“In case we’re wondering how things are going in surface level rock and metal world. Fun for curiosities sake.” That’s the message I saw from DGR providing a link to Revolver magazine’s list of the 25 Best Albums of 2022, and the message kind of sums up why you’re seeing the list here now.
As part of our annual LISTMANIA series we re-publish “best album” lists from some of the the few surviving print publications that cover metal, and from a handful of “big platform” sites that include metal in their on-line coverage, along with a range of other music genres and other aspects of popular culture.
We don’t re-publish those “big platform” lists because we think it’s likely to be a source of useful discovery for most of the people who come to NCS, though of course that’s possible. It’s really more a matter of peering at the surface world as a form of modest entertainment.
Revolver claims that “millions of passionate consumers” visit their website and view their videos across desktop and mobile; that the print edition is the “biggest hard-rock and metal magazine in North America,” with a subscriber base that’s three times larger than the “next biggest U.S. metal print publication”; and that they have a “highly engaged social following with over 1B impressions per month across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.”
As in previous years there’s likely a temptation among our readers to respond with at least a bit of snarkiness after perusing this list. But if you happen to be unfamiliar with Revolver, you’ll notice from one of those quotations that they cover hard rock as well as metal, which will be evident from a review of this new list (there’s a lot of metalcore on the list too). And of course they triangulate their choices to their own readership, and perhaps to advertisers who pay their bills. So it won’t be a shock to learn that the list is unlikely to open your eyes to some new underground metal gem you haven’t heard of.
Also as in past years, the list does include a very small number of albums we wrote about at NCS (very small). As a matter of idle curiosity I also compared it to Decibel‘s year-end list (here), which was the first entry in this segment of our year-end LISTMANIA series. I found only four overlaps — Chat Pile, Cave In, Undeath, and Soul Glo.
And with that, here’s Revolver‘s list.
25. Greg Puciato – “Mirrorcell“
24. Rammstein – “Zeit“
23. The Devil Wears Prada – “Color Decay“
22. Chat Pile – “God’s Country“
21. Polyphia – “Remember That You Will Die“
20. Ozzy Osbourne – “Patient Number 9“
19. Author & Punisher – “Krüller“
18. Machine Head – “Øf Kingdom and Crown“
17. Underoath – “Voyeurist“
16. Slipknot – “The End, So Far“
15. Korn – “Requiem“
14. Coheed And Cambria – “Vaxis II: A Window Of The Waking Mind“
13. Cave In – “Heavy Pendulum“
12. Mindforce – “New Lords“
11. Dead Cross – “II“
10. The Callous Daoboys – “Celebrity Therapist“
09. Meshuggah – “Immutable“
08. Tallah – “The Generation Of Danger“
07. Undeath – “It’s Time… To Rise From The Grave“
06. Megadeth – “The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!“
05. Bad Omens – “The Death Of Peace Of Mind“”
04. Soul Glo – “Diaspora Problems“
03. Lamb Of God – “Omens“
02. Lorna Shore – “Pain Remains“
01. Ghost – “Impera“
14 Responses to “LISTMANIA 2022: REVOLVER’S LIST OF THE 25 BEST ALBUMS OF 2022”
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Well…that’s definitely a list alright
“Machine Head – “Øf Kingdom and Crown“
HAHAHAHAHA!
Personally, even though it obviously makes a lot more sense than I am granting it, I can’t get over Ozzy Osbourne being on this list. Yes and No, right? Like, Yes, of course he’s on the list. They probably owe him their first born or something. Lol. But No, how in the hell can anyone actually find him currently relevant? Is it just like… an honorary title at this point? As long as there is an Ozzy album in that calendar year it will be in the list? I bet thats it. Simple reverence.
Maybe on that note it makes the most sense of all. Maybe Ozzy always deserves to be on a list.
But that album is hot fucking garbage.
Can’t wait to hear your list, Brute!
It’s like 25 most popular “metal” albums.
A list without Laparotomy’s masterpiece will be useless this year.
I can support the inclusion of Mindforce.
Except Undeath 🙂 🙂 🙂
Weak, weak, and weak (sorry – but they can’t talk as if they know and write so much about metal…and then put out that list, lol…)
Well I like Mirrorcell
So far all lists have been invalidated by the absence of Heaving Earth’s Darkness of God Album
Crappiest list ever. Ever.
Christ, what’s with people liking the new Callous Daoboys album?? Love to support some local (ATL) metal, but their new one is so painfully poorly written and just mediocre. I’m less angry about Undeath, but I far prefer Lesions to It’s Time.
Chat Pile > everyone, and Soul Glo is an interesting pick and fun album.
I mean, Revolver’s list is always a crappy list, but this year they outdid themselves…. Ozzy? Slipknot? GHOST? hahahahahaha
I’m genuinely curious if whatever new album from Slipknot/Korn/etc has ever not made Revolver’s year end list? Like, what’s the fucking point? “Here’s a random ranking of all the big name hard rock releases this year, and a few trendy underground releases we didn’t actually listen to but have been told are good. Buy our magazine!”
This list sucks. I dont think there are 2 bands i despise more than Shitknot and Korn–are they even still around? jump da fuck around.
Greg Puciato…sounds familiar. Was he in Fugazi?
As for Ozzy, I listened to one song off his new album and it was bad so I didn’t pursue it further. But…I love Ozzy. I mean Black Sabbath literally invented heavy metal. So yeah he is eternally relevant, even if his new music isn’t good.