| Halftime 2023 - Favorites so far |
| 1 |  | Big|Brave
nature morte
Their best record and what an intense listen! This is truly heavy music. |
| 2 |  | Scath Na Deithe
Virulent Providence
Atmospheric post black death metal masterpiece. |
| 3 |  | Liturgy
93696
Music has to be considered as art. That is especially true for this album. It is the most ambitious one of Liturgy. You will be terribly annoyed with it or you will be able to get lost in its hypnotic and transcendent sounds. |
| 4 |  | The HIRS Collective
We're Still Here
An album which should hold record in most collaborations with all of your favorite bands and musicians. This is a grindy hardcore fest you cannot resist. It's fascinating that it could be listened as a compilation full of songs with different vocal styles, or as one overlengthy kind of progressive song. |
| 5 |  | Lankum
False Lankum
Delivered as an irish folk album, but this is much more than that. All songs flow so well and a lot of the time there is this menacing drone background and repetition which makes this an immersive, transcendent and pretty dark experience. |
| 6 |  | Dodheimsgard
Black Medium Current
Perfection. This is the finest black metal version of avantgarde and progressive metal you can imagine. You can find a magical simplicity in this epic music. |
| 7 |  | Jeromes Dream
The Gray In Between
The screamo legends return after an disappointing comeback album with this future genre classic. Perfectly written screamo with a lot of hits. |
| 8 |  | Model/Actriz
Dogsbody
Highlight noisy-whatever music. Model/Actriz can play with hardcore, indie bands or electronic acts as well. |
| 9 |  | Billy Woods and Kenny Segal
Maps
Sick, dope, whatever. I can listen to this all day long. This is the one and only rap album for your lonely island. |
| 10 |  | Thantifaxath
Hive Mind Narcosis
What an exciting rollercoaster of extreme metal. In the end you can call it avant-garde black metal. So dense, fantastic drums. |
| 11 |  | Hoplites
Τρωθησομένη
Black metal with a lot of hardcore and sludge. So much fun! |
| 12 |  | Kostnateni
Úpal
Highly creative one-man-black metal. A lot of complex but groovy parts stand out here. |
| 13 |  | Foo Fighters
But Here We Are
The Foo Fighters did the same for me like Weezer with Ok Human 2 years ago. Out of nowhere and after years of boring albums, they release such an well-rounded and nearly perfect alternative alt rock record. Album is catchy, emotional and overall very well writen. Surprise of the year by far. |
| 14 |  | Kara Jackson
Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love?
Uncomfortable songwriter folk, which goes deep. |
| 15 |  | Squid
O Monolith
The band reinvents itself and demonstrates how to sound best. Their music is highly addictive now. Call it an experimental jazzy post-punk version. This stays fresh after every spin. |
| 16 |  | Swans
The Beggar
Swans cannot do it wrong. The Beggar is a massive melancholic slow burner which flows perfectly over its full length. |
| 17 |  | Shame (UK)
Food For Worms
Shame changed their music again. Holding their post-punk roots, this is more indie and artsy. Simply their best album. Production is fantastic. They recorded the whole album live in the studio to capture their stage energy. |
| 18 |  | The Murder Capital
Gigi's Recovery
Dense post post-punk album. Vocals and music are really intense and captivating. |
| 19 |  | Protomartyr
Formal Growth in the Desert
This already classic band delivered again. Love their overall dark post-punk approach especially on this album. |
| 20 |  | Dream Wife
Social Lubrication
Love this girls' riot punk. You can find inspirational and important stuff here. Of course sometimes Dream Wife and their music remind me of the in my opinion genre besties Petrol Girls. |
| 21 |  | King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard
PetroDragonic Apocalypse; or, Dawn of Eternal Night: An Annihilation of...
Second time that the band is doing the metal thing. This album shows why and how heavy music can be so much fun. So good and funny. Comparisons are difficult. I can hear High On Fire, Voivod and Tool percussion parts. |
| 22 |  | Geese
3D Country
This is kind of an epitome of cool jam music. Experimental post-punk done with so much joy and unique country background. Excellent vocals. |
| 23 |  | Theophonos
Nightmare Visions
Mathy black metal with a hardcore edge. Great energy! |
| 24 |  | Lure
Memories of Humanity
Man behind Lure is the artist B.F.S.. Really impressive because it is highly emotional and unique sounding black metal. Great ideas, awesome vocals! The music is not so much evil or menacing. It is a way more melancholic and warm. For me it has one flaw. This is that every song is around 10 minutes long which is just a little bit too much. But therefore this is officially a demo and not a regular album, right? And it is the best black metal record 2023 anyways. |
| 25 |  | ostraca
Disaster
This is screamo heaven. I like the jamming character of the album. It flows so well like the album is one long track. |
| 26 |  | Home Is Where
The Whaler
A bit too abstract and rough at first listen but this is a grower. Think of Neutral Milk Hotel Core. Exciting band which could have a good future in the scene. |
| 27 |  | Chamber (USA)
A Love to Kill For
Old school metalcore at its very best. Massive, emotional und brutal. |
| 28 |  | Agriculture
Agriculture
Barn Owl black metal. You can hear influences like Deafheaven and Liturgy here. |
| 29 |  | Johnny Booth
Moments Elsewhere
Best of metalcore all in one record. |
| 30 |  | Chepang
Swatta
Is this still a grindcore album? Tracks 1-9 are excellent grindcore, then it all slows down and there are a few very entertaining kind of experimental tracks. After that that record returns to grind but still in an experimental way. Overall this is a masterpiece of extreme music with awesome musicianship, especially the drums. Its long duration could be a turn off for grindcore nerds. |
| 31 |  | Team Scheisse
042124192799
Awesome authentic german DIY punk album. The lyrics are very funny. |
| 32 |  | Sharon Stoned
Retrospective
Important document of german indie-noise music history! It is a best of compilation released 2023. |
| 33 |  | Parannoul
After The Magic
Epic and incredibly beautiful shoegaze record. |
| 34 |  | Fleshvessel
Yearning: Promethean Fates Sealed
Fantastic progressive death metal album. |
| 35 |  | Blut Aus Nord
Disharmonium – Nahab |
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