Favorite Albums of the Year 2023

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.

---

---

Bergfried - Romantik II (September 1st, 2023 via Fucking Kill Records and Fiadh Productions)

Let's fire things off with a release that feels profoundly underrated no matter how many people I see talking about it. On Romantik II--a continuation of the Romantik series begun in 2022--Bergfried melds epic trad metal, folk rock, alt-rock, and synthy pop-rock into something as fresh as it is charming. This short album delivers irresistibly hooky anthems, featuring lavish melodicism and a hard rockin' approach to churning out absolute earworms in the riff department. Every track feels distinct while remaining connected to the whole, and the project overall feels vibrant and full of life. "The Ordeal" in particular is one of the catchiest tracks I've heard in quite some time--this damn chorus has been running laps through my brain for over a year with no signs of slowing down.

---

Blindfolded and Led to the Woods - REJECTING OBLITERATION (May 19th, 2023 via Prosthetic Records)

And as much as I enjoy some straightforward bludgeoning--see several entries below--I also enjoy, from time to time, some death metal that has a whole lot going on. Blindfolded and Led to the Woods bring a whole lot to proceedings, from an undulating disso-death squirm, to a raw emotive  edge, to crushing 'core-esque brutality. This album absolutely revels in whiplash, and yet maintains a thread of consistency by way of superb songwriting. Blindfolded and Led to the Woods are one of the most exciting bands in modern death metal, in my opinion. The past two records have been pretty damn impeccable.

---

Burner - It All Returns to Nothing (June 23rd, 2023 via Church Road Records)

​After much reflection, I'm fully convinced that my initial impression of It All Returns To Nothing holds up: this was the hardest album of 2023. Full stop. There's a lot of hyperbole in this game, but these guys truly take the most outwardly aggressive attributes of hardcore, death metal, and black metal, and cram 'em into a single volatile package. I'm limiting myself to one usage of the word "pugilistic" in this list, and Burner earns it early on. This is vicious and pummeling stuff, and taps an endless well of ferocity across the brisk runtime. Hard as fuck.

---

Carnosus - Visions of Infinihility (February 10th, 2023 via Willowtip Records)

This one came out of nowhere and had me by the throat for all of 2023. Carnosus display a dynamic tech death mastery, littering every track herein with god-tier hectic riffage and a remarkably versatile vocal performance. Visions of Infinihility is the definition of all killer, no filler--this beast is supremely well-edited. The songwriting is  flexible yet grounded, and despite having that techy flair, it never sacrifices the impact of the groove in favor of flashy guitar heroics. I actually can't believe that Carnosus released an album this damn good and then turned around the next year with another absolute ripper.

---

Chained to the Bottom of the Ocean - Obsession Destruction (May 12, 2023 via Redscroll Records) 

Listening to this album feels like being swallowed by a whale; I write this from the belly of the beast. Insofar as a band can achieve perfection, Chained to the Bottom of the Ocean have perfected their crushingly asphyxiating brand of doooooom on this album. The tone is massive and mighty. The songs are bleak and anguished, and somehow beautiful and utterly arresting. But with that said, they aren't afraid to break the formula--the comparatively brief "Hole in my Head" works so well to introduce a a new form of aggression without retracting from the overall tormented appeal. Certainly one of the heaviest albums of 2023.

---

Davido - Timeless (March 31st, 2023 via DMW; Columbia; Sony)

Prior to this album I wasn't at all familiar with afrobeats and/or amapiano, and am not entirely sure how I ended up checking this out, but am so glad that I did. Timeless is warm and sunny and heartfelt and ridiculously (re)listenable. The features are numerous and well-curated. And, above all, Davido has managed to capture a wide range of lived emotion without swinging drastically between extremes--the vibes alternate between sugary flirty sweetness and a forlorn melancholy with a smoothness that is remarkable. Timeless is a joy to experience; one doesn't "listen" so much as "bask." Side A in particular represents a legendary run, but once you've made it that far you might as well listen in full.

---

Dying Fetus - Make Them Beg for Death (September 8th, 2023 via Relapse Records)

Perhaps I'm wildly off-base with this take, but I feel like Make Them Beg for Death might very well be the best Dying Fetus album to date. This is meaty brutality executed at the highest degree, with a penchant for knuckledragging groove and the kind of catchy-as-fuck riffage that feels borderline unnatural for music that is so relentlessly skullcrushing. Technical proficiency aside, Dying Fetus know how to write muscular and (meat)hooky death metal. The slams are monstrous. The dual vocal approach is simply cool as fuck. This album is built for throwing weight around. Left unchecked, it's built for the kind of headbanging that results in a neck brace and a dump truck full of ibuprofen. So yeah. Their best yet? I have yet to be convinced otherwise.

---

Egor Lappo - Abandoned Corners (May 16, 2023)

My god, this album is gorgeous. Egor Lappo is one of the best producers in prog rock, and Abandoned Corners sounds incredible. There's a lush crispness, a bright cleanliness. But that's only part of the picture--the songwriting here is equally stunning. Egor Lappo wholeheartedly embraces a synth-heavy shimmering pop-rock levity that is endlessly uplifting. This album floats. I frequently regret not having the time or energy to review an album, but over the past 7 years of writing, I regret not reviewing this album most of all. I have spent hours and days of my life listening to this masterpiece, and have endless praise to shower upon it. In brief: Abandoned Corners is brilliantly conceived and executed. I simply can not recommend it highly enough.

---

ICECOLDBISHOP - Generational Curse (March 24th, 2023 via Ice Cold Entertainment, LLC)

This album was a grower, but after acclimating to ICECOLDBISHOP's animated delivery, GENERATIONAL CURSE has crystalized in my mind as one of the most impressive debut full lengths released in the past few years. While openly discussing the traumatic realties of a life spent grappling with inherited violence, he maintains a strong narrative voice--always haunting, always sobering, always gripping. His cadence is stunningly elastic and acrobatic, and his syntax is often unpredictable. I've seen many a Denzel and Kendrick comparison, and can't disagree that his pent-up energy and vibrant charisma feels very similar. I'm very excited to see where ICECOLDBISHOP heads next, and am quite confident that his next project will be a generational sophomore effort.

---

Imperial Crystalline Entombment - Ancient Glacial Resurgence (September 1st, 2023 via Debemur Morti Productions)

My feelings on this album are perhaps best summed up by the fact that I proclaim "We are still! Fucking! Iceeeeee!" under my breath with a frequency that is...embarrassing. This is black metal that revels in a gloriously classic frostbitten aesthetic, rimed with frost at ever turn and leaving the listener's ears chillblain'd. Some absolutely banging riffs and unhinged shrieks litter this album. Ancient Glacial Resurgence ​does not represent a sound that I typically fall for, but I fell hard for this one. An extremely fun album.
​

---

Hellripper - Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags (February 17th, 2023 via Peaceville Records)

43 minutes of blisteringly infectious rip-roaring tongue-in-cheek blackened thrashy speed metal steeped in the blood of goats, courtesy of the best blackened thrashy speed metal band in the game? Yes please. Thank you muchly. Whenever I get the urge to grin like an idiot, bang my head incessantly, and jump around the room with wild abandon, this is the soundtrack. This album leans a little further into melodic territory, lending a sense of complexity that I never realized was missing from the Hellripper formula. I'm frankly not sure how Hellripper can best this one--it feels like a magnum opus. But to be fair, I felt that way about 2020's The Affair of the Poisons, and also 2019's Black Arts & Alchemy EP. Onwards and upwards, evidently!
​

---

Janelle Monáe  The Age of Pleasure (June 9th, 2023, via Wondaland Productions LLC)

Getting personal for a second, I've got a complicated emotional relationship with The Age of Pleasure: I listened to it incessantly whilst driving cross-country to visit my dying grandmother. There's an odd dissonance at play, because this is very clearly a sunny-sensual-good-times-lustful-pool-party album. So not, notably, a deathbed grandma album. But Janelle Monáe is a master of mood and staging, and listening to The Age of Pleasure is a purely transportive experience. Unlike the epic and dystopian sci-fi narratives upon which Monáe built their reputation as a conceptual artist, this is a sticky, steamy, saccharine, and self-contained album. Sometimes that is exactly what you need. Also, the production is brilliant.

---

JPEGMAFIA x Danny Brown - SCARING THE HOES (March 24th, 2023 via AWAL)​

The unholy union of JPEGMAFIA x Danny Brown felt inevitable, but it also astounding that this record exists: two of the most prominent voices in weirdo hip-hop working together feels like an impossible dream. But here we are, SCARING THE HOES with an album that defines everything-but-the-kitchen-sink maximalism to a frightening degree. And while the production is flashy, this project also features some of Peggy and Danny's best rapping performances to date. Give the exuberant opener "Lean Beef Patty" a listen and revels in the unhinged but calculated sonic excess. And then acknowledge that this track is only the beginning of a profoundly wild ride.
​

---

7xvethegenius x DJ Green Lantern - The Genius Tape (June 9th, 2023 via Broadband Sound)

On this smoky, dusty, and otherwise atmospheric project, 7xvethegenius delivers introspective lyricism, clever wordplay, flexible flows, and demonstrates the ability to slide over silky beats with an effortlessness that is endlessly admirable. This is a perfect rapper/producer pairing--DJ Green Lantern's production feels understated, never overshadowing or distracting from 7xvethegenius' bars. I've seen some criticism that the more minimalistic beats are "boring," but I emphatically disagree. The Genius Tape is a stellar introduction to one of the best pens that underground rap has spawned in recent years, and the project as a whole sets the stage well for 2024's Death of Deuce.

---

Maiya the Don - Hot Commodity (October 6th, 2023)

Maiya the Don operates with a charisma and swagger that feels unprecedented for someone who first starting rapping very shortly prior to the release of this project. Despite fitting seamlessly in the bully rap role, everything here is done with a lavish style. Nailing a punchy and confident delivery that feels as grounded as it is brash, she is a clear entertainer at heart and knows how to write compelling earwormy moments in the midst of equally compelling and earmwormy tracks. This one is endlessly (re)listenable. I'm hopeful--and confident--that Maiya is on the cusp of blowing up.
​

---

McKinley Dixon - Beloved! Paradise! Jazz​!​? (June 2nd, 2023 via City Slang)

If pressed to pigeonhole this incredible project into a particular subgenre, I suppose I would say... jazz rap poetry? As pretentious as that sounds? In any case, Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? is lush, rich, vibrant, beautiful, and wholly unique. There's an odd lyrical urgency that should feel at odds with the more relaxed vibe, but never entirely does--indeed, this contrast is what makes a track like "Run, Run, Run" succeed so damn well. This album is brief in a way that makes me crave more, and if that isn't a quality befitting an album on the ol' AOTY list, I dunno what is.

---

​Megaton Sword - MIGHT & POWER (February 24th, 2023 via Dying Victims Productions)

If there's a common thread unifying this list, it is the notion that I like fun albums. Fun albums are more often than not the albums that stick...and MIGHT & POWER is an endlessly fun album. It never fails to lift my spirits, and that is an important and underrated quality. Megaton Sword's sound feels like a heartfelt love letter to both sword 'n' sorcery and hooky heavy metal riffs, and with a formula like that, executed with the self-awareness and sincerity that Megaton Sword bring to the table, MIGHT & POWER is the perfect recipe for a good time. 
​

---

Memorrhage - Memorrhage (June 16th, 2023)

Nu-metal is back, baby. This self-titled debut album from Memorrhage initially blew me away, and continues to do so to this day. I feel like the soul of nu-metal is proudly dependent upon a sense of excess, and Garry capitalizes extraordinarily well. Memorrhage is an inherently indulgent album, and I mean that in the best way. With "Memory Leak," or the brutal "Brain Wield," or the gnarly-as-fuck breakdown that graces "Knurl" in my earbuds, I'd happily fight a cybernetic monstrosity with full knowledge that the only possible outcome is my own immediate dismemberment. Good shit. Read my full review here!

---

Meyhem Lauren x Madlib x DJ Muggs - Champagne For Breakfast (April 7th, 2023 via Soul Assassins)

Champagne For Breakfast positions the magnetic Meyhem Lauren as a paragon of New York rap. Equally luxurious and menacing, Lauren's flow is sublimely confident. He's working hard but everything appears casually effortless. His delivery is calculatingly laissez-faire, yet never lacks gravitas. Despite absolutely bodying a braggadocious air, his showmanship and persona is never alienating. And of course, Madlib and DJ Muggs handling production in dual fashion is a real treat as well. Read my review here!

---

Moonlight Sorcery - Horned Lord of the Thorned Castle (September 29th, 2023 via Avantgarde Music)

​I love that every few months I see someone posting about this album--and, more specifically, commenting on how fun it is. How refreshing, how exuberant, how relentlessly entertaining. Moonlight Sorcery have hit upon a grandiose application of melodic black metal that seemingly never takes itself too seriously, while simultaneously feeling very intentional in its vigorous and vibrant execution. Horned Lord of the Thorned Castle frankly has no business being this absurdly catchy, a quality which in turns affords it a replay value that rivals pretty much anything else in the 2023 black metal sphere.

---

Soulmass - Let Us Pray (February 3rd, 2023)

12-month-in-advance spoiler for my 2024 list, but on their recent run, Soulmass are seemingly incapable of releasing an album that isn't among the best of the year. At the time of my initial review, Let Us Pray served to remind how truly magical death metal can be in capable and creative hands, and nearly two years of listening has proven the album's mighty staying power. If  you enjoy well-crafted death metal with a doomy ambience and a penchant for melody, this absolute gem is most certainly worth your while. Read my full review here!

---

Tumultuous Ruin – An Abscess on the Heart of the State (September 15th, 2023 via Fiadh Records & Vita Detestabilis Records)

If you're in the mood for some aggressive black metal of the overtly antifascist variety, I highly recommend Tumultuous Ruin's latest. To paraphrase a micro-review I posted on twitter last year, An Abscess on the Heart of the State sheds some rawness for a more brutally atmospheric presence, balancing a menacing viciousness with a surprisingly weighty somberness. The deathier and punkier attributes contrast so nicely with the melodic elements, giving this one so much more dimension than one might initially assume from the raw exterior. Excellent stuff, as bleak as it is poignant. This debut full-length is very much among the the highest echelon of 2023 black metal.
​

---

Westside Gunn - And Then You Pray For Me (October 13th, 2023 via Griselda Records)

It's been said infinite times at this stage in his career, but Westside Gunn is a premier curator--he brings the best out of every featured artist, and understands how to compile a compelling series of seemingly disparate songs. I know this album got a lot of flack for heavy inclusion of trap beats, but I quite enjoy the marriage of grimy Buffalo bars with the trap aesthetic. This is an eclectic (and long!) listen, but the majority of the features are simply outstanding, and the majority of the tracks herein have remained in heavy rotation. It feels like Westside and Co. had a lot of genuine fun constructing And Then You Pray For Me, and that aura of joy bleeds through in a very tangible sense.
​

---

And that's all for 2023! Thank you again to every artist involved, and thank you for reading. Check back in a year for our 2024 list!