Black Metal Albums of 2022
- Second to Sun - Nocturnal Philosophy
- I’ve been a fan of Second to Sun for many years. Long enough, in fact, that when I first purchased their music on Bandcamp, it was music that they actually no longer list. So when 2015 rolled around and they release The First Chapter, we were already acquainted. And since that time they have released fantastic black metal masterpiece after masterpiece.
- Look, I’m not a huge fan of old school black metal. The production grates on my ears, and I don’t need what those bands were selling. But, take some of the trappings of black metal and transport them to something greater, something different, and I find it to be one of the most vibrant and innovative areas of metal. And Second to Sun embody that. The music is heavy AF, the vocals are shrieking and piercing in a way that is most definitely uncomfortable.
- And here, on Nocturnal Philosophy, the songs take on much more epic and grand scale. For example, this album is 43 minutes and only 5 songs. Most of the recent albums are closer to 9-10 songs for about the same run time. Multiple songs on this album are these huge sounding songs that take the listener on a journey. All the elements of StS are there, just a little bigger and perhaps better. I can’t say it is my favorite StS album, but I also can’t say it isn’t.
- Zeal & Ardor - Zeal & Ardor
- Oh boy, Zeal & Ardor. I’ve found previous works of theirs interesting, and their previous EP was impressive in its ability to convey the message of the music in a powerful and listenable fashion. But their previous albums just didn’t grab me. This self-titled work though, just blows me away. It is pissed the hell off at some of the things going on in the world right now, and it wants you to know it. The songs are powerful, full of energy, incredibly infectious, and really, really heavy. There are awesome, bluesy, gospel inspired moments juxtaposed to choruses ripped straight from the depths of hell.
- This is the Zeal & Ardor album I have been waiting for. I can start at the top and just keep on going, no need to pause, no tracks to skip. There are ones that are stronger than the others, but as a whole, the album is gripping, exciting, and gets me moving and my head banging. A real triumph. If this is a sign of the direction the band’s albums are heading, I am very excited for the next.
- Gaerea - Mirage
- Gaerea’s previous album, Limbo blew me away. I’d first started listening to them with Unsettling Whispers, and thought that was a great album. But Limbo was the one that I just kept coming back to, time and again. So, what about Mirage?
- Well, it fucking rules. It just does. This is, again, my style of black metal. It is interesting, it is emotionally gripping, and it is intelligently cathartic. I hate when music seems designed to manipulate you. Let that happen naturally. When the music feels sincere, it doesn’t matter how brooding, how depressive it feels, it isn’t manipulative. Gaerea doesn’t manipulate. There is an intense sincerity to the music that really shines through. Mirage is no different. The intensity on display here serves to convey the emotion and intent of the music, not overwhelm it. I was very excited for this release, and it lived up to my expectations.