I suppose it's time to start thinking about it. I will probably revise this list the more I check out this month (same as every year, whatever I missed or needs a second chance will be revisited now) but these are, in no order, some of my favourites.
My absolute favourite mind is Great Falls - "Objects Without Pain"; it's just absolutely savage noise rock/hardcore/sludge/fuck knows what, I must have listened to it forty times since it came out. High on the list is Dodheimsgard, Rezn, and Thantifaxath too, all got plenty of spins. Anyway post your own lists, give out a bit, give me more to check out.
Dodheimsgard - Black Medium Current
Hands Up Who Wants To Die - Nil All
James Holden - Imagine This Is A High Dimensional Space Of All Possibilities
Spotlights - Alchemy for the Dead
Rezn - Solace
Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs - Land of Sleeper
Jaaw - Supercluster
Godflesh - Purge
Thantifaxath - Hive Mind Narcosis
Agriculture - Agriculture
Various Artists - Heiladans 7
Blut Aus Nord - Disharmonium: Nahab
Celestial Sanctuary - Insatiable Thirst for Torment
Jute Gyte - Unus Mundus Patet
Tomb Mold - The Enduring Spirit
Great Falls - Objects Without Pain
Shardborne - Oars in the Water
Hexvessel - Polar Veil
Haven't bought much this year but in alphabetical order:
Autopsy: Ashes, Organs, Blood And Crypts
Cannibal Corpse: Chaos Horrific
The Enigma Division: s/t
Enslaved: Heimdal
Geist: Blueprints To Moderate Sedation
Godflesh: Purge
The Grief: Crucible
Grief Symposium: In The Absence Of Light
Grim Ravine: Upon The Darkest Shores
Memoriam: Rise To Power & War Rages On - Artefacts
The Mountain King / Gate To Xibalba: split
Obituary: Dying Of Everything
Quiet Man: The Starving Lesson
Slung From A Tree: Voyage Into Cosmos
Swans: The Beggar
Therapy?: Hard Cold Fire
Tooms: The Schmeckoning & Proper Fuckin Live Style
True Home: Black Lotus
Tumanduumband: Throne Of Grief
Úath: s/t
There's a couple there I have yet to pick up, have them downloaded.
Few on there I forgot meself (Tooms and SFAT both deadly releases) and more to check out too. Grand.
Wasn't staying up to date on new releases at all this year, but really enjoyed everything I did end up picking up
Xoth - Exogalactic
Gama Bomb - Bats
Alkaloid - Numen
Cirith Ungol - Dark Parade
Ne Obliviscaris - Exul
Green Lung - This Heathen Land
Horrendous - Ontological Mysterium
Hyperdontia- Deranged e.p
Ulthar-Anthronomicon
Autopsy-Ashes,organs,blood and crypts
Nothingness-Supraliminal
Vomitory-All heads gonna roll
Vastum-Inward to gethsemane
Horrendous-Ontological mysterium
These two really stand out for me (I think they are 2023).
Megaton Sword - Might and Power
Majesties - Vast Reaches Unclaimed
Also
Horrendous - Ontological Mysterium
Cirith Ungol - Dark Parade
Marduk - Mememto Mori
Cruel Force - Dawn of the Axe
Mortuary Drape - Black Mirror
(my memory is shit, so I'll add to this when I remember what was actually released this year)
The Majesties album is great so is the Megaton Sword.
Temple Of Scorn - Funeral Altar Epiphanies.
Putrascension - Forever Below.
Disguised Malignance - Entering The Gateways.
Verminous Serpent - The Malign Covenant.
Marduk - Mememto Mori.
Dying Fetus - Make Them Beg For Death.
Altari - Kröflueldar.
Probably more but that's is for now.
Cruel Force - Dawn of the Axe
Slidhr - White Hart!
Nuovo Testmento - Love
Sacred Outcry - Towers of Gold
Black Magick SS - Burning Bridges
These have been doing it for me this year, probably others that I can't think of. Malokarpatan will likely be in there once I get around to it properly.
Cruel Force and Slidhr will undoubtedly be in my Top Twenty when I put it up at Xmas
Quote from: Anvil on December 01, 2023, 05:13:40 PMThese two really stand out for me (I think they are 2023).
Megaton Sword - Might and Power
Majesties - Vast Reaches Unclaimed
Also
Horrendous - Ontological Mysterium
Cirith Ungol - Dark Parade
Marduk - Mememto Mori
Cruel Force - Dawn of the Axe
(my memory is shit, so I'll add to this when I remember what was actually released this year)
Megaton Sword was so good
I still haven't picked up the new Megaton Sword :o
Megaton Sword currently at my Number 2!
Katatinia - Sky void of stars
PANOPTICON - Rime of memory
Majesties - Vast Reaches Unclaimed
I've picked up practically nothing from beyond April/May, it will take me til summer 2024 to figure out what else I liked.
New Ahab very good also
Off the top of my head in terms of heavier stuff
Godflesh - Purge (zero surprise there)
Vertebra Atlantis - A Dialogue with the Eeriest Sublime
Thantifaxath Hive Mind Narcosis
Hands Up who Wants To Die - Nil All
Brain Tourniquet - ...an Expression in Pain
Deliriant Nerve - Contaminated Conscience
Excarnated Entity - Mass Grave Horizon
Space Camp - Gold Star
Stress Positions - Harsh Reality
Full of Hell/Gasp split lp
Void Ceremony - Threads of unknowing
Fabricant- Drude to the Thicket
Stress Palace - s/t
Astriferous - Pulsations from the Black Orb
Sea of Shit - s/t
Suppression/Bastard Noise collab lp
Hexvessel - Polar Veil
there was a few things I was looking forward to that didn't quite live up to my expectations (Maggot Heart, Great Falls, Arnalt Pavle and Ixias notably, all fine but not quite as stellar as i'd hoped)
Coprolith,Snake, Incinerous and Callous Master demos, Jackbeast and Third Island eps. Botch were the best live band I saw this year by some distance, mindblowing gig.
other than that FACS, Jay Jayle, Pile, L'rain, Niecy Blues, Flooding, Big Blood, Armand Hammer, Czarface, Daydream..i could be here all day
Great shout on Hands Up Who Wants To Die, savage album
Overkill - Scorched
Lovebites - Judgement Day
Gama Bomb - Bats
Enforcer - Nostalgia
Hellripper - Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags
Sacred Outcry - Towers of Gold
Galneryus - Between Dread and Valor
Insomnium - Anno 1696
Gloryhammer - Return to the Kingdom of Fife
Iron Savior - Firestar
Ooh. Is that in order? Are we finally to have the same album of the year then???
Quote from: Thorn on December 15, 2023, 09:45:43 AMOoh. Is that in order? Are we finally to have the same album of the year then???
:laugh:
I did give that Insomnium quite a bit of time, thought it was pretty good but it faded away out of my reckoning as other albums came out and demanded attention. I am going to have the Enforcer though, my piece of cheesy fluff for the year. I thought Megaton Sword and the mighty Metal Church would be on your honours list?? Both are fantastic.
Actually, fuck it, my 123 of Overkill, Megaton Sword and Metal Church has been set in stone for a while now. Or at least once I realised I wasn't that gone on the middle section of the Cirith Ungol. First two tracks on that are crackers.
The stuff feeling like it's unreal but then quickly fading away is a thread of its own isn't it
Well then again, can I be arsed..
How it ends by Primordial is definitely a grower I think. Also False Lankum whilst not metal is a belter also. Great year for music again I think. Some great gigs too this year, Clannad, Municipal Waste, Carcass, Katatonia.
Quote from: Don Gately on December 17, 2023, 01:10:59 PMHow it ends by Primordial is definitely a grower I think. Also False Lankum whilst not metal is a belter also. Great year for music again I think. Some great gigs too this year, Clannad, Municipal Waste, Carcass, Katatonia.
Thought False Lankum was a big letdown after The Livelong Day tbh. Felt to me like a nod towards their more alternative fanbase, which to me seems a bit like missing the point. I'm sure they'd say different but that's the bang I got off it. Would listen to The Livelong Day any time but not the False Lankum
I think False Lankum is the most thematically cohesive of all the albums. I like them all though. The gig in the 3arena with Lisa O'Neil, Mary wallopers and Damo Dempsey was a remarkable night. Each act were incredible in their own and different way.
For Lankum, it's mad that something so inherently Irish is as suited to 7 or 8 thousand Irish as it is at a festival like Roadburn or Supersonic. Amazing.
Quote from: open face surgery on December 17, 2023, 06:05:47 PMI think False Lankum is the most thematically cohesive of all the albums. I like them all though. The gig in the 3arena with Lisa O'Neil, Mary wallopers and Damo Dempsey was a remarkable night. Each act were incredible in their own and different way.
For Lankum, it's mad that something so inherently Irish is as suited to 7 or 8 thousand Irish as it is at a festival like Roadburn or Supersonic. Amazing.
One of the lads from home only recommended The Mary Wallopers to me last night. Cunt of a name but I'll give them a go. I can't stand Lisa O'Neill's voice at all and he had recommended her to me a while back as well. I've heard bits and pieces from her odder the years and her voice has always made my toes curl.
Should've said stylistically rather than thematically in relation to Lankum.
Mary Wallopers is indeed a shocking name but they sell it. Very heavy on the accent as well so dunno how they'll sit with ya but I think they're savage. Lisa O'Neil's voice is tough going at times but the gig was unbelievable. Captivating.
Well I'm a fan of the second and third Damo albums so I don't mind a heavy accent per se.
Was revisiting a lot of stuff from this year and have some additions to my own list. But while I'm here,
Quote from: Pentagrimes on December 12, 2023, 10:42:38 AMVoid Ceremony - Threads of unknowing
I gave this a spin since it came up somewhere else before and I never got to it - it's very good, the vocals are fairly plain but everything else about it is deadly. Found it on three times over the last week-ish.
Also went back to the new FACS since it didn't catch me earlier in the year (just wasn't in the form) and it is much better than I thought originally.
Any chance of people self-editing and just making it a top three of the year, as opposed to a list of stuff you liked in 2023?
No.
(Khanate,Thantifaxath & VA are mine though)
Quote from: Pentagrimes on December 21, 2023, 12:15:07 PMNo.
(Khanate,Thantifaxath & VA are mine though)
Haha, good man.
So mine are Megaton Sword, Abyssal Rift and the Blood Incantation EP
Time to get this all the hell outta my head...
1. OVERKILL - SCORCHED
Whoever said thrash is a young man's game clearly never told Blitz and Co.
2.Megaton Sword - Might And Power
Intoxicating Heavy Metal of the very highest calibre and,most importantly, its own identity.
3.Hellwitch - Annihilational Intercention
Savage comeback album, jagged, complex, blisteringly fast raw thrash.
4.Metal Church - Congregation of Annihilation
Yes Mike is gone but with Riffmaster Vanderhoof still around so too are the Church...and killing it.
5.Cirith Ungol- Dark Parade
Speaking of old timers killing it, this year saw possibly the final triumphant salute from these High Priests Of Heavy Metal.
6.Autopsy - Ashes ,Organs Blood and Crypts
....and Earworms galore to go with the rest of the crap in that title
7.Slidhr - White Hart!
Best release yet for me, an addictive and compelling listen that is as good a soundtrack as any for a world going quickly down the shitter.
8.Marduk - Momento Mori
Even by Marduk's standards this was an exceptionally cold and cruel Black assault
9. Cruciamentum - Obsidian Refraction
A gnarly, brooding beast of an album that doesn't disappoint from one of my favourite contemporary DM bands
10. Thron - Dust
Discovered these Germans this year and this,their fourth album really hooked me ,the cold dark heart of Dissection colliding with the melodic brutality of God Dethroned.
11.Sadus - The Shadow Inside
Good comeback album even without you know who, a bit of editing down on some of these songs would have had this even higher up the ranks
12. Katatonia - A Sky Void Of Stars
Grower album of the year for me, an ambitious and ultimately satisfying listen.
13. Cruel Force - Dawn Of The Axe
Another discovery for me this year these Germans dealt out a deadly hand of malicious thrashy, speed from a solid base of pure Teutonic Heavy Metal
14. Cannibal Corpse - Chaos Horrific
Another one that took a while to get its hooks in but yep, all's good in the Cannibal world
15. Enforcer - Nostalgia
My slice of rock out with your cock out for the year, nice to have 'em back on form
16. Vomitory - All Heads Are Gonna Roll
All Heads were lopped off from the get go as these Swedeath veterans didn't fuck about for a second
17. Dying Fetus - Make Them Beg For Death
The tried and trusted DF formula just got better with a production that cranked up the heaviness while showcasing every twist and turn of their technical acrobatics
18. Enforced - War Remains
In and out in just over half an hour this meaty, thrashy chugathon delivered a sharp, swift boot to the backside
19. Obituary - Dying Of Everything
Cementing their place as the AC/DC of DM but it's all good whilst you retain the services of the most horrific voice in the genre.
20. Heavy Load - Riders Of The Ancient Storm
Who better to hold up the rest of this pile than Heavy Load ,another welcome and classy Heavy Metal return.
Honourable Mentions...Raven, Jag Panzer, Enslaved, Holy Moses, Immortal, Ruim, Memoriam
White Hart! is really good. There is depth and detail but it is ruthless. The songwriting sounds like it has been stripped down in a way to. It has a direct purpose.
Yeah each song on it has it's own identity, I could put it on shuffle and know which track is which, always a good thing in my book.
Quote from: Ollie on December 21, 2023, 09:46:51 AMAny chance of people self-editing and just making it a top three of the year, as opposed to a list of stuff you liked in 2023?
Fuck off. ;D
These threads can be really great for finding out bands or albums you've never heard of! I've added a few names to a note there, thanks dudes!
I have to say I feel like, it seemed to me that there was a relentless amount of new releases across every genre this year, metal especially. Not everything was brilliant naturally, but a fair amount is. A few on my list have already been mentioned, naturally, but yeah these were my favorite and most listened to...and I'm gonna do my list by genre as there's a fair few for me this year that I really enjoyed and feel are worth buying well into next year as I'm a broke cunt now after Xmas has left me smashed but yeah
Heavy/DoomPrimordial- How It Ends
(I'm STILL coming to terms with the album, but an undeniable work of conviction and true art. Easily my most anticipated album of the year also, I don't think I was looking forward to any other release this year but this one. and while I don't think it's their best work, I was not let down and its still an excellent addition to their catalogue. and my #1 for 23. I have true Respect for them as Irish Artists and would seriously love to see them being more celebrated and respected here, I find it shocking how many Irish people INCLUDING would-be metal heads that I have met & I know that had never heard of them when I first mentioned them!)Megaton Sword- Might & Power
Cirith Ungol- Dark Parade
Thrash/GrooveMetallica- 72 Seasons
(my most played album of the year easily, for better or worse, they are my favorite band so fuck off)VOIVOD- Morgöth Tales
Overkill- Scorched
PRONG- State Of Emergency
XOTH- Exogalactic
(best Thrash band since REVOCATION and VEKTOR imo, they somehow make THRASH that sounds new vital and fresh)SADUS- The Shadow Inside
(clearly not like their early incredible early shit but def worth a listen)Hellwitch- Annihilational Intercention
(Same as above)Enforcer- Nostalgia
CRYPTOSIS- The Silent Call EP
Cruel Force- Dawn Of The Axe (fucking just yes this rules!)
VENUS- Obscured Until Observed (impressive debut, VEKTOR worship)
DeathCANNIBAL CORPSE- Chaos Horrific
OBITUARY- Dying Of Everything
AUTOPSY- Ashes, Organs, Bloods And Crips
Suffocation- Hymns From The Apocrypha
CRYPTOPSY- As Gomorrah Burns
INCANTATION- Unholy Deification
Cattle Decapitation- Terrasite
VERTEBRA ATLANTIS- A Dialogue With The Eeriest Sublime
(Thanks to Pentagrimes mentioning this album in some other thread a while back; and having never heard of them and checking it out- it has blown my fucking head open! Incredible stuff)Excarnated Entity- Mass Grave Horizon
(likewise thanks to open face surgery in some previous thread naming this band. Brilliant deathDOOM.)VoidCeremony- Threads Of Unknowing
Cruciamentum- Obsidian Refractions
Tomb Mold- The Enduring Spirit
Blood Incantation- Luminescent Bridge EP
TILL THE DIRT- Outside The Spiral
(ATHEIST vocalist project, I think its actually really good, good songs and riffs and interesting vocals mixing his usual harsh with kinda grungey Layne Staley style vocals parts were cool, but despite a terribly weird flat production and lifeless drum sound trying to ruin the buzz altogether, I think it's still pretty cool, though you really need to adjust your EQ to enjoy it imo)Temple of Scorn- Funeral Altar Epiphanies
BlackMARDUK- Memento Mori
(this is just fucking relentless unholy black fucking metal of the highest order here)RUIM- Black Royal Spiritism
Thantifaxath- Hive Mind Necrosis
DHG- Black Medium Current
ASET- Astral Rape
VERMINOUS SERPENT- The Malign Covenant
Slidhr- White Hart!
SHINING- SHINING
Thulcandra- Hail The Abyss
Grave Gnosis- Pestilence Crowned
(last on the list here, only new out, psychedelic? black with some v weird shit going on that reminds me of the dark energies that that band The Devil's Blood were stirring up!)For 2024, I Am already looking forward to the new VLITMAS and IHSAHN albums. VLITMAS I think are deadly and underated. new single rocks. I think their first album went under the radar a bit, its fucking insanely good imo but David Vincent I think is the coolest Death metal vocalist so.
AND ISHAHN - I love EMPEROR so much, but while its undoubtedly quality musicianship, as in he's a Fripp level virtuoso guitarist; sadly his solo stuff hasn't really blown my mind bar an undeniable track here or there. But these 2 new tracks seem to finally have a bit of an exciting EMPEROR vibe to them! 8)
Oh ,forgot about that Ruim,that was some good stuff from Blasphemer alright
Actually I just got round to listening to the Cruciamentum yesterday and it's very good. Belated special mention for that, and the Slidhr record
Malokarpatan - Vertumnus Cesar was head and shoulders above everything else for me. Loved the new Hexvessel, Dodheimsgard, Slidhr and Cruciamentum albums as well though but Vertumnus is insane.
I've just realised I listed an album there before that I've never even listened to. Enforcer- Nostalgia. I was reading Thorn's list there and went oh! I forgot about that one and copied the text, but actually I was thinking of Enforced- War Remains. Similar band name you see. Just to clear that up, for the record like. They are watching you know. :-X
Thanks to this thread I finally gave Khanate a go having seen the name many times now. So v good that I feel ignorant and stupid now. Likely more fucking albums for the worth buying list now, thanks. Yes I'll work fucking Saturdays.... :-*
Yeah, two very different records/bands for sure!
Couldn't get into the Enforcer album. Don't think it is that great especially compared to their earlier stuff.
Dikasterion - Chaos as a New World
Malokarpatan - Vertumnus Caesar
Quote from: Danny on December 26, 2023, 10:59:23 AMI've just realised I listed an album there before that I've never even listened to. Enforcer- Nostalgia. I was reading Thorn's list there and went oh! I forgot about that one and copied the text, but actually I was thinking of Enforced- War Remains. Similar band name you see. Just to clear that up, for the record like. They are watching you know. :-X
Thanks to this thread I finally gave Khanate a go having seen the name many times now. So v good that I feel ignorant and stupid now. Likely more fucking albums for the worth buying list now, thanks. Yes I'll work fucking Saturdays.... :-*
Never tried Khanate myself despite meaning to on many an occasion. Weird how that happens with bands for no reason
AOTY Black Wound. Warping Structure
Abyssal Rift. Extirpation Dirge
Broder. Skarpretterfossilet
Mizmor. Prosaic
Maldisdeun. Anti-Access World Denial
Slow. Abimes I
Nothingness. Supraliminal
Gateway. Galgendood
Aphotic. Abyssgazer
Cadaver Shrine. Benighted Desecration
I mostly had these three on the whole time
Orbit Culture - Descent
Kalmah - Kalmah
Omnivortex - Circulate
Ok, time to start going through this thread to see what I missed.
As for my own: DHG was, hands down, my number 1 for last year. After that Megaton Sword - Might and Power a just as definite number 2. Beyond those two don't think I can rank, but 2023 albums I listened to so many times I guess I must like them a lot would be the Horrendous, Primordial, Slidhr, and Thantifaxath. Barely paid attention to the new Cirith Ungol though, really must rectify that as a priority; Forever Black was class and still gets regular listens.
My guaranteed inclusions are DHG, Malokarpatan, Excarnated Entity, Slidhr, Hexvessel, Cruel Force, Ch'ahom (ep and album), Khanate, Thanamagus.
Have a few more that need more time to confirm such as Hellfukker, Tetragrammicide, Sepulcrum, Claustrum, Astriferous, Mortual.
On reflection my top 3 is Megaton Sword, Majesties and Cirith Ungol.
Still a few albums I have listened to enough yet like the Malokarpatan and Sidhir.