All five members of Avenged Sevenfold have shared their Top 5 albums of 2022 and there’s even one album that each of them selected.
Longtime fans of the band shouldn’t be entirely shocked when they see some selections from outside the world of rock and metal, especially from singer M. Shadows who has openly discussed his affinity for modern rap/hip-hop and pop artists and how they inspire his own songwriting.
It turns out rapper Kendrick Lamar’s latest record, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers is quite a hit with the others in the band too, as both Synyster Gates and Zacky Vengeance shout it out in addition to Shadows.
Another commonality is Weezer, who released a studio album to correspond with each of the four seasons. For the Avenged Sevenfold singer, Summer and Autumn from Weezer’s SZNZ series occupy two of the five spots on his personal list. And it’s Autumn that appeared on each members’ 2022 roundup.
Bassist Johnny Christ and drummer Brooks Wackerman leaned hardest into heavy music territory with Megadeth, Alter Bridge, Dead Cross and more topping their year-end picks.
See each members’ Top 5 list below.
Meanwhile, 2023 figures to be a huge year for Avenged Sevenfold. They’re expected to release their long-awaited followup to 2016’s The Stage.
M. Shadows’ Top 5 Albums of 2022
M. Shadows performs onstage with Avenged Sevenfold in 2011.
Ethan Miller, Getty Images
Kendrick Lamar, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers
Weezer, SZNZ: Autumn
Weezer, SZNZ: Summer
Steve Lacy, Gemini Rights
Drake / 21 Savage, Her Loss
Synyster Gates’ Top 5 Albums of 2022
avenged sevenfold, synyster gates, 2018 download festival, donington park, england
Ollie Millington, Getty Images
Weezer, SZNZ: Autumn
Kanye West, Donda 2
Kendrick Lamar, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers
Dirty Heads, Midnight Control
Björk, Fossora
Zacky Vengeance’s’ Top 5 Albums of 2022
Theo Wargo, Getty Images
Theo Wargo, Getty Images
Neil Young & Crazy Horse, World Record
Arctic Monkeys, The Car
Polyphia, Remember That You Will Die
Weezer, SZNZ: Autumn
Kendrick Lamar, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers
Honorable Mentions:
Orville Peck – Bronco
Rammstein – Zeit
Johnny Christ’s Top 5 Albums of 2022
Kevin RC Wilson, Loudwire
Kevin RC Wilson, Loudwire
Alter Bridge, Pawns & Kings
Megadeth, The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!
Ghost, Impera
Willow, Coping Mechanism
Weezer, SZNZ: Autumn
Brooks Wackerman’s Top 5 Albums of 2022
Kevin RC Wilson, Loudwire
Kevin RC Wilson, Loudwire
Red Hot Chili Peppers, Unlimited Love
The Smile, A Light for Attracting Attention
The Interrupters, In The Wild
Weezer, SZNZ: Autumn
Dead Cross, II
Most Anticipated Rock + Metal Albums of 2023
2023 is looking good for rock and metal albums already.
