Best 5 Albums Of 2022?

[Sunlight Caller]

Including some wonderful stuff from the young London quartet Lydian Collective. Their 2022 album Return is amazing and, especially given how successful they are getting, I'm a little surprised that only a handful off people have mentioned them around these parts.

Neil

Thanks for the recommendation Neil, I haven't heard this yet but will be listening today.

Edit : I've been playing both of their albums today, they are completely up my street, I love them, and Return makes a late bid to crack that 2022 top five.

[bondegezou]

My breadth of listening this year is less than most posters. I have not heard most of what's on these lists. My list:

Aurora Clara - Clear Dawn (classic-style instrumental Jazz Rock Fusion)
Animals As Leaders - Parrhesia (instrumental Technical Metal)
Miriodor - Elements (instrumental neo-RIO)
Polyphia - Remember That You Will Die (mostly instrumental dual-heavy-guitar shred-funk-rock, with modern production, and flamenco tinges this time around)
CKRAFT - Epic Discordant Vision (instrumental zeuhl-metal with additional sax/accordion)

I am just catching up on the Polyphia album. It is great. And it's got this ridiculously catchy math rock meets hyperpop number, "ABC":



Intricate guitars mixed with horny lyrics... and it teaches you the Japanese alphabet too.

Or, if you just want guitars and more guitars, try "Ego Death" with Steve Vai guesting.

[Frumious B]

Marillion-An Hour Before It’s Dark
Arcade Fire-WE
Tears For Fears-The Tipping Point
Bjork-Fossora
Porcupine Tree-Closure/Continuation

[Shadow]

Greetings,

My top five list:

1. GREEN ASPHALT - Green Asphalt
2. GABRIEL KAHANE - Magnificent Bird
3. BARCELONA ART ORCHESTRA - Ragtime Stories
4. JUPU GROUP - Umpeen kasvoivat polut
5. KNEKKLECTRIC - Alt blir verre

Cheers and happy 2023 everyone!


Alan

Is JUPU Group still putting material out. I have an album by them from the 70's that blows everyone away that I lend it to.

[mike_hunt]

caroline - caroline https://caroline.bandcamp.com/album/caroline
SOON - SOON https://soonmusic.bandcamp.com/album/soon
Oren Ambarchi - Shebang https://orenambarchi.bandcamp.com/album/shebang
Black Country, New Road - Ants From Up There https://blackcountrynewroad.bandcamp...-from-up-there
Horse Lords - Comradely Objects https://horselords.bandcamp.com/albu...dely-objects-2

[moecurlythanu]

Is JUPU Group still putting material out. I have an album by them from the 70's that blows everyone away that I lend it to.

There's a 2nd album put out recently featuring the band leader from the 70s and a bunch of young bucks, iirc. It's even better than the first.

There's a thread that covers it. Not sure if it was about Finnish Prog or New Releases or Jupu Group, but there's one on site.

[AdventAlan]

Is JUPU Group still putting material out. I have an album by them from the 70's that blows everyone away that I lend it to.

Hi Ed. It's kind of odd, as I think the lineup is completely different, but the band logo is identical. (I'll have to get to the bottom of this at some point.) -Alan

[begnagrad]

Hi Ed. It's kind of odd, as I think the lineup is completely different, but the band logo is identical. (I'll have to get to the bottom of this at some point.) -Alan

It's all explained here:

https://progrockjournal.com/review-j...svoivat-polut/

[per anporth]

Agree with those who are disappointed with the new Exra Collective album - in fact, it's been a direction of travel, which seemed to coincide with the replacing of their original trumpet player, over a few records now. I like the Kokoroko album, but it definitely doesn't capture how good they are live.

Matt Carmichael - Marram
Portico Quartet - Terrain (Extended - Live at Abbey Road)
Vega Trails - Tremors in the Static
Village of the Sun (Binker & Moses) - First Light

My fifth selection is a dead heat between Szun Waves - Earth Patterns & Sunda Arc - Night Lands

[Shadow]

Hi Ed. It's kind of odd, as I think the lineup is completely different, but the band logo is identical. (I'll have to get to the bottom of this at some point.) -Alan

Are there any U.S. vendors that carry the cd.

[AdventAlan]

It's all explained here:

https://progrockjournal.com/review-j...svoivat-polut/

Thanks very much. Looking at the Prog Archives lineup listings, though, I didn't see Juhani “Jupu” Poutanen listed on the new one. Based on the link you kindly shared, though, I see that Poutanen is credited with compositions (only) and that definitely puts together the connection I was missing. Cheers!

[AdventAlan]

Are there any U.S. vendors that carry the cd.

Hi Ed. Here you go:

https://svart.ochre.store/release/30...asvoivat-polut

Cheers!


Alan

[BobM]

The top 5 of this video at 15:32. The output from 2022 is huge and to choose 5 is hard.



Already have this one and the rest of their trilogy. Brilliant stuff.

3 JPL “Sapiens Chapitre 3: Actum”

Just got these two. We have similar taste, I think.

2 Kaprekar’s Constant “The Murder Wall”
1 Ben Craven “Monsters From the Id”

My replies above in red

[per anporth]

Same here, I'm not convinced the new Ezra Collective either.

And right on cue - this cover of the old Fela Kuti classic, just released, shows that they've still got it!!!

[boilk]

And right on cue - this cover of the old Fela Kuti classic, just released, shows that they've still got it!!!

Thanks, for that. I checked out the latest full-length on bandcamp, and didn't think that it was for me. But this sounds great, and they are playing in Toronto in the Spring. Based on this track, sounds like I need to get tickets!

EDIT: Can anybody recommend me their best album, to give a listen to? Apparently, it's not the latest according to some around here, ha.

Neil

[NogbadTheBad]

Wasn't aware they are touring, will look to pick up tickets

[boilk]

Wasn't aware they are touring, will look to pick up tickets

Cambridge, MA. April 6th.

Neil

[NogbadTheBad]

Ticket bought

[TheLoony]

Not criticizing at all, but I can't even conceive of a world of buying only one new album in a year; there is just so much great stuff out there! To each their own, or course.

Neil

I did buy some other stuff, just not totally new. Rush S/T I never had gotten and the 40th of Moving Pictures. Oh, I did buy the new Helloween, also S/T but have only listened to it a couple times so far. Need to get that new card full of all this stuff I don't have on the other two cards I have.

I think I bought some live Maiden also last year but that may have been 2021.

Not a lot, I know, but I ain't rich and I'm selective on who I buy albums from.

Kinda stuck with the older bands I know and don't really check out many bands I haven't delved into. I've got enough music to listen to for years so I'm happy checking out the stuff I have that I haven't delved into.

[NogbadTheBad]

I just got Masal's new CD, Ahora. Have to say, it probably beats anything else I got this year to this point, so it shoots to the top and Moon Letters drops off. I'm also eager to get my hands on the new Karaba CD, which will also likely crack my top five. So, things are still in flux.

Bill

Just bought the Masal based on the reco, it had been hovering around on the 'should I buy it?' list for some time, so thanks!

[Sputnik]

Just bought the Masal based on the reco, it had been hovering around on the 'should I buy it?' list for some time, so thanks!

Cool. I hope you like it. It hasn't left our "to play" pile yet, and it has easily cemented its position as our favorite of 2022. Both my wife and I love Masal. For whatever reason, this one just grabbed me instantly. Their third one took a bit more time to absorb and get my head around, so I can understand some hesitation, but I think Ahora is fantastic.

I also got the new Karaba and have been spinning that. It's not as mind-blowing as I'd hoped, but I enjoy it. I'm a bit miffed that both their CDs appear to be CDRs, which they conveniently failed to mention. I really hate it when bands do this, and this may be my last purchase of anything by them if this is how it's going to be. In-Dreamview does the same thing, but at least they only charge $7.00 for their CDR. They still need to be up front as to what it is. Why a band would go to all the expense of getting professional packaging then do a CDR is beyond me. Pisses me off. Sorry, rant over.

Enjoy the Masal!

Bill

[moecurlythanu]

^ It's even worse when a label does it. Park Records has done it, and Talking Elephant has done it, iirc, though perhaps not on all new releases.

[Hobo Chang Ba]

Cool. I hope you like it. It hasn't left our "to play" pile yet, and it has easily cemented its position as our favorite of 2022. Both my wife and I love Masal. For whatever reason, this one just grabbed me instantly. Their third one took a bit more time to absorb and get my head around, so I can understand some hesitation, but I think Ahora is fantastic.

I also got the new Karaba and have been spinning that. It's not as mind-blowing as I'd hoped, but I enjoy it. I'm a bit miffed that both their CDs appear to be CDRs, which they conveniently failed to mention. I really hate it when bands do this, and this may be my last purchase of anything by them if this is how it's going to be. In-Dreamview does the same thing, but at least they only charge $7.00 for their CDR. They still need to be up front as to what it is. Why a band would go to all the expense of getting professional packaging then do a CDR is beyond me. Pisses me off. Sorry, rant over.

Enjoy the Masal!

Bill

If I can find the new Masal I'll probably buy it as well.

And same. I could have sworn the bandcamp page said CD not CDR when I first looked at it, so I did order it from wayside recently, only now to discover it says CDR...I'm displeased as well.

[Sputnik]

If I can find the new Masal I'll probably buy it as well.

https://masal.bandcamp.com/album/ahora

And same. I could have sworn the bandcamp page said CD not CDR when I first looked at it, so I did order it from wayside recently, only now to discover it says CDR...I'm displeased as well.

It does say CD prominently in two places on Bandcamp. Now I see it says CDR under both of those, though I swear it didn't when I looked before, though I may have missed it. I still find it tremendously misleading. Their earlier album, Schwester Mondreal, is also a CDR, but it has no indication of that on Bandcamp. I bought it from someone on e-Bay, and they didn't indicate it was a CDR either, probably because they had no clue. Frustrating.

Bill

[Hobo Chang Ba]

https://masal.bandcamp.com/album/ahora



It does say CD prominently in two places on Bandcamp. Now I see it says CDR under both of those, though I swear it didn't when I looked before, though I may have missed it. I still find it tremendously misleading. Their earlier album, Schwester Mondreal, is also a CDR, but it has no indication of that on Bandcamp. I bought it from someone on e-Bay, and they didn't indicate it was a CDR either, probably because they had no clue. Frustrating.

Bill

Ah, thanks.

I'll try and include it in my next bandcamp order (or for Steve or Ken to get it in :P). But somehow I missed it was for sale there!

And damn RE Schwester Mondreal. Yes...that is quite misleading. Discogs reports thats a proper CD but now I will remove it from my wishlist. Thanks for the heads up.