MarsBro's Court of 2023
It's that time again! I think so, at least. There's not really a consistent time for it, so... uhm... anyways! |
| 1 |  | Macho Man Randy Savage
Be A Man
These are the rules for this little list thingy:
1. Any album submitted must be from 2023.
2. I have my preferences, naturally, but all genres are welcome.
3. Each user can give up to 3 recommendations.
4. Recommendations can be either:
i. a record I haven't heard,
ii. a record not yet released but will come out in 2023, or
iii. a record I HAVE heard but you believe I should rate higher (a 3.5 to a 4, 4 to a 4.5, etc.) |
| 2 | | Macho Man Randy Savage
Be A Man
With regards to ii., if it's a record I already was aware of, you may rec something else instead.
If the rec is already entered in the database, even better! Because I am lazy.
All that's over and done with; let's have ourselves some judgement! |
| 3 | | Macho Man Randy Savage
Be A Man
[this space empty for interpretation] |
| 4 |  | PJ Harvey
I Inside the Old Year Dying
Ars' rec
VERDICT: Felt like this record ended as soon as I hit play. It's primarily composed of minimalist soundscapes that are heavily dependent upon lyrical narratives, and I'm just not engaged at all by those arrangements or the vocals that try to bring them to life. I'm sure the lyrics by themselves make for wonderful poetry, but when put into this format, it's a snooze. 2.8 |
| 5 |  | Godcaster
Godcaster
Ars' rec
OG RATING: 3.0
NEW VERDICT: Man, I really must have slept on this one. When Godcaster get noisy and almost post-hardcore-esque, this is a boatload of fun; it succeeds less when they try to scale back. But overall, I can't deny that there's a lot to enjoy here in its static-laden, cacophonous structures. Worth a bump. 3.7 |
| 6 |  | Wet Velvet
The Spaces Between
Ars' rec
VERDICT: Gazin'. Can't say it's something I'd return to, but it's not bad either. It definitely knows how to craft the necessary atmosphere, but the haze factor is kinda undersold, and I think the electronics could have had a stronger presence. At risk of becoming sleepy at times but eh, that happens in this genre. Glad to see Sput-fam getting creative though, so many new projects these days! 3.0 |
| 7 |  | Crisis Sigil
God Cum Poltergeist
Johnny's rec
VERDICT: I understood none of this. It made no sense. I'm never listening to it again. Amazing alb 3.5 |
| 8 |  | Kinoteki
Dawn of the Final Hour
Johnny's rec
OG RATING: 3.5
NEW VERDICT: This is still a solid vibe! Lot of energy throughout and there's enough variety to chew on. It doesn't blow me away, but it's airtight and avoids mistakes. Textbook solid. How many times can I use that word in one blurb? Not sure what else to offer except it dances and grooves and I enjoy it, but it's short of upper-echelon material for the year. I'll offer a cute little bump. 3.6 |
| 9 |  | Ling Tosite Sigure
last aurorally
Johnny's rec
VERDICT: Last thing I am is a LTS expert--I really should be since these guys are pretty stellar--but this sounds about as good as their older material. Jangly, complex but melodic, understated but also fantastically bombastic when it wants to be. That slight crazy edge gives this a surprising heaviness at times and really makes the hooks pop. A very easy 3.9 |
| 10 |  | Feast of the Witch
Under a Sinister Moon
Hawks' rec
VERDICT: |
| 11 |  | Horror Soundscapes
Evil Under Antarctica
Hawks' rec
VERDICT: By my own admission, I'm not a ambient/drone fan whatsoever, but even so, this sounded incredibly empty. Given the title, that's likely the objective this is striving for, but just having blank spaces doesn't equate to generating an arctic atmosphere. It was a few keys and a lot of nothing; this could've been the white noise to anything. Even as a background accompaniment to work or something, this falters. Sorry, but it's a dud. 2.0 |
| 12 |  | Gaffed
Die Already
Hawks' rec
VERDICT: Some BDM. That's... all I got. Needs more bass. 2.7 |
| 13 |  | Teksti-Tv 666
Vapauden tasavalta
Sloth's rec
VERDICT: This is at its best when it's focused on containing its complexity, and it starts to lose the plot when it goes on elongated jam sessions that just sorta arbitrarily extend the song. Has a great garage-like aesthetic and has a good amount of instrumental hooks for sure. Seems weird for an album this short to require trimming, but it just felt aimless at times. That being said, when this focuses on what works best, it's a solid rockin' experience. 3.5 |
| 14 |  | Basketball Divorce Court
rebound
Sloth's rec
VERDICT: Cool shot of punk energy that's carried by the vocal performance until the vocal performance starts running low on gas. For my money, I like having my punk instrumentals with much more OOMPH, and this relies far too much on the aforementioned vocals to sell the shit out of everything. Starts promising, but can't maintain it for long. 3.0-ish |
| 15 |  | Serve
The Light Outlives The Sun
Sloth's rec
VERDICT: |
| 16 |  | Yashira/Horsewhip
Split
hespy's rec
VERDICT: This is likely the epilogue to Yashira. How do I feel about it? It's... okay. The song is solid, textbook noisy and sludgy Yashira, but it also feels like a snapshot of a grander song that never truly develops; it just touches on ideas that sound great, but don't rise past that mark. As a send-off, it leaves a decent bit to be desired, almost as if the group was checked out while writing it. The Horsewhip contribution rips harder. 3.0 |
| 17 |  | Storm{O}
Endocannibalismo
hespy's rec
VERDICT: |
| 18 |  | Wallowing
Earth Reaper
hespy's rec
VERDICT: The 'noise' tag had me pretty curious about this one, but it doesn't really factor in; it's just doom with mayhap a bit more static than normal. It grooves and bangs, so no complaints there, but nothing that I'd necessarily write home about. If you're in the market though, this'll scratch that itch. 3.3 |
| 19 |  | Theocracy
Mosaic
Minor's rec
Out October 13th |
| 20 |  | Moonlight Sorcery
Horned Lord of the Thorned Castle
garas' rec
VERDICT: |
| 21 |  | Myrkur
Spine
garas' rec
Out October 20th |
| 22 |  | Serpent of Old
Ensemble Under The Dark Sun
garas' rec
OG RATING: 3.7
NEW VERDICT: This is as solid as I remember, featuring plenty of distinct riffs amidst an artfully old-school ambiance. It just never hits to many peaks, although it maintains attention and intrigue throughout. The rating's gonna sit for this one. 3.7 |
| 23 |  | Hellripper
Warlocks Grim and Withered Hags
Zac's rec
OG RATING: 3.3
NEW VERDICT: Okay, credit where credit it due: even though this still is repetitive in its songwriting, it sufficiently rips and has a lot of power in it. Probably was initially far too harsh for an alb that's out to tear it up and that's about it. Let's bump it up. 3.6 |
| 24 |  | Orbit Culture
Descent
Zac's rec
VERDICT: Feel like there are times where the electronics + guitars are almost industrial-like, and there's some entertainment value there. Otherwise, this is very standard melodeath, lacking a unique identity--which is the same criticism this group has gotten frequently. This is their what, fourth album now? Time to figure it out, lads. 2.4 |
| 25 |  | Aeonic Impulse
Beyond the Light
Zac's rec
VERDICT: |
| 26 |  | Girl Ray
Prestige
someone's rec
VERDICT: Got some nice bounce and chill vibes, but as the record continues, it becomes evident that the band doesn't really have much else in store. If you're looking for some bass-happy, straightforward pop, this definitely hits the mark, but it seems like it runs out of steam pretty fast. 3.2 |
| 27 |  | Matt Elliott
The End of Days
someone's rec
VERDICT: There's being sad, then there's being THIS: super-duper morose to the point where songs are just sort of a slow-moving trudge through a barebones vibe. I definitely got a sense of the direction Elliott was shooting for, but too often does it dissolve into an atmosphere that sounds awfully thin to me. Which is to say nothing of the songwriting as a whole, which does little to break tracks up. 2.5 |
| 28 |  | Witch (Zambia)
Zango
someone's rec
VERDICT: |
| 29 |  | Colony Collapse
You Miss Everything (Deluxe)
Feather's rec
VERDICT: I blame Counterparts for this surge in chuggyemocore and I hope that eventually the tide turns and this movement is revealed to be the mistake it always was, uhm anyways this has its moments but is far too chuggy and breakdown-dependent and predictable and the cleans are eh and I'm tired. 2.5 |
| 30 |  | Daughter
Stereo Mind Game
fogza's rec
VERDICT: |
| 31 |  | Eyelids
A Colossal Waste Of Light
fogza's rec
VERDICT: Good fun rock time! It definitely has a neat old-school vibe to it that makes it easy to jam to, I just ended up not finding the hooks as memorable or punchy enough. Performed well and it's competent as rock can get nowadays, but ultimately it's not too strong of a showing. 3.3 |
| 32 |  | JFDR
Museum
fogza's rec
VERDICT: Kinda the same with Girl Ray, except the few ideas this have are placed into a pretty dreary atmosphere. Felt myself nodding off, but at least it's super pleasant. 3.3 |
| 33 |  | Magdalena Bay
mini mix Vol. 3
dedex's rec
VERDICT: Smoooooooooooooooooooooooooooth. It's got a nice groovy-ness to it and the production is chill as hell. Not super-duper memorable but not too many complaints, it does what it sets out to do and it's a vibe. 3.5 |
| 34 |  | Matthew Halsall
An Ever Changing View
dedex's rec
VERDICT: Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? Not quite, it's some relaxing jazzy tunes with a little bit of natural noise woven into it to accentuate the pleasant ambiance. Wonderful to kick back to, but it's barebones when put under scrutiny. Good overall. 3.4 |
| 35 |  | Disclosure
Alchemy
dedex's rec
VERDICT: Pretty okay I guess? I don't know. This varied a lot from track-to-track, with misses and hits mixed haphazardly. It makes me wonder if there's much return value here beyond a choice few singles, many of which are helped by a vocal feature. 3.0 |
| 36 |  | Slow Transits
Trans-Atlantic Test Flight
Kompys' rec
VERDICT: |
| 37 |  | Upper Wilds
Jupiter
Kompys' rec
VERDICT: My coworker usually dislikes anything I put on, no matter the genre. They enjoyed this. That's something for the win column, right? 3.5 |
| 38 |  | Hot Mulligan
Why Would I Watch
Feather's rec
VERDICT: This was very much a Hot Mulligan album: tasty riffs, big boom choruses, plenty of melodic hooks, and vocals that make you either laugh at how out of left-field awkward and bad they are or make you bob your head and sing along. And somehow it's still endearing? That's just how it rolls lol. Solid per usual. 3.5 |
| 39 |  | Avenged Sevenfold
Life Is But a Dream...
Feather's rec
OG RATING: 3.2
NEW VERDICT: This album. It's gotten plenty of hyperbolic hate thrown its way and plenty of hyperbolic praise... and I'm squarely in the middle. Yes, it's refreshing to hear a band like A7X experiment, even if said experimentation has them face-planting throughout the entirety of the record. However, especially in the second half, said face-planting is difficult to excuse; cohesion is thrown away, ideas are underdeveloped, and M. Shadows... well, he's trying. "Cosmic" is still amazing, rest is a mess. Lil drop. 3.0 |
| 40 |  | 2famous
Superstardom
Ryus' rec
VERDICT: I'm not zoomer enough for this shit. 1.5 |
| 41 |  | Baroness
Stone
Dedes' rec
VERDICT: The almighty Baroness! As an intro to the band (I haven't tried 'em before admittedly), this was pretty OK, showcasing what makes them good and what has maybe caused them to grow stagnate in the eyes of others. Doom/stoner rock normally is a tough sell for me, and this alb is definitely guilty of running low on ideas quickly, but its gentle moments and acoustic soundscapes are great. More of that! And the female vocals were relatively underutilized. 3.0 |
| 42 |  | Tomb Mold
The Enduring Spirit
Dedes' rec
VERDICT: This makes me want to revisit their last album. Proggy without being over-indulgent, and weird in all the right places while getting heavy when needed. Some textbook excellent modern DM with old-school sensibilities. Good work, lads. 4.0 |
| 43 |  | Incendiary
Change The Way You Think About Pain
Dedes' rec
VERDICT: ANGERY HARDCORREEGVEDWGw#*1. You accept going in that you'll get nothing new and hear nothing new, but you'll have a strong desire to dismantle the nearest governmental office. Get the Molotovs ready. 3.8 |
| 44 |  | Horrendous
Ontological Mysterium
Scheumke's rec
VERDICT: This is a total shred monster. No notes, no complaints. The fact it's so short too is an unexpected asset, although you kind end up wishing for more. 4.0 |
| 45 |  | Klone
Meanwhile
Scheumke's rec
VERDICT: I wanted to like this. On paper, an Ocean + Katatonia combo is right up my alley, but while this evidently takes ample influence from both, it fails to adequately synthesize them. Every song sounds sterile and cold--not cold like Great Cold Distance kind of cold, but robotic and sans-emotion. Progressions are disturbingly linear, giving a constant sense of deja vu, which is further reinforced by painfully bland songwriting. There's something potentially engaging here, but the band does absolutely nothing with said potential. Miss. 2.5 |
| 46 |  | Haken
Fauna
Scheumke's rec
VERDICT: |
| 47 |  | Ringlets
Ringlets
gschwen's rec
VERDICT: Where the hell did this come from? Perhaps the most ripping opener of the year gives way to a fun, bouncy, catchy mish-mash of modern art punk shenanigans, post-hardcore, and alternative rock that occasionally slams done a heavy fuckin' gauntlet. Incredibly impressive debut. Can't believe this has gotten no attention! 4.2 |
| 48 |  | Fly Over States
Anti-Aircraft
gschwen's rec
VERDICT: This was really brief and felt waaay too much like it was taken directly from the era it takes so much inspiration from. Works as a nostalgia act, but it's not scratching that itch for me. 2.5 |
| 49 |  | Hooray for Earth
Fantasy Something
gschwen's rec
VERDICT: Despite all the attempts this made at being memorable--melodic flourishes, production hijinks, varied song structures--this came across as an indistinguishable mess. I have to assume such was the intent, but the sound quality was poor and tracks quickly turned into mush when they attempted to do anything special. 2.4 |
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