CD's: My Top 23 of 2023

2023 turned out to be a good year for new music. When going through my favoirtes I noticed that this is mainly because of the large amount of new discoveries for me. On big band releases maybe not that strong, but overall a fine year for music. It was hard to reduce to 23 and herewith some that on any other day might have made the cut. On the extreme metal department, some need a mood to fit for me. If so they are great (DHG, Till the Dirt and Bell Witch) Other favorite bands released a decent album, but maybe not as good as I hoped for (Scar Symmetry, Haken and Demoniac). Progrock had major albums missed or too late (Galahad, Pallas, Moongarden) Tritop came close and the best progrock discovery were EBB, but that was a 22 release. Rob Lamothe's Cross Country Drivver is too calm overal, while industrial going George Lynch was interesting but...Thrash metal is missing too even though Aftermath came close. Sadus I missed so far and Metallica I was not bothered. Cynic was a refocus, so not counting and than there were 23. Since I still don't do Spotify or the likes I do miss albums that for sure would be appreciated, but you can't buy them all. Final observation: I do seem to like wind instruments after all in my metal, given some high scorers. So let the countdown begin.

23. Martin Miller - Maze of my Mind

A very proggy cover, but lots of classic rock in here too. A tip by Matt made me check out mr Miller and what a good album this is. Five long songs build upon his great guitar. His voice turned out surprisingly well too. Came to The Netherlands twice this year, in order to play rock covers. Pity with such a strong own album

22 . Jag Panzer - The Hallowed

Saw them twice this year. One old skool set and one set build around this album which I bought on the day. This is just solid US Metal as I love to hear it for 40 years now. Hope a next album does not take six years again.

21. Damnation Plan - The New Horizon

A very nice progmetal discovery from Finland. Album number three in ten years, but new to me. If this would have lasted more that the 33 minutes we get now, even chances for a higher place.

20. Electric Mob - 2 Make U Cry & Dance

Somehow I was not expecting this from Brazil, where Power Metal and underground extreme metal rule. Sleazy hardrock with very strong vocals. This band grooves and makes me laugh & dance no matter the title. If I need uplifting music, thsi is a good place to go.

19. Apotheus - Ergo Atlas

Not all that long with me yet, but too good to skip. Portugal's hope for Progmetal Days. A very nice surprise with great performances and songs. Also album number three here, but for me a new band. PPE anyone?

18. Wayfarer - American Gothic

Similar to Apotheus very short with me, but I hear the class again. Black Metal blended with Spaghetti Westerns and what an original outcome that gives.Not all that often you meet bands who create their own style. Wayfarer are one of them.

17. Redemption - I Am the Storm

Redemption fight a bit against their own bar set crazy high during their frst albums. Further for me Ray Alder beats Tom Englund on the vocal front. Still this remains a Redempton album so nowhere near bad.  Just the impact they had until some ten years ago, diminished over time.

16. Ashen Horde - Antimony

The extreme metal surprise of the year. Starting as a one man project ten years ago, now with album four a full band and new to me. A concept album on the unsolved murder of  Charles Bravo 150 years ago. Black/Death/Prog/Doom it is all there. This is a very intense album, so not for playing on the background. I loved it when digging in and got the shorts along wth the CD.

15. Trespass - Wolf at the Door

Every year at least one band should wave the flag for NWOBHM. This year it is up to my friends of Trespass to do so. I love this album which gets you nostalgic by the melodic NWOBHM style, while sounding up to date for 2023. Nice to feel the music that helped me loving metal ever since.

14. Insomnium - Anno 1696

Insomnium gives us art in many forms. Their last albums come with books. Last time pictures now some nice drawings and a short story which helps understanding the concept album. Later in the year the bonus EP Songs of the Dusk was released independent as well. If I would have been around for their show, probably a top ten place. Melodic Death Metal at it's best.

13. The Enigma Division - The Enigma Division

The first huge positive surprise of the year. They stuck at number 13 of bad luck, since I never saw a CD being released. As a result I played it much less. Still I broke my rule and bought it digital at Bandcamp. Curious to see where they go from here as this is one hell of a debut album by these Irish progmetallers.

12. Ice Age - Waves of Loss and Power

Comeback surprise of the year: Ice Age. After going on ice for 22 years, they came back with this CD. With songs Perpetual Child Part II and To Say Goodbye Part IV and V strongly linking to their own past. Still love these bastard sons of Styx and Dream Theater. We need more surprises like these.

11 Ray Alder - II

Ray Alder remains my favorite vocalist. Yet you can't release favorites every year. I thought A-Z and Figure of Speechless last year a notch stronger on the songs. Still one of the albums I went back to most as this is just very good for my mood.

10. Angel - Once Upon a Time

After decades of absence Angel were back with a European show in Liee and a new album in 2019. This opened their appetite as this is one long CD a few years later already. It took some effort to get the CD, but was it worth the wait. Some said too long, for me a return to form with opener The Torch among their classic hits. Last year my favorite show of the year, this year a very solid new album, love these rockers in white.

9. Finality - Technocracy

When I heard the  two songs released before this debut I felt we had a potential album of the year. And yes it is very good indeed. It would be higher on my list if the ten songs would add more variation between them and if I would have seen Finality live on stage.Still anyone into techmetal with thrash leanings should check this out now.

8. Hellripper - Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags

Probably the band that created most waves at underground live festivals this year. What a joy to see this band killing it on stage. I did correct big part of missing them so far and believe this is their best sounding album. Blackened Speedmetal that can go epic as the title track of over 7 minutes proves. One band to enjoy for the next decades.

7. Sorcerer - Reign of the Reaper

Those who like their doom metal to sound Scandinavian or like eighties Black Sabbath will know Sorcerer. They have been setting the benchmark in the genre for me and this album is not different. Royal Epic Doom said their T-shirt and that is what you get.

6. 66 Crusher - Limbo

Album number four by these progressive thrashing Norwegians. Well I hear more progmetal than thrash, but why did I miss them so far? Excellent album with seven great songs over 51 minutes. They posted their spotify numbers and many people don't seem to know them. Correct that and bring them to Baarlo. Brilliant stuff this.

5. Fifth Angel - When Angels Kill

The best US Metal always came out of Seattle. So does Fifth Angel and this long (69 minutes) album impresses yet again. No need to worry about a new vocalist as he nails it. The fact that we now have two Flotsam members in the band might explain the strong sound.  They cancelled 2023 European visists, so hoping for 2024 now.

4. The Anchoret - It All Began With Loneliness

Another new progmetal surprise from Canada Written by bassist Eduard Levitsky I did know vocalist Sylvain Auclair (Heaven's Cry) and keyboardist Andy Tillison (The Tangent) much better. What a beautiful album this turned out to be and how come I do not oppose the inclusion of alto saxophone, flute an dclarinet here? Because the songs are awesome that's why. A must hear album and debut of the year.

3. Uriah Heep - Chaos & Colour

With so many new discoveries in my list it is good that Heep are still standing proudly amongst them all. How is it possible that over 50 (!) years in their career they keep on releasing albums as strong as this one? Fast rockers, epic and proggy sounds, Heep organs and a ballad. It is all there on the album I kept on playing from January till December. Next year back on stage here please.

2. Crown Lands - Fearless

So this is only a duo? and I missed their 2020 self titled debut album. Well Fearless put them on the map for me and how. So they sound like seventies Rush? yes they do and I love it. Opener Starlifter : Fearless Pt. II sounds like one of those album lasting songs by Rush of the seventies. The rest of the album is also filled with highlights and I keep on wondering how do they do that with two people only? Must see them one day live as that must be impressive, even if probably pretty static. 

1. Lunar - The Illusionist

With so many new discoveries and great albums it is strange that picking my album of the year was not that hard. Ever since hearing first songs of this album I was hooked. Lunar play progmetal, but there is so much more from prog rock to tech metal and even some grunts throughout the album. Like The Anchoret the adding of Saxophone, flute and clarinet surprisingly only add to the fun. With Juggling Chainsaws they also wrote a candidate for best song of the year. Spotify numbers published show again a terrible under the radar flying worldwide. This is classy stuff from start to finish. Coincdentally yesterday Esther and Michel messaged me that they were playing  and highly enjoying The Illusionist after receiving same finally. More people should hear this as I guess many will be impressed and instant fan like me.

Moongarden - Pallas - Rages of Sin

I am almost done ranking my favorite 2023 albums. These three won't make the cut, because I so far only have them on computer and physical copies still on their way. Too little time to get a history with them, these albums desserve your immediate attention as they sound pretty damn fine after very little time spent with them.

Moongarden - Christmas Night 2066

My favorite Italians are back with a concept album. Christmas night means I probably will pick it up around all christmasses from now on. Moongarden play prog rock, with beautiful keys and guitar solos that sing around. This is one fine album and the bonus disk brings covers with a highlight in Hairless Heart (Genesis/Lamb) Waiting for the CD booklet and a return to de Boerderij.

Pallas - The Messenger

No I did not see that coming. A new Pallas album after nine years with the return of Alan Reed on vocals. I saw Alan Reed solo at The Peel in Kingston shortly after his split from Pallas and he was not amused to put it mildly. Now the Messenger brings us six (long) songs and one spin made me curious. The nice cover also raises hopes for the looks of the booklet I ordered. Maybe they should hook up with Moongarden for a Boerderij show. A ranking of their discography is in the plans for 2024.

Rages of Sin - Saligia 2.1

This album shall be released coming Friday 22/12. To celebrate a gig has been organized with The Hague's best OSDM band (Melting Eyes) and thrash metal band (Defazer). Rages of Sin are a bit unboxable. Definitely some tech death in the mix, but they like to go all over the place at times. Their last excelllent album (Divergence) got lost in Covid gig less years a bit, but this is another monster. From what I heard so far a true high in extreme metal again. So Friday Fluminense might be playing the Worldcup finals when gig year 23 is closed in style in Popradar (free entrance even, so not showing up is just plain stupid on all fronts). I think I have to follow my rule of thumb: music beats football. In this case as Libertadores did cost me Extol and Worldcup does not really matter anyway, plus boycot Fifa selling out to Saudi.  

Live concerts: My top 23 of 2023

Nothng beats live music and 2023 gave us plenty to enjoy. Now that I stopped travelling back and fourth to PortugalI I also missed less gigs throughout the year. Still going to Brazil in November meant missing Insomnium, In Mourning, Ard, Baphomet, Agent Steel, After All to name just a few candidates for my end of year list. My concert year 2022 is not completely done yet, as Friday 22 the best in metal of The Hague plays Radarcafe with Rages of Sin / Defazer and Melting Eyes. Still going back through the year I saw many highlights really. My favorite 23 shows counting down to the best of the year are as follows:

23. Tribulation - Patronaat Haarlem 25/2

Complexity surprised positively. On forehand not lots to love, in reality a great day in Haarlem again. Crown Compass opened in style and Tribulation closed my festival. Strange enough most of the audience did not seem to know them and I was catching my train home. Still what I saw was great again.

22. Crown Compass - Werfpop Leiden 8/7

So I saw them at Complexity, but I knew their songs better in July. A burning sun, made this the hottest show of the year. The only great metal band playing the free summer festivals around The Hague this year (Sneeuwpop had Melting Eyes, but that was in January the coldest show of the year)

21. Vandenberg - Boerderij Zoetermeer 25/8

A comeback with a better vocalist made this a nice trip back to te eighties, even if many songs were of their last two recent albums. Next year Paard, hope Adje switches Different Worlds for a fast rocker.

20. Raven/Vicious Rumors - Musicon The Hague 1/5

Both bands been touring around a lot the last years. Together they made up for one fine evening in Musicon yet again. 

19. O.R,k, - Boerderij Zoetermeer 6/5

I missed them half at Prognosis, but the same tour ended in de Boerderij. One of the best progrock bands around at the moment and live enough of a bite to make Hans also really enjoy them.

18. Space Vacation - Little Devil  Tilburg 22/7

Never heard of them before, but the event text got us interested. Great Heavy Metal set they gave us and a big surprise they were. Warming up by Hidden Intent and Thorium was not bad either.

17. Katatonia - Baroeg Open Air Rotterdam 9/9

Even with two powercuts trying to kill their set, this was a highly enjoyable show by these masters of moody metal.

16. Jag Panzer - Baroeg Rotterdam - 22/1

A day of eighties Heavy Metal opened by Martyr and Killer was finished off by Jag Panzer. I saw them twice this year, but here the setlist was more a best of old, which I loved.

15. Mick Pointer Band - Boerderij Zoetermeer 11/3

Not a huge fan of coverbands, but here Mick Pointer plays the Marillion album he did play on. Script live in full, with the Market Square Heroes EP and thus Grendel as well. Top band, so what an evening. This was the last time they promised and that might just be enough indeed.

14. Voivod - Effenaar Eindhoven 16/4

Day two of Prognosis for me had a clear winner with Voivod. A career spanning setlist in a hall that was getting empty over time as Voivod is not for all at a prog festival. 

13. Persefone - Nobel Leiden 20/5

Ne Obliviscaris were headliners of this day, but Persefone picked the price for best act. Without realizing they had a substitute vocalist I found the voice great this evening. Now he is fulltime with the band and in March with Cynic in Effenaar a show not to miss.

12. Exciter - Musicon The Hague 23/5

Even better than the year before Exciter rocked Musicon in great style. What a beast Dan Beehler is taking care of drums and vocals.Due to my confusion I missed half of Blood Star their set. Luckily hosting them spontaneously made up for that, what a sympathetic band they are.

11.Wilderun - L.A.V. Lisboa 15/2

I did see them play a longer set at Progpower, but this was the first time live for me and due to the heavy package a heavier short set. One fine evening in Lisbon, which  was also due to Kataklysm and Soilwork. 

10. White Spirit - GARF Liege 1/10

White Spirit making their return to the stage after 40 years and I was there. Great set focussed on the new album. They are now asking which songs of their debut should be toured next year. That is a classic, so full album please. Best festival band T-shirt in years.

9. Threshold - Boerderij Zoetermeer 21/4

To me Glynn Morgan seems to be more at ease all the time. While Ton and I commented how good it all sounded I later read people being pissed of by poor sound on the right end of the hall. Weird as Boerderij is not for wild audiences, but good sound they always offer.

8. Ross the Boss - Baroeg Rotterdam 9 May

When Manowar brings along a risk of endless speeches and lots of newer songs, Ross the Boss gives us the good old classics. One evening of fine old Manowar, with Marc Lopes taking care of the difficult vocal duties in style. Love old Manowar

7. Darkwater - Sjiwa Baarlo 8/10

On forehand I did not expect Darkwater to become the best band of ProgPowere 2023. Yet they were as a perfect sound, great songs, good performers and live played keyboards (not a given nowadays at prog festivals) made this a highly enjoyable show.

6. Hellripper - Roosendaal Open Air 2/9

First this festival was one of the great discoveries of the year. Nice small sized, well organized and fair food and drink prices. Musical style extreme metal mostly and Hellripper were for me the highlight of the day. Saw them five weeks before and this is an up and coming band for the decades to come. Blackened speedmetal which is a party live.Next January opening for Abbath, might have to go there.

5. Sorcerer - Ragnarok Bree 25/3

Mario co-organizes several shows in Bree nowadays. Ragnarok is a nice place, but a pretty long drive. If the best doom metal band of the moment comes over though Hans and I felt like a roadtrip. Such a strong band also proven by their new album. Top class performance which should please anyone with a mild interest in Heavy Metal.

4. Obsidious - Effenaar Eindhoven 15 April

Obsidious released a crazy good debut album. Still Prognosis found it smart to let them open their festival. As a result noone could top them the whole weekend, even if Disillusion and Voivod came close. Top class techdeath was brought live in such good form. Hope they start touring more.

3. Flotsam and Jetsam - Musicon The Hague 2 October

I don't care if they tour every year, you can't get enough Flotz till Death. Eric A.K. seems to be getting better by voice all the time and the band is so tight. This was their first show after a year and it all sounded perfect to me. One of the best live bands around nowadays.

2. Legs Diamond - GARF Liege 1/10

This show was one lesson in Classic Rock. What a band they are live on stage and what a great trip through their discography we got. This band never was big in Europe and seeing them for the first time made me ask WHY??? This show deserved a greater crowd shouting along with Woman, but still what a highlight in the year.

1. Riot City - Junkyard Dortmund 

Last year I had all organized for Riot City in Antwerp and than Covid got the better of me. This year there was no holding me back from driving over to Dortmind for these masters of Speed Metal. Ton loved the idea too and what a day we got. Junkyard a venue to definitely return to, with the Biergarten and foodtruck outside. Hellripper opened and Jag Panzer closed this fine package, but Riot City was so good. All the high screams you can ask for over a solid base of speedmetal. Killer set, performance and atmosphere. Only question remaining is how come they never played The Netherlands? For all speedmetal lovers and Heavy Metal fans fond of high screams throughout their metal. 

 

Apotheus - Sorcerer - Wayfarer

Being out most of November I am rather late with some words on the below three albums. Since all of them run the risk of making it into my top 23 of 2023 I had to write some words and recommned these though.

Apotheus - Ergo Atlas

Portugal is a blind spot in the history overview of ProgPower Europe. In the past I recommended Hourswill several times, but they might be too Heavy Metal along their prog. Now we have Apotheus and I will be very surprised if these four northern Portuguese lads won't be playing Baarlo any year soon. Why? first because when istening to this album I am at times reminded of PPE houseband Wolverine. We get mainly calm and atmospheric songs, with an occassional outburts. Further the songs are all well composed and the overall storyline of the album runs smooth. This is just very enjoyable progmetal of the lighter kind. Also Kingcrow at times comes to mind. Does the fact that the drummer is  a friend of a Portuguese friend of Josie has any influence on me liking this band? No as I am not bribeable, this is just a good album by a band that soon plays Sjiwa.

Sorcerer - Reign of the Reaper

Anyone who is into good old Heavy Metal of the doomy kind will know Sorcerer by now. Starting with demo's in 89 and 92, they made their first real impact in 2015 with the album In the Shadow of the Inverted Cross. This is album number 4 and again they play the champions league of Epic Heavy Metal of the doomy kind. If you like Candlemass, Abstrakt Algebra or Krux, you will love this. If you are into eighties Black Sabbath and Rainbow (both covered on the bonus disc) you will also like them a lot. It is not for nothing that Hans and I earlier this year made a roadtrip to Bree (Belgium) to see this band. On Reign of the Reaper they do it again. Releasing a classic Heavy Metal albums full of variation, top class vocals and great guitars. Heavy Metal as it was played during our early days. Must buy in my ears.

Wayfarer - American Gothic

In 2020 Wayfarer blew me away with their Spaghetti Western Black Metal on A Romance with Violence. On American Gothic they seem to have further perfected their style and release a highly original album telling a part of America's history. I am not the biggest expert in Black Metal, but as soon as it blends into an original sound I am all on board (DHG are another good example this year) The lyric sheet in the form of an old Western Newspaper already brings you into the mood and the steel guitar brings the great movies of the sixties and seventies to mind. On this album the songs range from pretty heavy Black Metal until calmer pieces with clean vocals only. Next year they come supporting Enslaved and I hope to be there (even if that week holds fierce competition by Cynic and Atheist tours). The most Gothic you get on the bonus track Night Shift, which is a cover of a Siouxie and the Banshees song. Try this out.