Hello everyone and happy new year! As per tradition I'm writing my annual overview post, this time really late but hey, it's here! Hopefully everyone/anyone reading this blog had a manageable year with moderate ups and downs! My year was marked by a significant job change which made me a very busy boy but ultimately more happy. I still travel a lot and the job is very demanding so I don't have a lot of energy to spend on writing so the blog will continue with its slow pace.
Musically this year has been more or less the same as the last one when it comes to my own journey through it. I am focusing on clearing out my multiple backlog folders which have grown monstrously over the years. In 2023 I focused mainly on clearing out my backlog of black metal bands and I waded through so many shitty albums that I almost lost the interest in the genre as whole but I found a couple of gems as well which I'll be sharing in the upcoming months (and years). I still have a ton of black metal to go through but I hope to diversify my genre interests to avoid burn out.
The year wasn't just old stuff tough, I did periodically check for new albums as well. The list is in three categories which are quite self explanatory and there is numeration this year but it should not be taken too seriously. Overall thoughts about the list you can find below it!
BLACK METAL:
1. Korgonthurus - Jumalhaaska2. Arnaut Pavle - Transylvanian Glare : 3. Thy Darkened Shade - Liber Lvcifer II Mahapralaya4. Clandestine Blaze - Resacralize The Unknown5. Ŭkcheănsălâwit - Mjijaqamij6. Kostnatění - Úpal7. Maȟpíya Lúta - Wowahwala8. Inherits the Void - The Impending Fall of the Stars9. Moonlight Sorcery - Horned Lord of the Thorned Castle10. Bethexuhl Anxalthan - S/T11. Häxanu - Totenpass12. Spirit Possession - Of the Sign13. Ruïm - Black Royal Spiritism - I.O Sino da Igreja14. Voidsphere - To Infect | to Inflict
OTHER METAL:
NOT METAL:
I will have to pick a somewhat controversial band called Black Magick SS for my overall favorite release of the year. I don't wish to chip in my idea or opinion of what or who the band is, plenty of other people are doing it better than me, I just have to admit that their new album and pretty much the rest of their back catalog is some of the best music I've heard in general. On this album they intensified their direction into more electronic/groovy/disco sounds which I already enjoyed a fair bit on Rainbow Nights. If your personal compass allows it I would warmly recommend to check this band out! Another absolute highlight would be the magnificent album called Ex Machina by Steve Lehman in cooperation with Orchestre National de Jazz. It is the best jazz album from 2024 that I've managed to hear (so far anyway!) and it manages to be surprisingly memorable for an hour long experimental big band jig that it has. Some of the compositions and solos on it are brainbreakingly lovely. Only gripe I have is with the last composition which I found to be a pretty lackluster closer. Colter Wall continues to be my favorite modern country singer overall (not that I'm any authority over the genre) so anything new by him to me is good. If you like raspy country songs you should give it a try.
In the metal world I have to say that most of the black metal 2023 releases I heard were good but nothing truly exceptional or genre elevating to me. Korgonthurus, a band I discovered when their last album came out, put out a fantastic 4 track album with long soaring songs that sound great coupled with very piercing vocals done by Corvus who is best known for his work with Horna. I love his vocal sound so fucking much, thoroughly enjoyed the whole album multiple times. Probably the biggest surprise for me was the Arnaut Pavle album which I didn't think I would like at all (since I found their last and the demo really boring) but it turned out to be so much fucking fun to go through. Sure, it is mostly just Darkthrone worship but it is done so well and their dependency to pronounce those punk elements much more than Darkthrone ever did on their own albums makes it so fresh and energetic. So much soul on that one, absolutely love it. Thirdly I really appreciate the intricate structuring on the new Thy Darkened Shade album, a band that always rewarded repeated listens. Those three albums in my opinion are exceptional, each for a different reason, and the rest of my black metal list is populated with great albums but... you know... you can live without them. I still think they are deserving of a listen even if just for a few songs.
In my category of other metal I have to say the biggest amount of fun I had was with the Helionomicon album from Ulthar. Initially I was reluctant to even try it especially since it's a double-but-not-really-a-double album but I gave it a shot during one of my lengthy drives on the highway and I loved it. Compared to the other one, Anthronomicon, it is more adventurous and more intense in the guitar solo parts. I think they're both great but Helio wins overall. Void Ceremony is another band where I didn't like the first album but enjoyed their second (this one) a lot. Angular, intricate and old school album that does not overstay its welcome. On the third spot is a surprising entry for me that came out of nowhere. I was familiar with them but their previous albums were very unapproachable in terms of production. This time around they gave the sound a different approach and it is indeed pulverizing albeit accessible. Of all the actual old school death metal bands Suffocation really surprised me with how good they sound. It seems like they revitalized themselves after Frank finally decided to leave the band. The last good one (in my opinion at least) album they did was Pinnacle of Bedlam and at long last came another album that I can enjoy from front to back.
That's pretty much it for 2023! As I mentioned before I didn't follow 2023 with much diligence so I'm probably missing a lot of good stuff that came out. The good news is that those undiscovered albums aren't going anywhere and I'll stumble upon them eventually!
Cheers to everyone again and happy new year!
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