Fred Phillips’ Best of 2022 includes Zeal & Ardor, Whiskey Mysters, Arch Enemy, Ozzy Osbourne and Skid Row, among others.

It’s not until you actually start combing through the hundreds of records you’ve listened to over a decade that you realize how daunting the task really is.

As you go through my Best Hard Rock and Metal of 2016 list, you’ll see why I’m calling it the year of the classic thrash band.

Any time my year-end list starts with more than 20 candidates, it’s been a pretty metal year for me. That was the case for 2013 You May Also Like: Why Black Sabbath Went Out on a High Note With ’13’ Metal Church – XI (2016)

It’s been a really solid year for hard rock and metal so far. At six months, I’m often adding mediocre albums that I know won’t make the final list to get to 10. This year, I actually had to make a tough call or two. You May Also Like: WhyRead More

To not like Amon Amarth is to not like heavy metal? I wish I’d written that, because I wholeheartedly concur.

I can guarantee that this list will be the first-ever mention of several of these bands on Something Else!, but you might find something worth checking out.