songs. Let's hope that these four tracks are a great lead for what is coming.