Believe it or not, the year is almost over. As always, it was filled with highs, lows, and great music. And some broken promises (looking at you Robert Smith). There were many albums I was downright obsessed with, and some I was utterly disappointed by. It was also a year of discovery. I was hellbent on checking new bands and artists and made some surprising discoveries. Before we say bye bye bye to 2022 and hello to 2023, here’s my brief review of what I was listening to this year.
Trop D’amour – Blaqk Audio
Oh, Blaqk Audio. The artist that, according to YouTube music recap, I listened to the most this year. We have a shaky relationship when it comes to their albums. Anything after CexCells has been very meh to me. This finally changed with 2020’s Beneath the Black Palms. Finally, a Blaqk Audio album that wasn’t a rinse and repeat of their formula or weaker versions of their past songs. It was an album I wanted to listen to again. So, when they announced Trop D’amour, I had high expectations for once. And with singles “Blue Cherry,” “Cowboy Nights,” and “Absolute Scenes” I knew the album was going to be a banger. But when it was finally released, I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. It was…fine, but not the exciting, gripping follow-up I was hoping for.
Yet, over time the album grew on me. It still didn’t grip me the way their previous one did, but I found it stronger than past efforts Material and Only Things We Love. I still think the singles are the strongest tracks. “Cowboy Nights” was constantly on repeat since its release. But other tracks like “Softbitten,” “Sharp Teeth,” and “The One Who Turns to Light” are standouts. Unfortunately, like past albums, this one starts off strong but falters near the end. While tracks like “Dreamyhead” and “EDZ” aren’t bad, they’re less interesting than the opening songs. And I can’t take “Behead the Bee” seriously.
But despite this, I enjoyed the album much more than I initially thought. One thing I really appreciate is how varied it is. Blaqk Audio has this tendency to fall into the same patterns with their songs relying on 80s-inspired synth beats to the point where many of their songs sound the same. While you can find some of that here, it stands out from their past efforts. No two songs sound the same keeping the album from getting dull. Additionally, both the sound and the lyrics are darker. The lyrics are peppered with references to crimes, knives, stabbing, death, and drowning. The music itself often feels cold and moody, especially compared to their last album. Even the upbeat, club-inspired songs have dark undertones. “Absolute Scenes” may be a banger but looking at the lyrics reveals a critical look at what you risk and lose when chasing fame.
Trop D’amour isn’t the band’s best album, but it’s a strong entry in their discography. Not every song is a hit, but overall, it shows the band continuing to move in exciting new directions. Plus, it proves Davey Havok knows how to write absolute club bangers.
THE END, SO FAR – Slipknot
We Are Not Your Kind marked a monumental moment for Slipknot. After tragically losing Paul Gray in 2010 followed by the exile of Joey Jordison and Chris Fehn many wondered if the nine still had that spark that made them so special. And this album proved they did. Moving away from the tried-and-true Knot formula, the band broadened their sound with more experimentation. And it was fantastic. It’s an album I count among their best, so when the band announced THE END, SO FAR I was ecstatic. After proving they had more tricks up their sleeve, I couldn’t wait to see where the band would take us next. It was my most anticipated release of the year that I quickly lost interest in.
I tried so hard to like this album. I really wanted to like it, especially since the singles “Yen” and “The Dying Song” seemed so promising. But no matter how many times I listened to it, it didn’t land for me. I didn’t find it as exciting, new, heavy, or cohesive as WANYK. Instead, it’s bland and kind of a mess. The record is all over the place. Whereas WANYK was a cohesive album that explored connecting themes, this album is a random collection of half-baked songs. Aside from the singles, very little of the album stuck with me once it ended. I couldn’t recall what any of the songs sounded like or even the track titles. After a week I completely forgot Slipknot even released a new album.
Like their previous album, Slipknot continues to experiment with their sound relying more on clean vocals, adding more melody to their songs, incorporating other genres, and going softer in some parts. But something about it here falls flat. Sure, there are tracks like “Adderall” and “Yen” that show them evolving in an interesting direction, but the rest of the album is forgettable. The songs aren’t gripping or exciting. At best they’re fine. Many of them either start off strong but have a weak hook or have a memorable hook but bland verses and music. Something about it feels unfinished and stitched together. On top of that, the album is exhausting. It feels like I’ve been listening to the album for well over an hour by the time I reach the fifth track. What the hell happened here?
THE END, SO FAR is Slipknot’s final album for Roadrunner, their record label of 24 years and because of this many speculate it’s a throwaway release. One final fuck you to the label (aka the FOAM Theory). But I don’t think that’s what’s going on here. I think the recording process was a mess as Jim Root suggested during an interview with Music Radar. It seems like they couldn’t really agree on what they wanted to do or which direction they wanted to go. Clearly, they needed more time to work on it and discuss where Slipknot is going. While I do appreciate the band continuing to explore and evolve, this album is a huge disappointment.
Quality Over Opinion – Louis Cole
If you like Louis Cole, you’ll like this album. That’s pretty much it. It’s a standard Louis Cole album featuring his eclectic blend of funk, electro, synth pop, dance, and jazz. Similar to his previous album Time, this one has plenty of tunes to vibe to. Some of them are upbeat and silly (“I’m Tight,” “Failing In a Cool Way,” “Dead Inside Shuffle”) others are mellow ballads that still have his offbeat humor (“True Love,” “Disappear”) and some sound like rehashes of previous songs (“Don’t Care,” “Park Your Car On My Face”). Still, it’s a fun album that shows off the many sides and talents of Louis Cole. It’s a bit on the lengthy side, but you won’t be disappointed.
Will of the People – Muse
Muse and I have been in a shaky relationship for the past few years. The band that once captivated me became bland, bizarre, and dull. I completely jumped shipped when they dropped Simulation Theory. So, it’s surprising that I not only returned for Will of the People but that I actually really like it, which seems to be an unpopular opinion. It’s not perfect and doesn’t even match stellar releases like Origin of Symmetry or Black Holes and Revelations, but it’s a return to the core of Muse. For the first time in a while, the album made me excited, left me in awe, and was memorable and fun.
When they announced the new album, I rolled my eyes. Will of the People? What a cringy title. And the title track wasn’t any better. It felt too much like “MUSE ARE MAKING A SOCIAL STATEMENT.” It was so forced and disingenuous. Because of this, I feared the entire album would be pure cringe (*cough cough* Drones *cough cough*). And while it has some iffy lyrics and weak points, the album actually left me excited. It’s the first Muse album I’ve been invested in since 2nd Law.
For the most part, the songs aren’t lazy re-interpretations of their better songs. Here, we have a mix of that classic Muse sound and some of the experimentation they’ve been playing around with for years. While every song isn’t amazing, I enjoyed just about all of them. “Kill or Be Killed” is a heavy boot-stomping anthem that’s even more explosive live. “You Make Me Feel Like It’s Halloween” is goofy and cheesy as hell, but that’s what makes it fun. Though I love the song, I do think it should’ve been a standalone single; it ruins the flow of the album. “Verona” and “Ghosts” give me goosebumps with their sweeping music and Matt Bellamy’s beautiful vocals. Tracks like “Euphoria” and “We are Fucking Fucked” (very subtle Matt) are loud, raucous, and get back to the frenzied rock sound that made me fall in love with the band. And while I don’t mind “Liberation” and “Compliance,” they are pretty forgettable.
Overall, I was shocked at how much I enjoyed this album. I was ready to write it off and use it as another example of why I found later Muse dodgy. The album isn’t perfect and still has questionable moments, but there were plenty of bright spots that reminded me why I fell in love with this band when I first heard them.
Horrifier – Wednesday 13
Horrifier, the ninth album from Wednesday 13, is what you expect: gruesome tunes filled with horror movie references, ghoulish lyrics, and songs about falling in love with a dead girl. Determined to keep his title of The Duke of Spook, the rocker sticks to his wheelhouse, yet it still makes for a fun record. Continuing in the heavier direction of his previous albums, Horrifier has some truly brutal songs with standouts being “Insides Out” and “Return to Haddonfield.” But if you’ve heard any of his other albums, you know what you’re getting into. Though he doesn’t really go outside of his comfort zone, I still enjoy his albums because you can tell how much fun he’s having. He clearly loves making music about things that go bump in the night. He’s doing what he wants, not really concerned with chasing trends or playing for mainstream appeal. He’s content with being his weird, spooky self and I respect that.
Exister – The Soft Moon
When I discovered The Soft Moon’s Criminal back in 2018, it was unlike anything else I heard that year. Its dark, ethereal atmosphere and hypnotic sounds lured me in, especially as I was going through my own dark period. This was a bleak album born from pain, betrayal, and despair. The Soft Moon’s follow-up Exister still has some of that anger and darkness but isn’t as dour or depressing.
Whereas the theme of Criminal was Luis Vasquez, the man behind the project, exploring his own feelings of hopelessness, sadness, and anger of dealing with his personal demons, Exister is more varied not only thematically, but sonically as well. While it does have some of the tropes and sounds you would expect from The Soft Moon at this point (dark synth wave and industrial-inspired electronic music), Vasquez expands his range both sonically and vocally.
While the album has its share of violent, rage-filled moments (“Unforgiven,” “The Pit”) it also has moments that explore regret and self-reflection (“Monster”) betrayal (“Answers”), depression (“Sad Song”) and even a semblance of hope (“Exister”). These feelings are emphasized by Vasquez’s various singing styles. Previous albums found him singing no louder than a whisper. Here, he ranges from sounding gentle and broken to shrieking like he’s being torn apart. These changes are best heard in “Become the Lies.” Not only is he breaking out the falsetto, but the song is very upbeat and bouncy. It’s something that makes you want to dance, which Vasquez does with glee in its accompanying video.
In terms of lyrics, he really digs deep on this album. Vasquez has never shied away from getting personal in his songs. In fact, The Soft Moon started life as a way for him to work through his own issues and trauma. But here he’s downright confessional. He opens himself up on a whole different level not only looking outward but looking inward as well. Sometimes it makes you downright uncomfortable.
Exister is a stellar follow-up to Criminal. Vasquez goes out of his way to avoid hitting the same notes he did on the previous album. And while he stays within the realm of darkwave, he takes chances to add different elements to his sound to expand it and prevent it from being a rehash of his past work.
THE UNRAVELING OF PUPTHEBAND – PUP
PUP won my 2022. Not only did they release my favorite album of the year, but they were also responsible for my first-ever cover story. Yes, after gushing about the Toronto punks to anyone who would listen for years, I got the chance to interview them. Months before THE UNRAVELING OF PUPTHEBAND was released, I learned about the recording process from the man himself Stefan Babcock. It was surreal chatting with him in front of my wall adorned with PUP posters. And he was just the nicest guy. I couldn’t have asked for a better first cover story. Additionally, I went to one of their biggest headlining shows of the year and it remains one of the best concerts I attended this year. Truly unforgettable.
When the album was finally released, I listened to it on repeat for weeks on end. Though I wouldn’t call it my favorite PUP record, it is their most ambitious. While their scrappy brand of apathetic punk rock is on full display, they pull out some new tricks to shake up their well-worn formula. Opening with Babcock playing piano, the band continues pushing their boundaries by incorporating new sounds into their punk rock fury. They go borderline pop on the catchy “Robot Writes a Love Song” and throw in a dash of synth on the frantic “Habits.” “Cutting Off the Corners” is a full-on ballad and “PUPTHEBANDINC IS FILING FOR BANKRUPTCY” has a frenzied sax solo amidst all the chaos.
Their willingness to try some off-the-wall things (for PUP anyway) makes the album exciting. The songs are still undeniably PUP, but the new elements keep things from getting stale and repetitive. Riding off the success of Morbid Stuff, they could’ve easily gone down that route. Instead, they said fuck it and went for it. As Babcock said, “no idea was too stupid to try.” Lyrically, it’s still that classic making bad vibes feel good that PUP is known for. It’s also a reflection on their newfound fame. They simultaneously poke fun at their unexpected success while pointing out its many conflicts.
Oddly enough, PUP is also responsible for a disappointing 2022 release: their live EP PUPTHEBAND UNRAVELS LIVE IN FRONT OF EVERYONE THEY KNOW. I looked forward to having official live recordings of the best songs from the new album. And though the band sounds great, the recording does not. At first, I thought it was me. Maybe it was my headphones. Could it be because I was listening to it on my SmartTV? Would switching to Spotify help? Nope. It was still a muffled mess. It sounded like a halfway decent amateur concert video someone thought was good enough to upload to YouTube. What happened here? It seems like they rushed this out, but why? The new album was released only six months prior, so there wasn’t a huge demand for something new. The poor quality sucked all the fun and energy out of the EP. Considering their first live album, Live At the Electric Ballroom, was pretty solid, it’s a shame this one is such a disappointment.
Congregation – Witch Fever
The rock and metal world has been buzzing about this band all year with many citing them as the next big thing. Whenever these claims get thrown around, I try to keep my expectations realistic. Though I’m often intrigued, I’m usually left disappointed. Maybe the band isn’t for me. But Witch Fever truly caught me off guard when I bit the bullet and gave them a listen. And let me tell you the hype is real. Congregation is dripping with doom-metal witchy goodness. Seriously, this is the soundtrack for those rituals you hold in the forest. The band’s fusion of metal, punk, and gothic matched with biting commentary on consent and women’s rights makes it an absolutely furious debut. It’s chaotic, noisy, cheeky, and angry as shit and I love every minute of it.
Best New Bands
Here’s a quick look at some new bands I got into this year.
OU
A fusion of metal, prog, math rock, jazz, rock, and punk. Admittedly, their album one blew my mind, while leaving me kind of confused, but I really dig their wild combination of genres and sounds.
Ithaca
This band has been around for a few years, but I stumbled across their new album They Fear Us one Bandcamp Friday. It’s Metalcore goodness with some truly brutal, yet beautiful vocals from singer Djamila Azzouz.
Brutus
Brutus was another band being buzzed about in the rock and metal world and after giving their new album Unison Life a listen, I can see why. This Belgian post-hardcore band is heavy in a way that’s not in your face. They mix crushing riffs with some of the gentle sways of shoegaze making for a sound that’s ethereal. Vocalist Stephanie Mannerts is a powerhouse with a range that encompasses angst-ridden screams to haunting croons.
And that’s a wrap on 2022! Lots of great (and not so great) music this year and there’s sure to be more in 2023. Have a happy and safe new year! Cheers!
Musical Fiction 