Written by: Ian Hayes
12/31/22
Is it just me, or has 2022 been a Busy year for everyone? I’ve felt so inspired by all my friends following their passions. I’ve felt so inspired by music. Times are tough, for sure, but I feel we can overcome anything if we stick together and help each other out.
With the start of this new journey with DED Records, I wanted to reach out to all my friends in the local Colorado music industry/scene and ask them about their year. I asked “On the record, what are your favorite releases of the year and what were some of your favorite moments of the year with your band?” Read below to hear some of the highlights from my favorite Colorado pros.
Brennan Edwards - Florissant
Favorite Albums of 2022:
Pianos Become the Teeth - Drift
This album front to back is just beautifully crafted to me. The songs, production, all of it, just great.
The Callous Daoboys - Celebrity Therapist
Another one that doesn't have a moment I like to skip. The whole damn thing is heavy and weird and keeps you on your toes.
The Mars Volta
I thoroughly enjoyed their new self titled. I know its a departure from what people may have expected but I thought the whole thing was pretty rad. They took a more accessible approach to some of the music but you could still feel that psychedelic pulse just under the skin, and some moments reminisce of their previous work and still tickled my brain pretty nicely lol.
Year in Review
Man this year has been really cool for Florissant. Recording and releasing three single was pretty exciting and finally playing out some was fantastic but my favorite moments of the year are some of the smaller moments like when the whole band really locks into something new and we can all just ride that wave, or watching us all become a more cohesive unit the more we write together. Everyone involved seems nearly endlessly creative so theres never a dull moment. I thoroughly enjoy the time we spend together so the whole damn thing is just great. Excited for 2023 and some of the new music we will be putting out.
Colton Krohn - HATED
My favorites releases? Probably shrine by Bleed From Within, Cancer Culture by Decapitated, and believe it or not Kings Of The New Age by State Champs.
As far as my favorite moments with the HATED Bois would be probably doing photoshoots and playthrough videos. They are all just a blast to be around. Tracking drums for the upcoming EP was another highlight moment for me. Some magical things happened in the music then.
Onyx Morales - The Human Complex
One of my favorite moments for the band is the music video we did, because it cemented, like, ‘Hey we’re a band. We’re doing this.’
Favorite album of the year? “The Mars Volta. Yeah. I’m gonna go with that one. That was definitely my favorite album of the year. I hate when bands stay in one genre, one technique, and one specific writing style verses The Mars Volta who have always been like ‘We’re gonna do what we want.’ But this time they really shifted their sound and it’s still really good.
Jaden Lueras - Patema
Gotta say my favorite releases of the year would be the new Coheed and Cambria record and both of Haken’s new singles. Favorite moment this year with my band is playing our first show with the new lineup earlier this month! Beyond that, I’m really proud of the music that’s been written this year
How did the show go? Where was that at?
It was awesome dude!! Crazy show because we had one rehearsal the night before and it was the first time the guitarist and drummer even met, but we played a really solid set and are super excited to start booking more. It was at a joint called Antero Hall and I liked that place a lot.
I bet that was thrilling! Will the new members be contributing to the writing process moving forward since there seems to be so much chemistry right off the bat? You said you’re proud of what’s already been written, I’m assuming that’s been more of a solo endeavor, perhaps?
It really was!! It was also our first time being on stage in over a year, so it just felt nice to brush the dust off of ourselves. New members will certainly be contributing! In fact, Jerry and I got together yesterday for a writing session and we started breaking ground on a new tune. The last couple of tracks were written by staying up late and really trying to filter my own ideas, which is a lot of fun, but I always prefer having other brains involved in the process and I’m excited for that to be the case moving forward.
Trent Headings - Liontortoise
Favorite albums of 2022:
Black Matter Device - Autonomous Weapons (shameless promoting my old band lol)
Bilmuri - Goblin Hours
ERRA - Self Titled deluxe edition (the covers are excellent)
He Is Legend - Endless Hallway (still pretty fresh but been on repeat quite a bit)
Greylotus - Dawnfall
As for favorite moments with my own band, I'd have to say simply joining and having the opportunity to record parts for the latest release, Photosynthesis II. Despite being too late for the writing process, I got record rhythms and contribute artwork having only been a member for a couple months. Releasing the music video for v4 is definitely a highlight. Truthfully I think our best moments from this year involve writing new songs that won't be released until 2023, and I can't wait for the world to hear them!
Nick Nodurft - Rusty Sun Audio
I had so many awesome releases this year and worked with a ton of awesome musicians. A whole lot of albums I got to work on are getting released in 2023 but a few releases I worked on that came out in 2022 off the top of my mind are Capture This, Mr. Atomic and Cantu Ignis.
I had a ton of awesome moments throughout the year, but here are a few that come to mind.
Getting to record Brendan from Counterparts doing guest vocals for the new The Burial Plot album.
Capture this getting to play 93.3's Big Gig this summer off a song we recorded.
Getting to mix a bunch of live studio songs for Æther Realm that will have a special release soon.
After lots of planning getting to add of a ton of gear to the studio to create an awesome hybrid system for mixing and tracking.
Caleb Delladio - Ovira
I feel like a lot of really cool music came out this year but I found myself listening to I Prevail’s True Power album and Novelist FR’s Deja Vu.
I have 3 favorite moments for
Ovira this year
The release of Fuck You is big for me because I think it’s our best song, yet 😉 I hoped to have more music out in 2022 but it ended up being a year that we really developed our live show and I think that’s gonna make for our best releases yet coming in 2023.
Speaking of our live show I really loved our show May 13th with Fighting the Phoenix at the Black Sheep that was one of the funnest shows I’ve ever played. To cap off the year winning the Bandwagon Battle of the Bands was definitely one of my favorite moments this year, not just winning, but all of the really cool people we were able to meet by being part of it.
Devan Fechner - Crotalus & Chamber Mage
Favorite Releases of 2022:
Psycroptic - Divine Counsel
Worm - Bluenothing
Allegaeon - Damnum
Immolation - Acts of God
Devil Master - Ecstasies of Never Ending Night
White Ward - False Light
Thou Art Lord - Daemoniorum
Cosmic Putrefaction - Crepuscular Dirge for the Blessed Ones
Power Paladin - With the Magic Windfyre Steel
Ripped to Shreds - Jubian
Onward - Of Epoch and Inferno
Vital Spirit - Still as the Night, Cold as the Wind
Exocrine - The Hybrid Suns
An Abstract Illusion - Woe
Artificial Brain - Artificial Brain
For Crotalus , opening for Suffocation/Atheist and Jungle Rot/Internal Bleeding the same week was nuts
Chamber Mage - our demo has been the best received release to date and is lookin to have gotten us a deal with a label