Here we are ! Second to last TOP WAVES of the year 2022 !
This month of November is characterized by heavyweight releases of the rock scene in the broad sense with the last albums of Avantasia, Alter Bridge, Epica, Simple Minds, Skid Row, The Smashing Pumpkins and Therion... a month also marked by progressive releases of choice as the last Arena and Cosmograf without counting a representation of our hexagonal talents wider than usual with the albums of Berlin Heart, Etrange, Idöl, Rise of Mercury, Scarlean or Spheres.
But before discovering this eleventh TOP WAVES of the year, let's have a look at the official hexagonal ranking (source Snep).
The first rock representative is Bruce Springsteen and his album of covers "Only the Strong Survive" which enters in 14th position
"Will of the People" by Muse loses ground at the 65th place
"Return of the Dream Canteen" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers also s to #97
Rammstein's "Zeit" has a comeback at #112
And that's it... Rarely has a sales chart been so poor in rock music. This is not a good omen for the year 2023.
TOP WAVES - GENERAL
Against all odds, it is not one, not two but three winners who share the throne.
Starting with Berlin Heart who "undoubtedly raises the bar with this very ambitious new opus and manages to offer a content that is both complex due to the richness of the arrangements, and accessible, even refined and minimalist at times. (Calgepo)
BERLIN HEART The Low Summit
The second winner is still French but in another style, we find Red Mourning who "over the years, asserts and sharpens its purpose while displaying a bluffing confidence". (ThibautK)
RED MOURNING Flowers & Feathers
Finally the third first is not French but very well known by the French public: Simple Minds who delivers an album that leaves a mixed impression although "a general quality remaining up to the specifications of the last opuses". (Loloceltic)
SIMPLE MINDS Direction Of The Heart
Le classement détaillé
BERLIN HEART: The Low Summit (Rock) 13
RED MOURNING: Flowers & Feathers (Metalcore) 13
SIMPLE MINDS: Direction Of The Heart (Rock) 13
ARENA: The Theory Of Molecular Inheritance (Progressive Rock) 12
AVANTASIA: A Paranormal Evening With The Moonflower Society (Melodic Metal) 11
THE SMASHING PUMPKINS: Atum (Alternative Rock) 10
BLIND GUARDIAN: The God Machine (Heavy Metal) 9
ALTER BRIDGE: Pawns & Kings (Alternative Metal) 8
JOE LYNN TURNER: Belly Of The Beast (Melodic Hard Rock) 6
SKID ROW: The Gang's All Here (Hard Rock) 6
MESSA: Close (Doom) 5
COSMOGRAF: Heroic Materials (Progressive Rock) 5
ETRANGE: Enigme (Progressive Metal) 4
O.R.K.: Screamnasium (Alternative Rock) 4
TABOO: Taboo (Alternative Metal) 4
RED BEANS & PEPPER SAUCE: 7 (Rock) 3
MOURNFUL CONGREGATION: The Exuviae Of Gods - Part I (Doom) 3
LES ENFANTS DE DAGON: De Profundis (Black Metal) 3
MASSFACE: Inequable (Alternative Metal) 3
THE DEAR HUNTER: Antimai (Progressive Rock) 2
THERION: Leviathan Ii (Melodic Metal) 2
SCARLEAN: Silence (Alternative Metal) 1
GATHERING OF KINGS: Enigmatic (A.O.R.) 1
HORIZON IGNITED: Towards The Dying Lands (Melodic Metal) 1
JEAN-PIERRE KALFON: Méfistofélange (Rock) 1
ANDRÉ MANOUKIAN: Anouch (Jazz) 1
TOP WAVES - METAL
It is Alter Bridge who inherits the first place of this Top Waves Metal with an album "Pawns & Kings" which "synthesizes all the qualities of Alter Bridge, its gift for the densified formats and its art of the balance to build a varied and interesting disc from beginning to end" (Nuno777)
ALTER BRIDGE Pawns & Kings
In second place, no Red Mourning (which finally inherits the third place) but Avantasia.
"With "A Paranormal Evening With The Moonflower Society", Tobias Sammet signs the most direct record of Avantasia's career. In doing so, he breathes new life into an adventure that started twenty years ago and that still seems to have a lot of good hours ahead of it." (Noise)
AVANTASIA A Paranormal Evening With The Moonflower Society
Le classement détaillé
ALTER BRIDGE: Pawns & Kings (Alternative Metal) 18
AVANTASIA: A Paranormal Evening With The Moonflower Society (Melodic Metal) 17
RED MOURNING: Flowers & Feathers (Metalcore) 16
TABOO: Taboo (Alternative Metal) 14
BLIND GUARDIAN: The God Machine (Heavy Metal) 13
ETRANGE: Enigme (Progressive Metal) 11
SCARLEAN: Silence (Alternative Metal) 6
MESSA: Close (Doom) 5
IDOL: Allegoria (Alternative Metal) 5
EPICA: The Alchemy Project (Melodic Metal) 5
LES ENFANTS DE DAGON: De Profundis (Black Metal) 4
THERION: Leviathan Ii (Melodic Metal) 4
MOURNFUL CONGREGATION: The Exuviae Of Gods - Part I (Doom) 3
MASSFACE: Inequable (Alternative Metal) 3
HORIZON IGNITED: Towards The Dying Lands (Melodic Metal) 1
NOTHING BUT ECHOES: The Sixth Extinction (Post Metal) 1
TOP WAVES - ROCK
Concerning the TOP WAVES ROCK, Berlin Heart shares the crown with the latest Arena.
"Boosted by the presence of Damian Wilson, Arena delivers a "Theory of Molecular Inheritance" that is hard to take against. Effective and without risk" (Abaddon)
ARENA The Theory Of Molecular Inheritance
The third and last place of the podium is also shared between Simple Minds and O.R.k.
"Relegating its complex progressive rock to the attic, O.R.k. delivers with "Screamnasium" a muscular and immediate alternative rock not hesitating to flirt with hard rock and metal." (Corto1809)
O.R.K. Screamnasium
Le classement détaillé
ARENA: The Theory Of Molecular Inheritance (Progressive Rock) 17
BERLIN HEART: The Low Summit (Rock) 17
O.R.K.: Screamnasium (Alternative Rock) 13
SIMPLE MINDS: Direction Of The Heart (Rock) 13
SKID ROW: The Gang's All Here (Hard Rock) 12
THE SMASHING PUMPKINS: Atum (Alternative Rock) 11
THE DEAR HUNTER: Antimai (Progressive Rock) 10
JOE LYNN TURNER: Belly Of The Beast (Melodic Hard Rock) 10
COSMOGRAF: Heroic Materials (Progressive Rock) 7
THE DEAD DAISIES: Radiance (Hard Rock) 7
OCTANE: Back In The Game (Hard Rock) 6
RED BEANS & PEPPER SAUCE: 7 (Rock) 5
GATHERING OF KINGS: Enigmatic (A.O.R.) 3
JEAN-PIERRE KALFON: Méfistofélange (Rock) 1
MONSTER TRUCK: Warriors (Hard Rock) 1
ANDRÉ MANOUKIAN: Anouch (Jazz) 1
UGLY KID JOE: Rad Wings Of Destiny (Hard Rock) 1
More informations on http://www.musicwaves.fr/