Cheryl Carter's Top Albums of 2023
I’ll be honest with you guys here, my listening habits this year have been wildly different to my usual and so my list is more a collection of albums that held my attention for longer than a week, bore repeated listens and were, without question, the most listened to. Some might not be what you consider “cool,” and that’s ok. I think they’re cool and it’s just my opinion, man. I never know what to write in these types of pieces, aside from the fact that music, metal in particular, has given more to me that I probably give it credit for and for that, I am truly grateful. Life is fucking strange and messed up most of the time but music is a saviour.
What we love is deeply personal and the musical world is a rich and wonderful and weird place in which to find what makes you feel both the highs and the lows of the journey. With that being said, my favourite album released in 2023 is a dance record that reaches the peaks of euphoria and my favourite I heard this year dredges the pits of despair. You can hear it in January and let me tell you, Vemod’s The Deepening will change your life as it has mine.
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Honorable Mentions:
20. Aara – Triade III: Nyx (Debemur Morti, Switzerland)
19. Tomb Mold – The Enduring Spirit (20 Buck Spin, Canada)
18. ASET – Astral Rape (Les Acteurs de l'Ombre Productions, Finland/France/Unknown)
17. Ulthar – Anthronomicon/Helionomicon (20 Buck Spin, USA)
16. Woe – Legacies of Frailty (Vendetta Records, USA)
15. Imperial Crystalline Entombment – Ancient Glacial Resurgence (Debemur Morti, USA)
14. Miserere Luminis – Ordalie (Sepulchral Productions, Canada)
13. Heretoir – Nightsphere (Northern Silence Productions, Germany)
12. HEALTH – RAT WARS (Loma Vista Recordings, USA)
11. Mizmor – Prosaic (Profound Lore Records, USA)
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If you’re looking for sheer madness put to digital tape then look no further than Black Medium Current. The avantgarde tag was made for these weirdo Norwegians and in their latest album we get to hear all that is bizarre in their world. The album has multitudes of curiosity and fascinating structures of sound that pulse through the blackness to reach the outer limits. A recommended voyage into the unknown awaits.
Listen here.
Oh, another completely bonkers record? Blut Aus Nord aren’t known for their restraint and the second installment in their Disharmonium series is as captivating as its predecessor and then some. Nods to Lovecraft are myriad and the claustrophobic atmosphere is as sickening as it is enthralling.
Listen here.
Are you ever, like, “hey, I wonder what that fella from Midlake is doing now?” and then it turns out he’s writing charming pastoral rock about olden days England? If you are, such as I was, then you’ll be very pleased to know that Albion is lovely and sad and beautiful.
Listen here.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from a new Austere album considering how long it’s been since their last full-length in 2009, yet Corrosion of Hearts offers a natural evolution of the duo’s “depressive black metal” sound alongside a modern production which allows the shimmering light of their melancholy to radiate outwards.
Listen here.
Listen, if you like to get sad then you can’t go wrong with Katatonia. It’s weirdly uplifting, in a way, and is probably Jonas Renkse’s most rounded vocal performance so far. I suppose it’s nice to know that you’re not the only one having a bad day and Katatonia sure make you feel like you don’t have to go it alone. Thanks guys.
Listen here.
If super fun-time symphonic black metal is your cup of tea then Finland’s Moonlight Sorcery are right up your alley. If only for the massive hooks and catchy riffs. Check it out and prepare for maximum enjoyment.
Listen here.
Mephorash may not be on everyone’s black metal radar just yet, but Krystl-Ah is a triumph of an album. There’s riffs, gothic choral passages, ritual sacrifice and the glory of the occult to be found here. If you’re partial to keyboards and theatrics and maybe a bit of supplication to a higher power then you should probably hear this.
Listen here.
I’m sure Lamp Of Murmuur need no introductions here but just in case you haven’t left your basement for a few years, the one-man band from somewhere in America has been pushing his own boundaries as well as those of the raw black metal underground for a while now. Originally releasing hard to find demos and now taking over the world with his own take on the genre, Lamp Of Murmuur is the black metal band of the moment with a bonus of actually being good.
Listen here.
The stark white of the cover of The Rime of Memory belies the warmth and emotion that is contained within the music of the album as Austin Lunn navigates life and loss, both physical and metaphysical. There’s an overarching sense of sadness here and yet Lunn allows you to feel it in ways that are respectful and necessary. We won’t live forever but our legacy will. What will you do with it?
Listen here.
Alright, here it is. My absolute, most listened to and therefore favorite album of the year is by VNV Nation. Is it metal? Hell no. Is it euphoric? Glorious? Inspiring? Hell yes! I’m not here to justify choosing this because it’s objectively really fucking good.You can dance, you can sing, you can revel in the ultimate high. Give yourself over to the beat and don’t stop moving until it’s over. Then do it again. And again.
Listen here.
