NWOBHM legends, Saxon, won the top spot on WJCU’s annual Metal On Metal year-end best album listener poll. Their twenty-third studio album, Carpe Diem, edged out Megadeth’s The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead by a very narrow margin.

“We’d like to thank all the WJCU Metal On Metal listeners for voting Carpe Diem #1 in 2022”, said Saxon vocalist Biff Byford. “It’s brilliant, thank you very much. I’m very proud of the album and really glad you loved it. As far as coming to the States, we may be coming in autumn. We’re working on it, yeah, so we’re definitely going to play Cleveland!”

This was the 39th year of the poll. Listeners were asked to nominate their top three albums of 2022. 707 ballots were cast with 103 albums nominated and a total of 2,039 album votes submitted. The Top 25 albums were announced live on the air January 6.

“The mighty Saxon are one of my all-time favorite bands”, says Metal On Metal host Bill Peters. “When I was naming my radio show back in 1982 it was either going to be Heavy Metal Thunder or Metal On Metal. It was great to see the guys win their first top spot on our listener poll. Not only do I have every album of theirs in my collection, I also am the proud owner of over 30 Saxon concert t-shirts! Ha, that’s crazy I know. I can wear a different shirt to work each day of the month without doing any laundry. Now that’s a true fan - let me tell you!”

WJCU’s Metal On Metal Top 25 Albums Of 2022:

1. Saxon - Carpe Diem (Silver Lining)
2. Megadeth - The Sick, The Dying…And The Dead! (Tradecraft/Universal)
3. Scorpions - Rock Believer (Universal)
4. Candlemass - Sweet Evil Sun (Napalm)
5. Ghost - Impera (Loma Vista)
6. Kreator - Hate Über Alles  (Nuclear Blast)
7. Arch Enemy - Deceivers (Century Media)
8. Audrey Horne - Devil’s Bell (Napalm)
9. Midnight - Let There Be Witchery (Metal Blade)
10. Venom Inc. - There’s Only Black (Nuclear Blast)
11. Eric Wagner - In The Lonely Light Of Morning (Cruz Del Sur)
12. Skid Row - The Gang’s All Here (Earmusic)
13. Stryper - The Final Battle (Frontiers)
14. Amon Amarth - The Great Heathen Army (Metal Blade)
15. Resistance - Skulls Of My Enemy (Pure Steel)
16. Whitespade - Whitespade (Iron Grip)
17. Talas - 1985 (Metal Blade)
18. Leather - We Are The Chosen (Spv/Steamhammer)
19. Voivod - Synchro Anarchy (Century Media)
20. Savage Master - Those Who Hunt At Night (Shadow Kingdom)
21. Amorphis - Halo (Atomic Fire)
22. Immolation - Acts Of God (Nuclear Blast)
23. Joe Lynn Turner - Belly Of The Beast (Mascot)
24. The Halo Effect - Days Of The Lost (Nuclear Blast)
25. (Tie) Bloodbath - Survival Of The Sickest (Napalm)
25. (Tie) Riot City - Electric Elite (No Remorse)

WJCU’s Metal On Metal can be heard every Friday night from 6:30 to 9:30 PM, ET at 88.7 FM in the Cleveland, Ohio area. The show is also streamed live worldwide on the WJCU App or at wjcu.org. Peters celebrated his 40th anniversary in 2022 of hosting the popular radio show.