As evidenced by our list of the 25 best albums of 2022, this was a particularly great year for heavy music, both for veteran acts and young talent alike. Seeing long-running metallurgical institutions like Megadeth, Slipknot and Lamb of God continue to earn their distinguished status was thrilling, but it was also exciting to see a whole new generation of artists stake their claim to the throne in a world where live music was finally possible again.
We asked our readers to vote on which lesser-known act deserves the title of 2022's biggest breakout band, and among the many fervent responses, there were five groups from across the heavy spectrum who are rose to the fore. Below, are the top five vote-getters ranked accordingly.
5. Blackbraid
If you care about black metal in 2022, then Blackbraid should be on your radar. The one-man Indigenous black-metal project of Adirondack musician Sgah'gahsowáh has rapidly gained a devout following for the scathing, crushing and hauntingly beautiful sounds of his debut album, simply titled Blackbraid I. The marginalized perspective is necessary in a genre as politically troubled as black metal, and the wind-whipping impact of this music has already left a lasting mark on the subgenre's history.
4. The Callous Daoboys
This year, the Callous Daoboys rocketed from mathcore's best kept secret to its new ringleaders. And how could they not? The seven-piece band — who include a violinist in their ranks — dropped one of the year's best albums, Celebrity Therapist, a captivating circus of discombobulating mathcore, catchy post-hardcore and savagely heavy deathcore that all walks the fine line between absurdist and genius.
3. Orbit Culture
Orbit Culture topped last year's list of breakout bands, and even though the Swedish groove-metal crew only dropped one new song this year, their fans adamantly feel that they leveled up another notch in 2022. We agree. That one song, "Vultures of North," is a total ass-beater, and Orbit Culture dropped it before their big North American tour opening for In Flames and Fit for an Autopsy, which definitely got more eyes on the band. So we'll say it again: Pay the fuck attention to Orbit Culture.
2. Bad Omens
"Bad Omens absolutely exploded this year." That's how one voter in this poll put it, and we couldn't have said it better ourselves. While the Virginia band have been slowly climbing in popularity for a few years now, it was 2022's LP, The Death of Peace of Mind — a stunning fusion of dark, Weeknd-esque pop and industrialized metalcore — that positioned them as one of the most forward-thinking bands in heavy music. On top of that, they toured with A Day to Remember, went viral on TikTok and wrapped up the year with a completely sold-out first-ever headlining trek across the country. Yeah, Bad Omens blew the fuck up.
1. Turnstile
There simply couldn't be another No. 1, right? Turnstile's Glow On was an immediate success when it arrived in late summer of 2021, but 2022 was the year when it seemed like everyone — even your friends who've never seen a mosh pit before — were taking the pilgrimage to see the Baltimore hardcore heroes at one of their many sold-out shows across the world. They nabbed Grammy noms, played late-night shows, and got tapped to open for Blink-182's historic comeback tour in 2023. Yep, 2022 was the year Turnstile became titans.
