BLACK METAL DAILY’S LISTCRUSH 2022: The Alaskan Bergwanderer Edition

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All black metal, all day! Everyday! Say it with your chest!

A couple quick things:

1) Anything that has been released in the later part of December is going on a “Best of December” list. I got tired of having something released at the very end of the year tearing up my year end, and giving me that feeling of having to shoehorn something into a list based on name and hype. Hate Forest did it to me two years ago, and now threatened to do it again this year, among other bands. I’m sticking to my guns on this from here on out!

2) I have a lot of favorite EPs for the year, but my list focuses on FULL LENGTH ALBUMS. Why showcase appetizers when I can showcase the full meals? 

3) I had to dig deep on this one this year. As easy as it could have been to thrown the “name bands” on this list, I had to really sit and think about what albums I actually listened to fairly often this year. Not all the name bands got a lot of spins from me. I no longer feel the need to throw all of the “name” bands out there on my list just to echo popular opinion. I hope my list gets people wondering, and hopely you’ll find some new gems for your ears and your collection. 

With that out of the way, here are my personal picks for the top black metal albums of 2022:

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20) TYRANT – Tales of Realms Forgotten

UK purveyors of raw, melodic nastiness.

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19) YMIR – Aeons of Sorrow

A fine sophomore effort by the Finnish Pagan horde, now with Corvus on vocals!

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18) WĘDRUJĄCY WIATR – Zorzysta Staje Oćma

The newest effort from the Polish atmospheric BM gods; a concept album based on Eastern European folktales, and their best work TO. DATE. 

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17) BLOOD COUNTESS – Occulta Tenebris

Something in the water right now in the UK. Absolutely crushing, aggressive Vampyric black metal with riffs for days, and the still not common occurrence of a woman leading the charge and crushing black metal vocal patriarchy with a stellar performance. 

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16) VITAL SPIRIT – Still As The Night, Cold As The Wind

From Vancouver BC we have face melting melodic black metal with tales of anguish of the Native American tribes, with awesome musical moments straight from a Spaghetti Western movie. 

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15) STANGARIGEL – Na Severe Srdca

Let these Slovakians take you on a journey deep into the forests, to mingle with the spirits, and said journey delivered in a musical package that reminds one of The Shadowthrone, For All Tid, Bergtatt, and the like. 

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14) VÉHÉMENCE – Ordalies

The French do Medieval Black Metal juuuust right. This is hyper melodic and blast beat heavy odes to everything mighty and heroic. 

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13) NAHTRUNAR – Wolfsstunde

This Austrian project returns to deliver six new hymns of cold, rather melodic, and dare say uplifting atmospheric black metal. IMO, the best album since Existenz. 

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12) SVELSURDUS – Heathen Chronicles

Don’t let the weird, almost electronica intro fool you, this is by far some of the most well executed Pagan black metal you’ll hear this year, bar none. Musicianship to production is stellar. 

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11) MORIBUND DAWN – Dark Mysteries of Time & Eternity

From the frosty realms of Arizona comes an ode to all things grand about the Swedish melodic black metal scene circa 1994 thru the early 2000’s. They pay homage to Vinterland, Sacramentum, and Unanimated as much as they do Dissection. 

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10) KVAEN – The Great Below

You want riffs? A lot of riffs? A lot of *catchy* riffs? In everything that can be whitewashed in black metal fury? Look no further. Every instrument shreds to pieces on this. 

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09) EOSPHOROS – II

USBM from Portland, Oregon that is severely overlooked. It’s melodic, it’s raw, it’s catchy, it’s some of the best Pagan-themed stuff coming from the US. 

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08) MARRASMIELI – Martaiden mailta

Another great Finnish band, delivering the type of epic as all hell blackened metal that hasn’t hit me this hard since the first few Moonsorrow albums. Nods to Bathory and other greats as well. Music to hike mountains with (speaking from experience). 

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07) LUNAR SPELLS – Demise of Heaven

Savagely melodic and riff forward Greek black metal that pays far deeper homage to the Finnish greats than their classic country mates. If you missed out on this one, I am sorry. 

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06) NUBIVAGANT – The Wheel and The Universe

Black metal this repetitive shouldn’t be THIS DAMN GOOD. And add exclusively clean vocals to the mix, and you have something truly unique and hypnotic. I cannot get enough of this. I expect no less from Italian great Gionata “Omega” Potenti. Dude doesn’t know how to make bad music. 

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05) IKU-TURSO – Into Dawnless Realms

These Finns are here to remind you that aggressive and atmospheric 1990’s Scandinavian black metal is here to stay. Top notch performance all the way around. The perfect companion piece with sister band Korpituli. 

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04) NEBRAN – …Of Long Forgotten Times

This is German black metal on a truly large scale. The pace never goes beyond mid-tempo, but the riffs are furious, and the tone somber. It pulls you in deep and does not want to let go.

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03) FIRN – Frostwärts

This is a relatively new melodic and folk tinged German Pagan black metal project, created by the man behind Heathen folk project Waldtraene, and also involved in Folk rock/metal greats Odroerir. This flew far too far under most radars this year. ‘Epic’ is an overused word in this genre, but sometimes it’s the only one that fits. 

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02) NOCTURNAL TRIUMPH – S/T

This mysterious Swedish project reared its ugly head all the way back in January to bless everyone with a 3rd album of serpentine riffs, blast beats and deep, dark atmosphere to get lost in. These four tracks flow into one another and by no means feels like a 40 min experience. The holding power it had over the year cannot be denied. If not for my #1 coming out a month later, this could have easily taken the crown. 

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01) ELDRITCH – I Shall Raise My Burning Sword

Once again, the UK comes through. I probably have listened to this album the most of any this year, and I still can’t grow tired of it. Raw black metal that draws inspiration from both the Finnish and French black metal scenes, and has an underlying punk aesthetic that sometimes comes fully to light on tracks such as ‘Netherstorm Of Purple-Velvet Khaos’. Absolute perfection. Ask anyone who knows me, they’ll probably tell you I have been incessantly pimping the HELL out of this one, and should surprise absolutely noone to see this on top of the heap. 

BLACK METAL DAILY’S LISTCRUSH 2022 will continue.

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