It's that time of year again; It might seem early to start these now, but record labels have already sent me sent me most of what this year has to offer. By the time I am done sorting through the top 10 albums of all the respective genres, I will use them to compile the top 10 albums of the year. 2022 was perhaps marginally better than the previous year, though given the current climate of the world we are progressing on a downward spiral, making dark music more important as a soundtrack for this. As far as 2022 goes for goth, the music is increasing important to prove it is not a hash tag to throw around on Instagram just because you are wearing black.
The very fact these bands 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. Perhaps 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 goth albums of 2022
10-Gentle Ropes- "Control"
This Ukrainian post-punk project gets so atmospheric that they cross the line into goth. This slab of depressive goodness is narrated by vocals that are detached in a similar manner to what shoe gaze bands do. The guitars anchor things with a great deal of drive, and the writing carries enough dynamic tweaking to keep the songs from sounding the same.
9-Vandal Moon - "Queen of the Night"
This band writes songs melodramatic enough to land them solidly on dark wave. Sung with an overly emotive baritone croon, the vocals coast over the cascade of synth wave likes sounds, which this year the trend in dark wave seems to be to use those, these guys just do it better than the other bands not on this list.
Abysmal Hymns: Gothtober- Vandal Moon :" Queen of the Night"
8-Sunrise Patriot Motion- "Black Fellflower Stream"
At times aggressive as Killing Joke. The guitars are creepy and atmospheric more often than not. The vocals have a throaty rasp to them, sometimes yelled. There plenty of Halloween like keyboards to offset this, though the vocals are very commanding from the ghostly cavern they echo out from
Abysmal Hymns: Sunrise Patriot Motion : "Black Fellflower Stream"
7-Dead Lights- "Doom Doom Trash"
When it comes to the cities, you might expect the best of the darkest music to come from London would be at the top of the lis; This ep came out in March, and has some of the best constructed songs, in terms of both the beats, and the thought given to the lyrics, that I have heard from Darkwave in sometime. It is driving enough to keep things moving on the dance floor but carries the menace of Halloween
Abysmal Hymns: Gothtober- Dead Lights : "Doom Doom Trash"
6-NHIL NHIL NHIL- "Things Fall Apart as They Shall"
The first ep from this German duo blends a gloom encrusted aggression and heaviness with the kind of stark tension we expect from post-punk, but with a more emotive shadow side. There is almost a doomy heaviness to what they do.
Abysmal Hymns: NIHIL NHIL NIHIL : "Things Fall Apart As They Shall"
5- Night Sins -"Violet Age"
These guys have not worshipped at the altar of Sisters of Mercy alter for some time. But this flirts with new wave less than the previous album and turns back toward a darker direction. Two years in the making, the growth on this album is very tangible. What they do has been sharpened and refined as all the elements you want from them. The grooves are tighter, and the choruses carry more heft.
Abysmal Hymns: Night Sins : "Violet Age"
4-Black Cross Hotel- "Hex"
This horror themed industrial leaning band features members of Minsk, Stabbing Westward and the Atlas Moth. They are not content recycling sounds from the 80s in an attempt to revisit the Bat Cave. The 80s sounds they do employ is the atmosphere of synth wave and vomit it up against abrasive industrial punk.
Abysmal Hymns: Gothtober- Black Cross Hotel :"Hex"
3-Crippled Black Pheonix - "Banefrye"
. Twelve albums deep into their career they have conjured a more thematic feel. The theme being the witch as the outsider. This lends itself to a darker, more stoner ride, 60's Coven like pulse. This album gets darker as it progresses and finds the band not only dark enough to claim their place here, but this is onle of the darkest albums to be released this year.
Abysmal Hymns: Crippled Black Phoenix : "Banefyre"
2-Kill Shelter- "Asylum"
While a newcomer, even a jaded gatekeeper is proud to swing open the doors to the haunted halls a announce this guy is legit. One important element in place is richly nuanced vocals. It belongs on Metropolis as this feels like a fitting passing of the torch to leave it in the hands of Pete Burns who should change his name to Peter Shelter in under to uphold his responsibility
Abysmal Hymns: Gothtober- Kill Shelter : "Asylum"
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