Rank your top (and worst) albums and songs - 2023 Edition
Posted: Sat Dec 16, 2023 8:15 pm
Another year...and so much music. Perhaps the most I've ever listened to. I could not cut it down to 10 albums only so tried to separate them into categories as best as I could. Bands from across the globe - Canada, the US, England, Sweden, and Australia amongst others. Certain bands prompted me to go back and listen to previous albums I'd never heard. I will try and write up reviews on a couple of these in more detail if time allows. Thanks to members of this board for introducing me to Sleep Token, Beyond The Black, Periphery, and Sarayasign. Here's a link to my Soundcloud and YouTube Metal/Hard Rock Playlists.
https://on.soundcloud.com/F4i9K
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list ... NJ_obZ9oN7
I will do my best to not completely torch my worst albums of the year...here's looking at you Avenged Sevenfold. I could have written a complete paper on my reaction to Life Is But a Dream. It actually gave me a headache.
1. Sleep Token - Take Me Back To Eden
2. In Flames - Forgone
3. Any Given Sin - War Within
4. Eleine - We Shall Remain
5. Caskets - Reflections
6. Lauren Daigle - Self Titled
7. Chris Botti - Vol. 1
8. Beyond The Black - Self Titled
9. Creye - III: Weightless
10. Awake At Last - The Balance
11. For The Fallen Dreams - Self Titled
12. Periphery - V: Djent Is Not A Genre
13. Delain - Dark Waters
14. Disciple - Skeleton Psalms
15. Atreyu - The Beautiful Dark of Life
16. Archetypes Collide - Self Titled
17. Sleep Theory - Paper Hearts EP
18. Solence - Hope is a Cult
19. Illenium - Self Titled
20. Saul - This Is It...The End Of Everything
21. Andy James - Fury From Above
22. Spiritbox - The Fear of Fear EP
Middle of the Pack
1. The Icarus Plan - Trauma Bonds I
2. August Burns Red - Death Below
3. Attack, Attack! - EP
4. NF - Hope
5. Metallica - 72 Seasons
6. Crown The Empire - DOGMA
7. Through Fire - Devil's Got You Dreamin
8. Currents - The Death We Seek
9. Within Temptation- Bleed Out
10. Relent - World War Me
11. Big Wreck - 7.3
12. Matchbox Twenty - Where The Light Gets In
13. Extreme - Six
14. Sevendust - Truth Killer
15. From Ashes to New - Blackout
16. Conquer Divide - Slow Burn
17. Skindred - Smile
18. Mammoth WVH - II
19. Sarayasign - The Lion's Road
20. Point North - Prepare For Despair
21. The Veer Union - Crispin Acoustic Covers Vol. 1
22. Asking Alexandria - Where Do We Go From Here?
23. The Word Alive - Hard Reset
24. Polaris - Fatalism
25. Red - Rated R
26. War of Ages - Dominion
27. Staind - Confessions of The Fallen
28. Wolves At The Gate - Lost in Translation
29. Landsdowne - Medicine
30. Of Mice & Men - Tether
31. Holding Absence - The Noble Art of Self Destruction
32. Beartooth - Surface
33. Jonathan Young - Children of Night
34. Catch Your Breath - Shame On Me
35. Another Day Dawns - Finding Peace Through All The Noise
36. Mark Tremonti - Christmas Classics
37. Silent Planet - Superbloom
38. Daedric - Mortal
39. Soen - Memorial
40. As The Structure Fails - In Vain
41. Ignescent - Fight In Me
42. Lacey Sturm - Kenotic Metanoia
43. Saliva - Revelation
44. Theocracy - Mosaic
45. Citizen Soldier - ICU
46. American Arson - Sand & Cinder, Tide & Timber
Worst
1. HolyName - Self Titled
2. Project 86 - OMNI - Part 1
3. Pop Evil - Skeletons
4. Avenged Sevenfold - Life Is But A Dream
5. World Gone Cold - Self Titled
6. Ayron Jones - Chronicles Of The Kid
7. The Ongoing Concept - Again
8. Edge of Paradise - Hologram
2022 and Prior Albums
1. Fit For A King - The Hell We Create
2. Disturbed - Divisive
3. Smash Into Pieces - Disconnect
4. Halestorm - Back From The Dead
5. Shinedown - Planet Zero
6. Dorothy - Gifts From The Holy Ghost
7. Awake At Last - The Change
8. Sleep Token - Sundowning and This Place Will Become Your Tomb
9. Bad Omens - The Death of Peace of Mind
10. The Word Alive - MONOMANIA
11. The Icarus Plan - Self Titled
12. Northlane - Obsidian
13. Red - Until We Have Faces (Live and Unplugged)
14. Switchfoot - The Beautiful Letdown (Our Version)
15. This Bitter Earth - Veronica Swift
16. Illenium - Fallen Embers
17. Lecrae - Church Clothes 4
18. Sarayasign - Throne of Gold
19. Citizen Soldier - Relentless
20. Ankor - White Dragon
21. Oceans Ate Alaska - Disparity
22. Anaria - Exile
Top Songs
1. Atreyu - Drowning
2. Sleep Token - The Summoning
3. In Flames - Meet Your Maker
4. Beyond the Black - Not in Our Name
5. Sleep Theory - Numb
6. Captives - By The Sound
7. Ovtlier - Heartless
8. Lauren Daigle - Kaleidescope Jesus
9. Citizen Soldier - Talk Me Down
10. Skindred - If I Could
11. Mammoth WVH - Take A Bow
12. Eleine - We Shall Remain
13. Any Given Sin - War Within
14. Daughtry - Artificial
15. Spiritbox - Jaded
16. Periphery - Atropos
https://on.soundcloud.com/F4i9K
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list ... NJ_obZ9oN7
I will do my best to not completely torch my worst albums of the year...here's looking at you Avenged Sevenfold. I could have written a complete paper on my reaction to Life Is But a Dream. It actually gave me a headache.
1. Sleep Token - Take Me Back To Eden
2. In Flames - Forgone
3. Any Given Sin - War Within
4. Eleine - We Shall Remain
5. Caskets - Reflections
6. Lauren Daigle - Self Titled
7. Chris Botti - Vol. 1
8. Beyond The Black - Self Titled
9. Creye - III: Weightless
10. Awake At Last - The Balance
11. For The Fallen Dreams - Self Titled
12. Periphery - V: Djent Is Not A Genre
13. Delain - Dark Waters
14. Disciple - Skeleton Psalms
15. Atreyu - The Beautiful Dark of Life
16. Archetypes Collide - Self Titled
17. Sleep Theory - Paper Hearts EP
18. Solence - Hope is a Cult
19. Illenium - Self Titled
20. Saul - This Is It...The End Of Everything
21. Andy James - Fury From Above
22. Spiritbox - The Fear of Fear EP
Middle of the Pack
1. The Icarus Plan - Trauma Bonds I
2. August Burns Red - Death Below
3. Attack, Attack! - EP
4. NF - Hope
5. Metallica - 72 Seasons
6. Crown The Empire - DOGMA
7. Through Fire - Devil's Got You Dreamin
8. Currents - The Death We Seek
9. Within Temptation- Bleed Out
10. Relent - World War Me
11. Big Wreck - 7.3
12. Matchbox Twenty - Where The Light Gets In
13. Extreme - Six
14. Sevendust - Truth Killer
15. From Ashes to New - Blackout
16. Conquer Divide - Slow Burn
17. Skindred - Smile
18. Mammoth WVH - II
19. Sarayasign - The Lion's Road
20. Point North - Prepare For Despair
21. The Veer Union - Crispin Acoustic Covers Vol. 1
22. Asking Alexandria - Where Do We Go From Here?
23. The Word Alive - Hard Reset
24. Polaris - Fatalism
25. Red - Rated R
26. War of Ages - Dominion
27. Staind - Confessions of The Fallen
28. Wolves At The Gate - Lost in Translation
29. Landsdowne - Medicine
30. Of Mice & Men - Tether
31. Holding Absence - The Noble Art of Self Destruction
32. Beartooth - Surface
33. Jonathan Young - Children of Night
34. Catch Your Breath - Shame On Me
35. Another Day Dawns - Finding Peace Through All The Noise
36. Mark Tremonti - Christmas Classics
37. Silent Planet - Superbloom
38. Daedric - Mortal
39. Soen - Memorial
40. As The Structure Fails - In Vain
41. Ignescent - Fight In Me
42. Lacey Sturm - Kenotic Metanoia
43. Saliva - Revelation
44. Theocracy - Mosaic
45. Citizen Soldier - ICU
46. American Arson - Sand & Cinder, Tide & Timber
Worst
1. HolyName - Self Titled
2. Project 86 - OMNI - Part 1
3. Pop Evil - Skeletons
4. Avenged Sevenfold - Life Is But A Dream
5. World Gone Cold - Self Titled
6. Ayron Jones - Chronicles Of The Kid
7. The Ongoing Concept - Again
8. Edge of Paradise - Hologram
2022 and Prior Albums
1. Fit For A King - The Hell We Create
2. Disturbed - Divisive
3. Smash Into Pieces - Disconnect
4. Halestorm - Back From The Dead
5. Shinedown - Planet Zero
6. Dorothy - Gifts From The Holy Ghost
7. Awake At Last - The Change
8. Sleep Token - Sundowning and This Place Will Become Your Tomb
9. Bad Omens - The Death of Peace of Mind
10. The Word Alive - MONOMANIA
11. The Icarus Plan - Self Titled
12. Northlane - Obsidian
13. Red - Until We Have Faces (Live and Unplugged)
14. Switchfoot - The Beautiful Letdown (Our Version)
15. This Bitter Earth - Veronica Swift
16. Illenium - Fallen Embers
17. Lecrae - Church Clothes 4
18. Sarayasign - Throne of Gold
19. Citizen Soldier - Relentless
20. Ankor - White Dragon
21. Oceans Ate Alaska - Disparity
22. Anaria - Exile
Top Songs
1. Atreyu - Drowning
2. Sleep Token - The Summoning
3. In Flames - Meet Your Maker
4. Beyond the Black - Not in Our Name
5. Sleep Theory - Numb
6. Captives - By The Sound
7. Ovtlier - Heartless
8. Lauren Daigle - Kaleidescope Jesus
9. Citizen Soldier - Talk Me Down
10. Skindred - If I Could
11. Mammoth WVH - Take A Bow
12. Eleine - We Shall Remain
13. Any Given Sin - War Within
14. Daughtry - Artificial
15. Spiritbox - Jaded
16. Periphery - Atropos