My Top Albums and Singles of 2023

December 19, 2023 / metalvalkyrie2014 / Leave a comment

2023 was in my opinion, one of the greatest years for Metal and music in general. The innovations in the genre were overflowing this year. All the true quality releases make it one of the most difficult years to rank and categorize the best of the best. I have revised this article and list so many times, I’ve lost count. It seems I am discovering a new band, song, and album that defies all my musical expectations everyday and it truly astounds me. So, I picked my favorites. It’s not a popularity contest or based on the songs that live rent free in my head, it’s just my favorite albums based upon my perception of quality and innovation. I based my decisions upon personal preference, but also just sheer quality of composition and aspects that made the record stand out from your typical Metal albums. This list could really be in multiple orders, but I just put my favorites in the succession I feel reflected my listening habits the most. Let’s face it, it is impossible to put all of the best albums of 2023 in order by quality or ingenuity. There’s simply too many excellent albums.

What albums did you love this year? Which ones did I leave out or miss entirely? Comment below and let me know.

My Top Albums 2023

Hermitage: Daruma’s Eyes Part 2- Temperance

This should come as no surprise that this album is ranked number one for me, as I predicted in my review. Temperance came back with an ingenious concept album and one of the most musically talented lineups I have heard since Epica. It’s a Symphonic Power Metal Opera for the ages. It overshadowed anything Ayreon or Star One have done for almost a decade, in my opinion. Marco Pastorino and crew made a once in a lifetime bombastic and moving record with impossibly good vocals. It is innovative as it uses so much Classical elements with huge wall-of-sound production and an eclectic mix of vocalists that come together to absolutely blow your mind. It sounds futuristic, but mirrors the production quality of Hard Rock and Prog albums from the 1980’s. It is a stunning record that I don’t think will be topped anytime soon.

2. Fearless In Love- Voyager

Voyager are one of my top 20 bands of all time, and this record is indicative of why they always deserve a top spot. This album does something for me that few albums do; it occupies the same space in my brain as Devin Townsend. Fearless In Love is an emotional journey through modern times and is a riff-heavy progressive romp if I’ve ever heard one. It’s as if Devin Townsend and Tears For Fears collaborated on a star ship. This album doesn’t sound like any other album, yet it mirrors Townsend’s genius riffing on Accelerated Evolution so eloquently. This is undoubtedly my favorite guitar record of the year, but also contains juicy bass lines and sing along emotive choruses. Fearless In Love is truly the most uplifting album of 2023 and one of the best guitar performances of all time.

3. Blue Blood- Phantom Elite

Blue Blood was a complete surprise to me. I knew of Phantom and the excellent Marina La Torraca, but their releases never impacted me until this absolutely aggressive record. It is everything I love about Spiritbox and Jinjer, but with a softer side. It’s a Djent/Prog Industrial album with Symphony Metal overtones and beautiful vocals. It’s an album with massive range and variety, no two songs sound the same. It’s fresh and modern without being contrived. The riffs are punchy and enigmatic, always changing and layering on top of loud bombastic drums and crunchy bass lines. Blue Blood is catchy, chaotic, emotive, and groove oriented. It deserves so much more recognition for utter quality. I never expected this band to hit my top ten, but this record is undeniably fantastic.

4. Beyond the Black- Self Titled

When I thought about my favorite records of the year, this is the first one that actually came to my mind. It’s an album I continue to go back to, despite it being a little more radio friendly than what I usually love. There’s just an exquisite mix of genres and influences on this album. It’s Arena Rock with immense emotion and chuggy heavy riffs. Jennifer Haben is one of the most underrated vocalists who fits into any genre or rhythmic pocket. She has an innate tone that is rarely heard in modern music. Kai Hansen is also one of my favorite drummers of late. His performance on this record ties everything together and holds it all in a heavy package. It’s high production quality without being bubblegum or robotic. Beyond the Black created something reflective of Covid times without being too dark or too in your face and it is truly cathartic to listen to. It has profound meaning underneath catchy hooks and huge arena sounds, something modern Rock typically lacks nowadays. This is a truly special record that will surprise you in depth of content and diamond quality.

5. The Wonders Still Awaiting- Xandria

The Wonders Still Awaiting was originally second on this list, but the year squeaked out even more gems and made it difficult for me to order this list any other way. I am an avid Symphonic Metal listener, admittedly less and less as of the last Epica release. Xandria came back in 2023 with a new lineup that dominated my year in music. The addition of Ambre Vourvahis has reignited this band to the glorious torch it once carried. She is the only vocalist on this list to give me actual chills and goosebumps. Marco Heubaum continues to write moving and enchanting music atop heavy riffs and new growling vocals that set him apart from other Symphonic Metal bands. This album is extremely moving throughput and wonderfully thought-provoking. It greatly foreshadows other releases in the genre of the past five years. I will always hold a higher standard to Xandria than Nightwish, and this gorgeous album proves the reasons why.

6. Anno 1696- Insomnium

I am not the biggest Insomnium fan, but subjectively this is a flawless Melodeath record. This Finnish Melodeath band is known for creating utterly devastatingly heavy albums, emotionally and instrumentally. Anno 1696 is no deviation from their usual greatness, but it definitely hearkens to an 90’s Death Metal sound that creates a unique blend on top of a great story. It is poetry in brutality. The addition of Jani Liimatainen has reignited the band and added a new voice. It’s as though lead vocalist and bassist Niilo Sevanen is the narrator, and Jani is another inner voice of the characters. I’ve never heard another album like it, yet you know it’s Insomnium right away. There is a unique blend of Folk music and Melodeath on this album as well that was new and very interesting. Insomnium refuse to be formulaic and continue to push the envelope of genres. 2023 was all about genre breaking and blending, which is why this album was so successful.

7. Heimdal- Enslaved

Another unexpected gem of 2023 for me. I had never truly given Enslaved a listen, and I realized the err of my ways very quickly when Heimdal came out. This album is a pinnacle of 2023’s genre blending. It mixes 70’s Prog and modern Death Metal in a Viking setting. It’s far from the cheesy formulaic Viking Metal people have grown tired of. Heimdal is an existential journey through the Great Norse worlds and audibly envelopes you in a strange ethereal aura. The synths and organ give it a primordial feel and is not something I ever expected to hear in Death Metal, but is Enslaved’s special brand that really sets them apart for me. The production quality is pure without being too clean for extreme music. It’s perfectly balanced and flows smoothly like a linear story line. It is such a welcome change from overproduced music with no edge or nostalgia.

8. Nemesis AD- Serenity

Serenity is unfortunately an underdog of Symphonic Metal despite continuously putting out quality records. Nemesis AD is a testament to the ultimate strength of this band in bombastic thematic riffs and smooth powerful vocals from Georg Neuhauser and of course the incomparable Marco Pastorino. This album is profoundly beautiful, riff heavy, and catchy with great hooks. It sits somewhere between Sonata Arctica and Therion. To me, it feels more Power Metal than Symphonic without being contrived or another band just influenced by Nightwish. This is a history lesson of inspiration and self empowerment without being cheesy. Serenity set themselves apart from the rest with this record and made something truly special that I will continue to listen to for years to come.

9. Shades of Sorrow- Crypta

Thrash Metal and Death Thrash are not my cup of tea or area of expertise at all. It’s not that I dislike the darker heavier side of Metal. I listen to brutal bands like Archspire, Lorna Shore, Emperor, Triptykon, Draconian, and Cattle Decapitation. Thrash Metal has never spoken to me, however, and lacks a certain refined technicality I need in my music. So, I came to this new Crypta expecting it to be boring to me. Boy was I wrong… Shades of Sorrow is technical perfection in brutality and darkness. This album crushes your senses and spirit in all the best ways. Crypta is a powerhouse of four women with the essence of Thrash and Death and Melodeath in one technically sound package. They are one of the best bands I have heard in a long time. Their chemistry is tangible, led by drummer Luana Damatto holding down the heavy rhythmic section with Gene Hoglan-like groove and precision. If I had to give individual music awards out, Luana would undoubtedly be my drummer of the year winner. Shades of Sorrow is better than I expected and is truly one of the best Thrash records I have ever heard in my life. The fact that its four women delivering one of the heaviest albums of the year just makes me unbelievably proud and happy to be alive. They are terribly underrated and this album deserves to be on every top ten list.

10. This Heathen Land- Green Lung

Where in the heck did Green Lung come from? They went from being a band I’d never heard of to one of the bands dominating every top ten list of 2023. It’s shocking how well received this album is by the heaviest listeners in the Metal Community. The riffs on This Heathen Land are too perfect to resist, however. This album mixes Folk Rock, Black Sabbath, and Ghost like catchiness to create solid Stoner Metal rooted in Pagan epics. This sounds like it could be put out in the 1970s with the heavy organ sound and creepy high pitched vocals. It’s heavy, ethereal, and anthemic all in a smoothly delivered package (That’s what she said). This Heathen Land by Green Lung is far from an album I expected to be on my top ten, but it is just so damn solid I can’t think of any album that deserves this spot more. All of you elitists that hate on Ghost are absolute hypocrites if you’re jamming this album since in came out, and I hope that realization hits you like a truck. This is one of the most listenable albums on this list and is quite addictive. Once you start listening to Green Lung, you won’t be able to stop.

Honorable Mentions:

Terrasite- Cattle Decapitation

Time Will Take Us All- Entheos

Bleed Out- Within Temptation

Riverside- ID Entity

Fauna- Haken

Avenged Sevenfold- Life Is But A Dream…

Tales From The North- Bloodbound

Dark Waters- Delain

My Top Singles of the Year

Darkness is Just a Drawing- Temperance
Broken Orbit- In Mourning
Reflections of AD- Serenity
Inner Beast- Phantom Elite
Free Me- Beyond The Black
Ultraviolet- Voyager
Never Dawn- Lacuna Coil
Lilian- Insomnium
Jaded- Spiritbox
Native Colossus Live at Mad With Power- Shield of Wings

Honorable Mention Singles

As the Flower Withers- Elysion

One More Flag in the Ground- Kamelot

Two Worlds- Xandria

Basterd Von Asgard ft Fabienne Erni- Feuerschwanz

More- The Warning

Hey Brother- Dartagnan

Maxine- Green Lung

Beneath- Delain

This playlist features 20 of my favorite songs of 2023

Click play or watch on Youtube to see the full list on the sidebar

That’s all for now!

Metalcore: The Best Genre in 2022?

April 13, 2022 / metalvalkyrie2014 / Leave a comment

4/13/2022

10 minute read

Metalcore is often a genre overlooked by the elitists. Often the genre is associated with more “Emo” themes. That is simply a misnomer. Metalcore is arguably the most diverse of all subgenres. It is a broad subgenre with millions of possibilities; some bands have a Metal version of Punk Hardcore, some Extreme Metal with Meshuggah-Esque breakdowns. I was originally a naysayer of the subgenre. I expected whiny, high-pitched, off-key screams, and generic guitar riffs stolen from Killswitch Engage and All That Remains. Those derivative instances may exist, but the juggernauts of the new wave of Metalcore are reinventing the wheel. I became educated in Metalcore really fast upon my first listen of “Circle With Me” by budding Vancouver Island Progressive Metalcore band, Spiritbox. From there, my glass house of elitism was shattered forever.

Spiritbox’s Eternal Blue is the album that changed Metalcore forever but seemingly came out of nowhere. Between lineup changes and the pandemic, Spiritbox didn’t necessarily start successfully. They were unable to tour, put the new album together in the studio on the original timeline, and were forced to find a drummer remotely. The strife this band faced was formidable, but they turned it into something immensely positive. Eternal Blue is a true example of “pain turned into art”. It is a masterful record. It is beautiful, angry, tragic, and devastatingly good. It’s not what I expected; Holy Roller was a track that threw me off. It’s dense, abrasive, and completely heavy. It took me months to appreciate it. Once I heard Circle With Me, however, I immediately understood why this band went viral. Now, I can’t stop listening to Eternal Blue. The dramatic, sometimes bipolar, djent down-tuned chugging riffs to beautiful intricate melodies grabs every fiber of my being. I crave their sound to the point of obsession, and I think this album did the same thing to everyone who’s heard it.

There’s a wide spectrum of sound in Spiritbox that I’ve never heard before. It’s an assault of layers upon layers. Mike Stringer is known for maxing out the session data in Protools with these layers: Specifically on the beautifully heart-wrenching Alzheimer’s inspired track, Constance. This is the emotionally heaviest song I’ve heard in nearly fifteen years (Devin’s Deadhead takes the crown for me there). His musical composition is the most interesting I’ve heard since Devin Townsend. The way he aligns heavy guitars or melodic shredding with Courtney’s vocals is nothing short of visionary. Many bands have attempted this sonic chemistry, but Mike and Courtney have a cornerstone on the chemistry that I don’t think will ever be matched. This is why Eternal Blue is one of the greatest Metal records of all time and has brought Metalcore back to the forefront.

Once I became obsessed with Spiritbox, I went on to find other bands that shared a pension for Progressive Metalcore. Below is a list of bands that add to why I think Metalcore is the best subgenre in 2021 and 2022.

https://spiritbox.com/

Architects

This may seem like an obvious name drop, as Architects have been dropping some of the best records in modern Metal for the last ten years. They write relatable, coarse, heavy, and melodic tracks with excellent breakdowns. They sit at the more aggressive end of Metalcore, with screaming and down-tuned guitars while staying accessible. The band has been millions of fans’ entry into the extensive world of Metalcore. Tracks like Minesweeper, Day in Day Out, and Doomsday are blisteringly heavy and coarse with newer addition Sam Carter’s style. His screams and cleans are drastically different from each other, to an almost bipolar level. Their music is catchy, but not repetitive or derivative. It truly sticks in your mind; Whether it’s a riff or a vocal hook, Architects becomes addictive just as well as Spiritbox. Josh Middleton, another newer addition officially joining in 2017, is a driving force on lead guitars. Coming from Progressive Metalcore powerhouse Sylosis, Josh has made his imprint on Architects’ riffs. I think the band has gained success due to the innovation of Sam and Josh’s contribution and unique styles. At least, I’ve enjoyed the band more since Middleton began riffing for them.

For Those Who Wish To Exist is the latest from Architects. Released at the height of Covid on February 26th, 2021, this is one of the most poignant records of the decade. In my opinion, this record is a momentous record for all of music. The album is one of the heaviest records to climb the US Billboard charts in my lifetime. It got the recognition and credit it deserved for tracks like Black Lungs, Animals, and Dead Butterflies all frequenting successful Satellite radio. This record is not what I consider radio-friendly, but it is deeply relatable and tragically accurate for Covid-19’/s terrorist reign on the world. It captures the loss, the loneliness, the falling to addiction, and the rage for stupidity amongst the human race. I unequivocally love this record and find it to be the highlight of Architects’ career.

https://architectsofficial.com/

ERRA

Talk about underrated bands that seemingly come out of nowhere; the Progressive Metalcore scientists Erra hit me like a god damned truck. These guys put out harsh rap vocal lines over smooth clean choruses, right before obliterating breakdowns. Jesse Cash on vocals and guitars has written some of my absolute favorite riffs of all time. Dancing between Killswitch, Tool, and Meshuggah’s off-beat chugging, it’s a savory ride of guitar flavors that I am always impressed by. It’s impossible to get bored of Erra’s irregular and entropic music. It switches between fast down-tuned riffs, atmospheric interludes, and catchy vocals over blast beats. There’s also melodic shredding underneath the chunky riffs; a contrast I absolutely love. Cash and company compose songs with such deliberation and care so it flows through you like a symphony. I appreciate the music, but the lyrics are even more of a reason to listen to Erra. They eloquently talk about death, astronomy, psychology, neurology, societal issues with technological advancement, mythology, and mental health. Their storytelling and emotional transparency are what sets this band apart from all other Metalcore bands for me.

Erra, the self-titled record, is an astounding mix in a plethora of titillating ways. It’s grinding, blue-collar chuggy, and then refined and technical, and then warm and heartfelt. It’s surprisingly heavy, but the dynamics and smooth changes are what make it an essential Metalcore album. Snowblood opens with speed and breakdown shreds, continuing into equally disjointed Gungrave with an absolutely devastating breakdown at the end, and then it breaks and surprises into Melodic Divisionary. House of Glass is where the Prog shines through and captures me more than the Metalcore aspects. There’s a blinding ode to Tool in this song that is mouthwatering and unexpected. There’s a break in the music and this perfect off-time riff pre-verse that blows my mind every time I hear it. I won’t spoil the rest of the easter eggs in this brilliant record, but it’s a must-listen all the way through.

Essential Tracks: Snowblood, Vanish Canvas ft. Courtney LaPlante, Monolith

https://www.erraband.com/

Periphery

I doubt there’s a Modern Metal fan in America that hasn’t heard of Periphery, but just in case you need an incentive to listen to Prog Metalcore juggernauts Periphery, I’ll spell it out for you. Washington D.C may not be progressive these days, but at least it has birthed one of the greats of Progressive Metalcore. I have yet to see a band in the genre with more lineup changes, which is off-putting for me. It can cause inconsistencies and identity confusion, making the music derivative. Not with these guys. They are a band who have only improved with changes and time. The current lineup is a perfect medley of styles, technical ability, and some of the best musical chemistry I’ve ever seen. Periphery IV: Hail Stan is an album for the ages that went nearly viral. It is one of the highest-ranking Progressive Metalcore albums of the century, and rightly so.

While Spencer Sotelo’s vocals took a while for me to warm up to, it was their live videos that grabbed my attention. While some male vocalists in the upper register lose tonal quality and pitch control in a live setting, Spencer is an absolute rock. I am baffled by the lack of reaction videos to Spencer’s live and in-studio performances. His range and steadiness in infinite style changes and emotional dynamics are unbelievable. This is demonstrated best in the song Reptile, one of the craziest songs I have ever heard. His ability to keep up with the virtuoso composition while staying very current is unprecedented. He makes me angry. He makes me smile. And, he even makes me teary. Lune is one of the most beautiful vocal performances I have heard and destroys me every time I hear it.

Are three guitarists too many? Ask yourself that, and then listen to Misha Mansoor, Mark Holcomb, and Jake Bowen. Three very distinctive and different guitarists that ebb and flow and layer over one another flawlessly. The guitar riffs dance over Matt Halpern’s metronomic and catchy beats. Halpern has a pension for creating a perfect and effortless pocket, most evident in songs like It’s Only Smiles, Marigold, and Flatline. This band is one of the most talented bands I’ve ever heard, without being cheesy and neoclassical. Three technical shredding and beautifully melodic, atop a hell of an inventive drummer, underneath one of the most diverse vocalists I’ve ever heard; it’s a recipe for brilliance. This recipe is profoundly shown in Satellites, a song of their career, in my opinion. Not a fan of Metalcore? Listen to these guys, and you’ll be hooked for life.

Essential Tracks: Marigold, Satellites, Reptile, It’s Only Smiles, Alpha

http://periphery.net/

Monuments

On the heavier side of Metalcore, Monuments brings it hard and groovy. These guys have a lot of similarities to Periphery, but a completely different feel to the music. As a drum nerd, Monuments fills a need that no other band on this list can; a flair for flam. The use of flam on the snare adds urgency and a unique flavor to the music. Mike Malyan has an unexampled take on Metalcore drumming; it’s more of a Punk or Post Rock style that shows exceptional technicality. He can also blast well. The whole band is a quartet of sleepers. You’d never expect the caliber of a technical ability underneath the catchiness and softness of some radio-friendly tracks. Monuments is an interesting mix of styles. I had never truly listened to them until researching for this article, but they have piqued my interest. While they can be blistering and grinding heavy, they can also be almost sweetly melodic. The mix is crazy, but it works on every song I’ve heard so far.

I’ve found that most singular vocalists in Metalcore have bipolar styles. Howard Jones from KSE days had his unique belt and soaring vocals to supreme gutturals and harmonic screams. M Shadows of Avenged Sevenfold is another upper-level example of the range in Metalcore. Andy Cizek, the new addition in 2019 after the sad and unexpected departure of Chris Barretto, is a powerhouse of melodic and rhythmic texture. Andy has a hell of an upper range. It may not be for everyone, as it leans towards a twangy side of cleans, but I appreciate his quick switch from high twang to almost gutturals.

Despite the heaviness and melodic twang vocals, I believe Monuments is a great introduction to Metalcore for people that usually listen to Punk or Rock, which is really what Metalcore is all about. It’s a transition between old hardcore and Modern Metal. Bands like Monuments could bring Metal back to the forefront where it belongs; Celebrated and appreciated. Their new album, In Stasis, drops tomorrow April 14th, and I highly recommend checking it out.

Essential Tracks: False Providence, Cardinal Red, Animus, Stygian Blue

Home

Veil of Maya

A Deathcore band turned Metalcore, Chicago quartet Veil of Maya, have created their own style of Metal. If Periphery and Lorna Shore had an atmospheric baby, this band would be the maniacal product. Some tracks such as newer Viscera, Mikasa, and Members-Only remind me of European bands like The Unguided and Amaranthe. There are electronic and atmospheric aspects underneath yelling Punk vocals, and then full-on breakdowns with rhythmic screaming. The tracks are pretty chaotic and may be hard to follow at times. This is not your entry-level Metalcore band and is not necessarily my style, but there’s a lot to appreciate with Veil of Maya. Definitely check out Spanish beat-based Danger featuring legendary guitarist Jeff Loomis.

Essential Tracks: Doublespeak, Viscera, Outsider

Veil Of Maya

Wage War

Wage War, the breakout band on Sirius XM Octane, is the quintessential mix of Hardcore and Melodic Metal band that illustrates Modern Metalcore at its height. They have a wide range of tracks that show what they’re capable of. Some songs echo A Day To Remember, some echo Killswitch Engage’s new era, and some echo the heavy breakdowns of Spiritbox. Where technicality may be forefront in the others on this list, Wage War is more brutal and Slipknot with their heaviness. They have no regard for song structure on songs like Stitch. It’s just all-out brutality and searingly slow breakdowns with strings flapping against fretboards, and I love it.

While most of the hit songs are not my desired flavor of Metalcore, deeper cuts are insanely tasty. Yet another American band, hailing from Ocala, Florida, is bringing Metalcore back to the masses. Wage War has already scored a tour with Three Days Grace in July. It’s a huge billing for them and will hopefully gain them even more respect amongst American Metalheads.

Essential Tracks: Take The Fight, Circle the Drain, Relapse, Surrounded

http://wagewarband.com/

Any Given Day

One day whilst browsing Youtube for good covers, I stumbled upon a rugby-player-looking big-necked dude in a black suit beautifully singing Diamonds by Rihanna. I almost closed the browser, until that scream and riffing hit, and my jaw unhinged. German Hardcore/Melodic Metalcore band Any Given Day went viral with this shockingly beautiful but heavy cover, and I fell in love with Dennis Diehl’s smooth delivery. This huge man has the sweetest and smoothest clean vocal I’ve heard since Howard Jones but has wicked gutturals rarely heard in Metalcore. His voice is stunning, mesmerizing on songs like Apocalypse, Home is Where the Heart Is, and Farewell. While very heavy and containing many breakdowns, they are one of the more melodic bands along with Spiritbox on this list.

This band is not a one-trick pony or formulaic, no two songs sound similar to me. It’s a very diverse and emotionally ranged catalog. They have breakdowns, rapping grunting vocals, and down-tuned guitars that echo the Hardcore veins of the band. The Melodic parts are echoing Killswitch Engage, Trivium, and heartful songs from All That Remains. Any Given Day incorporates guitar layering instead of Electronic effects for atmosphere, and that is something I appreciate. I love their flavor of Metalcore and hope they gain more popularity in the states for a North American tour billing.

Essential Tracks; Arise Ft. Matt Heafy of Trivium, Home Is Where the Heart is, Savior

https://arising-empire.com/artists/any-given-day