Here Are the Nominees for the 2022 ‘Best Metal Performance’ Grammy

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The Grammys generally feel like a sham to metal fans, who nine times out of ten watch a mainstream artist popular 20 years ago win over the obvious choice. Ever since Jethro Tull stole the first metal Grammy from Metallica in 1989, metalheads around the world have been dubious of the Recording Academy’s taste in metal. While this was somewhat lessened in 2019 with High On Fire’s win for Electric Messiah, lingering suspicions still remain. Now, the 2022 ‘Best Metal Performance’ nominees have been announced, and they basically read like a new metal band hasn’t emerged in the last decade.

Here’s who’s nominated:

  • Deftones, “Genesis”
  • Dream Theater, “The Alien”
  • Gojira, “Amazonia”
  • Mastodon, “Pushing the Tides”
  •  Rob Zombie, “The Triumph of King Freak (A Crypt of Preservation and Superstition)”

Wow, this time the Academy outdid themselves — and ALL of the nominees are bands who have been around for ages! Really, guys, no Gatecreeper? No King Woman? No Khemmis? Fuck, you couldn’t even do a relatively recent act like FEVER 333?

At least last year, we got to see Body Count win a Grammy. Ice-T’s metal band landed the award for their track “Bum Rush.”

“That’s what’s up!” shouted Ice-T in his acceptance speech. “You know, we always say Grammys, whatever whatever…aight, look, let’s start by saying shout-out to the members that aren’t here: [late drummer] Beatmaster V, [late bassist] Mooseman, [late rhythm guitarist] D-Roc that started the band like 30 years ago. And then all the new members — Vincent Price, Ill Will, Juan of the Dead, my son Little Ice, Sean E. Sean, and the true member, Ernie C. Then we got to give a shout-out to [renowned producer] Will Putney, who made our band sound like they’ve never sounded before, Century Media for keeping us in the game all these years…we’re still making albums.”

Check out Ice’s full speech below:

 

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Words by Chris Krovatin