the Top 10 Extreme Metal Albums of 2022

This list encompasses anything heavy that does not fit neatly into a sub-genre. Some lists were overcrowded and not a good fit so those bands who are just about sonic hedonism are here to haunt you. Much like in years past I sort through the genre lists before making the overall top ten of the year list. The fact these artists made it on the list speaks to how great these albums are, so it's not a slight that the number 8 album is above the 9th album, there is something that just gives it an edge that makes me want to listen to it more. After all we can try to look cool and pick the hippest bands for a list, but at the end of the day what makes an album the best is that it makes you want more, you look forward to listening to it again. I do hope you can find your next favorite on this list and have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out audio on these guys. Anyways here are the top 10 Extreme metal albums of 2022

10-Ruin- "Where Death is Spread Out Across the Sky" 

This band crosses many sub-genres. all of their shades of heavy are nasty. They do however still write songs, and I find their album fun to listen to. Guttural grows sometimes rise into more agonized spews. The pervading sense is dread. They do speed up into something more like death metal, though the overall vibe of the album trudges a more death doom road. 

Abysmal Hymns: November is Doom- Ruin- "Where Death is Spread Out Across the Sky"

9-Fit for an autopsy-"Oh, What the Future Holds" 

It starts off falling somewhere between what you might expect from both death metal and metal core then as this album progresses, they begin to introduce new sounds and the adventure really begins. This brings out the best of their songwriting skills and elevates them above the status quo. 

 Abysmal Hymns: Fit For an Autopsy : "Oh What the Future Holds"

8-False Gods- "Neurotopia" 

This sludge doom band from New York is an excellent example of why I so often bring up a band's influences, as they tend to form the sum of their parts, these guys have great sound it is suitable dense and dark in all the right places. There is a slight crusty edge at time, yet they make it apparent how large a role hard core has also played on their musical development.  This is heard often in the vocals from  the almost Fugazi like manner they accent things to the punchy crustiness coating the attitude the vocals are accent with earlier in the album which remind me of Kylesa.  Being a huge fan of their 2020 album, I knew these guys were capable and it cannot be said that they are delivering more of the same. Instead, they are attacking you from a different angle that I appreciate.

Abysmal Hymns: November is Doom - False Gods :"Neurotopia"

7-Hegemone- "Voyance"

This Polish band returns with another dense slab of nasty sonics. Their third full length, and you may remember us really digging their 2018 album "We Disappear". They continue to balance really heavy almost to the point of being abrasive sludge with a more atmospheric drone. They go from getting really heavy then drifting off into a gray shadow filled ocean.  I think they are more convincing as a sludge band than a black metal band, and do not blend the sounds as organically as say Withered. They do stylistically fall between many of the cracks, but no matter how you want to label them

Abysmal Hymns: Hegemone : " Voyance" Review and Full Album Stream.

 

6-Celeste-" Assassine​(​s)"

If you miss the days when Deafheaven was heavy, this French band has you covered, they are darker and nastier than Deafheaven ever dared. They are not another black gaze band as they employ an intense militant hammering, they aim upon your ears with a machine-like precision that has almost more in common with Meshuggah., using atmosphere to breaks up the relentless weaponized grooves. The midrange vocals have more a bark to them than the scathing howls of black metal. Not unlike how hard-core screaming is used to a more percussive effect

Abysmal Hymns: Black Metal History Month- Celeste :" Assassine​(​s)"

5-Hexis -"Aeturnum" 

Not only are they Denmark's heaviest band, but perhaps Northern Europe's heaviest band, though Sweden has some contenders. These guys are not just black metal, but also combined hard core and grind core into something dark and sonically punishing. They allow you to breathe, hitting you with a full-frontal assault of scathing screaming and weighty blasts. Black metal is aggressive and fast, however that does not make it the heaviest genre. It is the deliberate sonic weight put behind something that makes it heavy. The difference between being hit by a small guy who is fast and big guy who has muscle to put behind his punch. 

Abysmal Hymns: Hexis : "Aeturnum"

4-Tuscoma- "Gu-cci" 

When you aspire to transcend sub-genres, you might not become the next Neurosis or Deafheaven, but might put out an album better than most of your peers in the sub-genre you do end up falling into. Such is the tale of this band from New Zealand. They have made one of the more unique death metal albums that transcends They most effective when hitting a dark and foreboding balance of atmosphere and menace. They get caught up in the heaviness as they are doing something different in more respects than not, along with biting lyrics that are a great social commentary. 

Abysmal Hymns: Death is June - Tuscoma : " Gu-cci"

 

3-Spiritworld - "Deathwestern" 

Misguided journalism tried to place the emphasis on the western theme, but nothing could be further from the truth this album is possessed by a thrashing metallic hard core feel than what I thought be melding with this more western themed mood originally painted. The riffs hit you with gut punch and the vocals are command with purpose, so it works for me. Most to the albums on the extreme list have been in the sphere of grind core so for a thrash band to make it speaks to how fucking heavy this album is.  

Abysmal Hymns: Spiritworld - "Deathwestern"

2-Candy- "Heaven is Here" 

When it comes to extreme music most of it came from some early crossroads where death metal met hard core. The bands Relapse Records debut finds the noise ridden grind core being refined into a dense and perhaps even more punishing monster while fully aware that they have a job to write songs. The vocals are the most hard-core thing about this band. They are less spastic than Napalm Death. When they lock into a grinding chug the results are very powerful. This album is fucking intense.  

Abysmal Hymns: Candy : "Heaven is Here"

 

1-Wormrot -"Hiss" 

Grind core is typically not my thing, though in saying that there are a few bands who incorporate grind core into their sound that I love, like Portrayal of Guilt and Nails. Singapore's Wormrot is one of the more polished acts in the genre, they also prove themselves to be one of the best songwriters as well. A great deal of credit goes to the vocals which use a chaotic variety of vocal colors. The penchant for hooky thrash influenced riffing plays hand in hand with this as well to create an album that is not only intense but worth countless listens.  

Abysmal Hymns: Wormrot : "Hiss"