Well, here we are again at the end of one and the beginning of another. It is bewildering how quickly the sand rushes through the hourglass as the years pass by in the blink of an eye. Hell, The Death Chamber celebrated its 10th anniversary earlier this year and while it doesn't seem like I have been staring at this computer screen for that long I guess that I have. One thing I can say for sure is that there has been so much great death metal over the past decade and every year excellent new bands arrive on the scene and the genre just keeps getting stronger and 2022 has been no different. Truly another exceptional year for the genres that we love. I counted again this morning and I have ~575 new releases this year and even if only 70% of them were worth a damn that would still be over 400 worthy albums to take away from this year. I remember when my love of metal was first forming back in the early '80s I was lucky to be able to get 3-4 new albums in a month and now I get about 2 every day. It is an embarrassment of riches that we enjoy in this digital age of distraction and from what I can tell I am just scratching the surface because I really don't dive too deeply into all of the black, thrash, power, prog, doom, grind, gore, and core releases that come out every year but I am glad that there are others around here who do and they can recommend the correct paths to take down those corridors.
From the minuscule sample that I did get into, there was a lot to like and many bands deserving of praise and mention such as Shed The Skin, Writhing, Rise Of Kronos, Antropofagus, Order Ov Riven Cathedrals, Criminal Element, Acephalix, Werewolves, Corpsegrinder, and more recent releases that grabbed me by the throat such as The Antichrist Imperium, Rebel Souls, Phobophilic, the second and newest Carnal Savagery release this year, and Okult all of which I felt compelled to mention.
There is also a very long list of bands/releases that I won't mention at all that are still highly worthy and deserving of praise because they brought me a lot of headbanging enjoyment throughout the year but now I will get to the heart of the matter and bring to your attention the bands that I spent the most time air drumming and strumming too in 2022.
Cryptic Hatred - Nocturnal Sickness
Genre: Death Metal
Country: Finland (Helsinki, Uusimaa)
Purchase/preview: https://theotherrecords.com/cryptic+hatred / https://cryptichatred.bandcamp.com/ / https://www.facebook.com/cryptichatred/
Death Apocalypse - Scars to the Flesh
Genre: Death Metal
Country: Germany (Laudenbach, Baden-Wurttemberg)
Purchase/preview: https://deathapocalypse.bandcamp.com / https://www.facebook.com/666DeathApocalypse/ / ttps://youtu.be/kiDHXh11kkA
Bestial Profanation - Sanctuary of the Living Dead
Genre: Death Metal
Country: Argentina (Bahía Blanca, Buenos Aires)
Purchase/preview: https://bestialprofanation.bandcamp.com/ / https://www.facebook.com/Bestial_Profanation
Rejuvenation - Crystalline
Witness: -[*]-
Genre: Technical Progressive Death Metal
Country: Bulgaria (Sofia)
Purchase/preview: https://rjvntn.bandcamp.com/music / https://www.facebook.com/Rejuvenation.Death.Metal/
Blind Salvation - Eyes of Nebulas
Genre: Death Metal
Country: Poland (Szczecin, West Pomerania)
Purchase/preview: https://blindsalvation.bandcamp.com / https://www.facebook.com/blind8salvation /
Grand Old Wrath - Every Man for Himself
Genre: Technical Death Metal
Country: Germany (Nördlingen, Bavaria)
Purchase/preview: https://grandoldwrath.bandcamp.com/ / https://www.facebook.com/grandoldwrath/timeline/ / https://youtu.be/Gk416YgLZq4
Intolerance - Dark Paths of Humanity
Genre: Death Metal
Country: Spain (Zaragoza, Aragon)
Purchase/Preview: https://intolerancedeathmetal.bandcamp.com / https://www.facebook.com/Intolerancedeathmetal/ / https://youtu.be/7cF8aHvzRww
Daeth Daemon - Span of Æons
Genre: Death Metal
Country: Austria (Salzburg, Salzburg)
Purchase/preview: https://daethdaemon.bandcamp.com/ / https://www.facebook.com/daethdaemon/
Fear Disease - Floodgates
Genre: Death Metal
Country: Belgium (Bocholt, Limburg)
Purchase/preview: http://www.wormholedeath.com/fear-disease/ / https://www.facebook.com/FearDisease
Desert Near The End - Dawning of the Son
Witness: -[*]-
Genre: Power Metal / Thrash Metal
Country: Greece (Athens, Attica)
Purchase/preview: https://desertneartheendofficial.bandcamp.com / https://www.facebook.com/DesertNearTheEnd/
Corpse Worship - Necroresonance
Genre: Death Metal
Country: Russia (Kostroma, Kostroma Oblast / Nizhny Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast)
Purchase/preview: https://coyoterecords.bandcamp.com/Corpse Worship / https://vk.com/corpseworship / https://youtu.be/jx5A0M4kSMM
Nihility - Beyond Human Concepts
Genre: Death Metal
Country: Portugal (Porto, Porto)
Purchase/preview: https://nihilityofficial.bandcamp.com / https://www.facebook.com/nihility.pt/
The Chasm - The Scars of a Lost Reflective Shadow
Genre: Death Metal
Country: Mexico / United States (Mexico City (early); Chicago, United States (later))
Purchase/preview: https://www.namelessgraverecords.com/product/the-chasm / https://www.facebook.com/TheChasm.Acerus/ / https://youtu.be/xiXeGjVfpas
Molder - Engrossed in Decay
Genre: Death Metal / Thrash Metal
Country: United States (Shorewood, Illinois)
Purchase/preview: https://molderil.bandcamp.com / https://www.facebook.com/MolderIL/
Sun Eater - Vermin
Genre: Technical Death Metal / Brutal Death Metal
Country: France (Reims, Grand Est)
Purchase/preview: https://suneaterdeathmetal.bandcamp.com / https://www.facebook.com/Suneaterdeathmetal / https://youtu.be/npCo16-RvXs
Carnal Desecration - Sacrificial Death
Genre: Death Metal
Country: Belgium (Antwerp)
Purchase/preview: https://carnaldesecration.bandcamp.com / https://www.facebook.com/CarnalDesecrationOfficial/ / https://youtu.be/bH2eo3d4J_4
Burying Place - In the Light of Burning Churches
Genre: Death Metal
Country: Lithuania (Vilnius, Vilnius)
Purchase/preview: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/burying-place / https://www.facebook.com/Buryingplace/ / https://youtu.be/N5OncGN_ECQ
Post-Mortem - Monumental Pandemonium
Genre: Death Metal
Country: France (Mulhouse, Grand Est)
Purchase/preview: https://greatdanerecords.bandcamp.com/Post-Mortem / https://www.facebook.com/postmortem
Ironmaster - Thy Ancient Fire
Genre: Death Metal
Country: Sweden (Ludvika, Dalarna)
Purchase/preview: https://ironmaster.bigcartel.com/ / https://ironmaster1.bandcamp.com / https://www.facebook.com/ironmaster666 / https://youtu.be/D0Wr8sjfXZ4
Sadistic Drive - Perpetual Torture
Genre: Death Metal
Country: Finland (Joensuu, Pohjois-Karjala)
Purchase/preview: https://sadisticdrive.bandcamp.com / https://www.facebook.com/censoreddrive / https://youtu.be/eOswbu1Oz2M
Blood Court - Profane Purgatory
Genre: Death Metal
Country: Germany (Kassel, Hesse)
Purchase/preview: https://bloodcourtofficial.bandcamp.com / https://www.facebook.com/Blood Court / https://youtu.be/EQoyrPQKrIs
Golgothan - Leech
Genre: Blackened Death Metal
Country: United States (Lafayette, Louisiana)
Purchase/preview: https://golgothan.bandcamp.com/ / https://www.facebook.com/Golgothanla
Abhoria - Abhoria
Genre: Technical Black Metal
Country: United States (Los Angeles, California)
Purchase/preview: https://shop.prostheticrecords.com/Abhoria / https://www.facebook.com/AbhoriaMetal
Embryonic Devourment - Heresy of the Highest Order
Genre: Technical Death Metal / Brutal Death Metal
Country: United States (Willits, California)
Purchase/preview: https://embryonicdevourment.bandcamp.com / https://www.facebook.com/EMBRYONICDEVOURMENT
Decipher - Breed of an Obsolete Kind
Genre: Death Metal
Country: Norway (Mysen, Viken)
Purchase/preview: https://www.facebook.com/deciphernorge/ / https://youtu.be/tG0Yu-Htm1E
Inhuman Depravity - The Experimendead
Witness: -[*]-
Genre: Brutal Death Metal
Country: Türkiye (Istanbul)
Purchase/preview: https://gruesomerecords.bandcamp.com/Inhuman Depravity / https://www.facebook.com/Inhumandepravity
Infected Plague - Horrors of a Terminal Earth
Genre: Death Metal
Country: Spain (Madrid, Community of Madrid)
Purchase/preview: https://www.facebook.com/InfectedPlague/ / https://youtu.be/S4TAQH0cRgc
Epoch Of Unlight - At War With the Multiverse
Witness: -[*]-
Genre: Melodic Death Metal / Black Metal
Country: United States (Memphis, Tennessee)
Purchase/preview: https://epochofunlight.bandcamp.com/ / https://www.facebook.com/EpochOfUnlight/ / https://youtu.be/UJSw1oVbmWg
Necrom - All Paths Are Left Here...
Genre: Death Metal
Country: Ukraine (Kharkiv, Kharkiv Oblast)
Purchase/preview: https://osmoseproductions.bandcamp.com/Necrom / https://www.facebook.com/necromofficial/ / https://youtu.be/cYLHPhtVchA
Atrocia - Contamination
Genre: Death Metal / Thrash Metal
Country: France (Saint-Nazaire, Pays de la Loire)
Purchase/preview: https://atrocia.bandcamp.com/ / https://www.facebook.com/AtrociaOfficial/wall/
Azaab - Summoning the Cataclysm
Genre: Progressive Death Metal
Country: Pakistan (Islamabad)
Purchase/preview: https://azaab.bandcamp.com / https://www.facebook.com/azaabmetal/
Disgusting Perversion - Remember Me
Witness: -[*]-
Genre: Death Metal
Country: Germany (Kaufbeuren, Bavaria)
Purchase/preview: https://disgustingperversion.de/ / https://disgustingperversion.bandcamp.com / https://www.facebook.com/DisgustingPerversion
Humaniac - Until the Light Fakes Us
Genre: Technical Death Metal / Progressive Death Metal / Deathcore
Country: Russia (Moscow)
Purchase/preview: https://humaniac.bandcamp.com/ / https://www.facebook.com/humaniac.band / https://youtu.be/FFRY4ooRIGk
Wretched Path - Heavy Lies the Crown
Genre: Death Metal
Country: Finland (?)
Purchase/preview: https://www.wretchedpath.com/ / https://wretchedpath.bandcamp.com
The Troops Of Doom - Antichrist Reborn
Witness: -[*]-
Genre: Death Metal / Thrash Metal
Country: Brazil (Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais)
Purchase/preview: https://thetroopsofdoom.bandcamp.com/ / https://www.thetroopsofdoom.com/ / https://www.facebook.com/thetroopsofdoom/
EPs Worthy of Mention in 2022
Alright, enough is enough, as is always the case with these year end lists I could keep going but I have to drive a stake through it somewhere. 2022 was another exceptional year in death metal and I still have a lot of stuff that I haven't given nearly enough attention to yet but the flood of releases keep coming and I already have four 2023 releases to get in to, so I am already behind. I wish everyone the best in the new year and I have no doubt that it will be another great year in metal \m/\m/
Beautiful words my friend! Time just doesn't pass, it flies, and we all go at the same speed. Your list was very good, and as I am Brazilian I really liked The troops of Doom to be on it, it really was a band that stood out here. I keep coming to this blog, I learned a lot of good things here, in addition to also enjoying the mini reviews. Hope to be able to come back here for much longer. Long live the blog and a great new year full of metal, especially Death Metal!!
ReplyDeleteHello Juliano, thank you for the comment and kind words about the blog. It is much appreciated. I hope you continue to visit and enjoy the site. I encourage you to comment in the chatbox as well and share your insights. Happy New Year and long live death metal \m/\m/
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