2023's mass of muzak
10. Hypomanic Daydream - Image
Namechecked in the band camp description "Voivod, Confessor, weird death metal and 16bit video games". If there was a band made discretely for my sensibilities, this would be it…and this ep lives up to these crazy influences, managing to meld everything together into some sort of strange catchy weirdo metal.
9. OWDWYR - Receptor
Sooo much interesting shit going on in this one. I’m reminded of a lucid dream collab between the sadly defunct Scrambled Defuncts and the not quite defunct Duobetic Homunkulus. There’s also plenty of proggy djent mechanical hallucinatory riffage & shredding leadwork also has a say. A reviewer on bc had this to say ”Kinda like Human Remains resurrected and started to play modern avantgarde tech death with Allan Holdsworth on lead guitar.” Mind bending, future altering stuff!
8. toiret status - He
Skittering, Scattering, Shimmering playfully plunderphonic bliss music with an absolutely euphoric production.
Also features my fav cover art of the year by Seth Graham.
7. Fleshvessel - Yearning: Promethean Fates Sealed
“sounds like the absurd cross between PHLEBOTOMIZED, KAYO DOT and VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR.”
6. Siege Golem - Desecration
Ballz-out, No holds barred, Raw-As-Stink “Keller synth” par excellence. Siege Golem have yet to let me down with their increasingly “out there” discography.
5. Laster - Andermans mijne
The ghouls in Laster have struck gold once again with a groovy, dare I say jaunty, post-punk black metal booty shaker.
4. Bríi - Último Ancestral Comum
Caio Lemos, mastermind of multiple phenomenally progressive black metal projects (Kaatayra, Vauruvã et al…) proves once again he is top tier at the art of mashing together expansive psychedelic trance and raw black metal.
3. Void - Jadjow
Theatrical, technical and inventive avant-garde black metal with that DGH and DotD pedigree. Iniquitous Owl is destined to be a real crowd pleaser out on the dance floor.
Also my 2nd fav cover art of the year by Laura Weston.
2. Afterbirth - In But Not Of
Alienworlds of Slam viewed through a Kaleidoscope of Synergistic NuWave Jamz. This satisfies all of my musical itches and leaves me completely fulfilled…what a time to be alive!
1. Flaming Ouroboros - Anthems for Brotherhood
A last minute addition for FO’s long awaited full-length….anthemic rockin’ black metal with melody for days. I haven’t been this blown away by this style of Husker Du influenced black metal since the last Rostorchester album. Glorious, triumphant, and elegant in its own compact simplicity, both Anthems and FO's Blood EP are bound to be in constant rotation during the new year!
Beast of the Reast
