2023 is in the books and it has been a fantastic year for metal! There have been plenty of solid releases throughout the year, and I wanted to share some of my favorites from the year. Some of these I had previously written reviews for earlier in the year. For those albums, I’ll simply recap my thoughts on them. Additionally, after the album discussions, I want to sort of wrap up the year for my blog. But, I’ll save that part for the end.

Typically, year-end rankings list albums from worst to best or something along those lines. However, I take a slightly different approach. I stopped giving the albums I reviewed a numerical rating, as I found it to be a groundless effort in a way. Instead, what I’ve decided to do is split albums into five categories and list five albums in each category. Those albums stood out to me in some way, and I think that listing albums this way is more unique. So with that out of the way, let’s get into my 2023 year-end album rankings. 

My Best Albums of the Year

Hellripper – Warlocks Grim and Withered Hags 

This is genuinely one of my favorite albums of the entire year. I’ve lost count of just how many times I’ve come back to listening to this album throughout the year. The tracks are incredible, engaging, and memorable. The intensity doesn’t let up in the slightest, and I felt the album pushed the boundaries of black/thrash. Hellripper has raised the bar for black/thrash, and I hope that James McBain’s next outing is just as impressive! I also hope that Hellripper can come to America sometime soon! 

Obituary – Dying of Everything

Who doesn’t love Obituary? “Dying of Everything” is a solid effort from Obituary, with some memorable tracks. It’s an album that sounds fresh while also sounding exactly as you expect Obituary to sound. On top of that, the guys in Obituary pushed themselves with “Barely Alive”, the fastest song they have ever written in their career, and with the acoustic part in “War”. Obituary is showing no signs of slowing down or letting up, and I am so excited to see where they go from here!

The Night Eternal – Fatale

The wait for this album was beyond worth it, as The Night Eternal hit their sophomore album out of the park! I’ve kept coming back to this album throughout the year, and it still amazes me how well the songs stand out. I could hear the influence of many different bands, and the blend of all those different styles to make a unique sound is so fascinating. There was more complexity from their debut album, and more intensity too! The Night Eternal is easily one of my favorite bands in modern metal, and is arguably one of the best new bands around. 

Bloodletter – A Different Kind of Hell

Howling like the winds of their hometown in Chicago, Bloodletter’s third album came out of nowhere for me. I stumbled upon “A Different Kind of Hell” on YouTube and was blown away by its sheer intensity and speed. Bloodletter has taken influence from Death Angel, which is cool because I don’t think I’ve seen any band pull from Death Angel for influence. The tracks are engaging, intense, and fun! Metal’s underground is alive and well, and Bloodletter is living, thrashing proof of that!

Panopticon – The Rime of Memory

The follow-up to “…And Again Into The Light”, Panopticon’s 10th album builds off of the previous album with a somber intensity. “The Rime of Memory” includes some new elements, like what I think is an accordion, to add to the folk elements that Panopticon is known for, as well as some deeper, guttural vocals. There is a lot of introspection on display, and both the songs and the artwork reflect that perfectly. “The Rime of Memory” is just incredible to listen to. I can’t wait to hear these songs live!

My Worst Albums of the Year

Haken – Fauna

This was just a weird album. Like I know that Haken is a more proggy band, and I like prog occasionally. But this was just a little too much for me, and once I moved passed it, I rarely, if ever, looked back at this album. It faded into obscurity as the year went on; hell, I only remembered this album existed just for this list! The only thing I could remember about the album was its artwork, and even that just didn’t stay with me that long. 

Frozen Soul – Glacial Domination

I wanted to like Frozen Soul. I mean, it’s blatant Bolt Thrower worship; that’s right up my alley. But even with their debut, Frozen Soul has not stuck out as their own thing. I was hoping that their sophomore album, Frozen Soul would have something to make them stand out to me. They have come off to me as a Bolt Thrower clone, with little to differentiate themselves. I know that people like them, but I do not need additional Bolt Thrower beyond what Bolt Thrower has already released. It’s just not for me, as much as I might want it to be.

Horrendous – Ontological Mysterium

Ironic that a band is named after my opinion of their 2023 album. A little harsh – I know – but I did not like Horrendous’ album this year. I thought it sounded like a bunch of songs that I had already heard before. I don’t know exactly what I was expecting from this album, but it was very bland, unmemorable, and just outright boring. Beyond that, there isn’t much else to say. Not every album is going to be a knockout.

Ecocide – Metamorphosis

Making their return after a three-year hiatus during COVID is Ecocide from The Netherlands. And a bit like Horrendous, it just felt bland and forgettable. I feel like I’ve heard these riffs before and done better by other bands. Like Haken though, I only remembered this album existed for this list. Hell, I struggled to make it through the album the times I listened to it. It’s just not for me.

Haunt – Golden Arm

My opinion on Haunt has not changed since seeing them at Hell’s Heroes 2023. It’s got little to nothing to make it stand out from other Haunt albums and felt like another “quantity over quality” release. The only upside I recall was a slight improvement to the artwork, and even then it was just bland and forgettable. In my mind, Haunt has fallen off a cliff, and I don’t see much of a reason to think they will improve, especially any time soon.

My Most “Meh” Albums of the Year

Crypta – Shades of Sorrow

I wanted to like this album; genuinely I wanted to. I love Crypta – they are one of my favorite modern death metal bands. But every time I listened to this album, it felt sluggish, and not as good as I had hoped. I commend Crypta for taking some chances and adding a few new elements to their sound. But it just didn’t work for me. I hope that Crypta bounces back from “Shades of Sorrow”. Maybe it’ll be better live? Who knows?

Mustang – Beyond Raging Thunder

I remember being excited about this album. Metal from India is pretty rare and their debut single “Children of Thunder” was so promising. I counted down the days to debut with glee, only for the album to just come across as average. The longer I listened to the album, the more I felt I was listening to the same song on repeat, with diminishing returns. I get that it’s tough to hit a home run on your first at-bat, but with how much I enjoyed the single, I had hoped the album would be just as good. Damn.

Bloodstar – First Sighting

Like with Crypta, I wanted to like this album, albeit to a lesser degree. When I listened to this album, it seemed like it would be right up my alley. But, none of the songs stuck with me. It ended up being a rather bland album with little to enjoy wholeheartedly. There were a few neat riffs, but compared to other riffs from other bands, they weren’t enough. Maybe their follow-up will be better? Let’s hope so.

Century – The Conquest of Time

I’m going to start sounding like a broken record (ha), but yeah, this album just didn’t stick with me. The riffs sounded uninspired and lackluster. I struggle to say bad because there is little to fault with those riffs. But again, compared to the others, it’s not enough. Honestly, I don’t have anything else to say beyond that. It’s one of those albums that – for me at least – was just kind of there. 

Kobold – Chaos Head

I think the main issue I had with this album was the mixing. There are some neat riffs and solos here, but I thought the mixing felt off at parts, with guitars overtaking the whole sound. If the album was mixed a touch better, i.e. more balanced, then maybe I wouldn’t have it listed here. But, as it is, this album has to be listed here. 

My Most Surprising Albums of the Year

Naitaka – Emergence

Emerging from the wilds of Kelowna, Naitaka came out of left field with their debut. I still remember the surprise I had when I first listened to it. The blend of the genres worked well, and I can’t wait to see what they do next. Surprisingly, I didn’t come back to this album as much as I had hoped, which is a shame, because there is a lot to like about this album. There is promise with Naitaka, and, maybe with a little more promotion, they can reach a wider audience. 

Jag Panzer – The Hallowed

When I think of American Power Metal, I usually think of simplistic riffs, with a sense of toughness and grit. It’s very different from European Power Metal but maintains a similar simplicity in riffage. Jag Panzer came out and changed my perspective on that. The riffs felt more complex than power metal tends to have, and that made this album stand out a bit more for me. It was a nice change of pace from what American Power Metal has done, and hopefully, similar bands take note. 

Overkill – Scorched

New Jersey’s Overkill shocked me with their 2023 album, “Scorched”. Having not been familiar with their discography, the album felt like something of a breath of fresh air in thrash. The riffs and solos were incredible, and Bobby Blitz’s vocals sounded razor-sharp. I kept coming back to the album – well, actually only select singles – sporadically throughout the year. I think if I had come back to more songs from this album it’d be in my top 5, but overall, I think this is the better spot for it. 

Tombmold – The Enduring Spirit

Man, I did not think this album would be so proggy sounding, especially from the get-go. And honestly, that’s made this album so surprising to me. It’s blend of death metal and those proggy elements work phenomenally well! Also, that artwork is incredible! If I was doing a traditional like 1-20 ranking, this would be a dark horse candidate for album of the year. I don’t always like prog – which is why this album falls outside my top 5 – but there is still a lot to like here.

Goetia – Goetia

Goetia is a new death metal trio from D.C., with this release being their debut EP. I saw them open for Fulci, Drawn and Quartered, and Molder in Baltimore, and I was so surprised by their sound. Like with Overkill, they sounded like a breath of fresh air for their genre, and it shocked me that they were able to achieve the sound they had with only three people. Goetia is not a group you want to sleep on. Hell, they must be doing something right if they’re opening for Fulci and Drawn and Quartered.

My Honorable Mentions of the Year

Enforced – War Remains

Man, I was hoping that I’d enjoy this album more than I did. The songs were great and all, but I just wasn’t as engaged with them. The slightly more polished sound of the album kind of took away the raw aggression of the previous album. Yes, you get a better sound, but you lose that crossover element that made Enforced stand out. They are still a good band, and I enjoyed hearing the new songs when I saw them earlier this year. I just want that raw aggression back.

Memoriam – Rise to Power

Memoriam has been one of the most consistent death metal bands in recent years. But with this release, I felt it just didn’t stack up in quality compared to other releases, both by them and from other bands this year. I struggle to say that it’s bad, but it just got overshadowed by other releases. I don’t think it’s anything to worry about; knowing Memoriam, whatever they come out with will kick ass.

Ripperwolf – Prepare for Attack EP

This EP came out early in the year and kinda got lost in the mix with the hard hitter releases, like Obituary. And to my knowledge, Ripperwolf released only one single after this EP. It’s a shame, because I really liked their debut EP, especially upon relisten. But with the other releases of this year, some were bound to fall to the wayside. Unfortunately, this just happened to be one of those releases. Ripperwolf has a lot of potential, and hopefully, they get more active in 2024. I’d like to see a full-length from them soon.

Baroness – Stone

I like Baroness a lot; hell, John Dyer Baisley is one of my favorite artists ever! And I really like the experimentation that Baisley and the gang took with Stone. Hearing those songs live was cool too (I saw them with Escuela Grind earlier in the year). While the experimentation paid off, the other albums at the top of this list just edged this album out of my top 5. I’m glad that Baroness took that chance and I wonder how they will build off of it.

Blackbraid – Blackbraid II

I enjoyed this album, as I felt it built upon the elements of the first Blackbraid album well. And I kept coming back to it sporadically throughout the year. But compared to the albums in my best of the year, I just felt it didn’t stack up. Blackbraid II is better than the debut, but just it wasn’t enough to land it in the top five. I hope that Blackbraid continues to build off of the elements in their sophomore release. There was a lot to return to with this album.

The Plan Moving Forward

So, that is a wrap for the year 2023! Overall, 2023 was a good year, both for the blog and for me. There was a lot of change and I took a few chances throughout the year. Yeah, I didn’t hit everything I wanted to. But, I’m glad that the year turned out the way that it did, between the record reviews, festival reviews, and opinion pieces. And I’m looking forward to what changes and challenges next year will bring.

So, moving forward, I want to continue to write and release record reviews, festival reviews, and opinion pieces. They are fun, and I hope that people continue to find them enjoyable. The most notable change from this year was the lack of discography dives, which is a bit of a shame. I had planned to release a few of those this year. However, over the year, I’ve realized just how much work goes into making a full discography dive. It’s really difficult for me to maintain my motivation to see a piece of that caliber to completion. I’ll start one and progress will be slow, or virtually non-existent. 

With that said, I’ve decided to shelve discography dives for the foreseeable future. Honestly, Metal School on YouTube does the entire idea better than I can and more consistently. Maybe I’ll do one next year? But, I wouldn’t count on it necessarily. I’ll have other posts to take it’s spot.

I hit more than 1,400 total page views in 2023 – a real milestone for the blog! Additionally, I’ve had readers from all over the world! My blog has reached people in Greece, South Korea, Singapore, Brazil, Canada, Sweden, and plenty of other places. Thank you so much to everyone who has checked out my blog and my posts. It means a lot to me to know that I can give back to a community that has had such a massive impact on my life!

I look forward to what 2024 has in stock. With the announced 2024 releases so far, the metal community is in for some real banger albums! Sahon, Skeletal Remains, Necrophobic, and Morta Skuld have all announced new material is on the way, and who knows who else will follow? And on top of that, festivals like Hell’s Heroes and Maryland Deathfest have already gotten such stacked lineups! 

I’ll see y’all next year! Happy holidays to everyone and their families! \m/

• Dovendyr