Blood Vulture – Die Close Review

By Saunders

For all its notable strengths, gripping guitar work, and towering hooks, Die Close has a few hiccups expected from a debut album. The two shorter introductory and interlude pieces are decent enough, yet ultimately disposable, while the stronger moments and soaring melodies on the Gothy melodrama of “A Dream About Starving to Death” are tripped up by some overly goofy lyrical and vocal turns. Nevertheless, outside of these minor sore spots, Die Close is consistently entertaining and occasionally gripping at its potent best. Olds still displays some tongue-in-cheek humor and horror shtick, also reflected in the accompanying music videos, though overall, Die Close is a dark and brooding album. Expectedly, Olds is the star of the show, defined by his excellent guitar work and standout vocals. Vocally, Olds shifts between several modes, showcasing solid range, character, and emotional depth.

Blood Vulture came from nowhere, unleashing a fresh, emotive and punchy blast of doomy heft, blockbuster hooks and haunting harmonies. Bolstered by stellar performances and addictive songwriting, where the album’s earwormy hooks and stronger material showcase Olds as a serious artist on the rise, Die Close signals an assured and confident debut. A few kinks aside, Die Close is a hugely enjoyable album that’s well worth a listen and should cement Blood Vulture as an exciting new voice in the doomsphere.

#2025 #35 #AFI #AmericanMetal #BloodVulture #CaveIn #ChelseaWolfe #Crowbar #DieClose #DillingerEscapePlan #DoomMetal #Grunge #LinguaIgnota #Mastodon #MutoidMan #PureNoiseRecords #ReverendKristinMichaelHayter #Review #Reviews #RoyalThunder #ShadowsFall #Sludge

AMG Turns 15: Senior VPs Speak

By Carcharodon

15 years ago, on May 19, 2009, Angry Metal Guy spoke. For the very first time as AMG. And he had opinions: Very Important Opinions™. The post attracted relatively little attention at the time, but times change and, over the decade and a half since then, AMG Industries has grown into the blog you know today. Now with a staff of around 25 overrating overwriters (and an entirely non-suspicious graveyard for writers on permanent, all-expenses-paid sabbaticals), we have written more than 9,100 posts, comprising over seven million words. Over the site’s lifetime, we’ve had more than 107 million visits and now achieve well over a million hits each and every month. Through this, we’ve built up a fantastic community of readers drawn from every corner of the globe, whom we have (mostly) loved getting to know in the more than 360,000 comments posted on the site.

We have done this under the careful (if sternly authoritarian) stewardship of our eponymous leader Angry Metal Guy and his iron enforcer, Steel Druhm, while adhering to strict editorial policies and principles. We have done this by simply offering honest (and occasionally brutal) takes, and without running a single advert or taking a single cent from anyone. Ever. Mistakes have undoubtedly been made and we may be a laughing stock in the eyes of music intellectuals, socialites and critics everywhere but we are incredibly proud of what AMG Industries represents. In fact, we believe it may be the best metal blog, with the best community of readers, on the internet.

Now join us as the people responsible for making AMG a reality reflect on what the site means to them and why they would willingly work for a blog that pays in the currency of deadlines, abuse, and hobo wine. Welcome to the 15th Birthdaynalia.

Thou Shalt Have No Other Blogs!

El Cuervo

AMG and me

When I reflect on what really matters at the end of each year, AMG.com always comes up trumps.1 Its benefits are many, its failings few, and I struggle to imagine my life had I never joined its crew a decade ago. Surprising though this may be to those familiar with my pride, AMG could be an unread blog and it wouldn’t matter. It represents a creative outlet, exercises my brain differently from my corporate career, rewards me with high-quality listening material, and even introduced some individuals that I now consider strong friends. Serving a not-for-profit organization operated by nerds for nerds, with a combined love for their esoteric interest grants me balance and perspective I would otherwise miss in my rigidly structured professional life. Even after thousands of hours of unpaid servitude, it energizes and excites me.

Sure, it satisfies my ego that Angry Metal Guy also attracts thousands of unique readers per article, and has sizable clout in the underground and mid-tier of heavy metal media. I love the bump bands experience following our praise, and even the incendiary comments when we criticize something popular. But these are just the cherry on the top of everything else it affords me. This site nourishes my soul; through creativity, community, and hubris.2

AMG gave to me …

Cormorant // Dwellings – In 2011, I was still relatively new to extreme metal but I already knew that Opeth was one of my favorite bands. A simple Opeth name-drop by AMG in his review was all it took to pique my interest. Shortly thereafter, Cormorant—especially their first two records, 2009’s Metzoa and this—became some of my favorite music too. So much so that a slice of the art from this second record is prominently tattooed on my body. Dwellings is an expansive, unpredictable treasure map of a record. It’s littered with dozens of obvious paths and landmarks, but also subtler trinkets you’ll miss until your tenth listen. There’s so much to admire here, from the burly riff and thunderous vocals opening “Junta,” to the wandering, shredding guitars narrating Kevin Rudd’s apology to Australia’s indigenous population (“The First Man”) and the beautifully delicate interludes on “Funambulist.” Dwellings is the earliest example of many albums introduced to me via AMG.com that have had a lasting impact on either my listening tastes or life generally.

Moonsorrow // Varjoina Kuljemme Kuolleiden Maassa – Although I’d already breached the realms of death metal prior to discovering AMG (via Opeth and In Flames, naturally), black metal had eluded me. It was a gap about which I was concerned, given my moves towards heavier music. Happily for me, the review of Moonsorrow’s sixth full-length blew that door wide open. Varjoina Kuljemme Kuolleiden Maassa is hardly entry-grade material, featuring a bleak atmosphere, alien vocals, and four main tracks each exceeding eleven minutes. But the grand melodies, sharp riffs, folksy slant, and EPIC song-writing scope offered the necessary bait for me. It basically ruined atmospheric and folksy metal for me from the outset; almost no other bands successfully write engrossing, long-form black metal like these guys, despite most of them trying. Listening to VKKM is less like hearing music and more like slowly wandering towards a freezing death in the Nordic wilderness. But in a good way! While the band has arguably produced other, stronger records—the mythological curiosity of Verisäkeet and monolithic Hävitetty are also exemplary—VKKM holds a special importance to me for opening up an entire genre.

Steven Wilson // Hand. Cannot. Erase. – At the age of 22/23, I would describe 2016 as the year that my childhood ended and adulthood began. I was preparing to enter employment at the end of my further education and went through a difficult break-up with a long-term partner. Although Hand. Cannot. Erase. released in 2015, I spent far more time with it the following year. Along with a few other artists outside my typical territory of prog and metal, it narrated that period for me. Progressive rock sits comfortably within my bailiwick3 but the mournful strains of pop found on the title track and “Perfect Life” are what stand H.C.E. apart from everything else. AMG‘s AotY summary was absolutely right in saying that “the emotional engagement that Wilson and co. are able to evoke in me is precisely what makes this album more than the sum of its parts.” It’s my emotional response to the music here that makes this record what it is. Even in the numerous ways my life has changed in the subsequent eight years, I find it a little difficult to return to this one. It’s a landmark album in my life.

I wish I had written …

Avantasia – The Wicked Symphony Review. This album represents not only the vehicle through which I discovered AMG but also one of my favorite albums from the 2010s. It’s the most raucous, overblown and catchy fusion of hard rock and symphonic metal I’ve heard. But my first listen also represented a turning point in my life. Pre-Wicked Symphony, so much of my listening was rooted in bands introduced to me by my dad. Post-Wicked Symphony, these roles were reversed and I now feed him new releases I think he’ll enjoy. I would have loved the contemporaneous opportunity to describe this phenomenon in relation to Avantasia.

I wish more people had read …

Geoff Tate – Kings and Thieves Review. The great Dr. Fisting is the most incisive, humorous writer to ever sit in our ranks, and his review of Kings and Thieves forms his best output. Framed as a letter, Fisting delivers a savage, but wholly reasonable, takedown of a problematic, wayward Mr Tate. The line “hearing you sing about getting laid is about as sexy as walking in on my parents” delighted me at the time and still delights me now. Read this.

Grymm

AMG and me

In all my years of listening to metal prior to writing about it, I was searching long and hard for anything that would come close to the magic that the late, great Metal Maniacs magazine brought to the world. Once I encountered Dr. Fisting‘s immortal(ly brutal) review of Kings and Thieves by ex-Queensryche vocalist Geoff Tate, I knew I had found it. Little did I know that I would call this place home for over a decade. To say this site is special to me, is to understate the impact it’s had on my life, my writing, and how I approach all music nowadays. The fact that I made a second family here among the staff and readers makes this all the sweeter. I don’t regret the time, energy, and tears spent here.

As I’ve said many times, onward…

AMG gave to me …

Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter // Saved! – The most recent and jarring album that I discovered since joining up here, the former Lingua Ignota took all the pain she experienced through abuse, and turned it into a religious, lo-fi cleansing, that was equal parts beautiful, stirring, and brutally uncomfortable. I often waver between experiencing this album to purge, and never wanting to touch it again because it’s that raw. When an album makes you feel those things, you know the artist(s) who crafted it did something right.

Lorna Shore // Pain Remains – I’ll admit, I’m not the biggest fan of deathcore out there, and it doesn’t help that I (unfairly, in hindsight) avoided New Jersey’s Lorna Shore due to the actions of their prior vocalist. What I didn’t know was that they gave said asshole the boot almost immediately after Immortal’s release, and were blessed with the golden throat of one Will Ramos. The rest, as they say, is history. Since then, they’ve been on a majestic ascent that many bands would give everything for, and they rightfully deserve all the success in the world that they’ve achieved.

Darkest Era // Severence – One of the earliest albums I discovered via another writer here at AMG, Irish minstrels Darkest Era deserve far, far more love than they’re currently getting … and from what I’ve heard, they’re getting some well-deserved love lately from all the metalheads. Rightfully so. For, as good as their debut The Last Caress of Light was, Severence saw a major improvement in terms of musicianship and songwriting, seeing them surpass many of their inspirations by leaps and bounds.

I wish I had written …

Any of Cherd‘s Christmas posts, especially the Tarja Christmas album. Sometimes, you’re feeling the Spirit of Christmas4 and you want to spread joy. Sometimes, you just can’t stand the fucking holidays, and just want to laugh your ass off at some damn good (piss)takes on the commercialized, uber-capitalistic holidays, and our holiday cheer-spreader has spent the last few years making us hurt our ribcages from ugly-laughing so damn much to his reviews of Christmas albums, and Tarja’s over-the-top Christmas album was beyond ripe for the taking. I wish I had his propensity for pain humor.

I wish I could do over …

Grymm Comments: On Coming Out and Acceptance in the Metalverse… Again. – Don’t get this twisted; everything I said in my second coming-out piece still needed to be said and, sadly, nothing’s changed. But if you knew even half of the bullshit I endured once it was published, you would too lose all motivation to support the very music that has people in it that want to see you either removed from the scene, or outright dead. My desire to write pretty much died after this went live…

I wish more people had read …

Grymm Comments: On Coming Out and Acceptance in the Metalverse… Again. …but I’m not at all sorry I did it. Metal, for all its acceptance of its wayward misfits, miscreants, and outcasts, still has a colossal problem in terms of racism and homophobia, and it’s only gotten more emboldened over the last decade or so. It’s heartening to see pushback against it though and if that means someone else will pick up the baton, after I laid it down, to call out that bullshit, then all the better. None of the other major players have the fortitude to do so, but there are those who can and will.

Kronos

AMG and me

Look, I don’t write here anymore; I’ve left that to the more capable. But when I did, the reason for it all was that someone gave a fuck whether I was capable or not. When someone first commented to say, “Hey, this is some bad prose” on a Kronos review, that was when I decided that I was going to keep writing for AMG. For all our sins as a website, we did—and those currently writing here still do—care to make what you read here good, and care to connect you with art that is good. The commentariat’s demand for quality pushed me as a writer to produce both the best criticism and the most entertaining writing I could muster, even when I didn’t have much to say. But there came a point when I found I had too little to say to keep saying anything. Seeing the rest of the staff continue to dish thoughtful commentary even on thoughtless art, made bowing out easy. I’m proud to have been a piece of the project for so long.

I hope it keeps going another fifteen years. That way, when I’m a Steel-level fogie and Defeated Sanity are as neolithic as Metal Church, I can return and correct Generation Alpha’s horrible taste.

AMG gave to me …

Dodecahedron // Dodecahedron – If I had never heard Dodecahedron’s opening chords, I may have had a very different life than I do now. Knowing that those sounds exist completely reshaped my relationship with music, shifting my interest from the technical to the visceral. Never before had I felt my stomach turn from sound alone. If there’s any overarching theme in my music writing, it’s the failure to completely capture this sensation in words, to properly express the importance of art that sparks the neurons below the neck.

Melted Bodies // Enjoy Yourself – Well, don’t mind if I do. I thought this sounded OK from GardensTale‘s review and didn’t get around to it until I’d turned in my year-end list for 2020 (after all, I know best, so why bother listening to what these bozos tell me is good). Then I spent 2021 listening to Enjoy Yourself on a weekly basis. Melted Bodies’ sardonic seapunk-infused thrash proved the perfect artistic vehicle to deliver a treatise on hypernormalization and the misery, and seediness of American culture. Far from being just a metal record with a political bent, Enjoy Yourself is more directly a political document printed with a gaudy mix of guitars, synthesizer boops, and blast beats, in which every annoying, hokey lyrical delivery hisses out through a rot-toothed sneer.

billy woods // Hiding Places5 – While I was actively writing, I pretty much knew if I’d like a new metal record well before the review came out. The writers look out for each other, you know? And few were more persistent and reliable gauges of my interest than Kenstrosity, who somehow just knew I’d love this album. Hiding Places carries more than a whiff of the care and crypsis of a great art-house death metal record without being anything close to one. Muted instrumentals creak and twinkle around woods, whose tangled lyrics squint suspiciously at love and belonging, paranoid from decades of imperial violence. Gloomy but electric, woods delivers his piece with a mix of resignation and reprehension that hooks me in every time. It’s not metal, but it is really fucking angry.

Dr. Wvrm

AMG and me

I’ve asked myself what AMG means to me far too often over the last few years. As I’ve fallen out, in and back out of love with metal, with reviewing, and with arguing with “writers” about the finer points of comma usage. As I’ve watched better and more dedicated reviewers slip away to the far side of the hourglass, I’ve wondered what my useless ass is still doing here.

I don’t write; no time, no drive. I don’t read the articles, but then again, who does? I stay in touch with current releases (mostly because Kenneth or Dolphin Fucker or Eldritch shove things they know I’ll like in my face) but am no longer a voracious consumer and cataloguer. My fixations have moved on to other equally meaningless pursuits. Yet here I stay, despite the guilt of missed deadlines and the shame of another broken promise of regular reviews, doing just enough to avoid unceremonious defenestration from The Hall, because I love these people.

This site, those who read it, and particularly those who staff it, are the only people I have ever had in my life who see what I see in this awful music; who understand the ways this awful music can take on a life of its own, suffusing relationships and memories like little else can; who have connected with me and supported me and been so good to me, simply because of this awful, this god-awful music.

AMG, more than anything else, means community, and I consider myself lucky to have found a place at its table.

AMG gave to me …

Wilderun // Sleep at the Edge of the Earth6 – Sleep is (a) an entirely unoriginal selection, (b) the first 5.0/5.0 record to which this site introduced me, and (c) the only metal record my father has ever appreciated. This is a man who once made me turn off Billy Joel.7 After 20 years of musical repartee boiling down to me blasting Cryptopsy’s “Crown of Horns” for laughs, Wilderun managed to bridge our gap. It surely has to do with the literal Berklee grads orchestrating a symphonic masterpiece more than anything heavy about the record, but if I’ve learned anything in this life, it’s to shut up and take your win. The image of the two of us listening to “Hope and Shadow” while driving through the hills of Pennsylvania Dutch Country is vivid in the way those special moments always are, even years later. I’m sure if asked, he couldn’t recall that afternoon. The memory is fine just the same.

The Night Flight Orchestra // Amber Galactic – As Sleep was to my father, so was Amber Galactic to my mother. In many ways, I owe my metal worship to her; if not for a childhood raised on nothing but soft rock, I likely wouldn’t search out the ugliest music humanly possible. While she was never as repulsed by my musical predilections as my father,8 she was also not the audience for Slayer or Children of Bodom, just as I was not the audience for Shania Twain, Rod Stewart or Seal.9 Our tastes diverged for good in the year 2004, leaving little but tussles over the radio knob, and eventually everything else. Our fights were, and are, legendary among our friends and family, which was a badge of honor as an asshole teenager and is now a marker of shame as an asshole adult. I don’t remember how she got wise to Amber Galactic – maybe through me, accidentally. But for the first time in the long-time search for a ceasefire, she was as into “Gemini,” “Domino”, and “Josephine” as I was. It was a good time. That detente didn’t last long, of course, but as a wise man once said, “Shut up and take your win.”

Amorphis // Under the Red Cloud – Under the Red Cloud topped the very first Top Ten I put together, in 2015, still a pre-staff wannabe. Even then, I wanted to foist my awful opinions on the world, and in many ways, that was the first step to my eventual membership here. That isn’t why this review matters to me though. I had no idea who Amorphis was before AMG Himself‘s review of Under the Red Cloud. In the years since, I’ve been grateful for their constant companionship, in the summer sun and on lonely nights like the one on which I write this. I reached for them on a January morning, as the last throes of a Nor’easter snowed me into the maternity ward. I’m passing the hours between bottles by staring out at crystalline whorls as “Enigma” plays. It’s one of my very favorites, in their catalog, in all of music, and I can’t help but share it. I turn the volume down and pass the headphones from my ears to my son’s. It’s only for a moment, and who knows how well you can hear less than a day removed from in vitro, but it’s our moment. It’s this moment, all these moments, that I want to flash before my eyes when my bell finally tolls, and I hope someone turns the speaker up to 11 when they do.

Eldritch Elitist

AMG and me

I’m not sure if any of my colleagues know this, but I have done most of my writing in my nearly 8 year tenure at Angry Metal Guy on my cell phone. I submitted my application to AMG on May 24th, 2016; exactly two weeks later, my first and only child was born. He was a particularly clingy baby, so for months when I’d arrive home from work, he was essentially glued to my arm for hours on end. When Steel Druhm and Madam X graciously brought me on as a probationary writer, I begrudgingly adapted to writing on a stupid-ass, tiny-ass screen with my stupid-ass, big-ass thumbs. The process has been second nature to me ever since.

Let me be perfectly clear: If I was doing this for a shot at writing for any other blog, I would have bailed immediately. But I owed Angry Metal Guy for singlehandedly revitalizing my passion for metal, after my interest in the genre had waned over a half decade of post-high school life. No other outlet compared when it came to treating melodic metal with the same respect and professional level of writing quality afforded to so-called “trailblazers” in the scene. Having the kind of music that made me fall in love with the genre in the first place legitimized by such a talented crew was revelatory. I can only hope my contributions in this space have resonated similarly with others like me.

AMG gave to me …

Beaten to Death // Unplugged – I’m not a grindcore fan. The number of grindcore albums I’ve listened to in full likely ranks in the single digits. I also think that Beaten to Death’s Unplugged is one of the coolest, catchiest, and most compulsively listenable records of the last decade. Part of what makes Unplugged a special record for me is that—aside from its sheer kinetic brilliance—discovering this record through AMG is what made me want to write for this blog in the first place. Jean-Luc Ricard’s spot-on piece wisely zeroed in on this record’s decidedly un-grindy eccentricities, which was vital for enticing genre tourists like myself. Mirroring that review’s impact has been my mission with every positive review I’ve ever penned. For all the self-proclaimed power metal haters who thanked me in the comments for making them one-off converts to records like The Saberlight Chronicles: Thanks for the free dopamine!

Khemmis // Hunted – I used to be a casual appreciator of doom metal. That is, before Steel Druhm reviewed Khemmis’s 2016 opus Hunted, which more or less put me off the genre for good. Hunted is a perfect encapsulation of everything I enjoy in a doom metal record. So perfect, in fact, that everything I’ve heard in the realm of traditional doom metal since has failed to elicit a response stronger than “this is good, but I wish I was listening to Hunted.” This album excels through sheer simplicity and masterful melodic handling, filling any semblance of dead air in a genre where most compositions feel like a waste of space. The tragedy here is that Khemmis’ formula is so effective as to feel effortless in its construction, yet no other band has been able to match these heights, despite the formula for success sounding so obvious to my ears. Were it not for Steel Druhm’s rightfully glowing (if underscored) review, I might have never heard my favorite doom metal album at all.

Xoth // Invasion of the Tentacube – Much like Wilderun before them, I’m not sure Xoth’s recent underground success would have resulted in as strong of word-of-mouth had Angry Metal Guy not been hyping them up since their 2017 debut. Our staff’s collective enthusiasm for promoting unsigned gems like Invasion of the Tentacube is, at least in my eyes, unmatched in getting bands like Xoth the early attention they deserve. Sure, there are many examples of self-released albums that fit these qualifiers, but Invasion of the Tentacube might be my personal favorite. It’s also worth mentioning this record as a reminder for people to revisit Xoth’s early material. Though a bit unrefined (as Akerblogger pointed out in his otherwise glowing review), this album is every bit as entertaining as Xoth’s subsequent LPs, and a neat little time capsule that captures all of Xoth’s ambitions in a charmingly adolescent package.

I wish I had written …

Frostbite Orckings – The Orcish Eclipse Review. I maintain that it was a wise decision to retire the 0.0/5.0 score from our rating system, but for Frostbite Orckings, I should have lobbied to reinstate it for one last hurrah. Ideally, we wouldn’t have given this insulting crap the time of day to begin with10, but the only value this garbage could have had was as a warning example after I pilloried it to fucking death. AI art, whether visual or aural, is not art, and should have no place where real artists struggle to thrive. Oh, and Unleash the Archers can go to hell.

I wish I could do over …

Dunnock – Little Stories Told by Ghosts Review. Speaking of 0.0 scores… I was in a bad space mentally when I wrote this review, and I take full responsibility for giving Dunnock a platform as my personal punching bag. It didn’t feel good to write this, and it didn’t feel good to have people validating my scoring decision in the comments. If nothing else, writing this review changed my philosophy on writing negative reviews for the better. My tastes should have dictated that I had no business reviewing this record, which I’m sure has its fans. Somewhere. I still think it sucks.

I wish more people had read …

Tales of Gaia – Hypernova Review. While the comments section indicates many people read this review, I simply cannot allow this gem to be lost to time. Hypernova left me crying and borderline suffocating from laughter. I have amazing memories of subjecting friends to this record and watching them crumple into a state of helpless hysteria. Unless Tales of Gaia makes another record with the same singer11, you will never hear anything else like this in your life.

Saunders

AMG and me

Various circumstances have conspired to fuck with my 2024 so far, leaving me scrambling as whips are cracked to contribute to this momentous occasion. 15 goddamn years, hey? And going stronger than ever… I am forever grateful and humbled to be a long-term servant to this mighty blog since joining the team during the latter half of 2014. My fading memory cannot quite pinpoint the timeline when I stumbled onto the pages of Angry Metal Guy. However, I remember being struck by the positive and passionate community vibes, the quality, insightful writing, and the no-bullshit rating system. I rapidly became an avid reader and, when opportunity came knocking, I jumped aboard. It’s been an awesome journey to see the incredible growth and expansion over the years.

Initially, I struggled as I adapted to a tight operation and steep learning curve with my then awful formatting skills (surprised I didn’t get the axe right there). Yet it was the professional standards, the support networks, set processes and the ongoing inspiration of the outstanding writing talent adorning these pages over the years that has kept me on my toes, and pushed me to become a better, more rounded writer. I am grateful for the exceptional (occasionally intimidating) writing standards and creative flair that each writer brings, which keeps me honest and inspires me. Not to mention the ridiculous amount of great music I’ve been alerted to over the years.

Writing for AngryMetalGuy.com means the world to me and has been my rock since stumbling across these pages roughly a decade ago. Although I don’t write as much as I would like to, daily visits to the blog remain a steadfast routine. Also, the one-of-a-kind community kicks arse and my writing buddies and colleagues are an awesome bunch of people and an absolute pleasure to work alongside. Here’s to many more great years ahead.

AMG gave to me …

Soen // Tellurian – Just months after I joined the staff, Angry Metal Guy Himself reviewed the sophomore album from Swedish progressive metal band Soen. I had overlooked their debut, and it was the impassioned piece of fine critical writing and subsequent lofty rating that piqued my interest. Being a prog enthusiast and big Opeth and Tool fan (no, not one of those Tool fans), Soen’s emotive, melancholic, chunky, complex and infectious brand of prog metal touched my heart and gripped my soul. It wrapping up top honors on my first year-end list writing here in 2014. It began a love affair with Soen, especially through their golden stretch from Tellurian to 2019’s exemplary Lotus album. Furthermore, Tellurian opened my eyes more and more to the many wondrous bands operating in the modern progressive metal field. A decade later and Tellurian continues to resonate strongly and remains one of my treasured early discoveries on this blog.

Mutoid Man // War Moans – Mutoid Man’s 2017 album War Moans dropped at a challenging period in my life, where I was navigating a career change and plunging into the unknown. Shit got pretty hectic; thus, certain albums took on extra significance in my life. The much-missed Dr Fisting wrote a typically cool review of the zany supergroup’s sophomore album, inspiring me to dip into the crazy world of Mutoid Man and their ridiculously catchy, wild concoction of influences. War Moans quickly ascended to become a go-to album and modern favorite, igniting my rabid fandom of the band to this day. Mutoid Man transcend simple labels, skilfully meshing elements of metal, rock, prog, punk, math and hardcore into cohesive, speedy, rollicking jams. They possess massive crossover appeal, punching out A-grade tuneage with plenty of zip, technical skill, and a knack of cranking the fun factor, and embellishing their batshit, hyperactive formula with wickedly addictive earworm gems.

Bathory // Hammerheart – I am a big metal feature nerd and, though the reviewing game takes precedent, some of my favorite moments are the various feature pieces and passionate write-ups of classic albums. When the curmudgeonly Doc Grier wrote a Yer Metal Is Olde piece on Bathory’s 1990 album Hammerheart, my curiosity was sparked. Although I was a fan of Enslaved and had dabbled in Borknagar, Bathory’s much-adored Viking metal legacy was largely untouched in my historic metal explorations. Branching out of my comfort zone and exploring other styles and genres is an ongoing thrill as a metalhead. This piece triggered me to open my horizons and delve more fully into the battle-hardened, epic realms of Viking metal and associated styles. Hammerheart is a fucking epic monster of a classic opus, that opened further doors for me and broadened my appreciation of not only Viking metal, but certain overlooked black metal gems, including Bathory’s own early classics.

I wish I had written …

For shits and giggles, I could easily go to Dr Fisting‘s Indefensible Positions takedown of Slaughter of the Soul, just for the sheer ballsyness, despite disagreeing with the sentiment. In the end, Grymm‘s killer Yer Metal Is Olde write-up of Acid Bath’s underground classic When the Kite String Pops stands out. This album (and this band) is an all timer for me and Grymm did an outstanding job of conveying why this album is so special and unique. It’s a classic YMIO entry that I occasionally go back to read, giving me the warm nostalgic feels and reminding me why I fell in love with this album back in the day, and why it still holds a place in my heart.

I wish more people had read …

AMG Goes Ranking – Dying Fetus. The Dying Fetus Ranking piece was a special moment in my decade-long career writing on this blog. A long-time favorite and pivotal band in opening my ears to the wonders of the more brutal, slammy realms of death metal, this ranking feature was a proud moment. Despite the collective efforts of my comrades Maddog and Dolphin Whisperer, fewer than thirty comments at time of writing was a little disappointing for a band of Dying Fetus’ stature. I don’t know how many actual clicks it got but I was certainly expecting / hoping for more rabble, agreements, and fiery debates than what occurred.

#2024 #AcidBath #AMGGoesRanking #AMGTurns15 #Amorphis #Avantasia #Bathory #billyWoods #BlogPost #BlogPosts #ComingOut #Cormorant #DarkestEra #Dodecahedron #DyingFetus #GeoffTate #GrymmCommentsOn #LornaShore #MeltedBodies #Moonsorrow #MutoidMan #ReverendKristinMichaelHayter #Soen #StevenWilson #TarjaTurunen #TheNightFlightOrchestra #Wilderun

Dr. A.N. Grier’s Top Ten(ish) of 2023

By Dr. A.N. Grier

Another year, another top-ten list from ole Grier. Unfortunately, this was a difficult year to make my selections. Typically, I have to narrow my list from twenty to thirty albums, but this year pretty much narrowed down itself. But it wasn’t only because I was too goddamn busy to listen to music and write reviews, it also wasn’t the best year for metal. Of the hundreds of albums I forced myself to listen to this year, even my honorable mentions are pretty fucking slim. I know many will argue that this was a fantastic year for metal, but I don’t like prog or doom enough to enjoy the stupid number of releases in those genres. And you’re all terrible for encouraging this shit to happen. Hopefully, King Diamond and Mercyful Fate will release albums in 2024 so we can get some real music.

But for all the work that’s taken me away from writing reviews (which is pretty much the only thing I live for these days), it’s been a good year for insulting and making fun of everyone. If I can’t have droves of amazing records, at least I have a bunch of idiots with bad taste to rip on. The number of 4.5s that everyone whored out on this site is an abomination. And, again, this is all your fault for encouraging scores twice what they should be! Idiots. But, besides all the incorrect scores, this is a pretty good crew. While I can’t help but glare (my mom says that’s just how my face is), the Zoom calls are fun, the daily bickering is therapeutic, and the horrible Doom_et_Al hot takes make me feel better about myself. Without Steel, Madam X, and Sentynel, this place would never exist. No matter how much I try to derail it. While the mighty AMG is busy as fuck and isn’t always around, we also wouldn’t be here without him. I also have to give a shout-out to olde and new editors, like Holdeneye, Wvrm, Kenny, Dolph, and Maddog for all the hard work, bringing back old AMG specials, and helping the newbies onboard. It’s very much appreciated. As for the readers… you know what I’m going to say/call you.

Now for the best list of the bunch and pretty much the only one you should read. You’ll find many records you forgot about here, or you hated to begin with which makes you an idiot.

#ish. Blackbraid // Blackbraid II – I hate that I agree with Doom that an album is good. Honestly, it physically and emotionally hurts me. But there’s not much to be done about Blackbraid’s Blackbraid II because I haven’t been able to stop listening to it since it came out. I can’t say it’s my perfect style of black metal, but the emotion is there, and it’s quite convincing. In particular, “Sadness and the Passage of Time and Memory” is a heart-wrenching piece of staggering beauty. While many complain it’s far too long, it’s only because you expected the follow-up to Blackbraid I to be another measly thirty-five minutes. That isn’t Blackbraid II’s fault. That’s your fault. And please don’t get me started with your opinions on the man’s heritage and if he’s insulting rather than honoring that heritage. Instead, let the soothing acoustic interludes guide you to the engulfing nature of “The Spirit Returns” and “A Song of Death on Winds of Dawn” before “Twilight Hymn of Ancient Blood” tears you a new asshole with its crushing, trashing interlude. Blackbraid II is one of the better atmoblack releases of the year and you gotta get over it and accept it.

#10. Mutoid Man // Mutants – Oh, Mutoid Man, you shifty, unpredictable bastard. How you managed to suck me into War Moans is beyond me because, to be frank, this is not typically the type of metal I like. I mean, not that Mutoid Man has ever solidified themselves into a genre. More like ten of them. But the chaos of the songwriting is typically too much for me. However, these purveyors of the perverse can somehow keep the craziness at bay and wrangle everything into a memorable song. That said, Mutants is rather different than its predecessor. While the insanity and wackiness remain, Mutants shortens the leash and keeps them from roaming too far into the street. The result is something a touch more melodic and less thrashy. That said, there are some fucking heavy songs on this record, like “Broken Glass Ceiling” and “Unborn.” But, in the end, this new release is full of feel-good energy that has you smiling far more than pit stomping. Again, something I’d never see myself enjoying but it’s too much fun to ignore. Each spin reveals even more in its construction, inevitably sucking me further into the silly minds of its creators. I do wish for a better master, but it doesn’t stop me from returning again and again.

#9. Omnicidal // The Omnicidalist – Guitarist/vocalist Sebastian Svedlund is one hell of a talented dude. Not only has he been fronting and playing guitar for the stellar Rimfrost, but he’s now formed a new group that is every bit as exceptional as his black metal counterpart. The main difference is that Svedlund flexes his death and thrash metal chops with Omnicidal’s debut record, The Omnicidalist. In a mere forty-one minutes, The Omnicidalist is an entertaining beast of a record. Right out of the gates, “By Knife” cuts you to ribbons and slowly, yet methodically pulls your large intestine from your body. But what makes The Omnicidalist work are the melodic flavorings spattered between their death-thrash attitude. But even that can’t describe the diversity of the record when you run headfirst into the Amon Amarth, melodeath character of “The Passenger” and old-school, Swethrash of the At the Gates-ish “Cemetery Scream.” And like Rimfrost, Omnicidal chose to produce a warm, open, well-rounded master that lets you enjoy every nook and cranny of the band’s performances.

#8. The Night Eternal // Fatale – How Steel caught this at the end of the year before it slipped by, I’ll never know. But, goddamn, am I glad he did. Sending me a private message of its existence, we spent the next 15 minutes in a Mercyful Fate orgasm. Which is a lot, considering that’s the longest I’ve been able to hold my load. Though not exactly a Mercyful Fate copycat, there are plenty of references that can be made to Fatale. In reality, The Night Eternal reminds me of those recent explorers of the sound created by King Diamond and co. Bands like Attic and In Solitude come to mind as those bands, as well as this one, take the foundation and build their own house on top of it. Steel described Fatale best when he stated that with each new track, you’re pulled deeper and deeper into the album. The two that got me on the first listen were the back-to-back “Prince of Darkness” and “We Praise Death.” With other great songs coming down the line, like “Run with the Wolves” and “Between the Worlds,” my love for the songwriting only strengthened. And it’s been strengthening ever since with each subsequent listen. Let the “Old Man Metal” moniker be damned. This is way better than all your fucking deathgrind cock-core.

#7. Ars Moriendi // Lorsque Les Coeurs S’assèchent – As I write this blurb, I realize my lists are starting to become predictable. Most Grier lists seem to include Second to Sun, Malokarpatan, and Ars Moriendi. But that isn’t my fault. All are prolific and consistent, releasing, if not their best album with each new release, something pretty damn close. Each is also unique in its brand of black metal. The one-person French outfit, Ars Moriendi, is one whose albums are albums in the truest sense. Never have I ever skipped a song or listened to a track without all the others. Like I said in the review for Lorsque Les Coeurs S’assèchent, it’s a journey. Clocking in at fifty-five minutes, these six songs are overlapping nightmares of ambient, progressive black metal. Never settling too long on one idea, each song is packed to the brim with riffs, orchestral atmospheres, organ interludes, and mind-fucking musical landscapes. Still not as popular as they should be, the songwriting coming out of this guy’s fingers, voice, and drumsticks is mind-boggling and surprisingly beautiful. Like previous years, Lorsque Les Coeurs S’assèchent has secured a safe place on Doktor Grier‘s EOY list.

#6. Bizzarekult // Den Tapte Krigen – Bizzarekult is one of the greatest treasures to ever grace us with its presence. Not only is this brand of black metal my thing, but the man behind it is a better AMG commenter than you. Be less you. Be more Bizarre. After the wonderfully moosey Vi overlevde, Den Tapte Krigen bugs out in a serious way. Everything you ever hoped for on this record is there, and more. This time, the progressive elements have greater direction, the riffs hit harder, and the vocal diversity is far superior to the debut album. For example, consider the gorgeous, Green Carnation-like clean vocals of “Du Lovet Meg.” Or, the crushing Carpathian Forest-esque character of “Midt i Stormen.” Not to mention the six-and-a-half-minute closer, “Himmelen er Utilgjengelig,” is one of the band’s most epic pieces. It ebbs and flows through magnificent Enslaved-esque progressiveness, encapsulating every facet of Den Tapte Krigen. But it also hints at more to come. If there’s anything for sure about the band’s wild songwriting approach is that we haven’t heard it all. With each new release, the bizarre factor increases while maintaining a balance of fantastic songs.

#5. Onheil // In Black Ashes – No band this year has incorporated as many influences into their music (and made it work) as this Dutch quintet. Onheil has been absent for nearly a decade, quietly crafting a new record that explores all they’ve done before and pushes further than ever before. Ditching some of the predictable catchiness of 2014’s Storm Is Coming, In Black Ashes shows the band improving their technicality. The performances are a good two rungs higher on the Onheil ladder than the previous record, from the guitars to the bass to the drums. While much of the Amon Amarthian sound of previous releases is gone, they haven’t abandoned those melodeath vibes. Instead, using their Iron Maiden-meets-black/death approach, the result comes out much in the same vein as Mors Principium Est. Vicious, technical, and with headbangable frenzy, In Black Ashes is the band’s clear statement that they aren’t afraid to step out of their comfort zone and try something new. And why not? Onheil is one of the few bands that can produce music of this caliber without it becoming a wank fest or—even worse—a jumbled mess of influences that cripples each song and implodes an album. I just hope we hear from them again sooner rather than later.

#4. Malokarpatan // Vertumnus Caesar – Here’s another staple to my (and the legendary Dr. Fisting‘s) year-end lists. Black metal with hellashes character and a shit ton of impressive guitar work. Giving absolutely no fucks about the rules of the genre, this Slovakian outfit tinkers with cathedral harpsichords, unsetting praying and chanting, and mixing the songwriting styles of Mercyful Fate and Iron Maiden. The result is a wild mishmash of styles that, somehow, avoid being a dumpster fire of influences and conclude as meaningful, complete songs. Honestly, Vertumnus Caesar should only exist in a strange, metal, bizarro world. But, this isn’t the first time they’ve been successful in spitting our weird-ass shit and making it work. They always make it work. And this new release is no different. However, it’s difficult to compare their catalog and determine if Vertumnus Caesar is better than previous releases. Mostly because they continue to tinker with their style on each release. While similarities exist, each album is completely different from the other. Malokarpatan is a breath of fresh air in the black metal genre, with characteristics (if not style) that enforce the no-fucks attitude.

#3. Vulture Industries // Ghosts from the Past – Coming off the heels of 2017’s Stranger Times, Vulture Industries’ newest opus has a lot to prove if it hopes to uproot its predecessor. While never quite ripping up that final root, Ghosts from the Past is every bit as good as Stranger Times. But it does it without sounding like a copycat. It’s drastically different in pace—driving along without exceeding the speed limit, Ghosts from the Past alternates between foot-tappin’ grooves and mighty builds. The opener, “New Lords of Light,” combines both elements, cruising you along the highway before ascending the hill to come face-to-face with a monstrous chorus. Its bookend, the nine-minute “Tyrants Weep Alone,” provides one of the best vocal performances on the album as it builds and builds to a gorgeous passage that leaves my knees weak. But it’s the Song o’ the Year, “Right Here in the Dark,” that encapsulates everything that makes up Vulture Industries in a fun, yet crushing way. Ghosts from the Past’s accessible, Arcturusian style makes it the most fun I’ve had all year.

#2. Sodomisery // Mazzaroth – You knew this was coming. Dr. Sodomisery would not let this list go by without repping these mighty Swedes. After 2020’s mediocre The Great Demise, I didn’t lose faith. I knew there was something to the band’s songwriting approach that would bubble to the top. With Mazzaroth came a new approach, emphasizing the black, death, and melodeath with massive orchestration atmospheres. What makes Mazzaroth work so well is that these atmospherics range across many influences. These include the Dimmu Borgir bigness of “Rebuilding,” the Hypocrisy-esque vocal and guitar work of “Demon in Heaven,” and the Mistur somberness of “Delusion.” While each song stands alone, the depressing theme of mental health pulls them together. And, in the time it takes a high schooler to shower, you’ve already experienced this fantastic album twice in full. It’s a ridiculously tight album for all its content, making it one of my most frequented albums of 2023. Not to mention, the master is slick and dynamic, letting you absorb it through your pores. So, do yourself a favor and get over the band name so you can experience one of the best records of the year.

#1. Mephorash // Krystl-Ah – This one surprised me more than anyone. As I stated in the review of the mighty Krystl-Ah, never in my wildest dreams did I expect Mephorash to top 2019’s Shem Ha Mephorash. But, by god, they did. Krystl-Ah contains all the elements that make Shem Ha Mephorash such a great meloblack record. Huge builds and atmospheres, passionate songwriting, and powerful lyrics and vocal performances. But, Krystl-Ah is a more complete album, transitioning seamlessly from song to song as if it were a single track. Using an approach of long runtimes, the band is completely dependent on pulling off that final climax in each song. But, somehow, they’ve pulled it off even better than they ever have before. Songs like “I Am” and “Mephoriam” add a new dimension that doesn’t so much add layers to the builds, but more like they’re adding band on top of band. There’s no other way to describe the passion and pure massiveness of these songs. Round it out with a dynamic master and Krystl-Ah is the most emotionally demanding record I’ve heard all year.

Honorable Mentions

• The Gauntlet // Dark Steel and Fire – No matter how I try, I can not put this little beauty to bed. Combining thrash with Bathorycore, Dark Steel and Fire hits me below the belt and it has never felt so good to have bruised balls.
• Tsjuder // Helvegr – It would be silly not to include Helvegr on my list. For the style, Tsjuder is one of the best out there. And, amazingly, they can continue to release quality black metal with the same aggression as they had back in 2000.
• Electrocutioner // False Idols – For a rando, False Idols was a fun surprise. Playing rather traditional thrash metal, Electrocutioner delivered an album that acts like a live setlist at your favorite dive bar. In a mere thirty-four minutes, you’ll still be plenty drunk and ordering an Uber to haul your ass home.
• Children of the Reptile // Heavy Is the Head – Not only did Children of the Reptile win the award for best band photo, but Heavy Is the Head’s weird mix of heavy metal and thrash was a hell of a good time. Toss in some ridiculous lyrics and you’ll be slapping pig butt all the way to the fair.

Disappointments o’ the Year

• Metallica // 72 Seasons – That’s too many seasons. Way too many seasons. I enjoyed St. Anger more.
• Immortal // War Against All – Last year it was Abbath’s Dread Reaver. Now this? What the fuck?

Songs o’ the Year

• Vulture Industries – “This Hell Is Mine”

This is pretty much how I feel in the AMG office.

• Vulture Industries – “Right Here in the Dark”

Easily one of the best songs of the year. Hooking as a motherfucker and so much fun to put on repeat.

• Sodomisery – “Delusion”

Lots of Mors Principium Est melodeath thrashiness to make my olde noggin bob.

• Mephorash – “I Am”

Like Shem Ha Mephorash’s “Sanguinem,” “I Am” is a quintessential listen for all Mephorash fans.

• Mephorash – “Mephoriam”

Easily the most devastating song I’ve heard all year. While it’s incredible, it fucking cripples me.

#2023 #AmonAmarth #Arcturus #ArsMoriendi #AtTheGates #Attic #Bathory #Bizzarekult #Blackbraid #BlogPosts #CarpathianForest #ChildrenOfTheReptile #DimmuBorgir #DrANGrierSTopTenIshOf2023 #Electrocutioner #Eleine #Enslaved #GreenCarnation #Hypocrisy #InSolitude #IronMaiden #KingDiamond #Lists #Listurnalia #Malokarpatan #Mephorash #MercyfulFate #Metallica #Mistur #MorsPrincipiumEst #MutoidMan #Omnicidal #Onheil #Rimfrost #SecondToSun #Sodomisery #TheGuantlet #TheNightEternal #Tsjuder #VultureIndustries

El Cuervo’s and GardensTale’s Top Ten(ish) of 2023

By El Cuervo

El Cuervo

This list represents business as usual in Casa Cuervo. Four albums by bands that have previously hit my Album o’ the Year list. Four albums more-or-less fall into my preferred progressive death metal sub-genre. And one 80s-worshiping retrowave release. Only the very top and very bottom of my list feature acts outside my bailiwick.

You might think this would result in a year that I rate highly for musical releases. Sadly the opposite is true. I found it surprisingly easy to narrow down my list and surprisingly difficult to pick a real number one—both because there too few outstanding options to choose from. It says a lot that I reviewed two of my top three albums but I ‘only’ awarded these a 4.0. I admire all that’s been achieved by the entrants here but I can’t help but feel a little disappointed as we reach the end of 2023. Granted, my 2022 list was topped by two records that would be multi-year winners so the comparison was rough.

And yet, hope springs eternal. While it’s unlikely that 2024 will boast a list fitting so comfortably in my wheelhouse, I remain optimistic for a year full of new musical discoveries. Between now and then, enjoy the holiday season!

#10. Grails // Anches en Maat – Anches en Maat was my favorite music of the year to disconnect from reality and lose myself in a weird and wonderful world. There’s little left from the comparatively direct instrumental rock of early Grails, but their cinematic spectacle makes their recent music all the more intriguing. This one can loosely be bundled into post-rock but its range of influences, from blues to electronica to ambient to TV soundtracks, establishes a sound you won’t hear anywhere else. High-octane, minute-to-minute, and bursting with energy it isn’t. But what you will find is something endlessly evocative and endlessly repeatable in its lilting, laid-back spirit. I’m not a big post-rock nerd but I find everything released by Grails utterly engrossing.

#9. Svalbard // The Weight of the Mask – Svalbard have become more expressive and more creative as their career has progressed. While still firmly rooted in post-hardcore, The Weight of the Mask toys with musical boundaries more than ever. It features more of everything that has previously been a part of the Svalbard sound; from post-metal to post-rock to black metal. But it’s not the musical compositions that make these Brits so good. The emotive weight of their music makes each listen a passion-fuelled journey and I find myself returning for the feels it invokes above anything else. I’m not sure if I like Weight of the Mask more than When I Die, Will I Get Better? But, for those on the fence, it’s at least as good.

#8. Lunar Chamber // Shambhallic Vibrations – Few records from 2023 seemed as custom-built for this Cuervo as Shambhallic Vibrations by Lunar Chamber. Progressive? Check. Death metal? Check. Short run-time? Check. Incredible dynamism? Check. Buddhism?1 Check. Shambhallic Vibrations forges a new path through progressive death metal, leaning heavily on contemplative synths, impressive technicality, and doomy passages, all of which counter-balance the pace and ferocity of its core deathly style. Though shockingly varied for a release just running for 30 minutes, the release is unfailingly cohesive. From the breathy interludes to the brutal blasting, Lunar Chamber harmonizes their sounds into a satisfying whole. It isn’t a prerequisite for progressive albums to run for an hour or more. Shambhallic Vibrations does so much more with so much less.

#7. fromjoy // fromjoy – If you want to hear the coolest thing released in 2023, look no further than the self-titled EP by Houston’s fromjoy. It bottles insanity; conjures madness; flips the musical table. They do this with a fusion of various types of -core (grind, math, break) but streak this with winding, vaporwave synths. If this sounds like an unholy aberration, it is. But this aberration delights and energizes in equal measure. I’ve extracted more joy this year from these 26 minutes than full albums over twice that length. Almost every one of these ten tracks has a unique quirk; from wretched grind to stomping breakdowns to dancing trip-hop to smooth saxophones. fromjoy is a testament to pure creative energy and doing a lot with a little.

#6. Ulthar // Anthronomicon – Though it forms one side of a coin completed by its sister album Helionomicon, it was Anthronomicon that impressed me most of the concurrent release by pan-US collective Ulthar. What strikes me most are the compelling contradictions that Ulthar creates. Anthronomicon’s music is crushingly heavy yet repeatably memorable, while the instrumentation is oppressively other-worldly yet somehow human-performed. Blackened death metal cannot count itself among metal’s most penetrable sub-genres, but something about these warped arrangements hooks me. Ulthar might make strange, atmospheric music but Anthronomicon’s laser focus on outstanding riffs leaves a release I haven’t stopped spinning in nearly a year. It’s one of 2023’s most challenging but most rewarding listens.

#5. Tomb Mold // The Enduring Spirit – Why, after a run of critically acclaimed old-school death metal albums, is The Enduring Spirit the first Tomb Mold record to touch my AotY list? In short, because its music is far more inventive now. Switching out a cavernous aesthetic and unrelenting pace for tidier production and grandiose solos, The Enduring Spirit scratches that prog-death itch better than any other release from 2023. Though Tomb Mold has always been smarter-than-you-first-realize, this record represents a significant leap forward and feels like the next era of the band. Above all, it harmonizes Tomb Mold’s savage roots with newer, cerebral tendencies. While the immaculate transitions go some way to achieving this, the spacious soundstage and perfect instrumental tones ensure the release hangs together to my great satisfaction.

#4. Shadowrunner // Ocean of Time – Rebirth and Oblivion – For the first time, the Ocean of Time duo made me want to dislike a Shadowrunner release. Making the listener buy the same four songs twice in order to access the unique eight ruffled my feathers. But the music here is just so damn captivating that I can’t help but love the two sides nonetheless. Rebirth is as effortless and enchanting as any retrowave act from the last decade, while Oblivion is pure nostalgia bait. Warm synths, driving rhythms, smooth saxophones, and pleasant vocals; all are present and correct. Shameless pleasure and rose-tinted spectacles compel me to consistently choose something synthy for my AotY list and Shadowrunner made the best synth music of 2023. Do not sleep on one of the best acts in the scene.

#3. Sylosis // A Sign of Things to Come – I couldn’t be happier at my rediscovery of Sylosis since 2020’s Cycle of Suffering, and A Sign of Things to Come returns to deliver the goods once again. Despite the flack I took for describing Sylosis as how modern thrash should sound, I stand by that comment. 1986 already exists so go fucking listen to that again if you like. What this album will give you instead is music that fuses thrashy, melodic, technical, and hardcore influences into 10 super-charged tunes. They will fill you with rage, then re-energize you to exorcize that rage. For raw riff-craft, no other record was the match of this one. A sign of more things to come in the future? I fucking hope so.

#2. Sermon // Of Golden Verse – Only one other record this year feels as complete as Of Golden Verse. It is a consummate album, expressing its music and thoughts in the exact amount of time it requires. Despite its poignance and emotive qualities, it feels incredibly precise; a work created by masters of their trade. Even with 4 tracks approaching or exceeding 7 minutes, there’s nary a wasted second. That’s a tough feat indeed in the world of prog, and Sermon exemplifies all that is great in the genre. Their undulating songwriting style results in music that ebbs from steely, tense atmospheres and flows to passionate, cathartic explosions. Dramatic, sure; maybe even melodramatic. But exciting and varied as Sermon dabbles in progressive, alternative, and doom metal. Of Golden Verse represents a huge step forward from their debut.

#1. Hasard // Malivore – Though Malivore wasn’t a clear winner, its complete singularity pushes it above everything else in 2023. Hasard paints stark, abstract images in shades of black; it’s an impenetrable, challenging release, obscuring its immense qualities behind oppressive heaviness and bewildering arrangements. Through the record’s black metal crust hides an accomplished orchestral core that’s just as disturbing—in some ways, more so—as its metal aspects. Purposefully deconstructing the screeching guitars, arhythmic drumming, ominous synths, and erratic counter-melodies delivers the year’s most thought-provoking music. Passively wallowing delivers the year’s most thought-crushing music. While it may not be the most enjoyable record of the year, it is certainly the most striking. No other 2023 record affected me like Malivore.

Honorable Mentions

• Myrkur // Spine – Spine is just as sonically varied—arguably inconsistent—as any Myrkur release2 but this time it’s all high quality. From the poppy chorus on “Like Humans,” to the blast beats on “Valkyriernes Sang,” to the gentle folk on “Menneskebarn,” I’m emotionally invested throughout.
• Ahab // The Coral Tombs – Ahab is an indomitable force of doom metal, and The Coral Tombs didn’t miss a step after eight years away. Judicious variety and grand arrangements ensure that this is the best doom of 2023.
• Ne Obliviscaris // Exul – Balancing poignant string sections with crunchy death and black metal, NeO remains a stellar progressive metal band. Exul proves that even a NeO producing their weakest album is better than most others.

Songs o’ the Year

1. Godthrymm – “As Titans”
2. fromjoy – “Helios” / “Icarus”
3. In Flames – “Meet Your Maker”
4. Theocracy – “Return to Dust”
5. Hasard – “Hypnocentrisme”
6. Sermon – “Golden”
7. Angus McSix – “Master of the Universe”
8. Saturnus – “The Calling”
9. Sylosis – “Poison for the Lost”
10. ADMO – “Always”

GardensTale

In previous years, I wrote at least one paragraph about how the year went for me. But for the last 3 years, those have been pretty depressing, so I’m just going to skip that. Let’s talk about the good stuff instead. It’s strange to think that black metal is one of the last genres I seriously got into, around 5 years ago or so. Beforehand, I always thought all black metal was akin to lo-fi second-wave shit that sounds like someone sucked up a marble with the vacuum cleaner. Years before, Belgian unknowns Axamenta3 laid some groundwork to prove my misconception wrong, and Mistur hammered it home. Now the conversion is complete, thanks to a year that’s been absolutely stuffed with quality black metal. I could have made a very respectable list of only black metal records, HMs included. But I still like other genres, too, so it was inevitable a couple of other-minded rascals snuck in for color. At least Doom_et_Al won’t hate my list as much as usual. Probably.

I gotta add though, whilst I’ve heard a lot of praise for this year in metal, I still feel like I am missing a true winner. The order of my top 6 or so feels entirely arbitrary, and I’m not sure an extra month of listening would bring the necessary clarity. I’ve had plenty to love (my shortlist reached 10 albums by March or so, partially thanks to an unusually strong January) but the only albums I have been truly ecstatic about are discoveries that were released before the pandemic and barely metal-adjacent4 But so it goes! Every year is so different, in both life and music. I already had a sneak peek of a likely lister for next year, so I know we’ll be off to a good start in that regard.

I must thank my colleagues and editors for putting up with my slacking ass.5 You are a good bunch and half the reason I’m still pouring my heart and soul into this site. The other half is the free promos. And what’s an end-of-year projectile vomit of thank yous and love yous without addressing the readers? If you’re still here and didn’t just skip through to the list, you have my thanks. If you did skip to the list, you still have my thanks, you just won’t know about it. Even those of you who just check the winners and move on. You are still part of the weird and lovely conglomeration of readers we’ve developed, so thank you as well. And I must give a shout-out to the Discord folks. Though I don’t pop in too often, you’ve made it a lovely and welcoming server, and uncommonly well-behaved! Now, who’s ready for the other half of the worst takes in AMG?

#ish. Xoth // Exogalactic – Xoth is back and thus back in my list, because Xoth remains every bit the cool as hell bunch of motherfuckers it’s always been. It’s a little bit more technical and a little bit less memorable compared to its predecessor, missing a “Mountain Machines” level riff, but I still have a really hard time sitting still in my chair when Exogalactic is playing. Too much bouncy fun and sick solos!

#10. Fires in the Distance // Air Not Meant for Us – I listened to an absolute ton of melodic death metal in my early metal years. I still have a soft spot for the genre, but it also needs to do something different to stand out for me these days. Fires in the Distance fully meets that criterium. The stern, strident tone, doom-adjacent pacing, and tasteful piano make Air an album of aching beauty. I’m reminded in part of Eternal Tears of Sorrow, but far more mature and with great emotional depth. The only reason it didn’t place higher is that it doesn’t keep me coming back somehow, and these lists are nothing if not places to go with my gut.

#9. Leiþa // Reue – Speaking of my gut, Reue was the first full-blown punch it received this year. It amuses me when people claim that all black metal screams sound the same because though the lyrics are as incomprehensible as ever, I feel every ounce of the bottomless pain and despair Noise conjures here. But on top of the throat-ripping gurgles of depression are some very sophisticated melodies and good use of dynamics between quiet passages and all-out raging desperation. Most one-man bands struggle to make one worthwhile project, meanwhile, this guy has Leiþa, Non Est Deus, and Kanonenfieber on his resume. I’d call it unfair if I didn’t love it so much.

#8. Megaton Sword // Might & Power – Traditional metal doesn’t often show up on my year-end list. Maybe Megaton Sword wouldn’t have either, although I do love me a batch of idiosyncratic vocals. But a medical situation in the family made the first half of the year an especially stressful affair, and Might & Power with its simple sense of fun was my main musical comfort in that time. But there’s more to it than that. So many strong melodies with few frills. So many fist-pumping horseback-riding sword-raising shield-carrying moments of triumph and awe. And all tied together by that uncommon voice, acerbically spraying dark heroism over the battlefield. The worst of the family situation is well behind us, but Might & Power still won’t leave my regular rotation.

#7. Carnosus // Visions of Infinihility – Is it unfair to say Xoth got out-Xoth’ed this year? It’s the obvious point of comparison, between the many-faceted vocals, high technical ability, tongue-in-cheek insanity, twisting multi-part riffs, and snaking bass. But if Xoth is the oblique unknowable architecture of cosmic horror, Carnosus is the fleshy depravity of body horror. It theatrically revels in its filth and cackles as the audience turns green around the cheeks. Most of the death metal highlights this year have been of the cavernous or slamarific variety, neither of which does much for me, but Carnosus has been an absolute delight that’s kept up my good cheers.

#6. Walg // III – The vast majority of my music recommendations originate here, but once in a blue moon, my partner will send me a link to something that popped up in her random music feeds and I just get blown away. That’s how I found this independent duo from Groningen, the Netherlands, who, without any black metal experience, started shitting out annual albums in the middle of the pandemic and manage to outdo most of their peers in the process. III is a furious album, with blast beats and histrionic screeching out the wazoo, but is tempered by a bevy of great melodic riffs and the occasional gothic chant. Because the lyrics are in Dutch, which really is not a good language for this kind of horrific imagery, there’s something endearing to the band as well. The combination makes for a very interesting, dark yet catchy experience and one I can well recommend.

#5. Wayfarer // American Gothic – Wayfarer was always one of those bands I kept hearing about and kept not hearing. No particular reason, either; I resolved to listen to them several times and it just didn’t happen. Then I finally heard them, by seeing them live at Roadburn. It was definitely a highlight of the festival, aside from an interlude that was far too long and not nearly interesting enough. Thankfully, American Gothic is more balanced, a perfectly tuned album that calls forth the man in black stalking the prairie on horseback. It’s an album redolent in atmosphere without forgoing a good hook, one that can carry tension on a single banjo string. In short, it has lived up to the hype and then some.

#4. Sermon // Of Golden Verse – Pure prog metal often gets a reputation for being wussy and weenie. Sermon does it differently. What attracts me to this album the most is the sense of threat. Sermon looms a great dark ominous wall that swallows the background and casts everything in shade. For an album to hold its breath even while beating you down takes some exquisite songwriting, and Of Golden Verse is jam-packed with it. Closer “Departure” really opens the floodgates, too, for a satisfying and bombastic finale.

#3. VAK // The Islands – I called The Islands one of the flat-out coolest albums of the year and I stand by it. If anything, my appreciation for VAK’s latest has only grown since then. When you’ve listened to a million albums, the ones that really stand out and stick with you are the ones with the strongest personality. If you’d send me an unlabeled song that didn’t make the cut on The Islands I would recognize it as VAK immediately, guaranteed. While so much sludge tries and fails to get under my skin with a hammer, VAK succeeds by taking a shortcut as it pries off my fingernails with a rusty screwdriver. It’s deliciously uncomfortable and I love it.

#2. The Circle // Of Awakening – This was surely the most heinous underrating of the year. The opener alone should earn the band its 4.0, a perfectly tuned piece of proggy black/death. One thing that strikes me is how good The Circle is at finding the right dosages. Every time it feels like one thing has run its course, something replaces or enhances it, from the versatile vocals to the use of symphonics and from blast beats to breathing room. I’ve revisited this one a lot since the summer, and for a while, I thought it was gonna top my list…

#1. Night Crowned // Tales – …until Night Crowned bum-rushed the stage. Whereas many of my listening habits this year have been decidedly un-brutal, in the metal sphere I have found myself drawn to the combination of melodic and intense music, particularly in the second half of the year. Tales is an exemplary album in this regard. The intense blasting and no-holds-barred shrieking always hold a melodic thread that makes it more than a wall of noise, whether it be from extra vocal layers, subtly interweaved symphonics, or a goddamn hurdy-gurdy that works way better than it should. The track where the latter features most prominently, “She Comes at Night,” is what drew me in, but every track has its own face; its deviations make it stand out from the others, like the clean vocals on melodic mid-pacer “Loviatar” or the Dimmu influence on the grandiose closer “Old Tales.” While I would not rank it as highly as the winners of previous years, you owe it to yourself to grab Tales if you haven’t already.

Honorable Mentions

• Aetherian // At Storm’s Edge – Contrary to my point with VAK, this album doesn’t do much particularly new but it’s the embodiment of Finnish style epic melodeath done really, really well.
• Somnuri // Desiderium – Who knew Mastodon-style sludge could be improved with grunge?
• Mutoid Man // Mutants – Wild, reckless fun with more depth than a first glance betrays.
• Genus Ordinis Dei // The Beginning – Narrative albums aren’t easy, but Genus Ordinis Dei has that shit in the bag. Easy to listen to, easy to love, and feels like a complete, well-rounded movie in the guise of an epic metal album.
• Laster // Andermans Mijne – It’s deeply strange and gets at all the bits of my brain that have been gathering dust for years, but I can’t deny its continuous pull.

Disappointment o’ the Year

This is the first paragraph I’m writing this year because it’s the easiest. I always used to like Soen. With Lotus, I even loved them. Imperial was a clear step-down, branching out in the wrong directions, but it was still enjoyable in its own right, just not approaching list material. They put on some good live shows this year, too. But Memorial goes off the deep end like Thelma & Louise. The remaining semblances of progressive rock and metal are gone, replaced by refried alternative rock. Even Joel Ekelöf sounds downright bad, his buttery smooth croon awkwardly squished into a grungy mold that doesn’t suit him. It’s like the band members collectively decided to challenge themselves by trying to make an album without doing any of the things they’re actually good at. The experiment failed, boys.

Song o’ the Year

Last year I discovered Norwegian artsy prog rock outfit Major Parkinson and fell deeply in love with their quirky, bombastic, gloomy aesthetic and thoughtful, varied songwriting. Not long into this year, I found out that enigmatic vocalist Jon Ivar Kollbotn had suffered a massive heart attack in the middle of a concert in October. Though he managed to finish the set, he flatlined backstage. By some miracle, police officers happened to be just outside the building and they managed to restart Kollbotn’s ticker. When he was sufficiently recovered, the band re-wrote and recorded an old live track named “Take the Prescription” to commemorate his survival. The result is as addictive as prescription drugs, an upbeat and offbeat artful piece of prog-pop with an infectious whistled tune, beautiful smooth bass usage, and the band’s signature dark undertone. Kollbotn sounds as coarse and moody as ever, and new permanent member Peri Winkle offers an outside perspective to the frontman’s near-death experience. And even if the track hadn’t been one of the sweetest things I’ve heard this year, it’d still be my favorite track of 2023. If only because he was still around to record it.

#2023 #Aetherian #Ahab #BlogPosts #Carnosus #ElCuervoSAndGardensTaleSTopTenIshOf2023 #FiresInTheDistance #fromjoy #GenusOrdinisDei #Grails #Hasard #Laster #Leitha #Lists #Listurnalia #LunarChamber #MegatonSword #MutoidMan #Myrkur #NeObliviscaris #NightCrowned #Sermon #Shadowrunner #Soen #Somnuri #Svalbard #Sylosis #TheCircle #TombMold #Ulthar #VAK #Walg #Wayfarer #Xoth

Saunders and Felagund’s Top Ten(ish) of 2023

By Saunders

They weren’t shitting, time really does fly. Another year is done and dusted and it’s time to assemble our respective takes on the music that mattered in 2023. How a year in heavy music stacks up is of course subjective and often genre and taste-dependent. Overall, I found 2023 to be a solid year for metal, without standing out as one of the humongously awesome years in recent memory. Nevertheless, most death metal fans would be satisfied with the smorgasbord of quality releases that flooded the airwaves. It was particularly cool to hear so many classy veteran acts still going strong, with a slew of solid to borderline great albums from the esteemed likes of Dying Fetus, Vomitory, Cannibal Corpse, Suffocation, Cryptopsy, and Autopsy. Outside of death realms, Enslaved also released their most noteworthy album in a number of years. A couple of list-wrecking behemoths popped up late, Phobocosm and Convocation, with not enough time afforded to fully absorb and appreciate. Xoth, Sulphur Aeon, and Warcrab rolled out quality albums late in the year without quite breaking into list territory. The latter two in particular were steps down from their immediate predecessors. While on the nostalgia front, the old-school melodeath charms of Omnicidal and Majesties warmed the heart.

Highlights? Well, the aforementioned brigade representing old school, classic death metal, and longevity stood out, while being able to contribute to ranking pieces for two long-time favorites in Dying Fetus and Suffocation were treasured writing experiences. By contrast, 2023 also threw up some tremendous releases from less-established death metal acts and young gun outfits, including a handful of show-stopping debut albums (Bloodgutter, Fabricant, Begravement, Rotpit). It also never ceases to amaze the growth and strength of AMG.com year to year. Approaching a decade of service to the blog, I tend to get sentimental and nostalgic at this time of year, and still being a part of the AMG crew, albeit from the far away corners of Australia, is an endlessly awesome privilege, especially when surrounded by the talented folk that write alongside me.

Cheers to everyone who frequents these pages and helps contribute to the best online metal community going ’round, and special thanks to Steel, Angry Metal Guy, Madam X, Doc Grier, the tech wizardry of Sentynel, and all the other higher-ups and editors for their tireless behind the scenes work and smooth, authoritative running of this mighty blog. All the best for a safe, happy, and healthy 2024.

#ish: Godthrymm // Distortions – In the odd occasion I sought out a doom fix in 2023, invariably Godthrymm’s epic second LP Distortions delivered the goods. I only recall giving their debut a cursory listen. However, Distortions gripped me from the outset and drifted in and out of rotation since its release when the mood struck for some melancholic, muscular, and gorgeously crafted doom that packed serious heft on both a sonic and emotional level. The My Dying Bride pedigree always held the band in good stead, yet it is how Godthrymm embraces their classic roots while spinning modern elements and fresh ideas into their brooding template that raises the bar. Yeah perhaps a few minutes could have been trimmed from the final package, with some minor bloat, but the strikingly powerful guitar work, earworm melodies, and towering, multi-faceted vocal performance crushes any minor gripes on length.

#10. Sodomisery // Mazzaroth – Every now and again the good olde Doc Grier and I’s tastes overlap. With the shared appreciation and dabbling in the progressive/post-metal waters of The Ocean, the quirky underground charms of Son of Sam, and rejuvenated veterans Green Carnation’s triumphant comeback album from 2020 most recently come to mind. Sodomisery, and their second album Mazzaroth, was exactly the palette-cleansing blackened storm I needed in 2023. The unheralded Swedish act expertly weaves icy melodic black, galloping melodeath, bleak atmospheres and tastefully presented orchestration into epic, catchy, fist-pumping tunes. Subtle shifts and striking dynamics highlight an album bursting with vicious, throat-grabbing hooks, ripping aggression and at least in nostalgia and melancholic tone, the quieter, clean passages remind me of early Opeth. You get the feeling the best is yet to come, however, Sodomisery has firmly grabbed my attention and banged out a helluva album.

#9. Outer Heaven // Infinite Psychic Depths – For whatever reason, Outer Heaven’s 2018 debut Realms of Eternity didn’t do a whole lot for me. It certainly resided in my wheelhouse but failed to gain traction at the time. Perhaps I need to revisit, as their long in the works, conceptual sophomore album, Infinite Psychic Depths, took me by storm from the get-go. Infinite Psychic Depths hooked me in and has kept me coming back for more. I particularly enjoy how the band straddles influences and eras across the death spectrum, all while cultivating a distinctive sound their own. There’s an ugly old-school vibe, residing next to the band’s modern inclinations and exploratory, experimental angle. Meanwhile, technical firepower under the hood and sick, guttural brutality offer plenty to keep the brutal death and tech fiends happy. However, Infinite Psychic Depths is neatly grounded by the bevy of excellent riffs, brain-melting solos, and nasty, viscous grooves. There are aspects of the production I don’t love, while the length is a little overdone, but these nitpicks fail to bring down one of death metal’s powerhouse releases of 2023.

#8. Bloodgutter // Death Mountain – There were a number of impressive death metal debuts in 2023, however, it was the ultra-chunky debut from Danish heavy hitters Bloodgutter that warranted much attention and stayed in heavy rotation from its middle-of-the-year release. There were more brutal, heavier, technical, and ultimately better death platters to indulge in throughout 2023, but few stirred up the adrenaline, brought the fun factor, and kept the head banging as frequently as Death Mountain. Boasting one of the year’s best and heaviest guitar tones, Death Mountain is a blast of no-frills old-school brawn with a hefty modern crunch. The songs are uncomplicated but well-constructed, tightly played, and possess a thick, catchy streak that has kept me clambering back for more on a regular basis. Featuring a member of underrated Danish bruisers Dawn of Demise, Bloodgutter brings a similarly rib-shattering intensity and keen sense of violent, swaggering groove and riffcraft to the table. Such an exciting and consistent debut bodes well for a bright future.

#7. Horrendous // Ontological Mysterium – It is no secret to anyone who has frequented these pages over the years that Horrendous are a big fucking deal to me. The old-school progressive death heavyweights have done little wrong over the past decade or so, smashing out a string of triumphant platters with nostalgic nods to the past, and a boot firmly planted in forward-thinking and innovative territories. Following their longest recording break thus far, Horrendous finally returned with their fifth LP, Ontological Mysterium. Despite unreasonable expectations and the album taking a few extra listens to fully unveil its greatness, make no mistake, Horrendous once again proved themselves masters of the modern prog-death craft. Listeners not fully on board with the band’s increased proggy bent, will likely take issue, but Horrendous have long been on the progressive path and the balance is still deftly handled, with the deathlier aspects remaining prominent, carrying the torch of later era Death. Throw in the best production in the business and you have yet another spectacular addition to an increasingly essential discography.

#6. Mutoid Man // Mutants – Mutoid Man is an absolute personal favorite of mine and their music never fails to excite, energize and provide bucketloads of endlessly wacky fun. After a lengthy wait, third LP Mutants finally arrived and largely met high expectations. Back in 2017 War Moans made a huge impact on me, while also helping navigate tough times, so it’s an album I hold in especially high regard. Mutants may not exceed or quite match the front-to-back awesomeness of its predecessor, but it’s a top-notch album in its own right. Continuing to blur lines between rock, metal, punk, math, hardcore, and everything in between, Mutants offered a more measured, melodic batch of slick, uber fun tunes, without watering down their zany characteristics. Despite being a less wild ride than its predecessor, Mutants still manages to surprise and delight, even throwing down a couple of nastier, discordant ditties recalling the spastic turns of their early days. The replay factor has remained strong, and when seeking something sharp, fun, and laden with infectious riffs and juicy hooks, Mutoid Man delivered again and again, being the ultimate pick-me-up album of 2023.

#5. Wormhole // Almost Human – Along with Afterbirth, Baltimore’s Wormhole paved the way for what slam can be in 2023. Following a different but equally appealing trajectory, Wormhole took all that was great about their previous releases and enhanced all aspects of their visceral, ridiculously heavy, sci-fi-themed tech-slam assault. As much as I enjoyed its predecessor, 2020’s The Weakest Among Us, the songwriting consistency, quality, and replayability elevates Almost Human to more elite, essential realms. The production and musicianship are top-shelf, but beyond the sonic attributes and technical showmanship reside a batch of killer songs that remain unrelentingly brutal, slammy, yet oddly accessible, memorable, and intelligently crafted for the style. Throw in the almost EP territory album length, and you’re left with one of the most compact, deadly efficient, and catchy slam albums in recent memory. Wormhole makes every song count and cycling through favorites is an ever-shifting task, though such addictive, devastating gems like “Elysiism,” “Spine Shattering High-Velocity Impact,” and monstrous “Delta Labs” are fine advertisements to an unforgettable brutal tech-slam experience.

#4. Carnosus // Visions of Infinihility – Considering its early year release, Visions of Infinihility has impressively stayed in and around regular rotation, the depth of its quality creeping in through its persistent presence, razor-sharp hooks, and technical supremacy. French vets Gorod also released a cool tech-death platter, however, it was this unheralded Swedish act that stole the show. Carnosus ensures their tight, techy attacks don’t forget to have fun. The songs are melodic, thrashy, chock full of interesting twists and tasty hooks, yet still boasts a brutal edge and tons of groove. Although the five-piece line-up impresses with their supreme technical skills across the board, the real wildcard is vocalist Jonatan Karasiak. His diverse and charismatic vocals add a further layer of intrigue and versatility, effortlessly shifting tones from high-pitched blackened rasps and screams to deeper, more guttural fare, occasionally bringing to mind the sadly departed Trevor Strnad. It all makes for a delightfully acrobatic, crunchy, and explosive album experience.

#3. Somnuri // Desiderium – The surprise packet of the year. Initially, I missed Cherd‘s enthusiastic review of this New York band’s second LP, Desiderium. However, once I eventually clued in, Somnuri proceeded to blow me away with their potent hybrid and hook-laden blend of hardcore, sludge, and ’90s-inspired alt/grunge rock. Ever since I have been hopelessly hooked in what has become one of the year’s most addictive albums. Somnuri never skimps on the vicious hardcore bite meets sludgy heft, and the way they juggle these aspects with the earworm clean vocal hooks and ’90s influence is a thing of songwriting beauty. Desiderium is an album of wall-to-wall bangers and nary a sign of weakness. Hard to pick a firm favorite, but the stretch from “Pale Eyes” through to “Desiderium” is tremendous, without discounting the quality of the other tunes. The main beef I can level at the album is regarding production, with the in-your-face sound packing punch but the crushed mastering fails to do justice to the wonderful dynamism of the top-shelf songwriting. It’s hardly a deal breaker on a marvelous collection of biting, catchy tunes.

#2. Afterbirth // In But Not Of – The third full-length endeavor from the once long-dormant New York brutal death/slam crew Afterbirth has been the talk of the town since its October release, and rightfully so. Though the hype train can get carried away in over-the-top praise and hyperbole wankery, in this case, I am well and truly on board. Four Dimensional Flesh was a terrific album, so expectations were high. Afterbirth crafted an album that pushed the envelope of brutal death and slam, a subgenre generally not renowned for innovation or such wildly brave experimentation. I get listeners not on board with the album’s brooding atmospherics and spacey, post-metalisms. In particular, the album’s trippy back half takes some time to fully appreciate after the dense, jugular-grabbing first half of brutally proficient and proggy slam-death. However, the pay-off of the atmospheric, springy, and gorgeous melodic bent and contrasting gurgled vox somehow works and elevates an already great album into some weirdly off-kilter cosmic slam meets post-death hybrid that shouldn’t work but does.

#1. Sermon // Of Golden Verse – Weirdly enough when seeking my prog fix in 2023, it was mostly looking backward to previous releases, with minimal 2023 prog albums gaining much traction. Way back in March, UK’s mysterious dark progressive metal band Sermon returned with a momentous sophomore album, raising the bar high for prog metal in 2023. Perhaps the 4.5 rating was a tad overzealous, only time will tell. But as my highest rating review of 2023, the album hit me hard and stayed in solid rotation throughout the year. Despite never being a foregone conclusion, it seems fitting to bestow top honors on Of Golden Verse. Sermon plays prog metal like none other. Sure, influences and similarities to like-minded acts exist, however, Sermon boasts a unique sound they can call their own, dark, eerie and deadly serious vibes and almost melodramatic flair flows through towering, intelligent, and emotive prog metal epics. The constantly heightened tension and ritualistic edge permeating the album creates a mysterious, tense, and beguiling atmosphere, consolidated by consistently gripping songwriting and skyscraping hooks on such memorable gems as “Golden,” “Light the Witch” “Wake the Silent” and stunning closer, “Departure.”

Honorable Mentions

• Suffocation // Hymns from the Apocrypha – A surprising and unexpectedly strong return from the rejuvenated New York brutal death masters. Featuring a new vocalist and refreshed, yet familiar sound, Hymns of the Apocrypha perhaps marked a fresh era of renewed inspiration.
• Shores of Null // The Loss of Beauty -The always impressive Italian doomsters bring the sadboi feels, hooky melodies, and deathly heft through another taut, catchy collection of quality doom-death tunes.
• Gridlink // Coronet Juniper – A welcome return from the mighty Gridlink. Although not quite the momentous, all-conquering achievement of Longhena, and nearly overshadowed by exciting newcomers Walking Corpse, Gridlink’s comeback was a noteworthy and impressive burst of intense, elastic grind.
• Dying Fetus // Make Them Beg for Death – A back-to-basics, curb-stomping return from the legendary Dying Fetus. May not challenge their best albums but it’s a fun, slammy blast of signature awesomeness nonetheless.
• Vanishing Kids // Miracle of Death – When the dust settles, I’ll no doubt regret not ranking this ghostly, dreamy, and utterly spellbinding doom platter higher on the list proper. My main excuse is I feel there is much still to unlock and appreciate. but the urge to return has only gotten stronger with each listen.
• Kruelty // Untopia – Rabid Swedish-inspired old-school death meets hardcore, with a fresh Japanese twist and doomy, grindy edge. Killer stuff.
• Walking Corpse // Our Hands, Your Throat – Unheralded grinders Walking Corpse unleashed an utterly devastating, black as coal, barn-burning grind platter, wielding a precision, borderline chaotic attack. They skillfully whipped nifty dynamic shifts and discordant bursts of hardcore and noise into a fresh, deceptively catchy batch of songs.

Disappointments o’ the Year

• Middling to okay efforts from long-time favorites Soen and The Ocean stood out the most considering their stellar track records. I wasn’t overly taken by the new Haken either. Royal Thunder was solid, yet it was their first album not to really grip me. A revisit is on the cards.

Non-Heavy Picks

• Queens of the Stone Age, Gunship, Dorthia Cottrell, Killer Mike

Return to Form

• Baroness // Stone – I had begun to lose interest in the sludgy, exploratory rock stylings of Baroness when they turned tone-deaf and started wrecking albums with horrid production. After more or less skipping their last release, I cautiously checked out Stone and left pleasantly surprised. Finally, the band ditched the ear bleeding production traits for something more organic and palatable. Additionally, John Baizley and crew wrote a rather punchy, experimental batch of tunes that mostly hit the mark and reinvigorated my interest in the band. Hallelujah!

Song ‘o the Year

A lot of cool songs kicked arse, so narrowing it down to one is really a futile task in 2023. Therefore, I selected the following belter from a shortlist and ran with it. With a thick, sludgy, hardcore edge and earworm chorus, Somnuri’s “What a Way to Go” was frequently close to hand when I needed a pick-me-up tune.

Felagund

What a difference a year makes! Since last, I sat down to compile my completely objective, highly-regarded Top Ten(ish) list in the dying days of 2022, much has changed in the world o’ Felagund. I left a job, started my own business, and tried in vain to get my six-year-old to show even a fleeting interest in The Hobbit. In the immortal words of The Dude, 2023 was full of “strikes and gutters, ups and downs.” But isn’t that always the case? None of us emerge completely unscathed, but I hope you and yours were able to weather any storms this dastardly year threw your way and emerge with your sanity intact. Not dignity, though. You spend far too much time on this site to have any of that left.

Now, as I embark on my third end-of-year list as a spit-at and put-upon AMG staffer, I can look back at twelve months chock full of musical riches, particularly in the death metal department. It was certainly a solid year for my pet genre, and I think my list (and honorable mentions) reflect that. But some things never change. Just like last year, I didn’t find nearly enough time to listen to all the music I wanted to, nor was I able to take a deep dive into some of the albums reviewed on this very site (although, if we’re being honest, most of them are probably just overrated 2.5s). And just like last year, my output continues to be a source of shame, ridicule, and scorn. I’m going to blame my lack of productivity on being a new business owner, but I know that no amount of excuses, pleas, or cries will ever earn Steel’s forgiveness.

Now before we get to my many metal musings, I’d be remiss if I didn’t first acknowledge and thank my returning listmate Saunders, who once again inadvertently introduced me to yet another prog album that ended up in my top five. Many thanks must also go to the mighty Steely Dan and the rarely-seen but universally-beloved Madam X. Steelcut Oats has put up with a lot from your friendly neighborhood Noldor this past year, what with my incessant tardiness and my penchant for “altering” his well-respected moniker in my reviews. On a more serious note, kudos are also required for his steadfast leadership and ongoing support as he keeps the derelict denizens (read: staffers) in line and out of trouble. The beatings have continued, morale has not improved, and I’m convinced we deserve far, far worse. And yet, I find myself uplifted and inspired by a growing crew of long-suffering editors and fellow authors who, despite their questionable taste, make AMG the special, endearingly deranged place that it is. And let us not forget the man, the myth, the bearded legend himself, Angry Metal Guy, the namesake of this digital institution, a learned doctor as determined by an accredited institution, and the final arbiter of all things trve.

Now, without further ado, entirely too much aplomb, and lacking all pomp, I present my top ten(ish) albums of 2023. May you listen, may you learn, and may you realize just how wrong you are.

#ish. Mutoid Man // Mutants – From the first few moments of album opener “Call of the Void,” I knew right away that this was an album I’d be spinning again and again. And while it didn’t quite crack my official top ten, it’s hard to deny Mutants’ infectious groove, the earworm hooks, the Voivod-esque sci-fi oddities, and the effective interplay between clean and extreme. Mutoid Man can seamlessly blend an array of disparate genres, from progressive metal and punk to hard rock and a dose of dissonant noise, and that makes their latest album a worthy #ish for any discerning weirdo.

#10. Anareta // Fear Not – I was unfamiliar with New Orleans-based Anareta until I read Dolphin Whisperer‘s glowing review. My interest was further piqued when I saw AMG’s equally gushing prose, declaring Fear Not April’s Record o’ the Month. I’m glad I took a chance on this album, because Anareta is definitely something special, delivering both crushing extremity and lush beauty, caustic rage and bitter anguish. This interplay is made all the more effective by the melodious stringed instruments that thrive against the shrieked, furious vox. Perhaps in less adept hands, this mix would grate on the listener, but Anareta’s self-styled brand of “Chamber Metal” uplifts the traditional bass, guitar, and drums by adding in virtuosic orchestration, doomy chants, and blackened vocals to deliver a unified sound that grabbed my attention and refused to let go.

#9. Horrendous // Ontological Mysterium – Horrendous is a band unafraid of growth, as evidenced by their consistent evolution across five high-quality releases. Ontological Mysterium builds on this trend, both as a towering slab o’ death and further proof that Horrendous continues to evolve as musicians and songwriters. Leaning further into their progressive tendencies only strengthens their arsenal, and while I didn’t find Ontological Mysterium as immediately engaging as some of their previous releases, repeated spins proved increasingly rewarding. Horrendous is a band that has proven that they can stay true to my beloved OSDM while still boasting technical freneticism and hefty groove, and for that, they’ve earned their spot on this list.

#8. Xoth // Exogalatic – Sci-fi-tinged thrash? Check. Lovecraftian horrors delivered via a blackened death onslaught? Check. All wrapped up in a catchy, crunchy, crushing record over 39 minutes? Count. Me. In. On Exogalatic, Xoth builds upon very familiar themes, and I couldn’t be happier that they’re still hard at work, honing their sound in the Stygian depths of space, where no one can hear you shred. Exogalatic boasts both razor-sharp technicality and thrashy speed without ever sacrificing melody, memorability or heaviness. And there are songs about trading blows with reptilian alien pugilists and quenching a newly-forged space-blade in the blood of dead gods? Take my money and welcome to my list, lads.

#7. Wayfarer // American Gothic – If Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian ever had a soundtrack, Wayfarer would be the party responsible, and rightly so. So well-honed is their moody, emotive, brutally cynical (for good reason) Wild West-inspired take on black metal that I can almost hear their compositions accompanying McCarthy’s narrative. Any band with the ability to place the listener into such a specific time and location is worth your time and money. Wayfarer accomplishes this over and over again on American Gothic, and the result is a beautiful, furious, and sad rumination on industry, exploitation, death, and the power of myth. if American Gothic isn’t on your end-of-year list, it’s just because you haven’t listened to it yet.

#6. Sodomisery // Mazzaroth – Did Grier talk about Sodomisery endlessly? Yes, he did. And because our tastes are so divergent (and because he makes fun of me for the stuff I like) I nearly avoided this one. But so convincing was his review that I decided to give it a chance, and wouldn’t you know it? Here sits Mazzaroth, nearly breaking into my top Five. Much has been made of the band’s name, and while it lacks subtlety, have you seen some of the other garbage we’ve covered? Besides, instead of clutching pearls, you should be busy enjoying the majestic tones of Sodomisery’s melodic blackened death metal, replete with emotive orchestration, earworm hooks, effective vocal variations, and a songwriting approach that deftly balances heaviness with accessibility. With nary a filler tune in sight, the lesson is simple: don’t let Grier scare you, as long as you list an album he likes.

#5. Carnosus // Visions of Infinihility – And just like that, we’ve entered the Top Five. As I said in the introduction, 2023 was a year of death metal riches, and for me, that assertion is perhaps best embodied by Carnosus’ and their sophomore effort. I was unaware of this band until this year, but ’tis far better to be late than to be…never. Carnosus delivers a heaping slab of evocative technical death metal without ever forgetting that good songs need good riffs. And boy is this album overflowing with riff after succulent riff. I must also mention Vocalist Jonatan Karasiak, who delivers every high-pitched shriek, DM growl, and percussive grunt, lending even more variety to an already diverse platter while still maintaining album cohesion. This is a bold, mature, expansive tech death album from a band that has no right to be this good this early in their careers. As such, this album was an easy lister.

#4. Sermon // Of Golden Verse – Last year, Saunders‘ endorsement of Disillusion’s Ayam ultimately led me to award it my vaunted number two spot. And now, I find myself in a similar situation: Saunders awarded Of Golden Verse a lofty, nearly unattainable 4.5, and now here I sit, placing yet another one of his chosen progressive metal acts into my Top Five. While I could take issue with my listmate’s worrying control over my decision-making, I’m instead going to celebrate this twist of fate, as it brought me this gem of an album. And what an album it is! Sermon establishes a consistent, ominous atmosphere without ever losing momentum. Instead, Sermon relies on wave after wave of musical variation; the lush and emotive can give way to the more intense and extreme; progressive, churning melodicism can grow and cascade into an all-enveloping chorus. Of Gold Verse is a beautiful, complex album that only gets better with repeated listens and deserves a spot on any respectable Top Ten.

#3. Crypta // Shades of Sorrow – What a way to kick off my Top Three! Ever since 2021’s Echoes of the Soul, I’ve been a vocal supporter of these Brazilian death metalers. And after two years, Fernanda and co. have once again delivered the goods. It’s clear they’ve grown as a band, crafting an even stronger album that feels more mature, bolder, and heavier than their previous effort, chock full of grimace-inducing riffs, impressive vocal acrobatics, and a drum sound that pins you to the wall and dares you to peel yourself off. While Crypta is still fetid, OSDM adherents, Shades of Sorrow also amps both the black and thrash influences, resulting in a compelling sophomore effort that packs a significant, unforgettable punch. In a year where quality death metal releases were not in short supply, I think it says a lot that Crypta was able to set themselves apart not only from the blistering success of their first album but from the rest of 2023’s excellent releases.

#2. Cattle Decapitation // Terrasite – Last year I caught grief for daring to include Ghost in my Top Ten. This year, I’m sure some maladjusted malcontents will take issue with me including Terrasite so high on my list. “Their old stuff is better!” or “There are too many awkward cleans!” I can hear you loudly posting in the comment section. But the unfortunate truth is that Cattle Decapitation remains a force to be reckoned and 2023 marked yet another great addition to an already undeniable discography. I’m still enamored with CD’s ability to craft memorable, pummeling death metal that often veers into grind, brutal death, or melodeath territory. I also cannot get enough of Travis Ryan’s vocal range, from blackened snarls to percussive, deathened growls to plaintive cleans. But as I mentioned in my Terrasite review, my favorite aspect of the album isn’t just the rage they level at the human race, but the accompanying resignation. This adds an emotive layer while also paving the way for oddly beautiful, destructive tracks like “Scourge of the Offspring.” I’m proud to call Terrasite my number two, and I scoff at those elitists unwilling to enjoy a good album, even after it’s been shoved down their ungrateful gullets.

#1. Afterbirth // In But Not Of – The album that snagged the top spot on my year-end list did so surprisingly fast, after only a few spins. I knew right away that In But Not Of was something special, and that belief has only been reaffirmed after multiple listens and even deeper dives. Death metal certainly had a bumper year, and in my humble (and correct) opinion, Afterbirth is the ideal example of a band that helped bolster the genre and propel it to loftier heights in 2023. And why wouldn’t it be? For a band that traffics in slammy, knuckle-dragging brutal death, In But Not Of carries with it an undeniable progressive, cerebral quality, which will come as no surprise to fans and feels like a logical outgrowth from their previous effort Four Dimensional Flesh. But as Ferox pointed out in his review, perhaps the most impressive, engaging, and effective aspect of In But Not Of is the clear distinction on display; while the first half of the record comports itself as a tried-and-true, brutal death metal scourge that’ll leave you happily battered and bruised, the second half explores more progressive fair, featuring unexpected atmosphere, slower sections, and even some non-metal influences. Indeed, In But Not Of is the kind of album that grabs your attention immediately, but like a legend, it grows in the retelling, and it requires repeat spins to uncover all the tasty little morsels tucked between animalistic grunts and frenetic, chunky riffs. You’re listening to elevated slam here, and don’t you forget it; I know I won’t.

Honorable Mentions:

• Cannibal Corpse // Chaos Horrific – I an unrepentant fan of the good ‘ol Corpse, and while their newest album isn’t some massive departure from their releases over the past few years, they’re good at what they do and I love listening to them do it.
• Carnation // Cursed Mortality – While I still don’t quite understand the name, I understand the music, and I suppose that’s more important. Carnation has delivered another high-quality slab of buzzy, OSDM that’s more than worthy of a spin or six.
• Ahab // The Coral Tombs – You’ll notice my list doesn’t include much in the way of doom, and that’s by design. However, Ahab’s The Coral Tombs is the exception that proves the rule. Is it too long? Yes. But even so, this album is big, emotive, and much like the sea, I found it impossible to ignore its cunning allure.
• Tardigrade Inferno // Burn the Circus – Burn the Circus feels like the rock opera Stephen Sondheim may have written if he’d spent too much time at the carnival following the success of Sweeney Todd. Brash, over-the-top, and offensively catchy, I can’t get over just how much I enjoyed Tardigrade Inferno’s latest this year.
• Outer Heaven // Infinite Psychic Depths – A death metal concept record can be a tough sell, mostly because it’s hard to follow a story when you can’t understand a word the vocalist is grumbling at you. Be that as it may, Infinite Psychic Depths still presents an old-school, prog-tinged, off-kilter journey that’s well worth taking.
• Disguised Malignance // Entering the Gateways – all hail Holdeneye, whose slavish devotion to this new band piqued my curiosity and earned them a strong honorable mention as a result. Their brand of OSDM with slight prog influences is right up my alley, and while there were other releases this year that held my attention longer, Disguised Malignance was somehow able to make a big splash on their debut alone, and I can’t wait to see what these young whippersnappers do next.

Song o’ the Year

Afterbirth – ”Devils with Dead Eyes” What are you waiting for? Listen to this track and tell me it doesn’t evoke some of the most chaotic, overwhelming moments of 2023. Sure, Sodomisery’s “Delusion” is the far more catchy option, but when I think of a song that represents all that 2023 was (and wasn’t), I can’t help but return to “Devils with Dead Eyes.” It doesn’t hurt that it features a truly killer riff, Iron Maiden-esque chuggery, and even a touch of grunge. Make of all that what you will, just as long as you’re about to press play.

#2023 #Afterbirth #Ahab #Anareta #BlogPost #Bloodgutter #CannibalCorpse #Carnation #Carnosus #CattleDecapitation #Crypta #DisguisedMalignance #DyingFetus #Godthrymm #Gridlink #Horrendous #Kruelty #Lists #Listurnalia #MutoidMan #OuterHeaven #SaundersAndFelagundSTopTenIshOf2023 #Sermon #ShoresOfNull #Sodomisery #Somnuri #Suffocation #TardigradeInferno #VanishingKids #WalkingCorpse #Wayfarer #Wormhole #Xoth

Sentynel and Twelve’s Top Ten(ish) of 2023

By sentynel

Sentynel

Is it that time already? Whew. 2023 has raced past me, carried by a blizzard of endless Stuff. I need a goddamn break, which is currently tentatively scheduled for about 2025. As a result, I’ve been desperately behind on my listening for most of the year. I barely scraped together five reviews, all for bands I knew and liked, and was impressed by… one of them. I was nervous about my list all the way through to about November. Fortunately, I have once again ended up with a solid list of great albums, though the best doesn’t quite top last year’s The Otolith. I have lost track of what a normal selection looks like for me at this point, but this year’s big genre winner is apparently instrumental prog, while I felt it was a slightly weak year for post-metal. I also suspect I have more overlap with some of the cooler members of staff than I usually do, amongst all the records you already know are going to be on my list.

Despite a heavy year, contributing to Angry Metal Guy dot com continues to be one of my favorite hobbies. The other staff continue to have questionable taste, but I’ve found music that brings me joy anyway. We have new writers, I’ve met a couple of last year’s crop, and they’re all pretty chill despite their opinions on music. Everyone continues to put a huge amount of free work into this weird little corner of the internet. And my server load stats confirm that you, the readers, are still out there, using my bandwidth.

Finally, following Twitter’s ongoing trainwreck killing off the review autoposting there, we are now available on a slightly experimental basis on Mastodon and compatible platforms. Simply follow @angrymetalguy@angrymetalguy.com. (Note that comments don’t sync in from Mastodon, so you’ll still need to come to the site in order to tell us we’re wrong.) Of course, RSS and Facebook continue to be available.

#ish. Angus McSix // Angus McSix and the Sword of Power – I’ll defend last year’s Fellowship record to the death as serious music. The sophistication of its writing and the adulthood of its themes proves that upbeat, catchy power metal doesn’t have to be silly or lightweight. I offer no such defense for this record. This is incredibly silly. Honestly, between the track titles and how nakedly the whole thing leans on Winkler’s previous role, I was expecting to write this off as a failed attempt to recapture past glories without the wit—another soulless, forgettable pop-power metal band going through the motions. And yet it works. The fun feels genuine, the runtime too brief to be self-indulgent, the songwriting too varied to be a lazy cash-in. It’s infectious, it’s miles better than the new Gloryhammer record, and I’ve ended up listening to it a lot. I embrace the upcoming savaging in the comments section.

#10. Nuclear Power Trio // Wet Ass Plutonium – Speaking of silly, it’s the guys in creepy dictator masks. As I said when I wrote about this album, after a great EP they’ve stuck the landing on the album as well, cementing their position as serious musicians and not a one-off novelty. Fun, triumphant, soaring, Wet Ass Plutonium is an absolute blast to listen to. The musicianship is fantastic, and in particular I’ll highlight again just how great Putin is. (On bass.)

#9. Sermon // Of Golden Verse – Starring a rather more seriously masked musician, this is an emotional, gripping prog album. The only thing holding this back from a higher list placing is that I haven’t found myself compelled to listen to it all the time, which is definitely a me problem (see intro). The moment I actually do put it on I’m hooked. The dynamic, catchy songwriting has an urgent edge to it that gets under your skin and sets it apart from a lot of other prog metal, which can lack a bit of bite.  I absolutely love the vocal performance here in particular, but the whole thing is written and performed thoughtfully and impactfully.

#8. Ok Goodnight // The Fox and the Bird – In the best tradition of prog, this is a weird album. It tries to do a lot of things and manages nearly all of them. Williams’ charismatic, mood-changing vocals carry this whimsical tale. The first few times I listened I wasn’t sure it was going to stick, but I kept finding fragments of her lines in my head. With a few more listens, the whole thing settled. There are still a few little stumbles where weird and shifting gives way to just disjointed, but I find the rest of the album far too addictively, earwormily interesting to mind too much.

#7. Scaphoid // Echoes of the Rift – I owe this record more complete thoughts than I have space for here—there’s a TYMHM piece due, but see the intro for why it probably hasn’t appeared yet. In short: I’m a huge fan of this sort of pretty, thoughtful instrumental prog. I loved Absent Passages, and Echoes of the Rift is an improvement in effectively every meaningful way. Hobart has developed as a composer, and as a result it’s shorter, tighter, more varied, and more memorable. As with a lot of music on this list, my love for it is in the mood it conjures. It’s thoughtful, meditative, exploratory, and has been a favorite work and travel soundtrack for me.

#6. Sanguine Glacialis // Maladaptive Daydreaming – This record is A Lot. I mentioned it to Dr. Wvrm, who described it as “like Cradle of Filth bodysnatched Epica, then showed up to the studio and found it double booked with Nik Sundin hanging out with a jazz quartet. And instead of throwing them out being like ‘yea you know what let’s do all of it at once'”. Frankly, I have nothing further to add to this bit of poetry. If this sounds utterly horrifying, you’re not going to like Maladaptive Daydreaming. But if you’re maybe interested, know that it’s way more cohesive than it has any right to be and a lot of fun. The main thing holding it back is an inexplicably loud mastering job.

#5. Night Crowned // Tales – Here’s an interesting study in genre and reviewers’ tastes. Thus, who is far more brvtal than me, describes this as “symphonic/melodic blackened death.” I, meanwhile, relate to this as a folk metal album, though one much more interesting than the genre typically delivers. Just listen to that hurdy-gurdy or the styling of the vocals. (The female vocals really remind me of the Witcher 3 soundtrack’s Eastern European folk, for example. It’s notable that the cover art here features the Wild Hunt.) Either way, Tales is a wild ride and a certified banger through and through.

#4. Fires in the Distance // Air Not Meant for Us – This is so pretty. That seems like an odd thing for melodic death metal to be striving for, but there’s really no other word for it. Soaring guitar melodies, sweeping strings, and airy piano tug at your heartstrings. But a core of heavy riffs and harsh vocals keeps it anchored. The two mesh startlingly well. Fires in the Distance really lean into the lilting piano at times—if you’d told me a band were going to put this much piano into a melodeath record and everyone would love it, I would have laughed at you. You’d think it would sound insubstantial against the rhythm section, but it never does. Genuinely beautiful.

#3. Helga // Wrapped in Mist – This record reminds me of Gåte (who put out a good EP this year!) gone atmospheric, both in the folk composition but also in the slightly unusual vocals. There’s also some hints of Meer. It’s been criticized, not unfairly, for imperfectly mixing its folk takes on post-metal and airy dream-pop. I like both, but the more I listen, the less I think that separation is the right lens to view it through. Both these genres are characterized by a prioritization of atmosphere and feeling over immediacy, and that’s where Wrapped in Mist’s success lies. I’ve spoken before about my love of music that feels like a witches’ forest ritual, and this is the exact button Helga presses for me. Wherever it sits among its contributing genres, it conjures that feeling.

#2. Essence of Datum // Radikal Rats – Wildly underrated by some hack at little-known music blog Angry Metal Guy, “a heavier God is an Astronaut do the Mass Effect soundtrack” is right up my alley. Even then, I’ve been surprised by how much I’ve listened to this album. It’s not the world’s most challenging record, which has probably contributed to me reaching for it so often over a difficult few months. But don’t confuse that with a lack of impact. It’s cleverly written and impeccably performed, catchy, interesting and varied. This would be a fantastic soundtrack to a top-notch sci-fi film. (I listened to it a lot while reading the new Murderbot book.) As I said above, this has been a good year for instrumental prog, and the placement of this record despite two other strong contenders in the genre should speak volumes.

#1. Wayfarer // American Gothic – This one shouldn’t come as a surprise if you read my thoughts on Lathe on last year’s list. I’m a sucker for the micro-genre I’ll call industrial bluegrass, and last year Lathe mixed it with post-metal with unexpectedly successful results. Wayfarer, meanwhile, bring in black metal, a genre I normally find myself bored by. Indeed, A Romance with Violence didn’t quite do it for me. American Gothic though absolutely knocks it out of the park. The genre blend is utterly seamless, to the extent that to simply call it black metal does it a disservice. This is the best of bleak country painted with the instrumentation of black metal. Electric guitars pick up melody lines from banjos with a twang. Distorted slide guitars get that pedal steel feeling. There’s even a honky-tonk piano. It’s all deceptively melodic, and it helps there’s a heavy twist of post here. This seems to have put some members of the staff off—the second half is less immediate than the first—but these people are wrong. The atmosphere that results is pitch-perfect. The vocals and the lyrics are great. This is not an album that I expected, nor did I expect to love it like this. But it shot to the top of my list within the first couple of listens, and I love it a bit more with every spin.

Honorable Mentions

• BRIQUEVILLE // IIII – I saw these guys play at ArcTanGent this year and was dead impressed. This is really slow-burn post, but it’s worth it.
• Mutoid Man // Mutants – Another ATG band, although from many years ago. Not a big departure from their prog/punk usual, but a lot of fun.
• healthyliving // Songs of Abundance, Psalms of Grief – “Bloom” narrowly missed out on my Song of the Year. The rest of the album is also really good post-metal, with a great vocalist.
• Svalbard // The Weight of the Mask – This didn’t blow me away like When I Die, but it’s not for lack of quality; it’s a great album still, it’s just not a huge evolution.
• Tribunal // The Weight of Remembrance – A really solid bit of classic doom. As with any well-trodden genre it takes a lot to stand out, and Tribunal nail it with some great interplay—on vocals and instruments—between the duo.

Disappointment o’ the Year

Repeatedly giving poor-to-middling reviews to bands I like. Also, the production on that Anareta album, which I wanted so badly to love.

Song o’ the Year

Vienna Teng “The Riversitter” – I’m not even going to pretend to claim that this is metal, though I did of course first hear Teng on this very website. She is my favorite lyricist ever, and one of my favorite musicians in general. It’s been a long ten years since Aims, and it’s fantastic to have new music from her again. This is a pretty, moving piece, based on a short story, about not overthinking or overplanning, community, beauty, and building on each other’s ideas. I can’t fully explain why I’ve been so gripped by this song, but it spoke to me. I’m not normally a “same song on repeat” person, but I’ve listened to this song over three times as often as anything else this year.

Twelve

Up until a few weeks ago, I’d have said this was a pretty solid year, all things considered—but alas, here I am, ending the year on a low note. 2023 felt both very long and very quick, and we weren’t too far into it when I realized my contributions to this here blog were pretty much abysmal. Thankfully, my fellow writers and alternate personas are very understanding people, but it’s still rough to realize that the year has ended to mark my lowest output yet here at Angry Metal Guy.

At least the music was solid. While I was off doing who-knows-what offline, a whole bunch of talented and wonderful writers ghostwrote a whole bunch of compelling reviews and recommendations here that have come to dominate my listening. So before I properly dive into sharing my top albums for 2023, I’ll take a second to thank every one of them, from the newest n00b to the oldest olde, for a level of dedication and talent I just didn’t reach this year. I’m looking forward to the next one, and the one after that as well.

Anyway…

#ish. David Eugene Edwards // Hyacinth – Usually there’s a space or two on this list for the most exciting neofolk that comes my way in a given year, but this year was a quiet one on that front. In its absence, however, the dark country tellings of David Eugene Edwards are quickly becoming a favourite. It’s not a style I’m very familiar with—hence the #ish—but owing to the gorgeously ominous storytelling on Hyacinth, that’s something I’m determined to fix in 2024.

#10. Sacred Outcry // Towers of Gold – Life™ works in mysterious ways; when I was unable to review Towers of Gold following my excitement at Sacred Outcry’s debut, I felt pretty badly. Thankfully, Holdeneye’s account captures what is so special about this power metal odyssey better than I’d have been able to at the time. An adventure for the whole family, and an impressively emotive power metal opus.

#9. Theocracy // Mosaic – Speaking of power metal, I also loved Mosaic in a way I haven’t been taken by a Theocracy album in some time. The balance of joyful and serious themes is something the band does really, really well here, and it’s a splash of positivity that I was happy to receive just as the weather began to turn cold. Not to mention it’s impressively heavy on top of it all, and the choruses stick around long after the album is done.

# 8. The Ocean // Holocene – I’ve said in a couple of places that I don’t care much for post metal, but I do like it when The Ocean does it. The trend continued this year with Holocene, which felt more experimental, less heavy, and altogether weirder than a lot of their past work. This all works great for me, and I found I kept returning to Holocene as the year went by. “Atlantic” in particular may be one of my most listened-to songs for the year. High defeatism, am I right?

#7. Warfarer // American Gothic – Blistering, beautiful black metal; a heartfelt reason for the anger; influence from the wild, wild West to keep it all fresh. What could there possibly be to not like about American Gothic? In the past, Wayfarer haven’t quite captured my attention, but this album broke through my resistance and pummelled it to the ground within the first four seconds of “The Thousand Tombs of Western Promise.” A phenomenal album, through and through.

#6. Briqueville // IIII – IIII is not an album I expected to list here; in fact, one of the first things I did when I saw Charcharodon’s 4.0 review for it was ignore it. More fool I. I thought I had this list down when I finally spun Briqueville’s latest for the first time and it tore its way up these IIII spaces astonishingly fast. Dreamy, experimental doom atmospheres are not easy to pin down, but the songwriting here is incredible. The time passes so quickly, and then what’s left to do but to spin the whole album over again?

#5. Godthrymm // Distortions – Rounding out the other half of my top doom metal albums of the year is Distortions, essentially because this album is heavy. I love the straightforward style, the well-produced misery, and the way Godthrymm is able to so cleanly convey such powerful emotions. This album is a testament to doom metal done well, and it’s been a welcome companion since the first time I heard it—I was hooked pretty much instantly.

#4. Burden of Ymir // Heorot – If you read my reviews, you already know that the accordion is the way into my heart. This feast of black metal incorporates exactly that, and makes for a heavy, folky journey, an amazing album with a story to tell and a ton of heart. It’s also a sneaky album, the kind that grows on you the more you listen to it, with small details hidden in clever songwriting. It’s hard to ask for more; this is an album that feels made exactly for me.

#3. Angus McSix // Angus McSix and the Sword of Power – Speaking of albums that feel made exactly for me, Angus McSix is some of the most fun you can have listening to power metal. I am a sucker for cheesiness, and Angus McSix’s debut dials the cheese factor up to the maximum. The other, crucial side of the dial, however, is the songwriting. Thanks to that, everything works in a way that makes the album more than the sum of it’s ridiculous concept1. It’s a very strong album, and one that’s only grown on me with time.

#2. Sodomisery // Mazzaroth – I can only imagine that Dr. A. N. Grier and I have dramatically different year-end lists, but his review of Mazzaroth is spot-on, and I’m certain we’ll share this entry. As orchestral black metal goes, this album is grand, heavy, and huge, making for a phenomenal opus that is my top black metal album of the year. The vocal performance, the orchestrations, the songwriting—everything on Mazzaroth is top-tier, larger-than-life, incredible black metal.

#1. Vanishing Kids // Miracle of Death – It will be difficult to sum up my appreciation for Miracle of Death in the short blurb I have before me. From the first seconds of “Spill the Dark,” this album takes me to a cold, comfortable place. It’s emotional, but it feels like numbness; it’s quiet, but leaves a huge impression. Everything about this album works to create atmospheres of bleakness and hopelessness, and any time I’ve felt low throughout the year, Vanishing Kids has been there2. Miracle of Death is, in that regard, an amazing album, and one that was always going to take this spot on my list. Truthfully, I’m shocked to realize this only came out a couple of months ago—it’s been so right for my 2023 that it feels like it’s been there since January 1.

Honorable Mention

• Suotana // Ounas I – I had a lot of fun reviewing Ounas I, and have had a lot of fun listening to it since. The black/melodeath/power metal thing Suotana does so well lends itself to an extremely fun, energetic album that is just so solid. This is an album done well, and I’m still recommending it to pretty much all of you!

Song o’ the Year

Sometimes, you just need to have some fun. No matter how difficult, irritating, or otherwise negative this year may have been, “Ride to Hell” has been the pick-me-up song to deal with it. This is a terrific power-meets-traditional metal anthem, and the enthusiasm in which Angus McSix performs it is a huge part of the appeal. It’s catchy, it’s fun, it’s wildly addictive—it’s everything you need when times are rough and you don’t know any supernatural motorcyclists in the real world. It’s also a great song when you’re having a good day already and want to make it better.

#2023 #AngusMcSix #BlogPost #Briqueville #BurdenOfYmir #DavidEugeneEdwards #EssenceOfDatum #FiresInTheDistance #Godthrymm #healthyliving #Helga #Lists #Listurnalia #MutoidMan #NightCrowned #OkGoodnight #SacredOutcry #SanguineGlacialis #Scaphoid #SentynelSAndTwelveSTopTenIshOf2023 #Sermon #Sodomisery #Suotana #Svalbard #TheOcean #TheOtolith #Theocracy #Tribunal #VanishingKids #ViennaTeng #Wayfarer

Metal Insider’s Matt Brown’s Top 10 Albums of 2023:
#MetalInsider #Top10Albums #MetalMusic #MattBrownsPicks #Albums2023 #Blackbraid #Svalbard #MutoidMan

https://metalinsider.net/columns/top-10-columns/metal-insiders-matt-browns-top-10-albums-of-2023

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#BraveWords
BravePicks 2023 - MUTOID MAN's Mutants #16

https://bravewords.com/news/bravepicks-2023-mutoid-man-s-mutants-16

#Bravenpick2023
#MutoidMan
#Mutants
#HeavyMetal
#Drummer
#Guitarist
#Vocalist

#AlbumOddTheYear2023 #metal #HeavyRock @Kitty

New school does old school. This album feels to me like 90s early 2000s but it came out this year.

#MutoidMan - Mutants
https://songwhip.com/mutoidman/album-mutants

So how is your #Sunday? I am #learning 6. Grade #mathematics with my son ... and #listening #MutoidMan on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wfooXP-SdM

#MutoidMan #SettingSun just wow!! #greatmusic. #metal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVPSdAJtn0U

How come I missed this #greatband until now? #MutoidMan is great #metalmusic

Ongoing show #metal
Got the chance to discover #psychonaut as the opening band for #mutoidman in Lille/aéronef.

Went to see Mutoid Man on the last show of their tour last night, with Skin Failure supporting. Good times! #MutoidMan #SkinFailure #TWForum

Full on evening with #mutoidman at Stereo #Glasgow #metal

The new album from Mutoid Man called "Mutants" is so awesome. Filled with killer riffs and great tracks. Glad to see the band finally back with more music. It's probably going to be one of my favorite albums this year:

https://mutoidman.bandcamp.com/album/mutants

#MutoidMan #Mutants #metal

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#MetalSucks
Review: Mutoid Man’s Mutants is Chock Full of Radioactive Riffs and Gamma Ray Grooves

https://www.metalsucks.net/2023/07/28/review-mutoid-mans-mutants-is-chock-full-of-radioactive-riffs-and-gamma-ray-grooves/

#MutoidMan #Mutants #RadioactiveRiffs #GammaRayGrooves #MetalSucks #AlbumReview #NewMusic #HeavyMetal

Really digging the new Mutoid Man album Mutants released today: https://mutoidman.bandcamp.com/album/mutants

Looking forward to catching them live at Tunbridge Wells Forum in September, especially as Skin Failure are supporting them.

#MutoidMan #Mutants #TWForum #SkinFailure #metal

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#MetalInjection
THE WEEKLY INJECTION: New Releases From SEVENDUST, MUTOID MAN & More Out Today 7/28
Plus released from The Gorge, Nuclear Power Trio, Sign of the Swarm, and Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats

https://metalinjection.net/upcoming-releases/heavy-new-releases/the-weekly-injection-new-releases-from-sevendust-mutoid-man-more-out-today-7-28

#Sevendust #MutoidMan #MetalInjection #HeavyMusic #7_28_17 #NewReleases #MusicLovers #AlbumDrops

Mutoid Man - "Demons" (Official Audio)

https://youtu.be/eBhCSk0teOw

#music #metal #mutoidman #sargenthouse