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: Black Sabbath – ‘Black Sabbath’ (1970): On Second Thought Black Sabbath’s Often-Dismissed ‘Sabotage’ Is Far Better Than You Remembered