Another year comes to an end. We looked back on it and created our top 5 albums lists!
The top 5 albums for each of us:
Rick:
5. Skinher - Heartstruck
My rule regarding horror movies is that I’ll only watch them if they’re bad. Thankfully, this does not extend to horror-inspired music. Skinher however occupy the very center of the Venn diagram “Horror movies I like & horror-inspired music I listen to”: an ode to cheesy 80s slashers, tuned to classic heavy metal with some modern touches. Not the most innovative music you’ve listened to this year, but probably the funniest.
My rule regarding horror movies is that I’ll only watch them if they’re bad. Thankfully, this does not extend to horror-inspired music. Skinher however occupy the very center of the Venn diagram “Horror movies I like & horror-inspired music I listen to”: an ode to cheesy 80s slashers, tuned to classic heavy metal with some modern touches. Not the most innovative music you’ve listened to this year, but probably the funniest.
Matthew:
5. Leper Colony - Leper Colony
Leper Colony is everything I want from old school death metal: bruising riffs with melodic undertones accompanied by furious blast beats. Rather than only including mindless growls in one octave, the vocals on the album vary between growls, shrieks, and shouts. Leper Colony’s debut self-titled album is excellent and I look forward to more music in the future. If you’re a fan of Symbolic-era Death, you’ll definitely want to give this one a listen.
Leper Colony is everything I want from old school death metal: bruising riffs with melodic undertones accompanied by furious blast beats. Rather than only including mindless growls in one octave, the vocals on the album vary between growls, shrieks, and shouts. Leper Colony’s debut self-titled album is excellent and I look forward to more music in the future. If you’re a fan of Symbolic-era Death, you’ll definitely want to give this one a listen.
Jared:
Connor:
5. Nospūn - Opus
This fifth and final spot could have gone to any of a huge number of bands that turned in “great but not game-changing” records in 2023, but it feels right to honor my prog roots by acknowledging what is probably the best new prog metal band in a long time. See, prog metal has forked into djent and -core-descendant groups and stylish, pop-adjacent experiments, each with their own virtues and drawbacks. Nospūn breaks the mold(s) by giving us something reminiscent of the dangerously musical prog rock/jazz/fusion madness that planted seeds in the genre early and has occasionally resurfaced through experimental groups like the short-lived Native Construct. Opus is a timeless design built with shiny modern conventions, like a biplane made of carbon fiber. It’s academic and ambitious but never corny, and wildly inventive. Even with the theatrical prog sentiment, the heaviness never lacks, and the passages on this record leave no friction to hold the listener back; you’re along for the ride, and always eager to see what twist or turn is next.
This fifth and final spot could have gone to any of a huge number of bands that turned in “great but not game-changing” records in 2023, but it feels right to honor my prog roots by acknowledging what is probably the best new prog metal band in a long time. See, prog metal has forked into djent and -core-descendant groups and stylish, pop-adjacent experiments, each with their own virtues and drawbacks. Nospūn breaks the mold(s) by giving us something reminiscent of the dangerously musical prog rock/jazz/fusion madness that planted seeds in the genre early and has occasionally resurfaced through experimental groups like the short-lived Native Construct. Opus is a timeless design built with shiny modern conventions, like a biplane made of carbon fiber. It’s academic and ambitious but never corny, and wildly inventive. Even with the theatrical prog sentiment, the heaviness never lacks, and the passages on this record leave no friction to hold the listener back; you’re along for the ride, and always eager to see what twist or turn is next.
Nathan:
5. Kruelty - Untopia
Japanese death metal/hardcore act Kruelty reelased their second full-length back in March and it's been a regular listen for me in the last nine mongths. The album feels as chaotic as its cover. The blend of hardcore and death/doom creates a swirling tornado of burning molasses and poison.
Japanese death metal/hardcore act Kruelty reelased their second full-length back in March and it's been a regular listen for me in the last nine mongths. The album feels as chaotic as its cover. The blend of hardcore and death/doom creates a swirling tornado of burning molasses and poison.
And our favorite non-metal albums of the year:
Russkaja - Turbo Polka Party
Sad to think this is the last Russkaja album we’ll ever get, because these guys were one of a kind. Rock meets polka meets ska just as Russian meets German meets English when Russkaja plays. Well, played. An ode to peace and brotherhood interrupted because of people’s ignorance and a hate; another thing destructed during the war. Farewell, and thanks for the music!
Sad to think this is the last Russkaja album we’ll ever get, because these guys were one of a kind. Rock meets polka meets ska just as Russian meets German meets English when Russkaja plays. Well, played. An ode to peace and brotherhood interrupted because of people’s ignorance and a hate; another thing destructed during the war. Farewell, and thanks for the music!
