What a year for the site and for music. Within the genres I listen to, I wouldn’t say there was anything significant that happened.

In the world of metal… Floor had another baby. Mike Portnoy rejoined Dream Theater. What else? Musically speaking, it seems like the metal genre (and its sub-genres) are content to keep things status quo for now. I’m not sure what needs to happen for that to change, and I’m sure there are some ground breaking bands out there, but I didn’t hear them. We can chalk that up to age and apathy, I’m assuming.

Industrial is pretty much a dead genre with nothing truly significant being released — and Skinny Puppy did their final tour before calling it quits.

As for indie pop… I don’t really track that genre, I just stumble across albums I enjoy from time to time, so NSTR.

As for the website, we’ve gone ahead and stuck some more duct tape over another hole in an attempt to keep it functional. So, pay no attention to the corpse behind the curtain.

As always, these were my favorite albums of the year regardless of originality, impact on any genre, or any other superfluous qualifier. The only thing that mattered was how much I personally enjoyed it.

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50. Nospun – Opus

Genre: Progressive Metal // Review
Recommended Track: The Death of Simpson

** Do you love cheese? Did you think The Matrix was lit when Morpheus said that there was no spoon? Do you like Dream Theater/TesseracT/Porcupine Tree/Haken et al. along with some Genesis/Pink Floyd worship? Then hoo boy do I have an album for you! — Jom

I checked it out, and I like it. I’d say it’s 70% Scenes From a Memory and 15% Blackwater Park and 15% a smattering of modern prog. The biggest hurdle is the vocalist. Once you get used to him, however, this is pretty damn enjoyable.

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49. Prong – State of Emergency

Genre: Groove Metal / Thrash // Review
Recommended Track: Who Told Me

** This is much better then I expected! It has huge replay value. Fun and diverse album. I thought Rush’s Working Man cover is going to be icing on the cake here, but the other songs are actually better, and it’s not a bad cover by no means — Marci

** Making an album this many fierce, angry, hard-hitting riffs with almost 40 years into a career feels almost absurd. But that’s just Tommy Victor being consistent as fuck with his HC-infused groove/thrash style. — ChaoticVortex

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48. Art School Girlfriend – Soft Landing

Genre: Dream Pop / Electronic // Review
Recommended Track: Close To the Clouds

** It’s a dance album for people too tired to dance, or too moody to move. — The Aspie Fantastie

** The sophomore record from Polly Mackey sees a continuation of her atmospheric and somewhat haunting style of pop music. However now she brings in more elements of downtempo and even aspects of drum and bass to fill in the empty void with some more hypnotic drum fills….  Everything feels somewhat lazy and monotonous. Still, the album is cool when it’s on, I just wish it brought more to the table as it went on. — ajcollins15

I don’t disagree with AJ when it comes to the elements of Soft Landing and what they achieve. It’s really all a question of expectations. When I listen to this, I don‘t want to feel super engaged. I want the feel, the atmosphere, and the lush electronics.

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47. Winds of Tragedy – Hating Life

Genre: Blackened Melodic Death Metal // Review
Recommended Track: Living a Lie

This is some well done blackened melodic death metal. The melodies are melodic and catchy without being cheesy. The growls are powerful and clear. The songs themselves are heavy and energetic. This is the kind of melodic death metal I haven’t heard in a while as all these other bands race to be as epic and accessible as possible, these guys remembered to include the death metal (and black metal).

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46. Enslaved – Heimdal

Genre: Progressive Black Metal // Review
Recommended Track: The Eternal Sea

** Floydian and Pethian, Enslaved continue to explore new territories of haunting, hypnotic, expansive progressive blackened metal. Everything has its correct placement with the title track the perfect closer. — Muzz79

** Sixteen albums that are all seemingly worth a listen, legends. Enslaved can always be counted on for a great adventure through gloomy, almost cold atmospheres that still bring epic and energetic moments. Always love how they can pull off the guttural and clean vocals as about as well as anyone. Particularly fond of ‘Congelia’ which feels like a true dirge and a slog that relies on harsh repetitive guitars before opening up into something more grand in the last quarter, it feels like a beating. Enslaved have their signature style, they keep using it, but it never feels like people get tired of it. Good songwriting doesn’t get old. — cjbizzlebizzle

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45. RPWL – Crime Scene

Genre: Progressive Rock / Atmospheric Metal // Review
Recommended Track: Victim of Desire

If Pink Floyd decided to try to make a Porcupine Tree album. I really don’t know a better way to describe this. This is chill, smooth, melodic progressive rock with harmonized vocals and a ton of atmosphere. I almost want to call this The Division Bell 2023, but that wouldn’t tell the entire story.

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44. Pomegranate Tiger – All Input is Error

Genre: Instrumental Modern Prog // Review
Recommended Track: The Great Filter

** I give it a 3.5 but + an extra .5 for being undeniably rhythmically insane… there is something awe-inducing at the sheer musicianship on display here. Similar to a band like Animals as Leaders, they focus too much on being complex and lose sight of being compelling songs at times. — Bro has djent in his pie

**  The worst thing this band ever did was write new breed so early in their career — Comatorium.

Most instrumental metal is boring. It’s all showmanship and no substance, but this is an exception. This is equal parts musicianship and songwriting. Instead of showing off for the sake of showing off, each song is like a story that just so happens to show off too. They are definitely rhythmically insane, as the Bro above has mentioned.

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43. Shores of Null – The Loss of Beauty

Genre: Atmospheric Metal / Doom // Review
Recommended Track: Darkness Won’t Take Me

** The Loss of Beauty is not characterized by greatness, that’s too early to say. However, one of the influences in their sound is the very definition of consistent greatness, and I am referring to Amorphis. Similarly, we should not take for granted that it was easy for the Italians to incorporate those elements to their music and come up with something not overly distinctive, but personal. Shores of Null’s fourth LP is remarkable for an array of reasons. To begin with, they have crafted a highly emotional album that will appeal to both seasoned gothic/doom listeners and casual fans. — manosg

Sounds like equal parts melodic death metal and melodic doom with Vintersorg (ex-Borknagar) doing clean singing as well as your typical death metal vocals. The guitar melodies are really good, the clean vocals are decent, and the music itself is really well written.

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42. Future Static – Liminality

Genre: Alt Metal / Post Hardcore // Review
Recommended Track: …And The Walls That Were Built

** This is an excellent debut. Unfortunately, the at least the last two songs are falling off as Amariah has to scream against a wall of guitars and bass. — RemedyLane99

This is a more metallic version of bands like As Everything Unfolds. Future Static is a female fronted alternative metal band that mixes huge choruses, metallic breakdowns and screams, and alternative rock songwriting influences. As is the case with most of these bands, their vocalist Amariah is the key factor setting this band apart from the pack.

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41. Monosphere – Sentience

Genre: Progressive Metalcore / Electronic // Review
Recommended Track: Smoke & Wires

This is some aggressive proggy metalcore that eschews the mainstream elements of the genre in favor of a near-relentless attack. While that might sound like it could get monotonous fast, they are saved by the proggy elements as well as the electronics and keyboard flourishes that augment every song… along with the Between the Buried and Me-style weird musical breaks from time to time.

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40. Insomnium – Anno 1696

Genre: Melodic Death Metal // Review
Recommended Track: Lilian

 ** It’s a very pleasant album, and sounded perfectly in the background while I was working. It doesn’t have that much pinnacle points, the whole release feels really smoothly balanced all the way through, with just a few fillery points (but “The Unrest” acoustic song was definitely a filler, despite it sounds quite good). I liked “The Witch Hunt” the most, that song has an amazing flow. — just Gary

Listening to this feels like they took the overall vibe of “Pale Morning Star” from the previous release and made a whole album from it. The melodies are more in your face and the riffs are kind of in the background, and just about each song feels like its own little mini-epic. The guest vocals on White Christ are not good at all, but the guest vocals on Godforsaken are excellent. Favorite song is either Lilian or The Rapids.

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39. The Circle – Of Awakening

Genre: Atmospheric / Progressive Death Metal // Review
Recommended Track: Ruins, My Dying World

** Every song here is reliably enjoyable, from the title track’s catchiness (and violin solo from Ne Obliviscaris’ Tim Charles) to the grand delivery of “Ashes and Falling Tides” and the tastefully triumphant march which defines “Reign of the Black Sun”… In short, Of Awakening showcases plenty of hints of a promising formula merging black/death metal with symphonic and neoclassical influences to produce a brooding and sinister feel, but most often the results feel a bit suspended between various trends in the modern metal landscape. — Sunnyvale

I’ve never heard The Circle’s first album, so I can’t compare the two. However, I do really enjoy this. As Sunnyvale’s review stated, they’re a little bit all over the place, but to me it’s still a great release. They’re proggy without sounding aimless, they’re atmospheric without droning on, they’re heavy without the monotony… if they’re lacking something, it’s just some songwriting experience.

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38. Aodon – Portraits

Genre: Black Metal // Review
Recommended Track: Egon

** Usually not into French BM here but this one is outstanding, on par with the best from Blut Aus Nord. –– mystagogus

Featuring the cold guitar-driven atmospheres of those early nineties black metal bands. These guys make great use of droning cyclical guitar leads to augment the black metal riffs, which pretty much cements the nineties nostalgia for me. Also, the tempos are more of a blackened doom kind of pace. Not too fast and not too slow, but definitely kind of a doom feel in the tones and slower (not slow) tempos.

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37. Metallica – 72 Seasons

Genre: Metal // Review
Recommended Track: Crown of Barbed Wire

** Absolute horseshit. Let’s be honest for a second. Absolutely no one would buy this if it were another band. Let alone praise this as “masterpiece” or that it’s “new and fresh” like i’ve read here and there. Overproduced, weak sounding af, uninspired, boring…this album pretty much represents everything that’s wrong with modern metal. I don’t expect MOP 2, i couldn’t care less if it’s thrash, it just flat out sucks — DirtyGoyim

There’s no reason to deny it, the average modern Metallica release would not make nearly the same impact if it wasn’t for nostalgia and legacy (not to mention name recognition) — but who cares? With a smattering of new influences combined with the homage to their own past, Metallica’s 72 Seasons is another solid release in their discography. It’s an album that feels more consistent and original than anything they’ve done since the Load releases from forever ago… and the people still enjoying Metallica really aren’t expecting anything more than a simple nostalgia fix.

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36. Fixation – More Subtle Than Death

Genre: Modern Alternative Rock / Metal // Review
Recommended Track: Stay Awake

If Thirty Seconds to Mars had taken on a metal edge after A Beautiful Lie, I imagine they could have sounded something like this. The singer sounds a lot like Jared Leto and musically there is a lot of keyboard and electronics accompaniment similar to the first two TStM releases, but there are also some significant differences. The main difference is this band is heavier overall, but without losing the hooks and melody. If they can keep this up, I see them getting bigger with future releases.

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35. Cannibal Corpse – Chaos Horrific

Genre: Death Metal // Review
Recommended Track: Frenzied Feeding

** This is surprisingly great considering the boots it had to fill. It might even have a bit more staying power than Violence Unimagined, but time will tell. — ThyCrossAwaits

** Chaos Horrific is what you’d expect. It’s full of fast songs with that same demonic guitar tone. I do find the rhythm guitar to be a bit muddier on this than some of the previous albums. This album would’ve benefited from a slow, crushing song similar to The Scourge of Iron or Evisceration Plague to break up the monotony. George Fisher is as consistent as ever, continuing to be one of the best vocalists in modern death metal. His ability to growl while enunciating words is unmatched. — FadingEmbers

** eh its another corpse album — SENSEI SMOK

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34. Svalbard – The Weight of the Mask

Genre: Post Hardcore / Emo / Black Metal // Review
Recommended Track: Defiance

** Svalbard once again venture into their icy, melodic explosions with all the guts and heartache they have been always known for, once again delivering a solid batch of tried and true tunes. This band can charm and rivet even on autopilot. — The Aspie Fantastie

** The fourth solo album sees the UK band continue to do what they have been doing for the past 8+ years. Harrowing and fast-paced black metal style instrumentals with emotional screamo lyrics with various bits of post-metal thrown in from time to time… it’s a solid listen while it’s on, just feels like ideas they have always been doing. — ajcollins15

** Might be their best honestly and could receive a bump with more listens. — KrillBoi

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33. Host – IX

Genre: Electronic Rock / Post Punk // Review
Recommended Track: Hiding From Tomorrow

** Cool shit, always dug the late 90’s period of PL, so this was right up my alley. Def feel the second half stronger than the first. — ChaoticVortex

While the original Host album was linear in sound and wore its influences on its sleeves, IX is an eclectic blend of 80s goth tones and melodies, electro-rock hooks, and a classic Paradise Lost doom aura that puts an interesting twist on a classic formula. Honestly, IX fits more comfortably between Draconian Times and Symbol of Life than any of the three albums that were actually released between them. It features the dark gothy overtones and latent doom influences of Draconian Times, the electronic pop elements of One Second and Host (without the awkwardness), and it foreshadows the direction Symbol of Life would eventually take as the band blended the electronics with a more metal-oriented direction.

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32. Ov Sulfur – The Burden of Faith

Genre: Blackened Symphonic Deathcore // Review
Recommended Track: The Burden Ov Faith (feat. Kyle Medina & Lindsay Schoolcraft)

** Cool blend of Dimmu Borgir and Behemoth inspired aesthetics and vibes, with a deathcore base. Kinda like a more blackened version of Dear Desolation by Thy Art is Murder — Brabiz

** I’m shocked how much I enjoyed it. The production is actually good (DR is probably like a 5, but no audible clipping I heard which is a step in the right direction) Ricky’s cleans are really good and there’s a lot of cool melodic blackened ideas — veninblazer

Solid Blackened Deathcore. It’s like a perfect blend of both styles without overdoing either element. It’s almost like Killswitch Engage meets Dimmu Borgir meets Shadow of Intent… powerful riffs, clean and growled vocals, catchy vocals hooks, and excellent blackened melodies. Also, they don’t ruin their songs (too often) with tacked-on breakdowns.

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31. Night In Gales – The Black Stream

Genre: Melodic Death Metal // Review
Recommended Track: Tears of Blood

Remember Whoracle and With Fear I Kiss the Burning Darkness? Night In Gales does. The vocalist sounds like a cross between Tomas Lindberg and Jester Race-era Anders Friden, which works really well because this album sounds like a blend of both bands from back in the day. Since neither of them are really doing this sound anymore, why not let these guys have it?

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30. Marthyrium – Through the Spheres of Darkness

Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal // Review
Recommended Track: Rebirth in Death

** there’s one song 5 times on here and it’s ringing out minor tritone chords for 6 minutes, sometimes there’s an interlude or a climax, sometimes not. almost like these were written for the Drummer to take the spotlight role of lead guitar as the active focus component — Azazzel

This band reminds me of a less frantic and dense black metal version of modern Gorguts or Ulcerate. Due to the way the riffs and melodies are presented, it does take a few listens to really click, and until that point I can see where this might seem a little aimless. After it clicks, however, that’s when the riffs, melodies, and atmosphere created by Through the Spheres of Darkness really shines.

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29. Cursebinder – Drifting

Genre: Black Metal / Doom // Review
Recommended Track: Drifting

** Poland’s Cursebinder is not an act focused on charismatic virtuosity and furious, fast-tempo forays–debut disc Drifting is about as far removed as possible from that realm of songwriting, instead emphasizing an approach that focuses on making an ethereal, gentle ambiance amidst melancholic instrumentals. There’s an intimacy to the quartet’s music that emerges from its careful, melodic nature, and how their arrangements seem to (appropriately) drift through dreamlike environments, skating by clouds through the starry twilight sky. Characterized by elegant tones and cascading electronics, the Kraków crew’s premiere LP harmoniously assembles its inspirations to craft a uniquely immersive experience. — MarsKid

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28. Within Temptation – Bleed Out

Genre: Symphonic Rock / Metal // Review
Recommended Track: Worth Dying For

** For better or derp, this new album is exactly what you can expect from Within Temptation these sacred days. First thing you’ll notice is that the heavy guitars are back. They’re really back, and they haven’t riffed this hard in oh, many moons ago. You’ll also notice an attempt to string together an entire discography’s worth of ideas, including gothic metal influence, symphonic moments, and pop. At times they’ll swing into one direction more heavily, but the overall idea is very poppy, heavy, bombastic metal. — pizzamachine

** To me it sounds like Resist ptII. Sharon is awesome as always and there’s couple of ideas here and there that sound great, but overall it fells a bit “plastic”. I feel like if I give this more time I’d probably enjoy it more, not sure if I want to though. — Dreamflight

** This album has enough bangers to make it my favorite in a long while. There’s still a couple cringy one’s though… if they dropped “ritual”, “entertain you”, and “don’t pray for me” the album would be much better. — bahlof

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27. Ray Alder – II

Genre: Progressive Metal // Review
Recommended Track: Changes

** Sure its not hitting the heights of a Fates Warning album but I’ll take anything with Alder’s voice. Solid album. — ChaoticVortex

Ray Alder stands as one of the most prolific vocalists in the realm of progressive metal. His ability to combine technical prowess, emotional depth, and versatility makes him a true force to be reckoned with. While II might be a little more conventional than his previous solo release, Ray?s voice is still able to carry every song and make the listening experience worthwhile. Whether you’re a fan of Fates Warning, Redemption, or simply a lover of catchy performances, exploring Ray Alder’s II should be a must. Hopefully, though, when his third solo release comes out, he opts to play things a little less safe.

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26. In Flames – Foregone

Genre: Modern Metal // Review
Recommended Track: State of Slow Decay

** Foregone has taken the band’s fanbase by surprise as the Swedes have managed in a skillful way to combine together their classic melodeath aggression with the mainstream influences of their last decade (or so) releases for an appealing record. Riffs are sharp, rhythms are tight and Friden’s vocal style has become a bit harsher and rougher but nevertheless, a fine balance between his growling and clean vocals exists.Recommendations: “Foregone Pt.2”, “State of Slow Decay”, “The Great Deceiver”, “A Dialogue in B Flat Minor”. — Antonius

** When I was a wee lad, I ordered a pack of Yu-Gi-Oh cards on eBay because the wording made it seem like you were guaranteed a really rare card and when it finally came in the mail it was a bunch of garbage commons. The fact that listening to this album made me recall this very specific memory should say enough about what you’re gonna get vs. what the singles and hype tried to sell you on. — judasgoat

On Foregone In Flames have injected their modern sound with the visceral heaviness and majestic melodies that have been lacking for years, and even Anders Frieden has stepped up his clean singing while also returning to a harsher vocal style. With the release of Foregone, In Flames have shown they do still have the same fire that made their classics so good, and they have done so without totally abandoning the sound they’ve been cultivating over the last few decades.

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25. Babymetal – The Other One

Genre: Metal / J-Pop / Electronic // Review
Recommended Track: Divine Attack – Shingeki –

** This goes freaking hard. They upped the industrial/electronic elements and went for an overall more “serious” sound, and it really pays off. Don’t get me wrong, I loved their first two albums but Metal Galaxy proved that it was time to move on from that style, at least to an extent. — Lichtmensch

** hoyl fuck im actually posing a bbmtl album. title (edited), divine attack, and then the finale of monochrome + light n darkness grab me by the nethers — SENSEI SMOK

So, Babymetal isn’t immature fun anymore. With the members and longtime fans ten years older than when Babymetal first hit the scene, an obvious decision to mature the music, lyrics, and image was made. The end result is The Other One, and it may shock those that stayed away from the pre-release songs. Gone are most the Babymetal staples; the call-and-response, the slick J-Pop melodies and choruses, the crazy metal/pop juxtaposition, the chaotic energy… you get the point. Instead, The Other One takes its metal/pop influences and fuses them into a seamless sound that trades Kawaii for seriousness and atmosphere. While it might be initially disappointing to lose a decade of Babymetal influences, it was probably time and the more mature and serious Babymetal sound is still as captivating as always.

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24. As Everything Unfolds – Ultraviolet

Genre: Alt Metal / Post Hardcore // Review
Recommended Track: Saint or Rogue

** The sophomore record from UK-based [Insert Female Fronted Metal Band], feels like an [Insert Female Fronted Metal Band] copy-and-paste with modern-day [Insert Female Fronted Metal Band]-ism that makes it a rather uninspired listening experience. Lazy comparisons are my favorite. If you liked the last one you’ll probably like this one. — whitefilipino

** The album builds like a rolling wave, with each song progressively building on the next until hitting about two-thirds of the way through, at which point the crest reaches its peak and aggressively crashes down before fading away back into the tide. This approach to building the album is a bit of a double-edged sword, in that the album lacks an opening that really hooks the listener, but reversely rewards those who keep moving through that opening haze. — Manatea

This hits harder than their debut, but it isn’t as instantly catchy. The riffs are heavier, there’s more harsh vocals, and the overall sound is fatter. However it is missing a few endearing qualities the debut wasn’t. The choruses and songwriting feel like they were overlooked a little in favor of an edgier sound. Also, there was an emotive feel to the debut that isn’t here at all. Overall, I’d say this is great sophomore release that is a step in the right direction from the more generic (but still better) debut, but next time don’t forget the hooks and emotional connection when hitting that heavier sound. Also, the second half is better than the first half as they step back from the edgier sound and settle into a groove so don’t give up on this too soon.

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23. Celestial North – Otherworld

Genre: Electronic / Dream Pop // Review
Recommended Track: When the Gods Dance

Similar to Art School Girlfriend (Number 48 above), Celestial North is a female-fronted dream pop band with an electronic edge. While Art School Girlfriend is more rooted in the dance side, Celestial North seems more influenced by the electro/ambient side of the genre. Throughout Otherworld‘s runtime, electronic beats and synth share equal time with lush melodies and dreamy vocals. Also like Art School Girlfriend, the draw is really in the overall atmospheres that are created. If you’re looking for something energetic and easily engaging, this might not be the place for you.

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22. … and Oceans – As in Gardens, So In Tombs

Genre: Black Metal // Review
Recommended Track: As in Gardens so in Tombs

** I think that, if you were to go into this record looking for the same unrelenting aggressiveness that …and Oceans’ recent comeback record, ‘Cosmic World Mother’ seemed to shovel out constantly, you might be a touch disappointed. That said, this seems to tweak the formula moderately to good effect, and I think that goes a ways toward giving it some additional longevity. Imagine if this WAS just a carbon copy of the previous record…wouldn’t that feel tiring? Ultimately, I think the band made a smart move altering their course here, because they made the changes intelligently. My only caveat would be the length. Truthfully, it’s just too fucking long. No black metal record needs to be 50 minutes. But that’s my only serious issue with it, thus far. — Panzerchrist

Not as unrelenting and forceful as their previous release, and not as experimental as the last few before they broke up (or went on hiatus?). That leaves As In Gardens… in a weird middle ground where it doesn’t stand out as much, but it is still really good. I’d say this one is more melodic than the previous releases, and maybe a little less aggressive but it’s still well worth checking out. Also, this album does get a little more experimental during the second half. Nothing as crazy as their first era, but more than their last release.

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21. Kalmah – Kalmah

Genre: Death Metal / Power Metal // Review
Recommended Track: Veil of Sin

** In a genre that sometimes seems kinda shitty across the board, it’s nice to have a couple of dependable legends that keep churning out good tracks. You’ve heard pretty much everything before but maaaaan those riffs are fun. Production is right on the money too. — grandfather

** I actually can’t think of a better name for this album than just Kalmah. It’s like a perfect culmination of their higher-pitched crazy keyboard-focused albums (Swamplord, They Will Return, Swampsong) and their latter, more “mature” albums (Black Waltz, Palo etc.). Amazing how consistent a band like this can be. 9 albums out, all bangers, some more than others, but anyway. Kalmah always delivers! — P1pari

To me, these guys take everything Children of Bodom kind of pioneered and make it better. They start with the same Power metal meets extreme metal foundation as CoB, the same blazing solo style, the same guitar melody-driven song craft, and the same bouncy, upbeat, feel… but they do a few things different and.or better. What I like more about these guys, and this albun, is the deeper growls, the fatter riffs, and the more subdued keyboard usage. My favorite Kalmah release since 12 Gauge.

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20. Arkona – Kob’

Genre: Epic Black Metal / Folk / Post Punk // Review
Recommended Track: Mor

Epic and melodic black metal from Russia featuring hints of post black metal and prog. They also have a female vocalist, but I couldn’t tell. She just sounds like another capable black metal vocalist. Lots of dynamic shifts within each song, as well as a decent amount of different sounds and moods help keep this album moving along pretty well. Kob’ starts out like a standard epic black metal-style release, but about half way through starts introducing folk and post punk influences that are surprising and effective.

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19. Ne Obliviscaris – Exul

Genre: Progressive Death Metal // Review
Recommended Track: Equus

** Fuck me, this is a step up from Urn in many ways. Misericorde brings back elements from the Portal Of I era. Urn was a good record that translates well in a live setting but aside from Eyrie that record falls flat compared to the previous two and the standard NeO set for themselves.Exul has the band returning to form and reminding us what set them apart from other modern Prog-death metal bands — Ectier

** At time cheesy progjank, at other times big and cinematic (but not cheesy!), this is basically the best kind of Disney metal (because their bass tone is fucking phat). — dedex

** A really nice prog death metal effort with obvious talent across the board instrumentally and a violin that adds great tension and drama to the tracks. The Misericorde suite is fantastic but on the whole the album doesn’t have the lasting power that Citadel and Portal of I had. Those albums felt very much cinematic and on the whole like a story passing by. Exul feels a bit more disjointed and lacks those super high moments that are built up to over the course of a long track. — cjbizzlebizzle

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18. The Anchoret – It All Began With Loneliness

Genre: Progressive Metal // Review
Recommended Track: Until The Sun Illuminates

** this is really excellent soft vox post-porcupine tree prog-mostly-rock but I don’t miss the metal cause WE GOT SAXS BABY and they’re used tastefully. — Azazzel

If Opeth had integrated their 70s prog influences into their classic progressive death metal sound instead of abandoning them completely, I imagine it might have sounded something like this (musically). Vocally, this guy does the layered soft vocals of the Porcupine Tree / Katatonia variety with occasional gruff/gritty vocals not normally associated with a more traditional prog sound, as well. There’s more to this album than that, though. There’s an abundance of psychedelic influences as well as sax solos and other quirky nuances that make these guys more than just a soundalike.

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17. AVKRVST – The Approbation

Genre: Progressive Metal // Review
Recommended Track: The Pale Moon

** They certainly wear their influences on their sleeve, but I found this to be a pretty enjoyable slice of prog rock. “Arcane Clouds” is a gorgeous highlight. — Gibleson

** A lot of promise from the new progressive rock outfit from Norway encompassing various artists from other bands. The smooth changes from heavy progressive metal to light and airy progressive rock bring back a lot of fond memories of a lot of the early 2010 prog bands that band jumped onto the scene. This band also gives me a lot of Our Oceans with the vocals and general post-rock sounding guitar work on the mellow sides of the album. Although the album is a tad bland and needs a lot of work to make it stand out from others in the genre, there is definitely something here and I hope to see more in the future. — ajcollins15

Minor songwriting criticisms aside, The Approbation is a great debut album that should appeal to anyone missing that modern Porcupine Tree sound or to a lesser extent, the classic Opeth style. The shorter tracks demonstrate enough depth and intrigue to capture your attention, but the longer tracks suffer from a duration-vs-substance problem (not unlike Opeth, really). Nonetheless, Avkrvst’s potential shines through, and with further refinement, they have the ability to create a compelling musical identity beyond mere homage. In the meantime, The Approbation is well worth a listen for anyone looking for some lush prog rock with an edge.

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16. Stortregn – Finitude

Genre: Black Metal / Death Metal / Progressive // Review
Recommended Track: Cold Void

Finitude picks up where Impermanence left off… that means more blackened melodic tech death. Whereas the previous album was melodic and catchy with techy instances thrown in from time to time, this album seems to have taken those proggy sections and turned them into an entire album. That means there’s less melody, and it takes longer to truly be able to appreciate the songwriting and musicianship. Also, because the whole album seems to be push the prog angle, the musicianship actually stands out less because the technical parts don’t sound as unique. Having said that, this is still a great album, but I think they lost focus on the melodeath part of their sound.

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15. Blink-182 – One More Time…

Genre: Pop Punk // Review
Recommended Track:  More Than You Know

** As good as a blink-182 album in 2023 could possibly be. Nobody would have guessed when Edging dropped that this would be anything more than a cheap cash grab built off the hype of Tom DeLonge’s return to the band. Turns out, its actually pretty damn awesome. The title track into More Than You Know is really something special. Although I will say, it’s best to keep Travis behind the drum kit instead of the production booth. — Jake E.

** This is the most fun I’ve had listening to a new Blink album in years. — Crxmateo

** For the first time since their self titled record, Tom actually sounds like he’s invested in the band, has embraced his blink sound, and they’re having fun. — JWT155

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14. Cyanotic – The After Effect

Genre: Electro Industrial Metal // Review
Recommended Track: Are We Still Alive

Cyanotic haven’t released an album since 2019, and haven’t released anything really exciting since 2010… but that changes with The After Effect. After a four-year hiatus, Cyanotic are back with the dense electronics, pounding percussion, extensive sampling, and chunky riffs that made their first two releases so great. Songs such as “Are We Still Alive” bring back memories of the heyday of industrial metal with its rhythmic 4/4 beat, sampled guitar riff, processed vocals, and an easily recognizable Aliens sample.

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13. Ad Infinitum – Chapter III -Downfall

Genre: Symphonic Metal / Metal // Review
Recommended Track: Somewhere Better

** Ad Infinitum’s new album is symphonic metal, but more importantly a pop album. Chapter III – Downfall does not go classical, it goes modern. Strings and such things take up residence, but hooks are leaders. It’s not a huge surprise they would go in this direction, their symphonic metal in the previous album was already showing signs of leaning towards a larger plunge in pop. The result is something much more Amaranthe inspired than Within Temptation. Long story short — it rules. — pizzamachine

To me, it’s like the best elements of Amaranthe and Epica without the excesses of either band. This album also has my current song of the year, Somewhere Better. I can’t get enough of that song.rMelissa Bonny is definitely underrated (or maybe just surprisingly unknown). She hasn’t had the best luck with the bands she’s hooked up with. This is probably the best album she has been a part of and her upcoming band The Dark Side of the Moon looks to be pretty good too, so maybe things are finally looking up for her.

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12. Paradise Lost – Icon 30

Genre: Metal / Doom // Review
Recommended Track: Joys of the Emptiness

** I turned a bit skeptical listening to the songs as they released one by one (impossible not to notice things that are “off” from the original songs). But turns out, you dont really ask “does this version do the original justice” when you listen to this front to back. It’s slightly different at times, but the differences combine into a new flavor that I can dig. — Irikeheavymetal

** Got the cd in the mail today and it actually fucks. Nick sounds better than ever. Prod brings out some of the subtleties of the original. Overall very good re-recording! — naughtcturnal

I’m a huge fan of remasters and re-recordings using modern techniques for classic albums. For the most part, I believe them to be entirely necessary… but Icon was never one of those albums. However, this re-recording is actually really good and will probably be my go-to version. The drumming is better and gives the songs a better sense of momentum, the thick dirty bass sound is awesome, and Nick’s vocals have aged like fine wine. I’ve also heard elements of the that I had never picked up on the original — to the point where I’ve gone back to the original to see if they were always there, and they are.

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11. Invent Animate – Heavener

Genre: Progressive Metalcore // Review
Recommended Track: Elysium

** heavener? i hardly know her! — “it’s for old people” – Bro has djent in his pie

** Absolute heaven to listen to, easily this band’s best. Beautiful atmosphere, pristine production, rand the vocals are some of the best I’ve heard all year. If you’re a melodic djent fan, it doesn’t get much better than this. — Halez

** Maybe, just maybe, post-metalcore is completely revitalizing the warp tour metalcore sound I learned to love so early on in high school. Being past 25 now has led me to really fall out of love with the genre, with some minor exceptions. However, I have really come to appreciate these heavy atmospheric metalcore bands that have been coming out in the last few years. Although this album doesn?t hold a candle to the likes of Rolo Tomassi and their unique style of post-metalcore, but it has those extremely rich and mesmerizing synthesizers that pair so well with the extreme aggression of Invent Animates style. Maybe it?s a basic pick but this album rocks harder than any other re-hash metalcore band from the 2010s. — ajcollins15

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10. Imperium Dekadenz – Into Sorrow Evermore

Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal // Review
Recommended Track: Awakened Beyond Dreams

** The melodic wall of guitars hover and flow to great effect. Ive enjoyed their output for a long time but this is a culmination of their sound, and is very satisfying. — Muzz79

** Imperium Dekadenz are frankly great at what they do. They managed to create an atmospheric, memorable album despite it sounding completely standard. The even flow in their songs allows their talents to spill over effectively. Fairly catchy riffs and standard harsh vocals (still impactful) are offered, which is simply how the table is set. How the instruments play off of each other is much more special. Songs march on in a somewhat predictable fashion but the melodic rhythms that are conjured are practically hypnotic. Herewith, the atmosphere is dispersed and absorbed through every facet. Get the picture? You will soon, if you dig the vibe. — pizzamachine

This is like 90s era melodic black metal with a hint of post black metal thrown in to break up the monotony and add a little additional color. Musically, this band is very good at establishing a solid atmosphere and even conveying a bit of emotional resonance with the vocals (despite not understanding most of the lyrics which are generally pretty unintelligible, as you might have guessed).

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9. Vinsta – Freiweitn

Genre: Atmospheric Progressive Death Metal // Review
Recommended Track: Entarische Gstoit

No review, no sound-offs, and just nine ratings. Was there something wrong with Vinsta’s latest release? If you ask me, there really wasn’t. If anything, it’s just a little quirky and different. It could be argued that melodic death metal is Freiweitn’s foundation, but it could also be argued that their foundation is based on some kind of dreamy prog rock. I mean, the first track is full of harmonized male/female vocals and guitar melodies without any death metal influences at all until nearly four minutes into the nine minute run time (and those come in with violin accompaniment and bass guitar flourishes). There’s definitely classic Opeth vibes in the guitar riffs, and Ne Obliviscaris influences with the violin and occasionally busy bass lines, but this is more than those influences.

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8. Klone – Meanwhile

Genre: Atmospheric Progressive Metal // Review
Recommended Track: Bystander

** Feels a bit like a lost Karnivool record – atmospheric, great vocals, thudding riffs and battering drums. Let down by a lack of variety across the overall runtime, but definitely a good listen. — Komodog

** It’s up there with their best records. Every details making their sound so distinctive. — DocBass

This really reminds me of some sort of post metal / prog metal hybrid — maybe something similar to The Ocean, but different too. Maybe a better comparison would be “Night is the New Day” era Katatonia, if Katatonia had a more expressive vocalist and more diverse musical pallet. At the very least, I’d say this album has the heart of a post metal release without actually being post metal. Each song is a slow lumbering track that starts quietly while building towards an aggressive crescendo. Each song also features some low-key musicianship and strong songwriting, as well. Easily the best Klone release so far.

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7. The Amity Affliction – Not Without My Ghosts

Genre: Metalcore // Review
Recommended Track: I See Dead People

** After three straight albums of mediocrity, it’s nice to see TAA back on track. “I See Dead People” is without a doubt the heaviest song they’ve ever released, and songs like “It’s Hell Down Here” and “Fade Away” have soaring choruses reminiscent of LTOTM. — tinytim

** With heavy metalcore and harrowing post-hardcore screams over very djent style guitar riffs the band feels as energetic and emotional as they ever have. It is a perfect album, no, not at all. Everything here is fairly one-dimensional plus the back half is nowhere near as strong as the top half. But for me and probably many long terms fans it?s amazing to see the band go back to what they were originally known for. — ajcollins15

Chuggy, melodramatic, atmospheric, melodic metalcore with Blink-182-ish choruses. Yeah, the choruses aren’t the best, very few actually compliment the songs, and they all sound vaguely similar — it is what it is. The band also seems to veer too far into the melodramatic with some of the lyrics, but it doesn’t really hurt the vibe overall. The music and harsh vocals are what will keep most people coming back. There’s a lot of chugs, obviously, but there’s also a lot of cool things done with the keyboards that provide a lot of atmosphere and melody.

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6. Elif – Endlich Tut Es Wieder Weh

Genre: Electronic / Pop / Hip Hop // Review
Recommended Track: Bomberjacke

** … I really liked this. One of those albums where the sound really speaks for itself. Loved the interplay between the vocals and the minimalism of the music… The fleeting comparison to Sadistik is something I didn’t really consider first time around but I really noticed it the second time. — PumpBoffBag

** The melodies here are nice, and there’s a good blend of somber/hopeful overtones although I struggle to latch onto it beyond that because of the language barrier. — Sowing

Almost none of these tracks break the three-minute mark, which is just enough time to catch the groove and melt into the atmosphere while Elif takes you through a snack-sized emotional trip. Obviously, part of my attraction to Endlich Tut Es Wieder Weh could be the exotic German vocals which allow me to superimpose my own thoughts and interpretations on every song, but there’s more to it than that. The element that makes this more is the voice of Elif. Her smooth delivery and that wavering style she uses simply sucks in me in. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that the lush melodies and hip-hop influences are excellently done, as well. While I don’t know how Endlich Tut Es Wieder Weh compares to Elif’s previous three albums, I can say with one-hundred percent certainty that this one is a impeccably compelling collection of lush electronics, deep bass beats, captivating choruses, and Elif’s emotive vocals.

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5. Vintersea – Woven Into Ashes

Genre: Blackened Atmospheric Prog // Review
Recommended Track: Crescent Eclipse

** Ok, this is GOOD. Never heard anything by Vintersea before this, but I love the fusion of melo-death, black metal, and prog. Also, Avienne’s an absolute monster on the mic — Koris

** This gets everything right. It’s progressive but isn’t boring, the drums smash, the singing rules, the riffs riff but don’t not riff. Love love love — pizzamachine

** Avienne is a monster, she’s been top tier for awhile but few people seem to have taken notice so far. Hopefully this album builds them some good momentum. — Durrzo

On Woven into Ashes, Vintersea finally seems to be capitalizing on their potential. Avienne’s vocal range is given more prominence, and the band’s musical versatility is on full display. From the opening moments of “Unveiling Light”, to the closing moments of “No Tomorrow”, Woven into Ashes is a solid display of musical creativity and technical proficiency. With its impressive musicianship, diverse range of sounds, and emotionally charged performances, this album should cement Vintersea’s place as one of the more exciting and innovative bands currently experimenting with what is possible within prog and black metal while still being one of the most accessible. While I still believe the best is yet to come, Woven Into Ashes is a really strong album that highlights Vintersea’s potential and leaves me excited for what they will do next.

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4. Hypno5e – Sheol

Genre: Djent / Post Metal / Progressive // Review
Recommended Track: Lava From The Sky

** every time i see this band name i cringe, but then i remember they are a good band. — jmh886

** I wasn’t hooked immediately but I have come back to this often in the past two weeks and it really is a sprawling hour plus of tunes. Really goes from 1-10 all over the place and the more lucid and tame moments are actually some of the highlights here. Plus Bone Dust from start to finish is just the best. — Zakusz

** Feel kinda the same about this as Acid Mist; they’ve got a cool sound, but I never feel as though they push it far enough to where it could go. Appreciate the more melodic lean to this as opposed to djent. Enjoyable overall. — Marskid

Outside looking in, Sheol is absolutely Hypno5e’s most experimental and abstract release, but with that comes a steep price of admission. It shouldn’t be a surprise if the first handful of listens all end the same way; with no solid recollection of what Sheol was about, but with a lingering certainty that it was compelling and worth another listen. With repetition, Sheol will slowly morph into the endearing album early listens foreshadowed. If there is anything negative worth highlighting, it’s that sometimes it’s tough to keep up with Hypno5e’s forward momentum when they are perfectly content to drop elements that worked in the past while, at the same time, devoting very little time to progressing the softer side of their sound. Despite these minor complaints, Sheol is clearly another confident step forward for Hypno5e’s sound (even if it comes at the expense of their past) that keeps their long-running formula intact while moving in an ever more abstract direction.

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3. August Burns Red – Death Below

Genre: Progressive Metalcore // Review
Recommended Track: Ancestry (feat. Jesse Leach)

** I came into this just expecting it to be better than the last two albums, but this blew my expectations away truth be told. They sound very revitalized (which is ironic considering the AI art lol), the features are great, and they all sound tight. Good job ABR, best since FiFAP easily — SteakByrnes

** They *kinda* sound reinvigorated here. Not that they’re back to their late noughties’ form, but: some riffs are actually good, some bass can be heard (!!!), some tracks try to do something than their traditional chuggy chug chug fest. Gotta say the majority of this is typical ABR, but not shitty like the last one. Woo! Not that woo, but you get me. — dedex

** Though Death Below doesn’t necessarily reach the same highs of their prime, it certainly exceeds expectations. After a couple middling release cycles, August Burns Red’s impact was running dry as they rehashed what worked before. However, with their newest effort, the band takes new chances and expands upon their foundational formula, crafting one of their best records in years. With this return to form, this is the freshest August Burns Red has sounded in nearly a decade. — tyman128

The pre-release singles kind of led me to believe this would be just another average August Burns Red release (which would have still been good, just nothing special). Instead this is probably the strongest, most consistent, release they’ve had since… I don’t even know because every other ABR album has been good, but not very memorable. This is kind of epic-ish, melodic metalcore, but played with a conviction and at a level I haven’t heard from these guys in a while. Yeah, it doesn’t break new genre ground or anything, but this is played well and is memorable. I’ll take it.

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2. Katatonia – Sky Void of Stars

Genre: Atmospheric Metal / Prog // Review
Recommended Track: Opaline

** With Sky Void of Stars, Katatonia have managed to recapture the essence that made them sovereigns of the progressive metal scene, marrying the gloom wizardry they unearthed at the turn of the new millennium with the soothing wisdom that emanates from their latest compositions. It’s the same magic that beckons me to the dark room once again, and there we meet like old friends relishing the past and dreaming of the future, because if something is clear after Sky Void of Stars it’s that Katatonia still has plenty to share, and the night is forever young. — Dewinged

** i love that people in this thread are arguing that Jonas’ lyrics got both significantly worse and better over time and I have absolutely no idea which side I agree with — Rowan5215

This is modern Katatonia doing modern Katatonia things, but this album is more entertaining and memorable than anything they’ve done in a while. While I would like them to step outside of their comfort zone (I’m still waiting for them to make the metal version of the Disintegration album), this is still a great album. “Sky Void of Stars” is a heavier, more energetic, Katatonia that still retains their morose atmospheres and slower, moodier, passages. It’s also one of the catchiest albums in their discography. I also like the occasional proggy flourishes.

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1. Blackbriar – A Dark Euphony

Genre: Symphonic Metal / Folk / Goth // Review
Recommended Track: We Make Mist

** This is very solid. Had a really nice time with this! — mkmusic1995

** This is a fun listen in tandem with a nice rpg sesh. The only thing holding this back for me is the homogeneity. But the vocals are very good. — Pikazilla

Clearly Symphonic Metal isn’t what it once was, but it still has a fairly large fan base in large part due to bands such as Nightwish and Epica. There’s also the up-and-coming artists such as Ad Infinitum that seem to making waves within the genre. So, why did A Dark Euphony fly so far under the radar? I honestly don’t know. Zora certainly has the vocal chops that drive fans of the genre crazy, and with record label support (finally) they have a great production and better symphonic elements. I just don’t know…

… Throughout A Dark Euphony, there is an abundance of new elements married to the macabre gothic metal Blackbriar have always been known for. Most significantly, the band has stepped up their game exponentially, delivering a wealth of guitar harmonies, melancholic keyboard melodies, huge crescendos, eerie goth interludes, and epic symphonic moments. These new elements provide a life and energy that previous releases just couldn’t offer, and they go a long way towards allowing A Dark Euphony to maintain its momentum while providing Zora much more to work with – and she was up to the challenge. It’s no stretch to suggest that Zora delivers a career-defining performance throughout this album. From huge hooky choruses to spine-tingling vocal trills and acrobatic vocal runs, she delivers it all with grace. It’s not often a band makes this huge of an advancement between albums, but that is what Blackbriar have accomplished. A Dark Euphony is the full realization of Blackbriar’s sound; consistently hitting a level earlier albums could only hint at.

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Honorable Mentions

Row 1: Hanging Garden – The Garden (Doom) // We Are The Empty: The Desert (Metal / Metalcore) // Einar Solberg: 16 (Electronic / Atmospheric Rock / Prog)
Row 2: Night Verses: Every Sound Has a Color… (Instrumental Prog / Djent) // Willoos: Begeerte (Post Black Metal) // Kanga: Under Glass (Electro Pop)
Row 3: Haken: Fauna (Progressive Metal) // Violet Cold: Multiverse (Post Black Metal) // Earthside: Let the Truth Speak (Progressive Metal)
Row 4: Arch Echo: Final Pitch (Progressive Metal) // Oceans of Grief: Pale Existence (Doom / Melodic Death Metal) // Graveworm: Killing Innocence (Black Metal)
Row 5: Mental Cruelty: Zwielicht (Black Metal) // Filter: The Algorithm (Industrial Rock) // Dave Lombardo: Rites of Percussion (Instrumental / Experimental)
Row 6: Gods of Gaia: As Daylight Dies (Symphonic Death Metal) // Viscera: Carcinogenesis (Deathcore) // Pronostic: Chaotic Upheaval (Progressive Death Metal)
Row 7: Mithridatum: Harrowing (Atmospheric Black Metal) // Mechina: Cenotaph (Symphonic Death Metal / Industrial) // Ghosts of Atlantis: Riddles of the Sycophants (Symphonic Death Metal)