The best punk albums of 2022
The best punk albums of 2022 chosen by our crew and by you through the poll
A lot of good records came out in 2022, and like every year we decided to collect our and your favorite punk – and more – albums of the year. This following is not intended as a top-of-the-pops ranking, but is meant to be a simple sharing of what we and you liked the most. So no, you will not find first, second, third place but a list in random order of the various records. By a fluke of fate, the ones you and we liked the most are 15 and 15.
In the following article you will first find our favorites. You will immediately notice that they span multiple subgenres and subcultures because, as you may already know, our crew is composed of several people with different tastes, but united by the same spirit!
Next we will list the 15 albums (out of about 100) most voted by you in the poll. You voted in great numbers and we thank you very much! This year we chose, as mentioned before, not to make rankings, just to get out of the logic of competition for the purpose of supporting the bands and their excellent works.
Enjoy reading and we highly recommend that you listen to all the records and if you haven’t already, our playlist with the best songs of 2022, again chosen by us and you!
Our favorite albums: the 15 best punk albums of 2022 in the opinion of Radio Punk crew
Syndrome 81 – Prisons Imaginaires:
Unbelievable the amount of people who have listed this album as their favorite of 2022. The band from Brest (our interview here) reaches full musical maturity with the album “Prisons Imaginaires”, after years of experience of the members in various bands, creating a unique sound that skillfully mixes punk, hardcore, post-punk and oi! contaminations, winning over a highly diverse audience. Carefully crafted record in every aspect, from the artwork to the lyrics centered, quoting the band, on the “prisons we create or accept for ourselves, moral, social, psychological, family, sentimental prisons…” Top rated!
Lenders – Sul Filo Del Tempo:
An incredible album that from the first listen gives you a mind-blowing adrenaline rush. It tells about the kids, the street, the outcasts, the neighborhood and the last bastions of rebellion, and it does it with a sumptuous style. The band has its own trademark, unique and original and devoid of unnecessary virtuosity. Excellent production and sounds, attitude, anger and venom make each song a masterpiece as well as an ode to those who do not conform, those who prefer instinct and heart to comfortable choices. An oi! street punk record that is authentic and definitely above average.
Straight Opposition – Path Of Separation:
Too little has been said about this giant. Clever, studied, unique and polished work that steps outside the canons of the pure hardcore genre to embrace a vastness of influences, contaminations and sounds. This is hardcore, undoubtedly, but it is nothing you have heard before and in every listen you will notice some detail, some nuance hidden here and there that embellishes an album that makes me cry out for a miracle every time I press play. Lyrics that are topical, political and that also denote attention and analysis out of the ordinary here, exactly like this great album.
Viagra boys – Cave World:
Third work – indeed masterpiece – by the Swedish band composed of outstanding musicians. In “Cave World” Viagra Boys continue their musical journey by deviating slightly from their earlier, heavily jazz-contaminated works, enriching the sound with dance-punk and electronic influences while still maintaining their unmistakable style. The result is mind-blowing. A powerful, ironic, edgy, multifaceted and fun record to listen to and re-listen to in order to grasp all its peculiarities. The topics and lyrics, jaw-dropping and full of sarcasm, find their maximum expression thanks to the histrionic personality of frontman Sebastian Murphy. Wonder!
Inganno – Vite a Metà:
Simple and direct hardcore punk rage, this is what comes to the ears from the first listen. Inganno, from the province of Taranto, have churned out an immediate and fast record for all lovers of punk hc loaded with political content and introspection. An album with a strong emotional impact that immediately recalls fundamental pillars such as Contrasto’s “Tornare ai resti” and Congegno’s “Metamorfosi” but with its roots firmly in the sound of Jonian hc tradition. 13 tracks that convey energy, desire for redemption and hope against the existential resignation that surrounds our lives. Hardcore is struggle and Inganno remind us of this in a superb way, a true gem of total fomentation!
Soul Glo – Diaspora Problems:
Already the long list of unusual musicians and instruments in hardcore punk such as trombone, trumpet, and sax should suggest that we are dealing with something totally unpredictable and stand-alone. This “straight outta Philly,” Pennsylvania band has an insane amount of badassery. There’s a grit in every song that sounds like they’re in a demonstration shouting into a megaphone while hurling molotov cocktails wildly. Their proposal on paper is very interesting: a mixture of hardcore punk, screamo, noise, funk, rap and elements of electronics and lyrics of denunciation and radical approach. What comes out is destructive power and a devastating melodic line, a roller coaster ride where you never know what to expect. In such an article, we can’t help but talk about this earth-shattering and revolutionary record; watch the videos and live performances and you will fall in love. A real gem.
Petrol Girls – Baby:
New record for the London rrrriot group led by Ren Aldridge, which has already become a must for my ears! The topics addressed, scratchy vocals and a rhythm that harkens back to Dead Kennedys and even Fugazi can’t help but provoke strong emotional shocks. One song out of all of them? Definitely “Baby I had an abortion” (and the title says it all), but don’t miss “Preachers” either… Well, don’t miss any of the songs on this album! Most importantly, if you get a chance, enjoy a live set by them…. Girls to the front!
The Interrupters – In The Wild:
The ska-punk group that blew half the world away is back, and with this fourth album it consolidates a sound we have come to recognize by now. In short, we find again a lot of ska and mid-tempo, seasoned with some more punk lashings and nice vocal collaborations (such as “Love Never Dies” with The Skints and “As We Live” with Tim Armstrong and Rhoda Dakar): an album that will definitely make you dance! And even move you a bit thanks to Aimee’s passion for singing. Maybe not the album that will change their career (as was the case with their previous ones), but certainly an album that can make you dance.
The Flatliners – New Ruin:
Here, the Flatliners is a band I love to listen to in the quiet of my room because of their ability to mix ferocity and pop, sonic scratches to softer modulations. This new record is no exception, and the Canadian punk rock group is great at mixing different elements together to bring to life both melancholic and reflective songs like “Under a Dying Sun” and more catchy songs like “Rat King” or the first track, “Performative Hours”. Certainly a mature record that should be deepened with numerous listens!
OFF! – Free LSD:
Che si può dire del buon Keith Morris se non che ha colpito di nuovo nel segno? 40 minuti, 20 canzoni, nuova sessione ritmica (ma di tutto rispetto) e niente, giù con quel punk hardcore all’americana che mi piace tanto. Inframezzato però da nuove variazioni sonore che non saprei bene come definire – ma ‘sotto acido’ ci sta, quindi un po’ jazz un po’ stoner, e tanta, tanta velocità! Ah, e non perdetevi anche il video di War Above Los Angeles, uno svarione di un paio di minuti. Insomma, una vera chicca, ma d’altronde, non ci si poteva aspettare di meno!
Darcy – Machines de Guerre:
Contrary to what the title might suggest, this second full-length by the Breton band has nothing to do with more or less topical war events. “Our voices are war machines,” goes the (almost) eponymous track. And indeed this is an album at once angry and joyful, extolling the power of words and music and unity against the common enemy. This unity is embodied in the excellent collaborations with bands that are landmarks for Darcy: No One Is Innocent on “Viens chercher pogo,” Tagada Jones on “L’étincelle au brasier,” and Merzhin on “Notre hymne.”
The album, poised between hardcore and punk rock, offers an explosive blend of the power of the former and the melody of the latter, with refrains that get stuck in your head from the first listen. But there is also room for an acoustic episode with “Eva,” the closing track, a poignant ballad that lays bare voice and emotions. A great proof of maturity for this band, if you don’t know it yet keep an eye on it, in the future it might reserve us new gems like this one.
Rancoeur – Rancoeur:
Out with a demo in January 2022, Rancoeur then amazed us with their first full album released in November. If we were initially intrigued by the band, by November these three guys from Nancy had us hit and sunk. Great record, remarkable achievement as Rancoeur’s first release!
Ten tracks (and a cover of Camera Silens, an iconic French punk group) of excellent ‘cold oi!’ as they call it. From the very first notes it is clear why they give themselves this categorization: one is enveloped by the excellent ‘cold and edgy’ sounds of the band, impossible not to get caught up in the rhythm and choruses that accompany us while listening. Determined riffs that are angry to the right point, full-bodied bass that maintains the rhythmic structure and a pressing drum kit that doesn’t let up.
Musically it is a great recipe, lacking nothing. As for the lyrics they are well written, introspective and give further value to this work, by the way on Bandcamp you can find translations of them if you don’t know French… You will definitely end up learning some chorus to wear out your voice on. In short, go listen to this blast now and keep an eye on the band!
Messa – Close:
Hey! What are you doing?!? Messa are not punk!
Hold on. First of all, a similar reaction happened within the crew as well, but it’s not a problem at all, in the end we talk about music, we abhor boundaries and this record was in high demand, it’s objectively great… so here are our impressions.
Very mature record, the sounds of Messa have been consolidated over the years, here we fly at a high level! Compared to the first more doom-oriented works, such as “Belfry”, in this record you can also hear other musical influences, from jazz to Arabian ethnic music… In any case, the beautiful incisive and doom riffs are not lacking when needed, guitar and bass do their job excellently, all seasoned by a very precise drumming that adds the right amount of gas.
This big trip is divided into ten tracks, in which Sara’s voice guides us through the listening, touching high peaks, to be left speechless, one example among all: the single “Pilgrim”. Anyone who does not get emotional is an insensitive person (come on okay we are joking, however, it is really chilling).
A short side note, maximum support to all the band members who, despite a bad accident, have resumed attending the stages, go for it! Keep up the good work!
Villa Fantôme – S/T:
It is the lockdown period and, observing the Ville Lumière turned ghost town, French ska-punk veterans Manu and Pierrot, former members of the historic band La Ruda Salska, later to become simply La Ruda, decide to start a new project. Ghost Town, with an explicit homage to the famous song, will name the project and the album. The result could be the perfect soundtrack to a vintage film half noir half spy story, including stakeouts, stalking, mysterious briefcases and dark glasses. And the feeling is confirmed by the videos made for the singles taken from the album, “Sentimentale n’est pas la Foule” and “Série Noire.”
The ska-punk roots in the style of Madness and The Specials are all there, but what makes this album original and fascinating is the gradual shift, in the flow from one track to the next, to a decidedly and proudly 80s sound. For nostalgics of the era but also for those who want to rediscover certain sounds while not having experienced them firsthand. Give it a listen and you will be pleasantly surprised!
Sweat – Gotta Give It Up:
Right from the first listen, the nastiness – in a good way – with which the California band shakes us to the tune of hardcore punk with rock n roll riffs remains in the mind. High voltage shock, thanks to the devastating vocal performance of singer Tuna Tardugno, formerly known as a wrestler and actress. Political lyrics but with an emotional and introspective filter, which despite being written in the first person come across as engaging. An explosive record, released by Pirates Press in early February that electrifies song after song, staying true to its sound but exploring various contaminations. A must-have and must-listen album that can bring together hardcore punk lovers and rockers with a cult of punk, and if Amyl and The Sniffers blew your mind, Sweat with “Gotta Give it Up” are for you, as they have grit to spare and a similar but totally unique shot!
Best punk albums of 2022 poll: the 15 most voted
(in alphabetical order)
Ä.I.D.S. – The Road To Nuclear Holocaust
Azione diretta/Brigade loco – Borghetti Crew
Carne – Saremo Ancora Minaccia
Crancy crock – Mayday
Dead cross – II
Diario di bordo – Al Di Là Del Buio
Discomostro – Mostropatia
Interrupters – In The Wild
Kaos urbano – Euforia
Lenders – Sul Filo Del Tempo
Loia – Sotto La Mia Pelle
Plakkaggio – Verso La Vetta
RPG7 – Cuatro
Syndrome 81 – Prisons Imaginaires
Wolfbrigade – Anti-Tank Dogs
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