Horrendous Share Their Favorite Records of 2023 (Plus Live Report 12/29/2023)
Horrendous used the last week of 2023 and the second weekend of 2024 to celebrate the release of their latest record, Ontological Mysterium, which was featured on a number of top album lists including Decibel Magazine’s #1 metal album of 2023 [Editor's Note: also, Jeff Treppel's list from last year]. These death metal denizens added five East Coast stops to this mini-tour, of which I attended their stop at Brooklyn’s Saint Vitus: a place where I had seen them before and even interviewed the band in the basement, ice maker and all, many years ago.
On this particular night the local opener was local band Battle Emblem. Their lead singer was a hulking figure who dwarfed the already small stage at Saint Vitus Bar and set everything else up for the night with another champion of 2023 death metal, Outer Heaven, following up. One of Pennsylvania’s best, Outer Heaven had also dropped a crushing record of their own in 2023, Infinite Psychic Depths. The album's otherworldly and interstellar approach to extreme metal allowed them to draw from a different well than the rest of the night's lineup.
The night belonged to Horrendous, though, whose new and somewhat divisive album was nearly on full display – the band played seven of the album’s nine tracks and closed with one of their best all-time tracks, Ecdysis opener “The Stranger”. The crowd was behind the band from the word go, allowing for their experimentation to continue and go further than their previous record, 2018’s Idol did. Ontological Mysterium is by and large their biggest risk so far, not allowing themselves to rest on their laurels and challenging themselves to be more than where they started in 2009.
Speaking of Horrendous, the band were nice enough to provide us with a list of their favorite records from 2023 which, as you can imagine, is pretty varied on its own accord. Have a read and make sure to check the band out live when they visit a city near you.
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Horrendous – Best of 2023
Honorable mentions:
Thantifaxath - Hive Mind Narcosis
Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer, Shahzad Ismaily - Love in Exile
Tim Kinsella and Jenny Pulse - Giddy Skelter
Tomb Mold - The Enduring Spirit
The four albums below represent the favorite album of each of Horrendous’ four members.
Dodheimsgard - Black Medium Current
This is one of the few records released this year that hasn't left my rotation. Layered and dense enough to reward multiple listens, but also balanced with an immediate melodic resonance, this record stuns me every time. I love how they continue to expand the boundaries of their black metal sound and manage to make something that feels entirely fresh and vital after so many years and releases. -Matt
Peter Gabriel – I/O
Lush, textured, and penetrating, Gabriel's newest record caught me off guard. In an era when most legacy acts pump out filler, Gabriel's music remains inspired and relevant. This record is primed for moments of solitude, moving between poignant introspection and unfettered celebration to examine aging and one's relationship to others and our world. I can't believe his voice still sounds this good. -Jamie
Flanafi - sixth night. sleepless. you made the world. wallowing
Like listening to the warmest, saddest dreams I'd ever want to be in. Quiet, auroral, ear-candy drenched. If guitar was ever a thing of synthetic spell casting, it's in Flanafi's hands. Possibly one of my favorite releases of the past many years. -Alex
Vertebra Atlantis - A Dialogue with the Eeriest Sublime
I had never heard this band before and didn't know what to expect, but I sort of assumed it would be generic and unmemorable. Luckily, I was wrong and the opposite is the case. It's very enjoyable and thanks to its experimental nature, the album leaves me pleasantly surprised with something new every subsequent listen. -Damian
