If you'd told me on January 1st of this year where I'd be on December 31st, I may not have believed you. At the end of my 2021 recap, I wrote that I was planning to "Take life as it comes, deal with the work, and embrace the good wherever I can find it." After a year of struggle—I was finally sitting in the seat of a hard-won job. But, I was working an average of 65-hour weeks, and everything else was going by the wayside. 'Dealing with the work' was pretty much all I did. And, personally? Well, that wasn't much easier. Straining and broken relations with some of my immediate family members took up most of my available headspace. And watching my stepmother degenerate at the heartbreaking hands of motor neuron disease from a long distance took up the rest. I visited her for her birthday in March, which was lovely. But, between various levels of harassment from work and other family members during that trip and a near-collision with a Cessna as my flight home approached the Sea-Tac runway, I quickly decided that things needed to change. I applied for just one job, and I got it. I quit Trident and began a new adventure with Slalom. After seven months and two successful projects with 'Fruitco' and Nintendo, I can safely say I have never experienced such a people-focused company with a fantastic team of dedicated and supportive colleagues. I've connected in person with friends during the year when possible (thank you, Isaac, Regan, Doris, Clayton, and Jason) and ventured into the Teton wilderness for a personal adventure that yielded a bevy of new friendships that left my inter-personal connections bucket overflowing. Having the opportunity to combine my love of extreme music and writing for Decibel magazine has also been a highlight. The magazine is fantastic, and the people who make it all happen are wonderful. I'm excited to have more pieces lined up for 2023, and I look forward to seeing where all of that goes. I didn't have high hopes for 2022; honestly, it turned out better than I could have hoped. As I prepare for some inevitable heartache in 2023, I'll continue last year's theme of digging a deeper hole for my expectations with the hope that I can sit here next year with a similarly upbeat resolution! Once more, I hope you enjoy my year of music and moments in review, and best wishes for the year ahead.
Favorite Songs of 2022
'Storm Queen,' Grace Cummings
'Into the Night,' Cult of Luna
'Lowered,' Greg Puciato and Reba Meyers
'Pain Remains I-III,' Lorna Shore
'I Close My Eyes so I Can See,' Sylvaine
'Mythic Love,' BAMBARA
'Stranded,' A-Z
'Halo,' Amorphis
'Pain of Oizys,' Venom Prison
'Call Me Little Sunshine,' Ghost
'Mariella,' Khruangbin and Leon Bridges
'Shine A Light,' Paolo Nutini
'Let It Rain,' Kings X
'Golden Liar,' Zeal & Ardor
'Notes on How to Trust,' GGGOLDDD
'Hearts of Stone,' Oceans of Slumber
'In ár gCroithe go deo,' Fontaines D.C
'Committed to the Con,' Alexisonfire
'Jetblack,' Starcrawler
'Preachers,' Petrol Girls
'Hostages,' The Mountain Goats
'Death, Where Is Your Sting?' Avatarium
Favorite Albums of 2022
Dreadnought, The Endless
False Light, White Ward
Thought Form Descent, Wake
Portal Tombs, Mass Worship
Acts of God, Immolation
Pain Remains, Lorna Shore
Timewave Zero, Blood Incantation
It's Time... To Rise from the Grave, Undeath
Still As The Night, Cold As The Wind, Vital Spirit
Nova, Sylvaine
Storm Queen, Grace Cummings
Crystalline Exhaustion, Krallice
The Long Road North, Cult of Luna
Trespasser, Idol of Fear
Heavy Pendulum, Cave In
Music For Animals, Nils Frahm
Halo, Amorphis
A Heartless Portrait, Evergrey
Sunir, IANAI
Skinty Fia, Fontaines D.C.
Celestial Woods, Raat
Folio Limina, The Otolith
Favorite Shows of 2022
Ghost, San Diego Sports Arena, San Diego, CA 8/26/22
Iron Maiden, Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, WA 9/28/22
Wolves In The Throne Room, Fire In The Mountains, Moran, WY 7/24/22
Dreadnought, Fire In The Mountains, Moran, WY 7/23/22
Wayfarer, The Summit, Denver, CO 12/3/22
Amorphis, El Corazon, Seattle, WA 4/27/22
Immolation, The Summit, Denver, CO 12/2/22
DBUK, Fire In The Mountains, Moran, WY 7/23/22
Spiritbox, San Diego Sports Arena, San Diego, CA 8/26/22
Pet Shop Boys, Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, WA 10/14/22
Wake, The Summit, Denver, CO 12/3/22
Haunter, Fire In The Mountains, Moran, WY 7/23/22
Visigoth, Fire In The Mountains, Moran, WY 7/24/22
Joan Jett, T-Mobile Park, Seattle, WA 8/31/22
Unto Others, The Funhouse, Seattle, WA 12/16/22
Built to Spill, Showbox (Market), Seattle, WA 11/30/22
The Heebie Jeebies, Slim's Last Chance, Seattle, WA 10/28/22
Defining Moments of 2022 (in chronological order)
Connecting with Albert at Decibel
Reconnecting with family in Wales
Near miss landing at Sea-Tac on flight from London that left me reconsidering a lot
Doing the 'Cooper Loop' with Isaac
Vancouver Island visit with Regan and Doris
Joining the Slalom team
10th Anniversary Trip to Hawaii's Big Island with Jen
Fire In The Mountains: natural beauty, great music, and all the wonderful people I met
Leaving Erin Rae and the Heartbeets
Taking Thatcher to his first 'metal' concert with Clayton in San Diego (Ghost, Mastadon, and Spiritbox)
Ichiro Weekend at the ballpark with Jason
Having my first article published in Decibel
Decibel Metal & Beer Fest in Denver with Clayton