Hello once again, dear readers! Now, obviously July isn’t over yet, so no, it’s not yet time for another Music Monthly. I just felt like doing something a little spontaneous. So, 2022 has officially passed its halfway point (sorry if I just gave you a panic attack reading that), and I felt the occasion called for some recognition. I have an albums list and an EPs list planned for the end of the year already, and I got to thinking…even though I’d like to do a songs list at the end of the year as well, that would make for a lot of content all at once. So why not lighten my future load a little bit, and officially mark the halfway point with a quick little top 10 list of my favorite songs of the year so far (though I may get a wild hair and do another one of these at the end of the year too 😉 ). There’s couple quick ground rules I need to lay. First of all, only one song per artist allowed, and second, each song itself had to have dropped after January 1st, 2022. Even if it made it onto an album in 2022, that still doesn’t qualify it. So, as much as I would love to include songs like “From Run…We Rise” by Shadow of Intent or “Sacrifice” by The Devil Wears Prada, those were both 2021 singles and they are therefore disqualified. Also, I won’t spend as much time on each song as I do with the Music Monthly albums, A) because the nature of those posts are more review oriented anyway, and B) I’ve obviously given myself double the talking points, so I gotta cut myself some slack somewhere. Alright, with that said, I’ve definitely talked enough already, so lets go ahead and get into it.
#10″Into the Earth” – Lorna Shore
This may actually be the heaviest Lorna Shore song yet…no seriously. “To the Hellfire” may still have the heaviest MOMENT in their catalog, but this thing as a whole package is a far more intense experience than at least I feel like I’ve gotten from these guys before. Also, don’t even get me started on that guitar solo. I may have been already after …And I Return to Nothingness, but I’m definitely chomping at the bit for a full length with Mr. Ramos after getting murdered by this beast of a track.
#9 “Leather Wings” – Thornhill
I feel like I’m straight up tied between this song and “Varsity Hearts” as my fav track off of Heroine, but as of late, I think I’ve definitely been jamming “Leather Wings” more than any other cut off the album. For me, this song definitely stands out as the heaviest of the bunch, and that chorus has such an odd but mesmerizing hook that’s been lodged in my head ever since I first hit play. Despite my comments on my previous post directed at those who’ve been opposed to this new Thornhill sound that I happen to really enjoy, I do have to admit, the moments like the end of this track where we get to hear Jacob unleash some screams on us feel like a nice callback to the days of old. Honestly, I could’ve happily put any song off of Heroine on this list, so if you haven’t given it a spin yet, just do yourself a favor and go for it.
#8 “Web of Lies” – Joshua Travis
Ok, I don’t know who the heck ticked off Josh and Andy, but we all got an absolute banger of a track out of it. Seriously, this thing is just ridiculous from start to finish. That opening riff is easily one of the best I’ve heard in a hot minute, and it’s really kinda irresponsible that it didn’t come with a safety hazard considering all the necks that are bound to get broken headbanging to this monster. Oh, and Andy…sweet mercy, my guy. Between Monuments and Termina, I thought I had heard all of what this dude was capable of, but evidently I clearly haven’t. Not at all was this expected, but this track and the rest of the NO REST EP was a very welcome surprise this year.
#7 “Come Home” – Darko US
So, we all knew Darko US had it in them to pull out the feels when they felt it necessary with tracks like “Donna” under their belt, but man, this song still hit me so much harder than I could’ve expected, especially after a pair of singles like “Dragon Chaser” and “Acid Inject.” I should’ve known as soon as I saw the feature, because literally anything that Rory Rodriguez sings over is destined to elicit some kind of emotional response out of me. I mean, after Sleeptalk, it’s basically impossible for him not to at this point, I’m not sure if all these singles coming down the pipe mean a follow up to the Self-Titled is soon to come from Tom and Baby J, but I definitely wouldn’t complain if it had more tracks like “Come Home” to balance out all the “Ana” type cuts.
#6 “A New Responsibility” – Upon a Burning Body
This was another really tough call to make for this list, because “Code of Honor” is also an insanely awesome slice of Fury that’s equally deserving of this spot in my eyes, but I’ve just been having so much dang fun with “A New Responsibility.” Like I mentioned in my review a while back, I love the positive message that this whole record has, but this song in particular has some really cutting lyrics that really drive Upon a Burning Body’s point home that growth only comes when we stop fueling the desires of our past. Not to mention, this made for a really epic live moment when I got to see the band play it live on the Chaos and Carnage tour back in May. Whether your experiencing this song in the pit or in your living room, it’s a good time no matter how you take it in.
#5 “Beyond the Passage of Embers” – Kardashev
“A Vagabond’s Lament” was a close runner-up, but “Beyond the Passage of Embers” really has the full package, and does a fantastic job at giving a full recap of everything Liminal Rite has to offer. Lyrically, it’s quite a sad end to a sad tale, but musically, there is so much here to get excited about. For me personally, the saxophone is totally the icing on the cake. Also, you gotta love the jump scare ending where we cut straight from the narrator’s final words to this huge, bellowing growl from Mark paired with a massive, apocalyptic sounding instrumental backing. I couldn’t think of a better way to close out an album this grand in scale.
#4 “Cypher” – Northlane
I wouldn’t have expected this song to rank this highly among my favorites of the year upon first listen, but here we are, nonetheless. “Cypher” is such a deceptively infectious track in every little detail, from the opening industrial/EDM instrumentals to the super hooky repeated vocal lines from Marcus. Also, the breakdown on here just gets more and more fun for me with repeated listens. I didn’t even figure out until later that the lyrics on this track are actually about Cypher from the Matrix, and as a huge fan of that franchise, that just made the song infinitely cooler for me. I’d encourage you to keep that detail in your head as you go in for a listen, and see how many references you can pick up on.
#3 “Just Pretend” – Bad Omens
Just like with the Thornhill album, I feel like I really could stick any track off of The Death of Peace of Mind on this list and be fully satisfied. This whole album is just immaculate top to bottom with so many differing styles and sounds that make every moment interesting. That being said, “Just Pretend” still manages to hit different for me even compared to everything else on here. The lyrics are 100% what make this song for me, with line after line cutting me so deep, it seems to know exactly where it’s gonna hurt the worst. Pair that with one of those massive Bad Omens chorus that I’m such a sucker for, and you’ve got me coming back for yet another round of pain.
#2 “Shade Astray” – Invent Animate
I’m pretty much convinced at this point that Invent Animate is incapable of writing a song that isn’t going to blow my mind. “Shade Astray” sees the band STILL trying to find new ways to expand their sound and their capabilities as musicians. The thall elements in the breakdown are a very welcome addition that I definitely hope we’ll be hearing more of on the next full length, and Marcus just continues to find new ways to impress me with his vocals even after he managed to fully win me over on The Sun Sleeps As If It Never Was.” I mean, those falsettos on the bridge…chefs kiss. Yeah, I need more of this like ASAP.
honorable Mentions
Ok, before I give y’all my personal favorite song of 2022 so far, I think it’s only fair that we highlight a handful of honorable mentions first. So, in no particular order, we have:
- A Higher Level of Hate – Fit For an Autopsy
- Conflict Cartography – Animals as Leaders
- Be Cool – Emery
- Matilda – Harry Styles
- False Providence – Monuments
#1 “Pull From the Ghost” – Erra
Erra…what the actual crap, y’all? This song hasn’t even been out two weeks yet at the time I’m writing this, and somehow, someway it STILL managed to earn itself song of the year for me so far. I don’t even know where to begin with this. Every single minute detail of this track feels so thought out with so much care put into it that I can’t even wrap my mind around it. Even the little things, like the transitions between parts, feel so intentional. I’m in love with the lyrics on here too, and I’m constantly finding new meaning as I continue to dissect each line. This easily blows everything on the Self-Titled out of the water for me, and frankly if Erra has more songs like “Pull From the Ghost” up their sleeves, I could see an album coming in the future that’ll give even the mighty Drift a run for its money
And that concludes my list of my 10 favorite songs of 2022 so far! Be sure to let me know what you thought of my picks, and give me your own list as well, if you feel so inclined. I hope to continue to sprinkle in more fun, spontaneous posts like this in the the future, but for now, I’ll see you in August, for the next installment of Music Monthly!
