MS Awards 2022 - Staff Picks!!
| Written by: | ScreamingSteelUS |
| Published: | March 21, 2023 |
The final event of the MSA season is here: the staff picks, the winners of each category chosen by the collective staff members of Metal Storm. You will not find a more correct summation of 2022 in metal, save for the personal ratings of your editor-in-chief. As with the public awards, the staff-picking process saw a few obvious winners ride in on a landslide, but a fair few of these went to tie-breaks in overtime; we, too, have our fierce competitions behind the scenes, and there was a lot of great stuff to choose from, as always.
2022 Metal Storm Staff Picks
 | Alternative Metal Bloodywood - Rakshak |  | Ambient / Drone / Noise Am Himmel - As Eternal As The Starless Kingdom Of Sorrow |
 | Avant-Garde / Experimental Metal Sigh - Shiki |  | Black Metal Gaerea - Mirage |
 | Death Metal Astral Tomb - Soulgazer |  | Djent / Math Metal Rolo Tomassi - Where Myth Becomes Memory |
 | Doom Metal Messa - Close |  | Extreme Doom Metal Shape Of Despair - Return To The Void |
 | Extreme Progressive Metal An Abstract Illusion - Woe |  | Folk / Pagan / Viking Metal Darkest Era - Wither On The Vine |
 | Gothic Metal Hangman's Chair - A Loner |  | Grindcore Wormrot - Hiss |
 | Hard Rock Gaupa - Myriad |  | Hardcore / Metalcore / Deathcore Lorna Shore - Pain Remains |
 | Heavy / Traditional Metal Fer De Lance - The Hyperborean |  | Industrial / Cyber / Electronic Metal Final Light - Final Light |
 | Melodeath / Extreme Power / Gothenburg Metal The Halo Effect - Days Of The Lost |  | Melodic Black Metal Drudkh - Всі Належать Ночі (All Belong To The Night) |
 | Metalgaze Kardashev - Liminal Rite |  | Post-Metal Panzerfaust - The Suns Of Perdition - Chapter III: Astral Drain |
 | Power Metal Blind Guardian - The God Machine |  | Progressive Metal Disillusion - Ayam |
 | Sludge Metal Kurokuma - Born Of Obsidian |  | Stoner Metal Elder - Innate Passage |
 | Symphonic Metal Abyssic - Brought Forth In Iniquity |  | Thrash / Speed Metal Deströyer 666 - Never Surrender |
| Debut Bloodywood - Rakshak |  | Clandestine Cut Euphrosyne - Keres |
We begin and (almost) end this article with Bloodywood, who would probably want us to remind you to take care of yourself, appreciate the people around you, and take each day as a blessing. Or something like that. If you don't want to, that's also cool. Just make sure you're back here this time next year - it's already high time to start thinking about the 2023 Metal Storm Awards.
 | Written on 21.03.2023 by I'm the reviewer, and that means my opinion is correct. |
Comments
Comments: 16
Visited by: 255 users
| AndyMetalFreak A Nice Guy Contributor Posts: 5301  |
I think I was the only one who couldn't get into Bloodywood, shame really, I guess it's just not my cup of tea  I can't argue with the other results though, it's been tough competition this year in all categories.
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| musclassia Staff Posts: 7621  |
Written by AndyMetalFreak on 21.03.2023 at 08:26 Definitely not the only one, I didn't click with it either 9 of these were my first choice picks, and another 2 or 3 were runners-up in my rankings, vs 7+3 in the user vote, one of the more even years for me, but still shows that everyone's tastes, users and contributers alike, need to improve
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| tintinb Posts: 2022 |
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| nikarg Staff Posts: 7345  |
I am also one that cannot get into Bloodywood, but I like what tintib is saying about them. Overall, the picks that I 100% agree with are Messa, Fer De Lance, Abyssic, and Darkest Era (of course). Cannot complain though; all these are some very good albums in their respective genres.
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| Netzach Planewalker Posts: 1761  |
Hell yeah Bloodywood!!!
---- My "blackened synth metal" solo project: maladomini.bandcamp.com. Whenever I write something funny, weird, or pretentious... I learned English by playing Baldur's Gate, okay?
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| Boxcar Willy yr a kook Posts: 9155  |
Written by AndyMetalFreak on 21.03.2023 at 08:26 I also thought it wasn't very good. Agreed on Shape Of Despair and Wormrot. That's about it  Still butthurt Municipal Waste wasn't featured 
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| ScreamingSteelUS Editor-in-Chief Admin Posts: 5923  |
In the Awards, I picked 7 winners out of 28, which I would say is normal for me, even on the high side. Here I picked 11, which feels like a lot. I, for one, am chuffed to see Bloodywood even nominated in the MSAs in the first place, let alone winning two staff pick titles. I also believe that we should have more album covers with elephants on them.
---- "Earth is small and I hate it" - Lum Invader I'm the Agent of Steel.
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| Nejde Posts: 1695  |
Usually I like all kind of metal that implement music styles native to a country or region of the world. Put oriental/folk before [genre] and I'm most likely on board. With that said nor did I click with Bloodywood. Out of the staff picks I got five of them, Final Light, Kardashev, Gaerea, The Halo Effect and Euphrosyne to be exact. A lot of my runner ups got the staff picks though so it's all good 
---- Liebe ist für alle da.
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| BitterCOld The Ancient One Admin Posts: 15287  |
Just happy to see D666 end up with the nod. Possibly the weirdest of metal years for me since I joined the site.
---- get the fuck off my lawn. Beer Bug Virus Spotify Playlist crafted by Nikarg and I. Feel free to tune in and add some pertinent metal tunes!
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| anxiety Posts: 7  |
I like this list a lot and I find it much more satisfying than the voters one. Rolo Tomassi in my opinion was the best Djent album (I mean if Meshuggah wasn't there), Am Himmel, Hangman's Chair, Shape of Despair, Gaupa were my picks as well. Kurokuma was on my short list. I'm also very happy with that Folk pick.
---- <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3Kv843DNqMWbxndaXvYVxo?si=7504ca47ec984864">My 200 favorite songs</a> <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0TRcAYJmubKq5NEkh8eykt?si=a7a4e5cd14734ece">My background music</a>
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| 24emd Theory Snob Posts: 1076  |
I thought Stratovarius was miles ahead of Blind Guardian. But hey, that's just me.
---- "I am too stupid to be human, and I lack common sense." - Proverbs 30:2 "Music? Well, it's just entertainment, folks!" - Devin Townsend Best 2024 Albums
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| Uxküll Posts: 384  |
Written by 24emd on 22.03.2023 at 11:22 Agreed, wouldnt say miles but definitely more memorable/replayable.
---- "Nullum unquam exstitit magnum igenium sine aliqua dementia [there was never great genius without some madness]." Best of Metal A-Z: http://metalstorm.net/users/lists.php?user_id=158339
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| musclassia Staff Posts: 7621 |
Written by Uxküll on 23.03.2023 at 03:03 I rated BG's album higher than Stratovarius' in my review, but I've listened to Stratovarius' one quite a bit more since finishing the reviews, it's just super memorable and listenable
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| Jaro Posts: 362  |
Written by 24emd on 22.03.2023 at 11:22 I listen to "Voice of Thunder" fairly regularly, fucking great song.
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18374  |
I think I enjoy almost 3/4 of the albums featured here. And I voted for 7 of them. Can't say I like Bloodywood though haha. the ones I most glad for are Am Himmel, Astral Tomb, Panzerfaust and Abyssic. The last one really deserves some more listens!
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| RoyBoy432 Dr. Quark Posts: 239  |
Oh fun, 7 of these got my votes too (Gaerea, An Abstract Illusion, Gaupa, Lorna Shore, The Halo Effect, Dislliusion, Eurphosyne). I really liked the Kardashev and Final Light records, but Master Boot Record just edged out Final Light for me. And there was something about Sylvaine's record that made it perfect for me, like there is a way of expressing love that I need and that I find it expresses. Subjective, but I love "Nova"!
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