BravePicks 2022 - The Scribes Speak!
"Metal" Tim Henderson

Top 20 Of 2022
1) BLOODBATH - Survival Of The Sickest (Napalm)
2) VENOM INC. - There's Only Black (Nuclear Blast)
3) CANDLEMASS - Sweet Evil Sun (Napalm)
4) VOIVOD - Syncro Anarchy (Century Media)
5) RAZOR - Cycle Of Contempt (Relapse)
6) TONY MARTIN – Thorns (Dark Star) 
7) CORPSEGRINDER - Corpsegrinder (Perseverance)
8) ABBATH - Dread Reaver (Season of Mist)
9) MEXICAN APE-LORD - Burn Pit (Unable)
10) KING’S X - Three Sides Of One (InsideOut)
11) DECAPITATED - Cancer Culture (Nuclear Blast)
12) NORDJEVEL - Gnavhòl (Indie)
13) IMMOLATION - Acts Of God (Nuclear Blast)
14) WATAIN – The Agony & Ecstasy Of Watain (Nuclear Blast) 
15) KREATOR - Hate Über Alles (Nuclear Blast)
16) DESTRUCTION - Diabolical (Napalm)
17) QUEENSRŸCHE - Digital Noise Alliance (Century Media)
18) SCORPIONS – Rock Believer (Vertigo) 
19) AMORPHIS – Halo (Atomic Fire)
20) WITCHERY – Nightside (Century Media)

Top 5 Concerts

1) METALLICA, RAVEN (Johnny + Marsha Zaula tribute show) - Hard Rock Live, Seminole, Florida
2) Monterrey Metalfest (JUDAS PRIEST, PANTERA, MERCYFUL FATE, BEHEMTH, STRYPER) - Arena Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico
3) Summer Breeze Open Air - Flugplatz des Aeroclubs Dinkelsbühl, Dinkelsbühl, Germany
4) DESTRUCTION - Lee’s Palace, Toronto, Ontario
5) ANVIL - Rockpile, Pickering, Ontario

Top 5 Brave Embarrassments

UDO DIRKSCHNEIDER – My Way (Atomic Fire Records)
Maybe go back and cover some classic and obscure Accept songs, not butcher a bunch of classics.

DEF LEPPARD - Diamond Star Halos (Mercury)
Should I just give up bitching? The fat lady has sung.

FOZZY – Boombox (Mascot Records)
As painful as a body slam from him. 

LAMB OF GOD – Omens (Epic)
Truly never understood the appeal. 

ALESTORM – Seventh Rum Of A Seventh Rum (Napalm)
I gave up beer for bourbon. Just sayin’. They should as well. 

Thoughts On 2022

Famine to feast. And what a feast it was. We went from having virtually every band on the planet locked inside with fury and frustration, to every band on the planet back on the road promoting a new album in most cases. Or one coming. Like Metallica. The entire music world breathed a sigh of relief as things got back to normal. Sure, things ain’t totally normal. But we are getting there. 

It was hard to touch Bloodbath and their towering Survival Of The Sickest album, which brought Florida death metal to Sweden. If you haven’t heard it, fast-forward or flip the LP to the end of Side II: “No God Before Me” will stop you in your tracks. Speaking of Sweden, Candlemass are yet another act finding their second (third) wind with unstoppable new material and hunger for the road. The iron is hot once again. And Razor and Voivod kept those Canuck home fires burning. The former’s Cycle Of Contempt their first new studio album in 25 years. And they are hitting the road, so don’t miss ‘em!

Our first show in two years was Destruction on May 1st. And we survived it! Hypocrisy played the day after. And we survived that outing as well. The fact that BraveWords could board a plane for an overseas festival after nearly three years was certainly cause for celebration. Hypocrisy, Testament, Death Angel, Paradise Lost and witnessing the deathly metal of Benediction for the first time was the horns-up highlight! 

It seems the only concern about travelling was the loss of luggage as airlines fumble the ball across the globe, not anticipating such high traffic. Shame, I’m typing where the worst airline in the world record hails from: Air Canada’s record is dismal. 

We were able to Zoom with singer Bruce Dickinson twice before his highly entertaining spoken word tour this spring, the legendary Iron Maiden frontman keeping the crowd in stitches for two hours. What a talent and we were able to see Senjutsu live a few months later. Quite excited to see the band build a tour around Somewhere Back In Time next year. And a Bruce solo album with the talented Roy Z to boot!

Some people are bitching that they are calling it a Pantera reunion. Wait until you witness vocalist Phil Anselmo, bassist Rex Brown along with guitarist Zakk Wylde and drummer Charlie Benante honouring the deceased Abbott brothers, Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul. Shows in Mexico, Colombia, Chile, and Brazil delighted countless fans. Think about it. They’ve received the blessing from the Abbott estates. And most people I noticed in the crowd in Monterrey weren’t even around when Pantera were a major force to be reckoned with. And shows around the world continue to appear. It’s a win-win for everybody. 

King Diamond and his Mercyful Fate cohorts are just killing it live. Watch for a dreaming For Vengeance soon with fill-in bassist Becky Baldwin! And visually it’s a blood-soaked horror show, the perfect sermon from Satan.  

We caught the Appice brothers (Carmine and Vinny) drum wars set in Buffalo and witnessed history as both stars showcased their entire career. 

It was my first time in Monterrey, Mexico as BraveWords sponsored the Monterrey Metal Fest with the jaw-dropping lineup of Judas Priest, Pantera, Mercyful Fate, Behemoth and oddly enough, Stryper! Check out my entire report here. 

But the icing was a somber moment. Metallica’s tribute show to Jon and Marsha Zazula, the Megaforce masterminds that launched a label, a lifestyle and helped usher in thrash metal. Jon passed on February 1, 2022 and Marsha the year before on January 10, 2021. Metallica playing only their first two albums - Kill ‘Em All and Ride The Lightning! No Life ’Til Leather indeed. My neck still hurts.  



One last question: should I give the new Megadeth and Ozzy records another chance? 

What/Who Needs To Stop In 2023

Paid meet n’ greets. Let me correct that. Exorbitantly high paid meet n’ greets. Like the embarrassing Metallica roll-out. Sure, the bands need to make up for lost revenues, but c’mon Lars. Really … $500 - $7,000?

And I will beat a dead horse. Stop giving me umpteen options when it copies to buying hard copies. Let’s keep it to three shall we: CD long box, LP and comprehensive box set. And I still find it funny when an LP packaging states that the colour is black. I guess I’m old. 

Gatekeepers. You know who you are. You can't hide behind COVID forever.
 

Metal Predictions For 2023
Paid meet n’ greets or not, Metallica will rule 2023 with their 72 Seasons album and M72 World Tour No Repeat Weekend. Obituary’s aptly-titled Dying Of Everything is he first metal monster of the year, this band grows younger with every year that passes! W.A.S.P. will continue to shock and roll once again with a new album and a bigger tour. Kerry King will show us how angry he is since Slayer have been laid to rest. KISS will continue to thrill fans with or without Gene and Paul. Despite duping all of us, Mötley Crüe fans don’t seem to give a shit. They just want to hear live music. Even without Mick Mars who has retired. And pairing with Def Leppard again (along with Alice Cooper) just shows you that people are hungry. So go feed ‘em. And we get to hear a new Bruce Dickinson solo record as well! And let’s hope Paul Di’Anno graces us with his presence in North America. And Krokus I can only hope to see at least once! 

Read our BravePicks 2022 countdown where Bloodbath’s Survival Of The Sickest reigned supreme at #1 here.

More Scribes Speak 2022:

Aaron Small
Greg Pratt
Mark Gromen
Carl Begai
Nick Balazs
James Garvin
Rich Catino
Sephora Henderson