Time to bang your head. Mainstream metal is
A- Middle of the road in its attempt to appeal to a wider audience
B- A less extreme sub-genre like Power metal or Thrash that is easier for your average suburban metal to swallow
C- bands that are harder than hard rock, but not what we think of as death or black metal here.
This list it the best of those kind of bands, who you are more likely to see in the page of Revolver Magazine. As with years past I sort through the genre lists before making the overall top ten of the year list. 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. Sure, you can bitch and complain about your favorite band not being on the list. However, I listen to five new albums a day so yes, I heard your favorite album and was not impressed. No, I do not care what you think about it. 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 Mainstream Metal albums of 2022
10- Deathwhite -Grey Everlasting"
These guys are certainly great at their brand of dark melodic metal with melodic vocals. This time around it feels gloomier post-grunge with a European doom influence, though with more repeat listens it sounds also akin to what Staind might have done if they had been too depressed to write radio songs. The use of the occasional heavier than average riff might also put them in the same sonic zip code as Katatonia, they are also more straightforward than their Europeans counterparts.
Abysmal Hymns: Deathwhite : " Grey Everlasting"
9-Vein Fm - " This World is Going to Ruin You"
At times this band colors their chaotic hard-core sound with the ghosts of nu-metal past. Their abrasive nature makes them more dangerous to your ears than say Slipknot, but they are less intent to damage you than say Nails or Hexis. Even when they condense this down to a minute, I would not call this band grind core. The vocals lean toward hard-core screams, though some of the grinding math to the gears of the riffs are metal in the technical nature.
Abysmal Hymns: Vein.fm : "This World Is Going to Ruin You"
8-Kampfar - "Til Klovers Takt"
There continues to be a lot to love about Norway's Kampfar , as their sound to gets bigger and more melodic. The band's 9th album finds them not allowing themselves to be limited into the narrow confines of being just a black metal band despite making music since the mid 90s, they are legit true Norwegian black metal as much so as bands more commonly thought of in the role like Mayhem. This finds them adding new sounds and writing great songs.
Abysmal Hymns: Kampfar :" Til Klovers Takt"
7-Abbath-"Dread Reaver"
If you are hoping someone is going to carry the torch of Immortal, Abbath is proving himself the rightful bearer of that ring. His albums are huge sounding and thunderingly heavy. The songs go for the throat but are balanced out with catchy riffs that often recall more classic metal influence.
Abysmal Hymns: Abbath : " Dread Reaver"
Abysmal Hymns: Ereb Altor : " Vargtimman"
There are a few more guitar solos than normal, but it is a more thoughtful take on the same blackened blend of melodic death metal you came here for. What sets them apart which is Nergal's purposeful vocals. He shows you do not have to have a great singing voice to create hooks, you just need to put your voice in the right places. He doesn't scream or growl but uses a commanding snarl to fill these spots in the song. The best thing they have done in some time.
Abysmal Hymns: Behemoth : "Opvs Contra Natvram"
Abysmal Hymns: Meshuggah: " Immutable"
4Gwar has been one of my favorite bands since high school, though the 1997 album Carnival of Chaos when it was released felt like a dialed in more punk effort from the band, and my interest waned. When the band came back without Oderus on their 2017 "Blood for the Gods" I became invested again as they had a great deal to prove carrying on without their late singer. It was so impressive they proved themselves to me and now I judge them as an entity unto itself. This album is a more adventurous and ambitious affair that borders on prog. Not what you expect from them.
Abysmal Hymns: Gwar : " The New Dark Ages "
1-Soulfly-"Totem"
It has been a while since I have listened to Soulfly, though I am a fan of Max era Sepultura and have never been all that impressed with anything the band has done since the split. Imagine my surprise when I check back in with this band to find them kicking so much ass here. Gone are any of the nu-metal leanings that might have colored earlier releases. In fact, they are at full on thrashing speed when the album opens, but more like Slayer than even the "Arise" era of the Sepultura. Max has admitted that the "Reign in Blood" album was an influence on it. Max's song Zyon plays drums on the album. He has grown into being an impressive drummer.
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