The Top 10 Albums of June 2022

Ladies, Gentlemen, and everyone in between! Welcome back for the 6th rendition of my top albums of 2022. I still can’t comprehend that we are halfway done with the year already. The 11th anniversary of when I started is coming up in August, along with my 34th birthday. And June has presented us with a fantastic year month of heavy music from all over the genre landscape. It’s been pretty rough on my end when it comes to personal and mental demons I continue to battle but as I can still type this out, that means they haven’t won yet. But that can also mean that this month’s reviews are going to be a bit more...well, let’s see how it plays out, I may be second-guessing myself on the quality before I even start. But with that said, let’s get into the rules and begin this musical journey of the days of the year (well, in the northern hemisphere anyway).
 
1.) These will be Original Studio ALBUMS. Not EPs, live albums, cover albums, rarities albums, lost albums, splits, collaboration efforts, etc. Simply Original Studio Albums from bands. Simply enough, right?

2.) These will be ALPHABETICAL ORDER. Not ranked. I don’t give away my secrets about what will be in the top 100 that easily. At least buy me a drink first!

3.) These reviews will be like my top 100 list where I give the band name, the album, and the FFO section; followed by a paragraph review. I could easily go track by track on every album, but then I will have given everything away. I want YOU to check any of these albums out and make up your own thoughts if you dig them or not. I’m just here to let you be aware these albums are out and for your listening pleasure.

4.) There is nothing sponsored here nor stolen content. Just my own thoughts. I have been given almost every album I review as a stream or promo and anything I missed I checked out on Spotify or Bandcamp after release.

5.) I will be covering more albums in audio form on my podcast every week there is a new show. There may be some crossover, other ones may just be in audio form. So check out both for the optimum experience.

6.) None of these albums are set in stone for the best of 2022. I may be high on them now, but that could change for a multitude of reasons (mainly if the band does something asinine).

7.) Any album not featured here or in the podcast can EASILY still be featured in my top 100. I can’t hear every album and some will slip through the cracks now or even then. So I just need to hear an album and make assertions from there.

8.) These are done for YOU. So I hope you can discover some new music on my behalf and be shown that new music has never stopped being great. Just go discover it.
 
Let’s Begin!
 
 
Astronoid- Radiant Bloom
 FFO- Dream Pop, Shoegaze, Black Metal, Progressive Metal
 The most gorgeous mix of Mew, Devin Townsend, and Emperor are back for their 3rd full LP. To call this the perfect Astronoid album might be a bit early to say, but it’s honestly how I feel. The debut album, Air, showcased what the band was wanting to achieve. The Self Titled sophomore album showcased what was possible with the room to grow. Radiant Bloom combines the best elements of both albums and became even catchier than before. You’re not going to hear more beautiful clean vocals over blast beats (yes, the blast beats are back) than Astronoid and they prove that you can showcase tremolo picking ala 90s black metal and have no need for screams, all clean vocal majesties like you would hear from the aforementioned band, Mew. Of course, the record is more than this and has really cherry-picked the best parts of their ultra-melodic and catchy moments you hear between both previous albums and focus on writing the best songs possible. I kid you not when I say the song, I’ve Forgotten Your Face brings tears to my eyes, it’s just gorgeous. This is easily a contender for album of the year, much like the previous 2 albums were, will it take the top spot this year? Let’s find out!
 
Bloody Heels- Rotten Romance
FFO- Glam Metal, Alternative Metal, Gothic Metal
This band released a fantastic debut album back in 2017 with Through Mystery, then in 2020, Ignite The Sky is where I caught on to the band and I easily think they are one of the best in their style. Now, much like Astronoid in my entry above; I truly feel that Bloody Heels have found their sound by embracing the dark side along with keeping their glam stylings alive. It’s dark and heavy in all the right moments but busts out the 80s-inspired grooves and riffs in just the right spots, not letting you forget who they are. This is truly how you do innovation in a band. Make it fun, catchy, and show off your metal skills; what could possibly be better than that? Seriously, go check this out if you want some dark-inspired glam metal revival music that makes you realize good music has no expiration date.
 
Deathwhite- Grey Everlasting
FFO- Melodic Doom Metal, Gothic Metal
3 bands in a row that feature no screams or growls, what’s going on with me? Am I getting lighter in my music tastes? Well, one listen to Deathwhite and you’ll see that simply is not the case. Showcasing the best of gothic and doom metal while both showing off a melodic side that is simply heartbreaking, but hits the extreme metal tendencies with jaw-dropping blast beats and atmospheric overtones. Imagine a band that can be both Katatonia and Woods of Ypres at the same time, but make it as melancholic and melodic as humanly possible. What’s what you get with Deathwhite. The band has only improved with every subsequent release. Now with Grey Everlasting, the band has truly hit a new high mark in their career and one that is going to take some serious effort to top in the future. If you want things dark but with sorrowful vocals instead of screams; you need to check out Deathwhite immediately!
 
Kardashev- Liminal Rite
FFO- Post Black Metal
Here we go with the first extreme vocals of this month’s selections. This band has become one of the shining examples in the darkness of post-black metal and that is no easy task. Combining the best of black, death, and post-metal with slight tinges of progressive to really captivate you and hold you from beginning to end. This album is not only dark musically, but it’s some of the darkest lyrics I’ve heard in quite some time. It might be because I relate so much to the subject matter, but I don’t wanna spoil it for you if you wanna check them out. This is a tearjerker of an album and I wouldn’t want it any other way. This may be missed out by some, but if it sounds at all intriguing to you; I implore you to give this one a shot. I can’t imagine you’ll regret it.
 
Kreator- Hate Uber Alles
FFO- Thrash Metal, Heavy Metal
The amount of crap I’ve seen this album take from online reviewers is astounding to me. It’s too early for me to rank this album in terms of the best to worst in their catalog, but this album is super solid from start to finish. Some of the catchiest choruses you’ll hear all year, riffs that go from beyond crushing to super melodic, lyrics that are relatable in today’s climate, and overall, just a fantastic outing from one of Germany’s best metal bands. I can’t sell it much better than if you want a killer thrash album in 2022, you found it here with Hate Uber Alles.
 
Porcupine Tree- Closure/Continuation
FFO- Progressive Metal
 I never thought I’d get to say that I can talk about a new Porcupine Tree album. While the band never officially broke up or took an official hiatus, they were gone and no one outside the band thought they were ever coming back...so I think that counts. In the past decade and more, the band has been writing here and there for what could be the final album for the band (or the jump start to a new chapter). While the band is very wary of what will happen after the touring for this album, the album is easily their best album in quite a long time. I dare say since In Absentia. With heavy hooks, sorrow-driven lyrics, the right amount of progressive quirks, and of course jaw-dropping musicianship; the band sounds like they never left (and technically, they never did?). I don’t think I’m alone in saying that no one wanted 2009’s The Incident to be the final PT album and even if the band calls it a day with this release, they are ending on a much better and highly regarded mark. Of course, none of us want the band to be done, and they might not be; but if they do go, I’m so glad it’s ending on their terms.
 
Saor- Origins
FFO- Atmospheric Blackened Folk Metal
This is another album that I think will rank very high come the holidays when I do my Top 100 albums of 2022 list. The band has only improved with every album and with Origins, the band has hit the perfect balance of atmospheric black metal and folk with some of the catchiest riffs you will hear in extreme music this year. The production is pristine, the songwriting is expertly crafted and the atmosphere is off the charts in its perfection. This is what bands in the atmospheric and post-black metal worlds should be aspiring towards, innovation and craftsmanship. A dark, beautiful album that will have you hitting repeat over and over again. Well Done!

Seventh Wonder- The Testament
FFO- Progressive Metal
 Another album that hits you right in the feels...literally, all the feels. The Testament is a thematic album that’s not a concept album, but all tied together but different feelings and emotions that we all have and how they can flow into each other. Tommy Karevik hit’s it out of the park with his vocal performance (as always), the songwriting hits you on such a hard, emotional, level. Like every Seventh Wonder album, it takes you on a musical journey that you will not want to stop. It’s arguably one of the most perfect prog albums of the year, and I stand by that fact.

Wind Rose- Warfront
FFO- Power Metal, Folk Metal
Wind Rose is one of the most aggressive powers metal bands going, while they do focus on war themes, it’s not in the Sabaton way where it’s about historical wars, but rather Dwarven fantasy wars that really make you feel like you can feel the dragons breathing fire right behind you, the swords clashing on both sides of your ears, and all-out apocalyptic themes and concepts that will make any power metal fan happy. The music is highly aggressive and catchy with superb songwriting quality and production. The band is no gimmick, this is a fantastic piece of power metal that you need to hear today (if power metal is your bag). You are seriously missing out by skipping this band any farther.

White Ward- False Light
FFO- Post Black Metal, Jazz Metal
Even during an actual war taking place right F’N now!!!….bands from Ukraine are still able to release music that not only needs to be heard but has a dark message that should not be taken lightly about the state of our world. While the music is as ferocious as it is feeling like it’s being recorded in a smoky jazz club in the 1930s; White Ward has found a way to make the post-black metal genre stand out and add some much-needed innovation. Who knew adding brass and woodwind instruments into a black metal band would work so perfectly? This album won’t be for everyone. If you don’t like your music too left from center, this will not be your thing, but if you are adventurous and need something that will drop your jaw at both the musicality as well as the lyrical themes, White Ward will be your new obsession. We live in dark…dark times and False Light is the perfect soundtrack for it all.
 
And there you have it, folks. 10 fantastic albums from June 2022 that hit me the most and one or ten of them may do the same for you. I hope my writing this month was cohesive as I’m still struggling really hard as I write this up. But I do hope you find something to enjoy here and come back next month as I tackle what will be my Top 10 Albums of July 2022!
 
 - Josh Rundquist (Heavy Debriefings)