Written by: The Administrator
If you are a purveyor of music review sites, you've undoubtedly learned to skip over the fluff that constitutes AOTY intros. The pointlessness of writing this isn't lost on me, let alone the fact that this is a list for, erm, the wrong year. In the music industry churn, an album released last year might as well be a million years old. Obsolete. Irrelevant. Forgotten. So: why 2023? Why not 2024, like unto a proper music review website? What's the rationale behind publishing this list a whole damn year late? There are two reasons. The first is that I think demonstrable longevity is an important aspect of music appreciation, and the ability of an album to outlast a narrow moment in time is a testament to its particular excellence. The second (and real) reason is that I am a profoundly lazy and frequently overwhelmed person, and compiling this list last December was a very large task that seemed, frankly, insurmountable. So here we are. These are 23 albums from 2023 that are, in significant hindsight, still very much my favorite albums of 2023. In terms of format, this list is alphabetical and purely unranked. The generally arbitrary structure of counting down to #1 simply doesn't demonstrate the way I enjoy music, nor is it an effective or accurate way to make recommendations. I'm also completely unconcerned about genre, as I listen to a lot of different stuff. If I'm writing a list, it should probably reflect the reality of listening habits instead of projecting a false image of metal exclusivity. Be prepared for eclecticism. I hope there's something lurking herein that catches your ear. A massive thank you to every artist who contributed to the releases below. And, dear reader, thank you for your readership and support of artists! You're the best. Yes, you.
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Written by: The Administrator
Each year, I inevitably spend a whole lot o' time with EPs. Is this due to my bafflingly short attention span? Yes. Is it also because EPs often feel like the perfect vehicle for a band to flaunt their strengths in a concise and well-trimmed manner? Also yes. Listening to a well-constructed EP is perhaps my favorite way to spend time with music, and so here I am, an eclectic collection of favorites gripped in outstretched grubby fingers. But first, some housekeeping! There are, assuming I counted correctly, 30 entries. I was planning on 20, but have no real interest in trimming a list of untrimmable favorites. In that spirit, hopefully you find something here that worms its way into your favorites as well. This list is not sorted by genre despite featuring a lot of different genres. I apologize for the whiplash, but sorting feels antithetical to the overall notion that listening habits should not be confined for the sake of convenient lists. And lastly, this is utterly unranked--if something appears here, please know that it comes highly, highly recommended! Anyways. Let's get into it.  Greetings, dear reader. It is once again listmas 'round these humble halls. Time, then, to look back the music that has defined our collective year. The non-exhaustive AOTY smorgasbord hath begun.
My personal EP and album lists shall follow in (less-than) good time, but before we get to that, the community speaks. This list is a collaborative effort, with ten distinct music writers, musicians, and fans lending a few words. Hopefully the variety of perspectives results in a list containing at least one or two releases that speak to you! This, of course, is far from exhaustive--indeed, every single one of ye could undoubtedly highlight a vast number of deserving albums not appearing here. A massive thank you is in order to everyone who contributed words and energy to this lil' project. As always, we couldn't have done it without ye! Please check out the writer's respective projects and links. This list constitutes the first five entries, with another five to follow. Read on!  Look, the absurdity of writing yet another intro to an Album(s) of the Year list isn't exactly lost on me. If you're a purveyor of music review sites, you've undoubtedly already skipped over a fair share in the interest of checking out the actual content. We all had a very tough year, but as a consolation prize, 2021 presented a veritable bevy of good (and indeed great) music. Etcetera, etcetera. Let's leave it at that. In terms of format, this list is purely unranked. While previous years counted down to #1, that generally arbitrary structure simply doesn't demonstrate the way I enjoy music. It's also not an effective or accurate way to make recommendations. I'm also significantly less concerned about genre as in the past--I listen to a lot of different stuff, and if I'm writing a list, it should probably reflect that reality instead of projecting a false image of metal exclusivity. So be prepared for a little eclecticism. I hope there's something herein that catches your ear. If so, please support the artists in any way you are able. And lastly, thank you for your readership! You're the best. Yes, you.  Greetings, dear reader. It's listmas 'round these parts, which can only mean one thing: a reflection on the music that has defined our collective and personal year. After the success of our collaborative mid-year list, we decided to run a similarly community-oriented extravaganza to sum up 2021 as a whole. It's a different approach, but we like it. The era of ranked tier lists is over. The era of non-exhaustive AOTY smorgasbord hath begun. This list is a collaborative effort, with ten distinct music writers, musicians, and fans lending a few words. My personal collection o' favorites will follow later this week. Hopefully the variety of perspectives results in a list containing at least one or two releases that speak to you! This, of course, is far from exhaustive--indeed, every single one of ye could undoubtedly highlight a vast number of deserving albums not appearing here. Please feel free to leave a comment with a recommendation or two. As mentioned back in June of this year, list season is a great time to show the musicians that we know and love a little well-deserved support, and if you wanna shout someone out, this is as good a time as any. And, lest it be forgot: a massive thank you is in order to everyone who contributed words to this endeavor. As always, we couldn't have done it without ye! Enough chit-chat. Let's dive in. |
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