Did you guess it? Was it your #1? Self-proclaimed Florida death metal exported from Sweden is our BravePick of 2022! Bloodbath's Survival Of The Sickest!

“There is this sort of Florida vibe, a lot of those bands are very influential on the whole kind of first wave of death metal,” legendary Bloodbath and Paradise Lost singer Nick Holmes remarked to BraveWords earlier this year. “Obviously when Entombed, Nihilist came along, that created a sort of new sound, as well. So, the Swedish thing and the Florida thing goes quite nice together. And we're paying homage to music from so long ago. Perhaps it's kind of retro, a retrospec. There's so many generations, it's good to kind of remember who started all this. We're sort of bringing that back a bit, tipping the hat to it, you know."

BravePicks 2022

1) BLOODBATH - Survival Of The Sickest (Napalm)

 

The world is in flames, and Survival Of The Sickest, produced by Bloodbath and co-produced and mixed by Lawrence Mackrory at Rorysound Studios, offers no respite from the horrors of reality. Instead, with the addition of new guitarist Tomas ‘Plytet’ Åkvik (Lik) onboard, Bloodbath’s latest and greatest album gleefully confronts the slavering ghoul lurking in the shadows, and treats him to ten songs of ripping death metal frenzy. Alongside Bloodbath’s official alumni, Survival Of The Sickest boasts a smattering of irresistible cameos from the great, good and ghoulish of the metal underground, including Barney Greenway (Napalm Death), Luc Lemay (Gorguts) and Marc Grewe (Morgoth).

Bloodbath: "If there was a declaration of goods attached to this album, it would say Florida death metal exported from Sweden."

BravePicks 2022 Top 30

1) BLOODBATH - Survival Of The Sickest (Napalm)
2) KREATOR - Hate über alles (Nuclear Blast)
3) DESTRUCTION - Diabolical (Napalm)
4) WOLF - Shadowland (Century Media)
5) CANDLEMASS - Sweet Evil Sun (Napalm)
6) QUEENSRŸCHE - Digital Noise Alliance (Century Media)
7) WATAIN - The Agony & Ecstasy Of Watain (Nuclear Blast)
8) VENOM INC. - There's Only Black (Nuclear Blast)
9) VOIVOD - Synchro Anarchy (Century Media)
10) BLIND GUARDIAN - The God Machine (Nuclear Blast)
11) STRATOVARIUS - Survive (earMUSIC)
12) OZZY OSBOURNE - Patient Number 9 (Epic)
13) DECAPITATED - Cancer Culture (Nuclear Blast)
14) EVIL INVADERS - Shattering Reflection (Napalm)
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)