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Post by greendemon on Jan 14, 2024 18:57:38 GMT 1
Top 70! This is the point at which my 2022 year-end started and we're now firmly into 8/10 minimum territory, so about equivalent to my year-end top 30 in 2022 70. Green Lung - This Heathen Land3rd November | occult rock; doom metalThird album from the London-based occult rock band. Another very late arrival towards the end of last year, though one I had been on the lookout for since hearing the single 'Maxine (Witch Queen)'. While I traditionally haven't been into 70s-revival rock and metal, this album's offering of heavy riffs and catchy, well-written songs themed around British myths, legends and folklore was right up my street. Beginning with a spoken-word introduction reminiscent of an old documentary, it immediately pulls you into the weird and mystical world of the album's setting, and the songs thereafter offer enough variety and changes of pace to keep you engaged without ever losing sight of its theme. The closer 'Oceans of Time' is maybe a little long but when listening to it for the second time I suddenly had the 'oh sh!t' moment of realising which incredibly well-known character the song was about which sucked me right back into it If you like 70s-inspired occult rock with spooky themes you need to check this out; again maybe should be higher but it came out so late! Chart history: Maxine (Witch Queen) [GL10 Sep-Dec 23, #29] One for Sorrow* [GL10 Sep-Dec 23, #78] * sorry Steps fans, not a cover 69. Haken - Fauna3rd March | progressive metalSeventh studio album from another London band. This was another one I checked out on the basis of the rave reviews it got when it dropped. As the title suggests, the album is loosely themed around the animal world, but particularly focused on the idea of 'spirit animals' and so also relates to the band's own experiences. I did struggle a bit with this one when it first came out: at over an hour long and not immediately cohesive, it tests my patience a little even now, but I kept finding myself going back to it because when this album hits, it's a thing of beauty. Each song is multi-layered and complex in its own right, so while there aren't many tracks I enjoy all the way through, you have these little moments here and there which are just absolute bliss. Vocalist Ross Jennings must have one of the loveliest clean voices in metal right now. Chart history: Fauna [Mar-Apr 23, #16] Lovebite [GL8 May-Jun 23, #28] 68. Fiddlehead - Death Is Nothing To Us18th August | post-hardcoreThird studio album from the Boston-based supergroup. This was a random find from the Heavy Blog is Heavy release round-up, which offers a comprehensive, if US-focused listing of rock and metal releases. Considering my favourite album of 2022 was a post-hardcore one I should really have made more of an effort to keep up with the genre last year. This one though turned out to be a highlight: despite the dark theme, the songs somehow feel upbeat, and benefitting from a short runtime, it got lots of plays in the late summer. Chart history: Death Is Nothing To Us [Jul-Aug 23, #12] Fifteen to Infinity [GL9 Jul-Aug 23, #33]
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Post by greendemon on Jan 16, 2024 13:01:04 GMT 1
67. Glazyhaze - Just Fade Away19th May | dreampop; shoegazeDebut album from this Italian band. This came out back in May but didn't get a lot of attention and I only stumbled upon it much later in the year. Being honest I think I've overrated it slightly here as it's probably only a 7.5; it doesn't reinvent the wheel but this is a really solid and enjoyable assortment of dreamy, 90s-inspired shoegaze with contrasting male and female vocals and pretty impressive for a debut. It's a relatively short listen too, which has, as ever, helped it rack up lots of plays. I did chart 'The Other Side' (the not-title track) which is also the album closer. Chart history: The Other Side [GL9 Jul-Aug 23, #11] 66. Mutoid Man - Mutants28th July | metal; hard rockThird album from the New York band fronted by Stephen Brodsky of Cave In fame. Another new-to-me band, I checked this out as I was curious to see what an album with such a wacky cover would sound like; I don't know what I was expecting but I came out pretty impressed. The lead single 'Call of the Void' is the opening track and is a pretty catchy and melodic punk-rock song, but the nine tracks that follow veer from hardcore to heavy rock to grunge to something that sounds suspiciously like doom metal, with some absolutely killer riffs throughout. Not sure I would say I like them more than what I've heard of Cave In but definitely worth a listen. Chart history: Mutants [Jul-Aug 23, #14] Call of the Void [GL9 Jul-Aug 23, #36] Siren Song [GL9 Jul-Aug 23, #61] 65. Blood Star - First Sighting21st April | heavy metalAnother debut, this time from this Salt Lake City heavy metal band. One of quite a few female-fronted traditional heavy metal acts to release highly-acclaimed records in 2023, this for me was the standout in that category. Heavily inspired by the likes of Thin Lizzy, Def Leppard and Iron Maiden, Blood Star seem to have mastered the knack of producing excellent 80s-style traditional heavy metal fresh and distinctive enough to keep themselves from sounding like a tribute act. Really well-written songs packed with great riffs and absolutely killer vocals, this is just a really fun listen. Chart history: First Sighting [Mar-Apr 23, #11]
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Post by greendemon on Jan 16, 2024 18:57:32 GMT 1
64. Young Fathers - Heavy Heavy3rd February | indieFourth album from the Edinburgh group. While I'd been aware of Young Fathers for a few years, for some reason they'd never really clicked with me until this album which I immediately enjoyed from the first play. Maybe I need to go back and revisit their earlier material but the songs on Heavy Heavy just seem so much more joyous and vibrant than anything else I've heard from them. Standouts are definitely 'I Saw', 'Shoot Me Down' and 'Tell Somebody' but it's such an enjoyable listen all the way through - the energy of the album never lets up even when dealing with weighty lyrical themes. It got a much lower chart place than it deserved when it came out thanks to the sheer number of great albums that came out at the start of last year, but it has already climbed above a few of those here. Chart history: Heavy Heavy [Jan-Feb 23, #15] 63. Spiritbox - The Fear Of Fear [EP]3rd November | metalcoreFourth EP from the Canadian band. I've been a little slow to get on board with these guys having missed their debut (and to date only) full-length Eternal Blue back in 2021, but I was very taken with the single 'Rotoscope' last year which properly put them on my radar. While that song is strangely missing from this EP, the six tracks that are here include some of the best material I've yet heard from them. Four of them charted but for me my favourites are the two that I think best showcase just how diverse this band's sound can be: the beautiful, almost ethereal 'The Void' and the utterly crushing, floor-smashing heaviness of 'Cellar Door'. Really starting to get properly excited about this band now and can't wait to see what they do next. Chart history: The Void [GL7 Mar-Apr 23, #38] Jaded [GL9 Jul-Aug 23, #84] Cellar Door [GL10 Sep-Dec 23, #16] Too Close / Too Late [GL10 Sep-Dec 23, #68] As we've been talking about listening to/watching music on YouTube today I just needed to share my favourite moment from any 2023 music video
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Post by greendemon on Jan 17, 2024 15:12:33 GMT 1
62. Birdy - Portraits18th August | popFifth studio album from the English singer-songwriter. Another reasonably well-established artist whose work has generally passed me by, after I heard the first two singles - the Kate Bush-inspired 'Raincatchers' and the utterly gorgeous 'Heartbreaker' - I was totally on board. As is often the case, it ended up not being quite what I expected and accordingly ended up scraping into my top 30, but I've since gone back to it and found that there's a lot to like here despite the lack of 80s synthpop bangers outside of the singles, and I actually quite appreciate the variety; there are some absolutely stunning slower moments on this record which really make the most of her voice. I can't deny though that this maybe would not have been quite as high if I didn't love those singles so much! Chart history: Portraits [Jul-Aug 23, #28] Heartbreaker [GL7 Mar-Apr 23, #6] Raincatchers [GL7 Mar-Apr 23, #46] Paradise Calling [GL9 Jul-Aug 23, #23] 61. Fires in the Distance - Air Not Meant For Us28th April | melodic death metalSecond LP from the Connecticut melodeath outfit. Not a band I was familiar with at all, this got rave reviews left and right upon release so I had to check it out. Without a doubt one of the most beautiful albums of the year to carry the death metal genre tag, this is much slower, melancholic and more doomy affair, its distinctive feature being the soaring piano-driven melodies that carry through the entire album. The one criticism I had of it, and why it just misses out on the top 60, is that it is a little too long, although that might be a little unfair because after multiple relistens I really don't know what they could have cut. As a whole, it's still a thing of beauty and very much a deepest-depths-of-winter album so I think I'm going to put it on for another spin now. Chart history: Air Not Meant For Us [Mar-Apr 23, #10]
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Post by greendemon on Jan 17, 2024 19:34:48 GMT 1
60. Fen - Monuments To Absence7th July | atmospheric black metal; post-black metalSeventh full-length from the East Anglian black metal band. Their name, as you might guess, is very much inspired by the geography of their home region, as is their music which seeks to evoke the Fenland landscape. Probably the biggest recovery on this entire list, I charted this at a lowly #35 when it came out! After loving the description of it, it just didn't hit with me at first; I think I was somewhat put off by the over-an-hour-long runtime (spot the running theme...). In the first general sorting of this list it was languishing in the 150s but revisiting it towards the end of the year made it shoot up into the top 60. Again, perhaps it came out at the wrong time of the year, because this is definitely not a summer album, so revisiting it in the cold and dark has definitely helped. While I do maintain that it is a bit too long, where this album really succeeds is in how varied it is, combining bleak and angry black metal tremolo riffs and shrieking with more ponderous and beautifully atmospheric doomy passages, and a good amount of clean singing. Definitely an album that improves with every listen. Chart history: Monuments To Absence [Jul-Aug 23, #35] 59. King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard - PetroDragonic Apocalypse; or, Dawn Of Eternal Night: An Annihilation Of Planet Earth And The Beginning Of Merciless Damnation16th June | heavy metal; thrash metalTwenty-fourth(!) studio album from the ridiculously prolific Australian band, and still only their first of two albums to come out last year. While I had heard bits and pieces of their vast repertoire (given how much they have released it would have been difficult not to), this was actually my first time listening to an entire KG&LW from start to finish. I was on the lookout for this as soon as the awesome single 'Gila Monster' dropped, and despite the follow-up 'Dragon' being appropriately monster-sized and off-putting, I was keen to see how it all fit together as a whole. A concept album on the theme of humanity, the planet and our efforts as a species to bring about its destruction, it has quite a dark and apocalyptic tone to it, but with just enough fantastical zany weirdness about dragons and witches to keep it from being overwhelming. The songs are long but frenetic, fast-paced and full of tremendous riffage, and it's just really great fun. As well as The Silver Cord, I do need to go back and check out Infest the Rat's Nest, their last metal album which is supposed to be a prelude to this, but I think it's safe to say I'm probably not going to get around to their entire back catalogue any time soon Chart history: PetroDragonic Apocalypse; or, Dawn Of Eternal Night... [May-Jun 23, #14] Gila Monster [GL8 May-Jun 23, #30] Dragon [GL8 May-Jun 23, #97] 58. Slowdive - Everything Is Alive1st September | indie; shoegazeFifth studio album from the Reading shoegazers, and their first in six years. I hadn't been expecting new material from them this year, so it was nice to see Rachel Goswell guest on Drab Majesty's EP and then shortly after discover that this album was due to come out. Informed by personal losses for both Goswell and drummer Simon Scott during the pandemic, while there's a definite sense of sadness to this album I think it's actually much less melancholic than you would necessarily think. I don't love absolutely every note of it (I still don't know how I feel about 'skin in the game') but taken as a whole it's a beautiful album and probably my favourite (non-grunge) shoegaze record of the year. 'Kisses' and of course 'alife' are the standouts for me; the latter made my final top 3 of the year. Chart history: kisses [GL8 May-Jun 23, #37] the slab [GL9 Jul-Aug 23, #70] alife [GL10 Sep-Dec 23, #3] 57. Empire State Bastard - Rivers Of Heresy1st September | metal; grindcoreDebut album from the new grindcore/metal project comprising Biffy Clyro's Simon Neil, Mike Vennart of Oceansize and a certain Dave Lombardo on drums. Given my widely-professed love for Simon's main band, it might come as a surprise that this is as low as it is, but this is a long way from even the heaviest material Biffy have produced and probably didn't appeal to all their fans! I'll be honest, grindcore is never going to be my favourite genre, and while I enjoyed it I don't think lead single 'Harvest' got me particularly hyped, but what really got me on board with this project was seeing their live set at ArcTanGent in the summer. Something about hearing 'Harvest' and 'Stutter' live really made them click with me, perhaps alongside the other new material which I found sufficiently varied, particularly the absolutely stunning closer, 'The Looming', which is like Biffy does epic doom metal and I love it so much. The heavier songs can be pretty abrasive and I can definitely appreciate it's not for everyone but I still enjoy playing this now and I'm looking forward to seeing what they do next. Chart history: Harvest [GL7 Mar-Apr 23, #56] Stutter [GL8 May-Jun 23, #92] The Looming [GL9 Jul-Aug 23, #3] Moi? [GL9 Jul-Aug 23, #54] 56. The Lemon Twigs - Everything Harmony5th May | indie; popFourth album from the Long Island, NY band. At some point soon I'm going to have to stop saying 'I don't usually like 70s-inspired retro music' because given the number of times I've had to say that here, apparently I do. I had never heard of The Lemon Twigs before 2023 though I gather they have been quietly gathering fans and critical acclaim for the past 10 years. My first introduction was with 'Any Time Of Day' with its infectiously catchy earworm of a chorus that quickly had me investigating 'Corner Of My Eye', which I had missed, and the following singles were equally great. I'm a little bit awestruck of just how good this band are at crafting brilliantly tuneful and well-written songs clearly inspired by 60s and 70s jangle-pop while also managing to sound fresh and contemporary. There are moments that don't quite work (vocals on the opening track spring to mind) but it seems like nitpicking to point that out when this album also has that utterly gorgeous guitar and vocal hook on 'In My Head' and the beautiful simplicity of 'Every Day Is The Worst Day Of My Life'. I've probably underrated this in all honesty but what I can say, it was a good year for music Chart history: Everything Harmony [May-Jun 23, #10] Any Time Of Day [GL6 Jan-Feb 23, #31] In My Head [GL7 Mar-Apr 23, #54] Every Day Is The Worst Day Of My Life [GL7 Mar-Apr 23, #72]
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Post by greendemon on Jan 19, 2024 14:42:35 GMT 1
55. Boys Like Girls - Sunday At Foxwoods 20th October | pop; alternative Fourth album from the Massachusetts group, their first in over a decade though the members have been off doing other projects in the meantime. I'm not sure I actually remember this band from their 2000s heyday as I primarily know of them through The Night Game, one of those aforementioned other projects involving Martin Johnson. Although #55 is a respectable position and I obviously like this album a lot, I honestly expected this to be a top 30 or higher contender on the back of a string of excellent singles, 3 of which were top 5 hits for me. I do think it's a really good 80s-revival power-pop album, but there are a couple of tracks I don't care for particularly in the second half, and the bonus tracks tacked onto the end are very unnecessary in my opinion. I just never seem to want to listen to it as a whole rather than just the singles in isolation. Chart history: BLOOD AND SUGAR [GL8 May-Jun 23, #5] LANGUAGE [GL9 Jul-Aug 23, #2] THE OUTSIDE [GL9 Jul-Aug 23, #37] MIRACLE [GL10 Sep-Dec 23, #4] CRY [GL10 Sep-Dec 23, #95] 54. Daughter - Stereo Mind Game7th April | indie; folkThird studio album from the London band. Another band coming back after a sizeable gap, who were definitely not on my radar for new music going into the year, especially since I'd never paid that much attention to them before (an oversight on my part, though I'd always found them a bit too wistful and sad). I was really impressed by the singles going into this, particularly the slow-building 'Party', and likewise the album, which is gorgeous and surprisingly varied. A really good album which I should have revisited more. Chart history: Stereo Mind Game [Mar-Apr 23, #9] Party [GL6 Jan-Feb 23, #28] Be On Your Way [GL6 Jan-Feb 23, #58] To Rage [GL7 Mar-Apr 23, #62]
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Post by greendemon on Jan 22, 2024 16:22:34 GMT 1
53. Wayfarer - American Gothic 27th October | atmospheric black metalFifth album from the Denver, Colorado band who describe themselves as 'Black Metal of the American West'. Another album I probably haven't given as much time to as it deserved - I did play it once on release and wasn't blown away, but after seeing it feature prominently on numerous metal-focused end-of-year lists I decided to give it another spin. Cowboy black metal could easily have been gimmicky but it's remarkable how good Wayfarer are at translating atmospheric black metal from the icy northern wildernesses traditionally associated with the genre to the dusty and sun-scorched desolation of the American West. The album also evokes a convincing atmosphere of menace in a nod to the blood and gunpowder of the region's history. Basically if the film 'There Will Be Blood' had had a black metal soundtrack, it would have been this. Chart history: To Enter My House Justified [GL10 Sep-Dec 23, #47]
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Post by greendemon on Jan 22, 2024 17:44:30 GMT 1
Continuing the theme of albums that would have been in the top 50 if I'd had more time to listen to them... 52. Fuming Mouth - Last Day Of Sun3rd November | death metal; hardcoreSecond full-length from this Massachusetts band. Officially listed as death metal, since their first album they have incorporated a lot more hardcore elements into their sound, giving this record a distinctly crossover appeal, particularly in the vocals (which thankfully tend to eschew the 'cookie monster gurgle' so typical of death metal). Thematically this is a pretty dark record - literally, as it was originally intended as a concept album about a world about to be plunged into darkness by the death of the sun - with much of the lyrics inspired by frontman Mark Whelan's cancer diagnosis and recovery, and having to reckon with his own mortality. It's as brutal and heavy as you'd expect but nicely broken up by a series of slower, sludgier tracks with clean vocals that add a welcome bit of variety, though it's undeniably at its best with the heavier moments like the devastating single 'I'll Find You'. Chart history: I'll Find You [GL10 Sep-Dec 23, #14] The Silence Beyond Life [GL10 Sep-Dec 23, #42]
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Post by greendemon on Jan 22, 2024 19:44:07 GMT 1
51. Bully - Lucky For You2nd June | alternative rockFourth studio album from the US alt-rock band fronted by Alicia Bognanno. Another entry in the long list of great grunge-revival albums out in 2023, I was new to Bully but had to check this out on the strength of the excellent single 'Days Move Slow'. This album has a great 90s vibe, proudly wearing influences like Sheryl Crow, Hole and Pixies on its sleeve; in fact there were a couple of moments where the callbacks are arguably a little too obvious (I don't know how you can listen to 'How Will I Know' and not think of 'Gigantic', but it's still a great song). Possibly my highlight off the whole thing though is the closer 'All This Noise' with its savage indictment of American rightwing political culture. Again got slightly overshadowed by other grunge records especially in the back half of the year, so is a little unlucky to miss out on the top 50. Chart history: Lucky For You [May-Jun 23, #18] Days Move Slow [GL8 May-Jun 23, #33]
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Post by greendemon on Jan 23, 2024 13:37:15 GMT 1
So at #60 we had Fen, and to kick off the top 50 we have... 50. Ren - Sick Boi13th October | rap; hip hopSecond album from the Welsh rapper and viral YouTube sensation. I was one of the many people who first became aware of Ren Gill's existence thanks to the 9-minute video 'Hi Ren' which appeared on YouTube last year, and having missed subsequent singles, I went into this not knowing what to expect. Reader, it floored me. I'll be the first to admit that rap and hip hop are genres I tend to actively avoid more than anything, and so I'm not a good judge of how well this compares to other records in those fields, but I can honestly say I've rarely encountered lyrics written as well or that hit as hard in any genre of music as those here. Although my highlight is probably 'Money Game, Pt. 3' which left me utterly speechless, the way in which Ren writes so openly about his mental health and illness is equally disarming and devastating to the point that it can actually be quite uncomfortable to listen to, especially considering how long this 18-track behemoth is. That said, these are not songs to be added to playlists and enjoyed in isolation. A great album I couldn't allow to finish outside my top 50 even though I've only heard it all the way through once.
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Post by greendemon on Jan 29, 2024 1:44:47 GMT 1
49. Boygenius - The Record31st March | indieDebut album from the US supergroup comprising Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus. Of the 'most people seemed to love this more than me' category of albums in 2023, this one is probably my favourite. That might sound like damning with faint praise, but I can't deny that the alchemical combination of these three extremely talented singer-songwriters in supergroup format is something very special indeed. There are points during this album where I'm completely blown away by the beautiful harmonies and quietly devastating lyrics on tracks like 'Emily I'm Sorry' (which I definitely underrated in my chart!) and 'Letter To An Old Poet' but in addition to my often finding this style of music depressing anyway... man, this album makes me feel so deeply, powerfully sad that despite getting an 8/10, it has been consigned to I'll-play-this-when-I'm-in-the-mood territory. So while I've hardly seen a top 20 list without this album on it, I can't put it any higher, because while I can definitely appreciate the artistry, I think on some level I'm not quite sure if it's for me. (Also, I think I'm missing something with 'Not Strong Enough'. Everyone was raving about it and I thought it was quite nice.) Chart history:* Not Strong Enough [GL7 Mar-Apr 23, #50] Emily I'm Sorry [GL7 Mar-Apr 23, #79] Cool About It [GL10 Sep-Dec 23, #83] Their biggest hit was 'The Parting Glass' in the final chart of the year, where it reached #2, though that wasn't on this album.
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Post by greendemon on Jan 29, 2024 20:50:23 GMT 1
48. Hot Milk - A Call To The Void 25th August | alternative rock; pop-punk Debut album from the Manchester duo who have been around for a few years but only put out EPs to date. Although this was probably one of the most anticipated debuts of the year in the UK alternative rock scene, it's safe to say I went into this one with fairly muted expectations: their 2022 EP The King & Queen of Gasoline didn't leave much of an impression on me, and I took a while to warm to the first two singles from this release as well (if you think 'Horror Show' was low, I didn't even chart 'Party On My Deathbed' at all ). I was very glad to be proven wrong, however: this album is pretty great. 'Bloodstream' is easily my favourite thing on here but there's an impressive amount of variation on this, from the soaring ballad 'Breathing Underwater' to even a couple of moments verging on metal territory which predictably I especially enjoyed. Chart history: A Call To The Void [Jul-Aug 23, #7] HORROR SHOW [GL7 Mar-Apr 23, #95] BLOODSTREAM [GL9 Jul-Aug 23, #8] BREATHING UNDERWATER [GL9 Jul-Aug 23, #78] And now, for something completely different! 47. Tinariwen - Amatssou19th May | folk rock; world musicNinth album from the long-running Tuareg band. While I've known of Tinariwen for many years, I've never actually sought out their music in the past - though I'm not entirely sure why as I've always loved the sound of North African music ( which is probably why Think Tank is my favourite post-2000 Blur album). In the spirit of trying new things, I took a chance on this and found it more or less became the soundtrack to my early summer. Largely recorded in a mobile studio set up by the band in an Algerian national park and produced by Canadian Daniel Lanois, this is a surprisingly varied album, taking in influences from psychedelic rock and bluegrass, with banjoes and fiddles adding an American country twang which complements the traditional elements of their sound very well. The title of the album translates to 'beyond the fear' and although the music can sound deceptively upbeat, on reading up about the lyrics you really start to appreciate the years of oppression, pain and anger behind the songs. Another album that needs warm weather (and long drives) to get the most out of, but very worthy of a top 50 spot.
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Post by greendemon on Jan 30, 2024 17:55:08 GMT 1
46. Imperium Dekadenz - Into Sorrow Evermore20th January | atmospheric black metalSeventh full-length from the German atmospheric black metal duo. Specialising in a particularly melancholic but undeniably beautiful brand of atmospheric black metal with refreshingly intelligible, English-language screams, Imperium Dekadenz have been on my radar for a while and so this was one of my most highly-anticipated albums in this genre going into 2023. Typically for this band, the album skews towards the more depressive end of the black metal spectrum, dealing with profound themes like death and despair, but delivered through some of the most haunting and gorgeous music I've heard all year. The standout track for me is 'Aurora' which combines a stunning piano melody with a driving beat and reverby guitars, but again, this thing is best enjoyed as a whole. It originally reached #5 but has since been overtaken by three other metal albums released in Jan/Feb last year - which is a reflection on how much I grew to love those, rather than the other way around! Chart history: Into Sorrow Evermore [Jan-Feb 23, #5]
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Post by greendemon on Jan 30, 2024 18:17:10 GMT 1
45. Helga - Wrapped In Mist24th November | post-metal; shoegaze; alternativeDebut album from this Swedish group fronted by the titular Helga Gabriel. Anyone who thinks one shouldn't judge books by their covers clearly doesn't understand the purpose of a book cover, and the same is often true of album art*. Helga are a relatively new act and I had never heard of them before, but I was never not going to be interested in an album adorned with a dragon and medieval gothic font. That said, it took me a good few listens to get into this - Helga are a difficult act to pigeon-hole into a neat genre box; while broadly categorisable as 'post-metal', their sound on this album is incredibly varied, going from the guitar-led single 'Skogen mumlar' that is reminiscent of other female-fronted post-metal outfits like Myrkur to shoegaze, alternative rock and even indie - I swear there's a track on here that sounds like Wolf Alice. I don't know if the execution always comes off perfectly, but this is a hugely impressive and ambitious debut from a young band and I'm very excited to see what they do next. Chart history: Skogen mumlar [GL10 Sep-Dec 23, #28] Burden [GL10 Sep-Dec 23, #45] Alive Again [GL10 Sep-Dec 23, #61] * it's no coincidence that Biffy Clyro's worst album also has the worst cover...
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Post by greendemon on Jan 30, 2024 18:42:11 GMT 1
44. Panopticon - The Rime of Memory29th November | atmospheric black metalTenth studio album from the Minnesota-based one-band black metal project. One of the most beloved and genre-defining artists operating in the black metal scene, I was late to Panopticon but stumbled upon their 2015 release Autumn Eternal a couple of years ago and was completely blown away - I don't know if anything else I've heard has so perfectly managed to capture the feeling of autumn - and so naturally I was keen to hear this when it came out at the end of last year. There's often a strong undercurrent of wistfulness in Panopticon's music and that is very much the case with The Rime of Memory, which deals with the dual themes of the climate crisis and ageing. Mostly these themes are interwoven really well, though I think your response will partly depend on how wound up you are about the destruction of the environment, particularly since there are some very long spoken-word passages (ah yes, we meet again) which seem to be taken directly from documentaries about forest fires, which can be a bit much to chew through especially in a 75-minute-long album. I don't know if it quite merits the rave reviews it has got everywhere, because I do think it's a little bloated, but it's nevertheless a great album and a worthy addition to Panopticon's discography.
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Post by greendemon on Jan 31, 2024 0:59:36 GMT 1
I promise I still listen to non-metal music... 43. Black Honey - A Fistful Of Peaches17th March | indie; alternative rockThird studio album from the Brighton band. Another band I was slow to discover despite their being around since 2014, nevertheless, this was a highly-anticipated release for me off the back of an excellent string of singles. I guess you can tell they've been around for a while because for a third album, A Fistful Of Peaches sounds incredibly accomplished: Black Honey have mastered the knack of producing an album full of infectious hooks and well-written indie rock songs which offer a good amount of variety but are consistent in their quality. One of my favourite things about their sound is Izzy's vocals and the experimentation in this album really showcases her range and talent. My highlight is probably 'Heavy', which I still just adore over a year after I first heard it, though the angry, snarling opener 'Charlie Bronson' has grown on me a lot as well. Their run in the inaugural Haven Factor Express highlighted how many other amazing songs they have in their repertoire and just made me wish I had caught onto them sooner. Chart history: A Fistful Of Peaches [Mar-Apr 23, #6] Heavy [GL5 Oct-Dec 22, #8] Out Of My Mind [GL5 Oct-Dec 22, #31] OK [GL6 Jan-Feb 23, #21] Up Against It [GL6 Jan-Feb 23, #81] 42. M83 - Fantasy 17th March | electronic; shoegaze Ninth studio album from the French electronic act. Despite my widely-professed love of M83, I went into this album with somewhat muted expectations as Anthony Gonzalez' music has been on an self-proclaimed trajectory away from the 'commerciality' of 2008's Saturdays=Youth and 2011's Hurry Up, We're Dreaming (the latter of which has a good claim to be my favourite album of all time*), and while the last two albums have still produced some beautiful music, I will always miss the big glittery hook-driven synthy shoegaze of his older work. That said, I loved the lead single 'Oceans Niagara' and follow-up 'Amnesia', and even though his change of direction still leaves me a little frustrated (and hence I can't quite put this in the top 40), this is easily his best album in over a decade and is full of music in much the same shimmery, dreamy and uplifting style I associate with M83, albeit not in quite as punchy or memorable a format. I do slightly regret not going to see them at the Roundhouse as I think hearing this live would definitely have helped. Chart history: Fantasy [Mar-Apr 23, #3] Oceans Niagara [GL6 Jan-Feb 23, #8] Amnesia [GL7 Mar-Apr 23, #9] * Also a rare example of a double album where the length is actually warranted in my opinion.
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Post by greendemon on Jan 31, 2024 18:42:09 GMT 1
Just missing out on the top 40... 41. Underdark - Managed Decline24th November | black metal; post-hardcore; post-metalSecond full-length from this Nottingham five-piece. Once again, another very late release that is lucky to make it onto the chart at all, but again stood a chance of being higher. Like a certain other female-fronted UK black metal-adjacent act yet to appear in this list, Underdark have honed a distinctive sound that incorporates post-metal and post-hardcore elements, though unlike that band they are still definitely black metal. They had not been on my radar whatsoever but this album came out of nowhere and really took me by surprise: I really dislike referring to concept albums as 'a journey' but the organisation of this one explicitly invites that description, with each track name containing a date and life milestone, giving the impression of an entire lifetime told through album format. As a concept, it sounds kind of cheesy but it works really well; the lyrics convey mood shifts from hope to despair, and the music is devastatingly good - heavy and angry but occasionally utterly beautiful. A couple of days before writing this, they were announced for ArcTanGent this summer so I may check them out.
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Feb 1, 2024 0:53:32 GMT 1
top 40 here we go
Loved the new Black Honey album, all of their albums have been good
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Post by greendemon on Feb 1, 2024 12:04:56 GMT 1
Time to get the party started with... yes, you guessed it, more weird metal 40. Fredlös - Fredlös10th February | medieval folk metalDebut album from this Swedish medieval folk metal project co-founded by Alex Hellid of death metal legends, Entombed. Given I just used the words 'medieval folk metal' it's probably no big surprise to see this make my top 40. And did I mention it's female-fronted? One of the most obscure releases on this list, I had unsurprisingly never heard of these guys but you can basically copy and paste all of what I said about the Helga album cover here: give me a medieval-style scene complete with castles, demons and lil dancing skeletons and I'm going to be at the very least intrigued. Album art aside, Fredlös' self-titled album is a dark, moody, atmospheric and beautiful ride through the grim and grisly history of late-medieval Sweden, narrating the past through a fusion of folk with doom and black metal elements. There are violins, there are tremolo riffs, there are choral passages and smooth clean vocals... this album is very much my cup of tea. The only reason it's not higher is it is a little bit too long to be enjoyed in one sitting, and so despite making my top 3 it didn't get as many plays as other albums out at the start of last year. I really hope this project continues though because I need more of this! Chart history: Fredlös [Jan-Feb 23, #3]
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Post by greendemon on Feb 1, 2024 13:42:23 GMT 1
39. Wayside - What Does Your Soul Look Like?10th November | alternative rock; grunge; shoegazeSecond album from the Australian band. Sadly for those of us who still remember the decade the first time around, all things 90s are now officially retro enough to be cool again, and as previously noted, if you like 'grungegaze', you probably had a good time in 2023 with no shortage of excellent releases in this style. Grungegaze exists in the Venn diagram sweet spot between two of my two favourite 90s genres, combining the fuzzy soundscapes of shoegaze with grungy riffs and rhythms, and is probably the style of non-metal guitar music I'm enjoying most at the moment. While Wayside aren't offering anything particularly new or innovative here, what they do, they do very well indeed. This is a remarkably consistent album that reminds me a lot of what Teenage Wrist might sound like if they didn't experiment and stuck to a murkier, moodier tone. There is little variation here but it's hard to criticise when every track is strong. This album holds the distinction of being the latest release out of my entire top 40 (everything else came out between January and October) and while it could have potentially been a bit higher if I'd had more time with it, I do think it was surpassed by several other competitors in the same genre still to come. As it was so late out I never charted anything from this release but 'Parallax Error' is a definite standout with its addictive, classically-90s riff and would have done very well in my chart.
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