New year, new music. I’m a bit late to the party with the list of albums to look forward to in 2022, but here we are.
ROCK ALBUMS 2022
After 2 years of a global shutdown, many bands only saw one option: recording new music! As a result, it means we will see many bands hit the road this year and release some new jams.
I made a top 5 album list that will be coming out early 2022, which I’m looking forward to!
SCORPIONS – ROCK BELIEVER
German hard rock giants, Scorpions, are ready to release their 19th studio album on February the 25th. Rock Believer can be seen as an homage to those who keep rock alive. It’s not dead, many around the world still love it and the Scorpions still see those rock believers after 50 years of rocking.
The Scorpions have made a name for themselves for their hard rocking tunes like Rock You Like A Hurricane, Big City Nights and Blackout. Next to that you can find many amazing ballads in their repertoire and as lead singer Klaus Meine already said in interviews, the new album will feature both.
Peacemaker and Rock Believer are the singles we got at the moment, and they are the hard rocking tunes for sure. Fast-paced, loud and rocking! The songs have a classic Scorpions vibe to them that will get stuck in your head. Rock Believer is now for sale for pre-order. The Scorpions offer a great package where you can order the vinyl, including shirt, drumsticks and picks!
SABATON – THE WAR TO END ALL WARS
Those of you who love war themed rock have something to look forward to with Sabaton’s new album! Coming out March 4, The War To End All Wars will feature 11 new songs, all themed around the events of World War I.
For those of you who are familiar with Sabaton, it won’t come as a surprise that the theme of an album is around war. All of their music is based around war and telling the stories of real life events. It is an interesting approach to have songs that:
- Sound amazing and are catchy
- Give you a history lesson on real life battles, events, etc.
Multiple singles have been released for the new album, including Soldier Of Heaven. It is a hard rocking song, with a good beat, fast-paced guitars and a piece of history! The War To End All Wars will be released via Nuclear Blast Records on multiple different vinyl colours, cassettes and cds. When possible, catch them on tour, as they are an amazing band to see live.
BRYAN ADAMS – SO HAPPY IT HURTS
Canadian rock star Bryan Adams will release his newest album on March the 11th, 2022. So Happy It Hurts will be the 15th studio album of the singer and songwriter, who will have tour dates accompanying the album throughout the year.
Bryan Adams is famous for his incredible live performances and iconic voice that seems to get stronger over the years. Songs like Heaven, Summer of 69, Cut’s Like A Knife and Straight From The Heart made the Canadian conquer the world in the 80s. For the new album, Adams has treated us to 3 singles: So Happy It Hurts, On The Road and Kick Ass.
The singles so far sound great. So Happy It Hurts, offers the classic Bryan Adams sound we all know and love. It is cleverly written and very well-structured. I pre-ordered the signed album and can’t wait to have it playing when it arrives!
GHOST – IMPERA
The 5th album by Ghost will be released on March the 11th. It will be the 5th album of the band that is infamous for its theatrical, satanic and rocking music. The Swedish rock outfit is ready to bring their new Papa to the masses with Impera.
After the plague-infected Prequel album, we really need some positivity. Impera will offer fans a 12-song cycle about the rise and fall of empires, prophecies and much more. Ghost will offer a dark, but colourful melodic hard rock album that will sound like no other.
We have been treated to 2 great singles. Hunter’s moon came out in October as part of the Halloween Kills movie. Call Me Little Sunshine is a more hopeful song that has all the classic Ghost hooks, riffs and vocals.
Ghost fans do tend to go a bit crazy when it comes to collecting. For those vinyl fans: Impera will be available on over 20 different vinyl colours. Trust me, many fans will order all the colours! I just opted for the one gold version, and I can’t wait to play the album from start to finish.
FM – THIRTEEN
British melodic rock band FM is going to release their 13th studio album on 18 March 2022. Since the 80s, FM saw success with their Tough It Out album. It is one of my all-time favorite albums! After a break-up in the mid-90s, the band reunited in 2007. Since 2010, FM treated us to quality album after quality album!
The golden pipes of lead singer Steve Overland don’t seem to age. On the first single, Waiting on Love, you really can hear how well his voice aged. The classic FM sound is there from the start, and it sounds killer. The Mighty FM proved, once more, why they are such a quality band, and in my opinion, highly underrated.
Thirteen will be released via Frontiers music and contains 11 songs. The album will be available on vinyl, cd and of course the different streaming platforms. I honestly can’t wait till the album Thirteen will be released!
OTHER ALBUMS TO LOOK OUT FOR
I understand I missed a bunch of amazing albums that will be coming out early 2022. I couldn’t mention them all in the top 5, unfortunately. Check out some suggestions down below!
- Slash feat. Myles Kennedy + the Conspirators
- Ozzy Osbourne
- Nita Straus
- Alter Bridge
- Rammstein
