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

17) WEDNESDAY 13 - Horrifier (Napalm)

 

The master of horror metal Wednesday 13 returned with aptly titled Horrifier, his first under the Napalm Records banner. Wednesday has an uncanny ability to take his inspirations and make them livelier in his terrifying musical form. With lively, descriptive lyrics influences range go from scary delights like The Exorcist, the Halloween movies, Christine, and even Greek mythology with Medusa.

It’s another honorable, horrific fright fest as Horrifier frightens its way to #17.

Wednesday 13 spoke to BW’s Aaron Small in a feature story; an excerpt below:

Comprised of eleven frightful tracks, Horrifier perfectly incorporates elements from all of W13’s previous releases. After the “Severed” intro, Horrifier is undeniably heavy, akin to more recent material. Then it remarkably goes back to the early days. “That was definitely intentional,” admits Wednesday. “I tried to remind people of the past. It’s sort of like a roller coaster back through the past, but with new songs. When it came time to make this record, it was like, do we keep going on this heavy front and experimenting? Or do we dial it back to what it was? It’s reminiscent of the first few albums.”

Horrifier is the ninth studio album from Wednesday 13. But after two releases on Nuclear Blast, it’s the first batch of songs to be released via Napalm Records. W13 talks about his new home, “It’s been great so far. They’ve been keeping me really busy with press, they’ve been cool with the videos; they gave us a budget. I’ve never had this problem – I know we’ve all read about and heard stories about bands over the years, and labels trying to interfere with their sound, and stuff like that. I’ve never had any label ever really tell me to do something different, or not do something. They trust me to do what I do, and I’m happy with them. The whole thing about being on a label is they can do the stuff that you can’t do. I know how to tour. I know how to write the music; I don’t know how to get it out to everybody and promote it the way they can.”

BravePicks 2022 Top 30

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)