My Top 20 Albums of 2023
I haven't written on here in a while, but I still want to do my "Top 20 Albums" list for 2023. Hopefully I'll get back into more regular posts as well.
20. Royal Thunder - Rebuilding the Mountain
Country: United States
Label: Spinefarm Music Group
This album didn't grab me the same way that WICK did, but it's still very good. I'd also highly recommend seeing Royal Thunder live if you get a chance.
19. Divide and Dissolve - Systemic
Country: Australia
Label: Invada Records
Some huge sounding drone/doom from an Australian duo.
18. Slowdive - Everything is Alive
Country: United Kingdom
Label: Dead Oceans
I've been getting into shoegaze-adjacent stuff quite a bit lately, so a new album by Slowdive can't be overlooked.
17. Godflesh - Purge
Country: United Kingdom
Label: Avalanche Recordings
From legends of one genre at spot 18 to legends of a completely different genre.
16. Liturgy - 93696
Country: United States
Label: Thrill Jockey Records
Liturgy is some really great and unique experimental music.
15. Great Falls - Objects Without Pain
Country: United States
Label: Neurot Recordings
I only discovered Great Falls this year, and I wish I would have sooner. They make some awesome noise rock.
14. The Armed - Perfect Saviors
Country: United States
Label: Sargent House
The Armed continue to stray further from their hardcore punk roots. I always appreciate a band that does what they want to do and doesn't just make the same album over and over. This one has more of an indie rock feel in my opinion. I also love how many sweet basslines this album has.
13. Pupil Slicer - Blossom
Country: United Kingdom
Label: Prosthetic Records
Pupil Slicer continues to find their sound, and I look forward to what they do in the future. The clean vocals on this album work really well.
12. HEALTH - Rat Wars
Country: United States
Label: Loma Vista Recordings
Probably the closest thing to pop music on my list. I love how HEALTH refuses to stick to one genre. They go from rock, to industrial, to EDM, and it just works, and doesn't feel like a mess.
11. Code Orange - The Above
Country: United States
Label: Blue Grape Music
Code Orange is another band that has been evolving and finding their sound over the last few years. It feels to me like they've started to settle a bit, as this one feels a little less experimental.
10. Cattle Decapitation - Terrasite
Country: United States
Label: Metal Blade Records
I've said this before, but I don't listen to very much death metal; I find most of it very boring. Cattle Decapitation continue to do it right, and blow me away every time. One of the best vocalists in metal.
9. Full of Hell & Nothing - When No Birds Sang
Country: United States
Label: Closed Casket Activities
I absolutely love collaborative albums, and this one was no exception. I really wasn't sure what to expect from an album made together by a grindcore band and a shoegaze band, but this was everything I could have wanted and more.
8. The Body - I Shall Die Here / Earth Triumphant
Country: United States
Label: RVNG Intl.
This might be kind of cheating, as it's partially a re-release, but whatever. The Body is great at what they do.
7. BIG|BRAVE - nature morte
Country: Canada
Label: Thrill Jockey Records
My list is seriously lacking in Canadian bands this year, but I'm glad BIG|BRAVE is here. One of my favourite bands, and one of the bands I want most to see live. Maybe this year!
6. Baroness - Stone
Country: United States
Label: Abraxan Hymns
Not a lot to say about this one. Baroness continues to do what they're great at. I would've loved to go see them on their recent tour which came nearby, but it didn't work out.
5. Full of Hell & Primitive Man - Suffocating Hallucination
Country: United States
Label: Closed Casket Activities
Not only is this Full of Hell's second album on this list, it's another collaborative album. When they announced this one it was a little easier to set expectations than with the Nothing collab. It's so ridiculously heavy.
4. KEN Mode - VOID
Country: Canada
Label: Artoffact Records
One of my favourite bands, every album KEN Mode has ever put out has been incredible. I've lost count of how many times I've seen them live. I wish all bands would come to my neck of the woods as often as KEN Mode does.
3. Mutoid Man - Mutants
Country: United States
Label: Sargent House
With the addition of Jeff Matz, I think Mutoid Man has officially reached "supergroup" status. Nobody quite does "heavy" and "insanely catchy" like Mutoid Man does. Everything they put out is incredible.
2. Spotlights - Alchemy for the Dead
Country: United States
Label: Ipecac Recordings
Spotlights checks all the boxes for me. It's post-metally, sludgy, shoegazey, and full of awesome riffs. They also definitely win best album art of the year. It's so good!
1. END - The Sin of Human Frailty
Country: United States
Label: Closed Casket Activities
It's insane how good this album is. The production is amazing and every song just hits so hard. They put three guest vocalists on this album and all three they got were incredible choices: Debbie Gough (Heriot), J.R. Hayes (Pig Destroyer), and Dylan Walker (Full of Hell). If you like extreme music and haven't listened to END before, you should.
If you so desire, you can also listen to my entire list via Spotify playlist: