2023 End Of Year Top 25

I have to be honest, I found it difficult this year narrowing the selection down to twenty hot picks from the past twelve months, so here’s my favourite twenty-five albums of 2023. The Top Five are ordered, and after that they’re listed alphabetically.

MARQUIS DE SADE – ‘Chapter II’ (Golden Core)
TRIUMPH OF DEATH – ‘Resurrection Of The Flesh’ (BMG / Noise)
INSOMNIUM – ‘Anno 1696’ [+ the ‘Songs Of The Dusk’ EP] (Century Media)
KATATONIA – ‘Sky Void Of Stars’ (Napalm)
DOOL – ‘Visions Of Summerland – Live At Arminius Church, Rotterdam (Prophecy)

And the other twenty, in (as mentioned above) alphabetical order...

AMORPHIS – ‘Queen Of Time (Live At Tavastia 2021)’ (Atomic Fire)
BEYOND THE BLACK – ‘Beyond The Black’ (Nuclear Blast)
DYMNA LOTVA – ‘The Land Under The Black Wings: Blood’ (Prophecy)
ELEGANT WEAPONS – ‘Horns For A Halo’ (Nuclear Blast)
ENCHANTYA – ‘Cerberus’ (Inverse)
ENSLAVED – ‘Heimdal’ (Nuclear Blast)
FVNERALS – ‘Let The Earth Be Silent’ (Prophecy)
GREEN LUNG – ‘This Heathen Land’ (Nuclear Blast)
HANGING GARDEN – ‘The Garden’ (Agonia)
HOST – ‘IX’ (Nuclear Blast)
IVY GOLD – ‘Broken Silence’ (Golden Ivy)
KK’s PRIEST – ‘The Sinner Rides Again’ (Napalm)
ORPHANED LAND – ‘A Heaven You May Create’ (Century Media)
ORYAD – ‘Sacred And Profane’ (independent)
PARADISE LOST – ‘Icon 30’ (Paradise Lost)
RAVEN – ‘All Hell’s Breaking Loose’ (Silver Lining)
SHORES OF NULL – ‘The Loss Of Beauty’ (Spikerot)
TRESPASS – ‘Wolf At The Door’ (From The Vaults)
TYGERS OF PAN TANG – ‘Bloodlines’ (Mighty Music)
STEVEN WILSON – ‘The Harmony Codex’ (Virgin)

And, although this is beyond Santa’s remit, for 2024 I’d like a new album from LOUISE PATRICIA CRANE and a full length release from ERAMNESIA, please...

See you on the other side of the mince pies...
John