the Top 10 Punk Albums of 2022

Given the state of 2022 it might be surprising that punk did not get angrier this year. Not that I am into political punk. This year punk and hard core are getting separate lists. Ok now that that is out of the way, much like in years past 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 punk albums of 2022

10-Sunflo'er- "All These Darlings and Now Me"

Their 2018 album "No Hell" earned the 6th place slot on the 2018 top 10 hardcore / punk albums of the year list. This time around they have a new singer which has taken things in a rowdier rock direction. He is more impressive on the first song than the second, though they have retained the kind of Refused like anger that was explosive on the previous album. Their overall sound is heavier and has more of metallic edge than the previous album.  Kvelertak without the black metal inspiration would be another sonic point of reference here and gives a better idea where the new singer's vocal stylings lean more towards

Abysmal Hymns: Sunflo'er : "All These Darlings and Now Me"

 

9-Boris- "Heavy Rocks" 

Another chapter in their "heavy rocks" series. It carries an explosive Stooges like barrages that gets more chaotic as it progresses, while still holding it together rock songs. This band has been around for 30 years so know what they are doing, though they have covered a great deal of ground over the course of their career. Sometimes there is a screamo tinge to the more emotive vocals. The oddest production jobs in terms of where the instruments sit. More raw and punk flavored than what the Melvins do, but on the less metal side of where the Melvins sit sonically. Boris has dabbled in metal before, that is just not what is happening here. The focus is on high energy and up-tempo songs.

Abysmal Hymns: Boris: "Heavy Rocks"

 8-Spice- "Viv" 

If I had to sum up this band in an elevator pitch it would be if you mixed the Pixies with the aggression of a 90s post-hardcore band. Sometimes there is more jangle, they flirt with more traditional styles of punk, often leaning into a darker more Jesus and the Mary Chain like post-punk flavor. The album has an impressive range of dynamics, summoning a great deal of energy when they kick on the gas and pick up the intensity, with plenty of attitude to spare. 

Abysmal Hymns: SPICE : "Viv"

 

7-Dead Cross- "II" 

The darkest and heaviest of Mike Patton's many projects.  I appreciate the dissonance of what they are doing. Where Patton's singing on 'the Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny" was more metal in its intentions, that is only a fraction of what is going on here. Justin Pearson from the Locust feels to have more influence on this album when it comes to the more noise punk direction. ". Things remain sonically dense even when being kicked in a more punk direction. It is however the darker atmospheric passages that bring the spastic punk ones into the needed balance. 

Abysmal Hymns: Dead Cross :"II"

6-Chat Pile- "God's Country" 

Perhaps these guys were once a grind band, but they smoked enough weeds to weird out the anger and turn it sideways. This instead turned them to the dark side. These dark vibes kept me returning to this album. Punk rock that takes an angular lumber that turns to sludged out noise rock, but the spoken vocals ranting about homelessness, I normal do not like political or social topics that are not infused with a message of nihilism and hopelessness. But this somehow works for me due to the unhinged screamed manner they are delivered on this crazy album.

Abysmal Hymns: Chat Pile : " God's Country"

 

5-Cancer Bats -"Psychic Jailbreak" 

One of those hard-core bands that I assumed were more rock n roll than they are. They do not just hit you with hyper aggression and break downs and are burly enough to fit into my broader definition of punk. There is a touch of their more metal side that comes out falling somewhere between Clutch and Gwar. They are great at what they do which is serve up seething songs that are equally catchy. 

Abysmal Hymns: Cancer Bats : " Psychic Jailbreak"

 

4-Straw Man Army - "SOS" 

This sardonic brand of punk embraces the early indie rock that formed what this sort of thing would become decades later. It makes sense that these guys would be from New York given the city's history with punk music.  This album is more experimental than what we are commonly led to believe punk can or should be. Bands like Fugazi are certainly a fair point of reference when pondering their influences. They are aggressive but work with the weird range of sonics they attack the songs with. One of the more original bands on this list . 

Abysmal Hymns: Straw Man Army: 'SOS"

3-Laces Out - "Here at Ashram"  

Frenetic energy is pumped into the taunt guitars on this album. They ride the line between post-punk and post-hard core.; Sometimes this is done in a Fugazi like fashion and at others it feels like they are a long-lost indie rock band from the 90s. They can ride the grooves of these riffs, smoothing out the angular qualities. The vocals are what typically owes the most to hard-core in their sound as they are painfully pissed. Lyrically things are pretty personal to make for a compelling listen.

Abysmal Hymns: Laces Out : "Here at Ashram"

2-High Vis - "Blending" 

Having grown out of the limitations placed upon them by the post-punk revival label, they have made this explosive album that feels more like real punk than anything you have heard in some time. Singer. singer Graham Sayle gives thing a more punk edge, while the guitar rings out creating both and in your face thunder that booms while not skimping on the attitude. The 80s new wave influence can still be heard on some of the chord progressions. The guitar solos are much more rock than the rest of what is going down here but it still works well.

Abysmal Hymns: Gothtober : High Vis- "Blending"

1-Tension Span - "the Future Died Yesterday"

Here is how punk should be done. Bleak and grim. It is brought to you by Noah Landis of Neurosis and members of Asunder and Dystopia. The songs deal with the impending apocalypse the world is heading toward. Dark and tense as post punk, but it has the middle finger pointed at the sky as punk should. An aggressive drive not unlike Black Flag with burning chug infusing the guitars. Thought at times they back off to create more of an atmosphere that is more Post-punk, which has always been one of the under currents that influenced Neurosis, but it fits into the cross roads where early punk came from and lines of sub-genres we define music now by where not yet common place. An album you can just leave on an let play. 

Abysmal Hymns: Tension Span : " The Future Died Yesterday"

Spice : " s/t"

Some members of Ceremony, set off to form a side project that heavily embraces the indie rock / post hard core sound of the 90s. Sonically owing a great deal to Bob Mould. The singer of Ceremony lends his voice to this and his singing is much better than it was on the last Ceremony album. It is more emotive. He comes much closer to singing. There is the detached slacker attitude to his approach , but that is a defining element of this sound. When it comes to the sound , they nailed it , but also care about the songs. The first hint of punk shows up on the 3rd song "Murder". It also shows just how close this era flirted with post punk. It works off more sonic tension than being in your face. Sonic Youth is a better reference point than Fugazi in this regard.

Both the guitar tones and the playing is what really propels this album. I know there is a violinist on this album, but I have yet to hear her. They come even closer to punk on "Reward Trip". There is some drive to the song , but I am not sure I would call it angry. More aggressive than the previous songs for sure. The singing continues to improve on "Dogs". This song takes a more melancholy slant. This album is not limited in the range of emotion it expresses which I admire.  ' Vo the Night" is just an instrumental interlude. They come back hammering at you with the sonically intense " Black Car". This is better than anything Ceremony has done in recent memory. Granted I grew up with this sort of thing, as in grew up listened to it going into senior year of high school.

The first time I hear the violin is on " the Building Was Gone" . It is a good almost post punk balance of sounds . Atmosphere even set agains the force the song moves with . Melodic enough it reminds me a little of early R.E.M. The album closes strong with  the timely " I Don't Want to Die In New York".  It captures the early 80s punk feel well. I will give this album a 9.5 for now and see how it grows on me. It feels like this is one of the rare moments where the side project out shines their day job band. Out the 17th of July on Dais Records/