Welcome to our wrap-up of the Top 25 EPs of 2022 as chosen by our staff. We look through through what has been an incredibly strong year, with numerous genre-defining and genre-creating EPs being released this year.
25. Allt – The Seed of Self-Destruction
JONATHAN: From a land normally known for melodeath comes Allt, with their EP, The Seed of Self-Destruction. Taking influence from progressive metal giants Vildhjarta, the EP is apocalyptic and crushing, juxtaposed with massive, atmospheric passages. Allt have carved themselves a unique niche into the genre of progressive metalcore.
24. Graphic Nature – new skin
JOE: The London unit’s long-awaited debut EP continued the furious march that Graphic Nature have been on since their arrival. The anguish, destructiveness and disorder that is unloaded by new skin makes it one of the finest nu-metalcore releases this year. Those who have since latched onto this EP and Graphic Nature have now since been rewarded by embracing the promise the EP showed, with a smattering of singles from their upcoming debut full-length more than delivering on it. [FULL REVIEW]
23. Crosses – PERMANENT.RADIANT
NISRIN: The astonishing duo ✝️✝️✝️(Crosses) just barely makes the deadline, but as one of the strongest finishers of the year. This project feels otherworldly and atmospheric, oftentimes atop uncomplicated yet catchy beats that carry through cuts like “Vivien”and “Holier”. With mastermind and flawless vocalist, Chino Moreno, alongside Shaun Lopez, multi-instrumentalist and producer, the EP was sure to impress. As a long time fan of Chino and his heavy hand in other works, this was an expectedly delightful treat to round off an incredible year in music.
22. Alpha Wolf x Holding Absence – The Lost & The Longing
MATT: At the beginning of the year, it is safe to say no one would have guessed we would be blessed with a split-EP from this odd duo. Both Alpha Wolf and Holding Absence sport near complete contrasts in style, yet through impassioned songwriting and unyielding emotion, The Lost & The Longing is an overwhelming success. Collaborative tracks “60cm of Steel” and “Aching Longing” demonstrate the groups catering their sounds to create more seamless opportunities for their respective features; the former sees Alpha Wolf including a melodic Linkin Park-esque chorus for Lucas Woodland while the latter demonstrates Holding Absence injecting extra bite in their sound to allow the inclusion of Lochie Keogh in a breakdown-like bridge. By contrast, solo tracks “Hotel Underground” and “Coffin” see Alpha Wolf at their most visceral and Holding Absence at their most poppy respectively, with the final product being just as impressively cohesive as it is varied. [FULL REVIEW]
21. Grief Ritual – Spiritual Disease
JOE: Spiritual Disease contains some of the most hard hitting tracks to come out of the UK year, with an absolute brutality in its lyrical content that offers up significant catharsis, it’s an EP that is more than worth deep diving into. While Grief Ritual put in the hard work of supporting acts such as Cage Fight and Death Goals this past year, with a record of this quality, and a similar level hopefully to come on future material, they will soon be common place on festivals and headliners of their own. “Telluric” and “Atrophy” being hallmark tracks on Spiritual Disease that deliver a harshness that is difficult to come by with such quality within the UK. For any hardcore fan in the UK, it would be a mistake to avert their eyes from the potential of Grief Ritual. [FULL REVIEW]
20. Peace Ritual – Peace Ritual
JOE: Emerging out of Australia, Peace Ritual is the project of members from Endless Heights, Caged Existence and Ocean Grove. While on the face of it the expectation would be harsh beatdown tones and furious vocals, the trio off up one of the most pleasant and enjoyable dream pop EPs of the year. With gorgeous melodies to be discovered throughout, its atmosphere wraps itself around one’s emotions like a setting sun. Its joy and harmony are difficult not to indulge in and it’s an EP that shall remain a staple of many listening catalogues once Peace Ritual‘s warmth has found its way into the soul. While it remains uncertain whether this is a one off EP, or if there is more to come, with their self-titled Peace Ritual will have raised a warm glow on the faces of those who have listened. [FULL REVIEW]
19. Revaira – Journey
JONATHAN: Revaira makes a confident evolution in sound with the aptly named Journey. The EP is a deliberate and successful step forward that sets them apart from their contemporaries, with hauntingly beautiful vocal melodies intertwined with intensely impactful heavy moments. It is satisfying and complete, with each song forming a cohesive unit, whilst also holding their own individually. [FEATURE]
18. graywave – Rebirth
JOE: There has been a mini-revival of sorts within shoegaze in recent years, as it either has to begun to influence a wider array of genres, or a higher quality of sound coming to the forefront within the genre. In amongst all this came graywave‘s sophomore record, Rebirth, which presented one of the most gorgeous shoegaze experiences in recent years. Its gothic tones blended with shoegaze gave for unforgettable moments on tracks “Exoplanet” and “Closer“, flowing with ethereal energy that yearns to be embraced with each passing second of the tracks. These were contrasted with pacing tracks “Red” and “Rebirth“, with some fantastic live-recorded drums allowing for some wonderful acoustics. With Rebirth, graywave has released one of the best, if not the best shoegaze record of the year. [FULL REVIEW]
17. Terminal Sleep – Chapter 1: No Solace
JOE: Australian hardcore stepped into 2022 with a boldness and fury, with Gravitate and Volatile Ways dropping new material, with this only being topped off by a banger of a release from Terminal Sleep. Beginning their breakout year with scorcher “A Liar’s End“, a track that firmly placed Terminal Sleep‘s marker of the brutality they were set to unleash this year. Chapter 1: No Solace delivers violence-inducing tracks “Primitive Conciousness“, “No Flowers” and “Death Therapy“, containing vicious and haunting vocals that command an assaulting sound that is sure to make its mark on any crowd lucky enough to see them on the tour circuit in Australia. With this seemingly being the first part of Terminal Sleep‘s story, there is a potential for them to lead the charge in Australia, usurping America as the envy of the hardcore scene.
16. Inertia – Memoria
HARRY: Memoria is yet another Metalcore classic to come from the Australian scene. Inertia distill heavy ambience and distortion with a dark pop aesthetic and ethereal choruses into bite-sized songs defined by contrast. Tracks like “Parallels” and “Memoria” progress from beautiful melodic openings to nasty, bend-soaked breakdowns. “Nemesis” shows them at their absolute heaviest — two minutes of unbridled aggression, with some of the most pummelling percussion I’ve heard all year. Tasteful synths drive the EP, and ultimately raise it to the level of similar contemporaries Kingdom of Giants and City State. For a band who stress the honest, DIY process of music production, the result is an extremely polished and tight release which will undoubtedly stand the test of time for fans of this style. [FULL REVIEW]
15. Gaijin – G.R.G.
JOE: The re-emergence of hardcore into the mainstream and the groundswell of bands coming out of Florida will be two notable moments when looking back at 2022. With a sound that sits on the influence of the likes of Sunami and Two-Piece, the unit have bolted out of the gates at the perfect time with their record, G.R.G. Co-written, engineered and produced by Hunter Young of Moodring and Brandan Lopez alongside on mixing and mastering, there is little room to fault what Gaijin have released. Tracks such as “Kunai” are nothing short of pit-inducing, and include many a lyric that are sure to be shouted back in a live setting. With a thriving local scene for them to explore and a wider one entering the early stages of something much bigger, it would be no surprise to see Gaijin slowly moving up the pecking order with this first-rate EP.
14. END x Cult Leader – Gather & Mourn
JOE: END‘s visceral and backbreaking sound has become familiar to many since their debut in 2017 with From the Unforgiving Arms of God. With their members drawing from groups such as Counterparts, Fit For An Autopsy, The Dillinger Escape Plan, it has come to little surprise that END have output some incredible material with both their debut EP and full length. With this, it left an open plain of what END could do next, and the unexpected answer was to team up with Cult Leader on a split EP. It should be first noted that Gather & Mourn offers up what is perhaps the finest artwork for a record in 2022. The haunted yin-and-yang will be a treat to display on vinyl once they are shipped in early 2023. The record itself unleashing a wave of brutality that sees END release some of their best material to date with “Eden Will Drown” and “The Host Will Soon Decay“, intertwining their ungodly sound with an unsettling calamity. Cult Leader inject a landscape of sound, gliding between an aggressive tempo and an opaque sludge-metal harshness. [FULL REVIEW]
13. Karmella – Marcescence
HARRY: 2022 saw Karmella soar into focus with the release of hit singles “Past Tense” and “Porcelain Roots”, with the latter making waves across core-focused social media. Nor is it any surprise; “Past Tense” blends accessible alt rock stylings with downtuned seven strings, a bewitching chorus, and a surprise breakdown which is as likely to have you jiving as headbanging, whereas “Porcelain Roots” offers an eerier, heavier look into what the band has to offer, culminating in a piano-fronted Sleep Token-inspired breakdown. Following this, their debut EP, Marcescence, was announced, and the result is as strong as the singles would suggest – an intimate, hard-hitting exploration of mental health which toes the line wonderfully between accessible and core-indulgent. At twenty-four minutes, it is both notably diverse and instantly identifiable as Karmella, which is something that most debut releases can only aspire to be. [FULL REVIEW]
12. GEL x Cold Brats – Shock Therapy
JOE: As far as hardcore acts go this year, GEL have been that have been difficult to see past. Running out of New Jersey, they have navigated their way as one of the hottest acts to keep an eye on in the scene. With 2021 delivering EP, Violent Closure, this year GEL teamed up with Romanian punk band Cold Brats. On GEL‘s side of the split, the opening tracks “Mental Static” and “Predominant Mask” have been earworm tracks that desire to be relistened to and thrown on a playlist. Its fury mixed with the reverbed guitars and vocals make for an ensnaring experience. While running just shy of seven minutes, GEL more than leave an impressive mark with what they offer on the EP. While the Cold Brats side might go underappreciated, its dirty punk tones blast its way through the record with vocals with pure bite. With its novel titles “I Love You Scooby-Doo” and “Mac-n-Cheese“, the stomping riffs give plenty to love from Cold Brats. With this EP in the bag, there is an air of excitement around what both these bands will have in store for 2023.
11. El Moono – Temple Corrupted
MAX: One of the most harrowing and unique releases of the year, Temple Corrupted is a haunting post-metal/metalcore hybrid that pulls influences from the likes of The Dillinger Escape Plan into the world of gloomy post-metal to provide a wall of hazy, enthralling, depressive noise. [FULL REVIEW]
10. Reliqa – I Don’t Know What I Am
MATT: On their most recent EP, Australian progressive metal up-and-comers Reliqa put forth their most varied, ambitious, and impressive effort yet. There are few bands which I can safely say I believe have an identity that is fully their own, but Reliqa is one of them, and I Don’t Know What I Am is a perfect example of why. Featuring an eclectic blend of alternative metal, djent, metalcore, and basically whatever else they feel like doing, the EP is an infinitely fun and captivating listen. With an impressive variety of sounds ranging from the bombastic and heavy progressive sound of tracks such as “Safety” (featuring Sean Harmanis of Make Them Suffer) to the angelic atmosphere and beauty of “Second Nature”, Reliqa further cement themselves as one of the most exciting and unique bands in the scene.
9. Love Is Noise – Euphoria, Where Were You?
NISRIN: When it comes to Love Is Noise, it’s genuinely all in the name of the band. This EP can simply be described as a wall of boisterous riffs beside harsh screams and gorgeous cleans that take your breath away. Fundamentally, Euphoria, Where Are You? is an ethereal experience that easily stands as one of the strongest releases I’ve heard all year, and it’s no surprise. This group’s recent emergence has led to truly one of my greatest discoveries of the year, and I will be eagerly waiting for the next chapter of their story.
8. Kublai Khan TX – Lowest Form Of Animal
MAX: Likely my favourite hardcore-adjacent release of the decade so far next to Turnstile’s GLOW ON, Lowest Form of Animal is a blistering five-track run of some of Kublai Khan’s most raw and downright pissed off material to date. Lyrically superb, utterly violent and unashamedly heavy, Kublai Khan prove they are the kings of the game with Lowest Form of Animal. [FULL REVIEW]
7. Spiritbox – Rotoscope
MAX: While Spiritbox’s initial takeover between 2020-2021 with the gradual rollout of Eternal Blue showed them to grow from a niche prog-metalcore act to one of heavy music’s most beloved and popular groups, the question of what comes next was always a common discussion. Do they get softer? Heavier? Simpler? Weirder? The answer is… none of them? Or all of them? Rotoscope, while still containing the DNA of what it truly means to be Spiritbox, is a truly brand new take on their combination of djent, metalcore and pop. With its title track feeling like metalcore’s answer to Depeche Mode – in the absolute sickest way possible – it’s clear Spiritbox aren’t keen to be pigeonholed, or to rest on their laurels as they continue to push forward and dominate the world of metalcore. [FULL REVIEW]
6. World of Pleasure – World of Pleasure & Friends
JOE: Despite being a relatively underground band, there was a sense of anticipation and excitement around World of Pleasure‘s follow up to their self-titled record. Their three-track debut seeing a wider success, with track “Domination” being at the forefront of this, the wait for new material finally came to an end this year. With their rawness and unbridled sound fronted by Jessica Nyx, World of Pleasure & Friends delivers once of the most rapid listens of this year with a magical craftmanship to it. As the snare pops and Nyx yells “Everybody finds loves, I hope you don’t” on “Everybody Finds Love“, within its rage comes an authenticity that underlines the record and gives it a nature that makes it one of the top hardcore releases of the year. There is an allure to World of Pleasure that is now more than deserved that will have people clambering to see them live and no doubt those shows will be a sight to be hold.
5. Void of Vision – CHRONICLES II: HEAVEN
DEAN: Void of Vision’s CHRONICLES EP series has certainly lived up to the hype they have attained, especially with its second chapter in CHRONICLES II: HEAVEN. Hearing ”Dominatrix” for the first time, it was easy to tell this release would be remarkable. It certainly lived up to the hype set by that lead single, too, and then some, with closing track “Altar” standing as one of their best songs to date. CHRONICLES II: HEAVEN is arguably their best release yet, and will be a common contender in “Top EPs of 2022” lists. [FULL REVIEW]
4. Tracheotomy – Dissimulation
MAX: Tapping into the admittedly lost art of 2000s deathcore, Tracheotomy are a young band with a clear goal: cause havoc. Sounding like an amalgamation of mid-2000s deathcore as seen on Suicide Silence, Whitechapel and Job For A Cowboy’s early works, Dissimulation is more-than-welcome trip back in time for any fans of an era that I believed, wrongly, to be bygone. Hard as fucking nails.
3. iRis.EXE – SMiLE
JOE: There is no question that iRis.EXE’s SMiLE is the surprise package of the year, an unconventional masterpiece that has pushed genre boundaries across its seven tracks. While trying to pinpoint where iRis.EXE sits on the genre spectrum would be a futile task, it’s difficult not to marvel at the sheer talent bottled in tracks “a thousand needles“, “guts 🙂” and “slow kill“. Topping this off comes two features from Mike Sugars of Vatican on “it’s the blue that lasts” and Emma Boster of Dying Wish on “sleep better“. The contrast of chaotic highs alongside gorgeous melodies makes for a journey through the record. Creating soundscapes of heartfelt emotion in its softer moments that draw the listener in before unleashing powerful hooks that are elevated by its electronic elements. While SMiLE will be one of the most, if not the most, unique listens of 2022, there is a sense of awe at how iRis.EXE has put together such as a sublime piece of art at their first attempt, which only causes the imagination to explode at what could possibly come next. [FULL REVIEW]
2. nightlife – fallback
MAX: One of the brightest prospects in the music world at large right now, nightlife, a self-ascribed ‘soul punk’ outfit, provide some of the tightest and most earwormy hooks of the year. fallback’s gorgeous melodies and infectious choruses only further bolstered by its innate sense of groove and rhythm, proving to be one of the bounciest and most danceable heavy-adjacent projects of the 2020s thus far. The vibes are on. [FULL REVIEW]
1. Heriot – Profound Morality
JOE: From the moment of uttering its title “Profound Morality“, there is a stature and depth to Heriot’s debut record even before the static of the record fills the ears. In the brooding opening moments of “Abaddon“, it injects its tension of the unknown before the shrieks of Debbie Gough and Jake Packer conjure the audio spectres that dance to the tortured beat of Heriot‘s sound. While on the surface tracks such as “Coalescence” and “Near Vision” can be heard simply as industrial metal blended with HM-2 pedals, what is hidden underneath is the pained nature of post-industrial Britain and its forgotten futures, the fading memories of hollowed buildings and decay of a generation’s future.
With records such as Cage Fight and Inclination taking the route of unity and directness, Profound Morality creates an atmosphere of the inverse. There is a deep isolation within its grooves, which sets in during interludes such as “Abbattoir“, exploring the emotional damage of being left behind, stuck in an eternal maze of despondency. As it hits its closer, Profound Morality shows its wounded side, chanting “Solid concrete, all I want is rest, take my away my breath“. For many, Heriot‘s debut EP will be the record they have dreamt of for years. Sonically, its brutality is weaved together with immense skill that opens an avenue to indulge in a sound that has yet to fully emerge in this decade. Yet while unnoticed on the surface, it will be the ghosts and spectres that Heriot animate that make it one of the finest releases to come out of the UK in recent years. [FULL REVIEW]