Where does the time go? 2022 can be called the comeback year of all time, with virtually every band on the planet getting back on track post-COVID. So it was one helluva year for heavy metal as the releases started to pour in and the bands started to hit your town after nearly three years of madness. It is time to unveil our annual BravePicks countdown, where the devout scribes at BraveWords cast their votes at the hits and misses of the year! So who will be our #1? You’ll find out as we count down the BravePick Of 2022 each day in December! 

Everybody has an opinion and it’s time for ours! And stay tuned in January for the writers’ individual Top 20s (new studio albums ONLY), Top 5 Brave Embarrassments (a fan favorite!), What/Who Needs To Stop In 2022? and Metal Predictions For 2022. All will be showcased come the New Year!

First up, the best of the best for 2022 begins NOW! And we begin with the six releases bubbling under our top 30. 

BravePicks 2022

15) AMORPHIS - Halo (Atomic Fire)

 

One of the first releases on the newly formed Atomic Fire Records, Finnish metallers Amorphis struck with a progressive melodic death metal effort in Halo. The Finns have been on a roll since bringing in Tomi Joutsen on vocals in 2004 as their remarkable craftsmanship is as robust as ever as they get more progressive and unpredictable musically, but it’s still 100% Amorphis mixing a wintry atmosphere with folk, death, and dreamy melodicism.

Halo circles and lands at the #15 spot on our list.

Scribe Nick Balazs wrote in his review:

Heading along the Halo’s journey; it’s easy to tell they sometimes want to jam it out in some instances, like in the drastic tempo and mood change in the fantastic “Windmane” which utilizes an organ based rocking section that holds a guitar and synth solo.

Amorphis crunches in the heavier moments on opener “Northwards”, the Middle-Eastern flavored “Seven Roads Come Together” and the attention-grabbing “The Wolf”. The harsh and clean vocals work so well off each other in the latter track with some a tonal shift in the middle section offering up acoustic guitar accenting the electric guitars and choral vocals.

BravePicks 2022 Top 30

15) AMORPHIS - Halo (Atomic Fire)
16) ARCH ENEMY - Deceivers (Century Media)
17) WEDNESDAY 13 - Horrifier (Napalm)
18) WHITESPADE - Whitespade (Independent)
19) MISERY INDEX - Complete Control (Century Media)
20) KRISIUN - Mortem Solis (Century Media)
21) RAZOR - Cycle Of Contempt (Relapse)
22) MEGADETH - The Sick, The Dying...And The Dead! (Universal Music Group)
23) TONY MARTIN - Thorns (Dark Star)
24) UGLY KID JOE - Rad Wings Of Destiny (Metalville / UKJ)
25) TRIAL (SWE) - Feed The Fire (Metal Blade)
26) SABATON - The War To End All Wars (Nuclear Blast)
27) SCORPIONS - Rock Believer (Vertigo)
28) CORPSEGRINDER - Corpsegrinder (Perseverance)
29) SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS - 4 (Gibson / BMG)
30) NORDJEVEL - Gnavhòl (Indie)
31) WITCHERY – Nightside (Century Media)
32) ABBATH - Dread Reaver (Season of Mist)
33) AMON AMARTH - The Great Heathen Army (Metal Blade)
34) RECKLESS LOVE – Turbo Rider (AFM) 
35) GOATWHORE – Angels Hung From The Arches Of Heaven (Metal Blade)
36) CAVE IN – Heavy Pendulum (Relapse)