The Top 20 Best Metal/Rock Albums of 2023 by BeMetalways Editor

It's that time of the year again and despite some issues keeping the channel alive, I am back to talk about my favorite albums of 2023. Due to those other priorities I have also reduced significantly the number of albums I checked out this year. Some years ago it used to be almost 150. This year was down to about half of that. There were 5 albums that I missed during the year but due to analyzing other lists I gave those albums a chance and some of them made my top 20 others are in the honorable mentions. And I guess that's the most useful outcomes of those lists, to help people discover new music and albums that they may have missed. So I hope my list will also help some of you. I do have some very mainstream records in here, but also some personal favorites that I haven't seen in any lists and of course some gems to be discovered. So I hope you enjoy it! See you in 2024.

20.Nospūn - Opus

Nospūn, the Progressive metal band from Charlotte, NC was a late addition to my list and a big surprise. After a couple of recommendations, I checked Opus out and I am very happy I did. This is an impressive debut on the lines of Dream Theater meets Symphony X with a hint of BTBAM. That means impressive musicianship, catchy song writing and heaviness. For any prog metal fans it's a must listen. 

19.Primordial - How It Ends

Having lasted 32 years, the Irish band have consistently delivered their epic blend of Celtic and black metal. The 2023 effort is no different. The opening a title track is classic Primordial, it's big, epic dark and yet catchy. There's nothing really different from previous albums, it's more of the same, but the same works for me and How It Ends delivers on what the band is set out to do. 

18.Obituary - Dying of Everything

Dying of Everything is a solid addition to Obituary's extensive discography. The band's trademark sound is on full display throughout the album, with heavy, chugging riffs and John Tardy's guttural growls leading the charge. The musicianship is tight and precise, with each member of the band delivering a strong performance. Overall, fans of Obituary and death metal in general will find plenty to enjoy on this very good album.

17.Horrendous - Ontological Mysterium

Horrendous is no stranger to my year-end lists, and here they are back with Ontological Mysterium. While not as impactful as 2014's Ecdysis, this new endeavor is pretty solid. With 9 songs in only 38 minutes, it's a direct and straightforward modern but deep rooted in the 90's Death Metal. It's brutal and energetic but also melodic, atmospheric and technical. Welcome back!  

16.Cattle Decapitation - Terrasite

Another band that has been on a roll, did they ever release a not great album? Anyways, with Terrasite Cattle Decapitation continues to demonstrate their unique blend of deathgrind and progressive elements, while addressing environmental and social issues. The tempo changes and the incredible versatile vocal style of Travis Ryan is a notable aspect of Cattle Decapitation's sound, adding depth and intensity to their music. The album closer, "Just Another Body", is a curve ball from the band, A 10min epic song with slow tempo moment and even clean vocals. It was an interesting experiment, but not my favorite part of the album. 

15.Metallica - 72 Seasons

If 72 Seasons would be released by any other band, it would get no attention at all and nobody would care. But it's Metallica, so we try. I guess I mostly hoped that without any pressure from timelines or financially that those guys could use the potential they have to create something cool, heavy and sharp. We saw some light of it, pun indented, with "Lux Æterna". The album has good moments all over it and some cools riffs and hooks. But it just feels that they didn't care enough to trim the album and polish the song writing further. With all that said, I still had some fun with it and listened to it quite a few times.

14.Avenged Sevenfold - Life Is But A Dream

This album was a roller coaster for me, it went from being a disappointment to a top album and it gets better with every listen. But initially I hate it, it was only once I put aside expectations and pre conceptions that I started to enjoy it. I mean I am a prog metal/rock fan and I do like their early albums. So Life Is But A Dream combines the best of both worlds. Yes, it's weird but in a good way. The first 4 songs are kind of A7X from Nightmare and Self Titled album, then the middle session is a bit weaker, and the closing with GOD is super proggy and fun. The final and title track is an epilog that could be in a jazz album. I gotta give it to them, it's a cool album.

 

13.Moonlight Sorcery - Horned Lord of the Thorned Castle

Another late entrant to this list Moonlight Sorcery's album is a mesmerizing journey into the realms of atmospheric black metal and, wait for it, Power Metal! In fact the themes, lyrics, imagery and vocals are all traditional black metal, but the musically it's pure power metal melodies, intricate guitar work, and atmospheric synth layers. Moonlight Sorcery successfully captures the essence of dark magic and medieval fantasy. The album's dynamic compositions offer a compelling blend of genres and stand-out as something rather different and engaging. 

12.Sorcerer - Reign of the Reaper

A doom metal masterpiece that displays crushing guitar riffs, thunderous drumming, and hauntingly melodic vocals, creating an atmosphere that is dark and emotional. Special shout out to the vocal delivery! Awesomely powerful melodies. The band's ability to blend traditional doom elements with a modern touch is evident throughout the album, showcasing a dynamic range that keeps the listener engaged from start to finish. Reign of the Reaper not only pays homage to the genre's roots (think Candlemass) but also dives into traditional Heavy Metal elements, delivering a powerful and emotionally charged listening experience that solidifies Sorcerer's place among the contemporary master of doom metal.

11.TesseracT - War Of Being

A progressive metal journey showcasing the band's virtuosity, complex polyrhythms, ethereal atmospheres, and emotive melodies create a captivating listening experience. The seamless integration of intricate guitar work, dynamic rhythms, and Daniel Tompkins' evocative vocals which are much more aggressive this time, result in a complex journey without sacrificing melody and accessibility. It's not a short album as it runs for 60min and features a couple of epics, but it holds my attention and it's worth the effort. 

10.Periphery - Periphery V: Djent Is Not A Genre

Periphery's latest album, Periphery V: Djent Is Not A Genre, is a progressive metal musicianship journey. With complex and intricate guitar riffs, precise and dynamic rhythms, and powerful vocals, the band showcases their technical proficiency and versatility throughout the album.  Periphery experiments with different time signatures and textures, keeping listeners engaged and interested. The album's impressive production quality and innovative songwriting make it a must-listen for fans of the genre.

9.Spirit Adrift - Ghost At The Gallows

This is where doom and traditional heavy metal meet and this time around more traditional than doom. Overall, the album seamlessly blends thunderous riffs, intricate melodies, and Nathan Garrett's powerful (and not over the top) vocals to create a sonic experience rooted in 80's Heavy Metal. The first 1.5 min could be out of Killers. Even the format reminds me of Maiden in the 80's, 8 songs withing 45min. Ghost at the Gallows is likely the best entry in the already prolific Spirit Adrift's discography. 

8.Code Orange - The Above

It's groovy, heavy and melodic at times. Call me crazy, but I get some serious Pantera vibes here and there. I really liked their Forever album and Underneath was quite OK, but lost track of them, when I heard this release only a few days ago I was immediately hooked. This is much less noisy and experimental than the previous albums. There's still some of that, but now, to me, at the right dose. Probably their best and most mature album. These guys have a promising future. 

7.Riverside - ID.Entity

ID.Entity Riverside's latest album is a masterful blend of hardrock and experimental prog rock. The band takes the listener on a journey through a variety of moods and emotions. Overall, ID.Entity is a must-listen for fans of prog-rock. The band has truly allowed themselves the freedom to create something unique. It is a testament to their skills as musicians and composers in this newly open new phase for the band. To me except for a couple of missteps it's a very good album deserving the 7th place. 

6.Insomnium - Anno 1696

Anno 1696 is a solid addition to Insomnium's discography, with the band continuing to deliver their unique brand of melodic death metal. While the album may not necessarily break new ground, it certainly delivers on the expectations of Insomnium's fans. It's a more cohesive and easily digestible statement and yet very dynamic between sadness and anger. A very good melo death album deserving spot #6 proving further why Insomnium are at the top of their class. 

5.In Flames - Foregone

Overall Foregone is the best In Flames album in many years, and while some songs really bring me back to their 90's sound, the band has maintained their later alt-rock influences very much alive, I just think the song writing and the balance is much better than in previous albums. At the end of the day, it may just be that I wanted to like a new album from them so much that I'm glancing over their over produced vocals and sounding like Bullet From My Valentine at times. With that said, I'm enjoying it and it's a very good effort deserving spot number 5.

4.Soen - Memorial

I love this album and I even got it in vinyl (something I reserve now for very special albums only). The two reasons why it's not number 1 in my list are one because it's a bit too long and two I don't really like the two ballads. Other than that it is a perfect modern progressive metal album. The accomplishment here was to keep it interesting and complex and yet accessible and the songs short. Soen have boiled it down to the essentials without compromising their already well stablished signature sound. "Sincere" was my top Spotify song and 4 other made the list. Enough said! Great album.

3.Primal Fear - Code Red

Not a lot of Power Metal albums on my list this year which is a pity since it is one of my favorite sub-genres. But Primal Fear is an awesome representation claiming the bronze medal. I've always liked their albums but often they are too long and feature many fillers. This time around they were able to keep it consistent despite being almost 1 hour long  and featuring a couple of less interesting songs on its last third. Regardless of this, the album is full of well known Primal Fear style anthems, "Deep In The Night" being my favorite. An inspired Power Metal album full of hooks, heaviness and catchiness.

2.Creeper - Sanguivore

Creeper, an English rock band from Southampton, was the surprise of the year for me. I missed Sanguivore when it was released in mid-October as I didn't even know the band. But then when casually listening to some year-end lists, Sanguivore stood out as something different from anything else in those lists. In sum, I'd describe Creeper as a darker version of Meat Loaf. There's also quite a bit of 80's Rock and that theatrical dark elements we see in the band HELL. "Cry To Heaven" is such a catchy rock anthem, and the album is dynamic, for example the opening track "Further Than Forever" is a 9min epic masterpiece. It's been a refreshing experience to listen to this great album and it certainly deserves number 2. 

1.Haken - Fauna 

Overall, Fauna is one of Haken's best albums since The Mountain and a must-listen for fans of progressive rock and metal. It is a testament to the exceptional musicianship of Haken, with each member of the band contributing to a sound that is both technically impressive and emotionally engaging. The result is a unique blend of progressive rock and metal, with elements of jazz and pop music. The album theme using animal kingdom as metaphor for personal messages is quite interesting and the lyrics sound amazing under the soaring vocal melodies. My album of the year since it was released and no one could beat them.

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Honorable Mentions:

1. Katatonia - Sky Void of Stars
2. Enslaved - Heimdal
3. Tomb Mold - The Enduring Spirit
4. Rolling Stones - Hackney Diamonds
5. Immortal - War Against All
6. Enforced - War Remains
7. Marduk - Memento Mori
8. ANGUS McSIX - Angus Mcsix and the Sword of Power
9. Kataklysm - Goliath
10. Baroness - Stone
11. Xandria - The Wonders Still Awaiting
12. Uada - Crepuscule Natura

Biggest Disappointments:

1. Myrkur - Spine
2. The Ocean - Holocene
3. Gloryhammer - Return to the Kingdom of Fife
4. Scar Symmetry - The Singularity (Phase II - Xenotaph)
5. Twilight Force - At The Heart Of Wintervale

Favorite Album Cover Art:

Tomb Mold - The Enduring Spirit

Moonlight Sorcery - Horned Lord of the Thorned Castle

Haken - Fauna

Creeper - Sanguivore

Favorite Guitar Solos:

Rise by Extreme's Nuno Bettencourt 

Nobody by A7X's Synyster Gates 

Top songs:

1. Sincere                                 by Soen         from Memorial
2. Taurus                                 by Haken         from Fauna 
3. The Alphabet of Me         by Haken         from Fauna 
4. Rise                                         by Extreme         from Six
5. Wildfire                                 by Periphery from Periphery V: Djent Is Not A Genre
6. Deep In The Night                 by Primal Fear from Code Red
7. Friend or Foe?                 by Riverside         from ID.Entity
8. The Place Where I Belong by Riverside         from ID.Entity
9. Violence                                 by Soen         from Memorial

Favorite Shows: 

Iron Maiden 

Pantera

Disappointing Shows: None, after COVID...I think a concert will never be disappointing again in my life.

 

NE OBLIVISCARIS Exul | Weekly Heavy Metal Album Review

Released by Season of Mist on March 24th, 2023

Quick Background

Ne Obliviscaris (Latin for "forget not"; the motto of the Clan Campbell, one of the largest and most powerful of the Highland clans) is a six-piece Australian progressive metal band from Melbourne. Well actually they are now working with a session drummer so technically a 5-piece band. The trademark and uniqueness of their sound comes from having two singers, Marc "Xenoyr" Campbell responsible for the harsh vocals and Tim Charles who not only does the clean vocals but also is the full time violinist. 

The band is known from writing long pieces, that are dynamic and complex. Often using a string quartet and choirs in their compositions and arrangements. Their second album, Citadel, from 2014 made quite a splash that year being featured in several year-end lists. It consists of only 3 songs! But still clocks-in at 48 minutes. And honestly the other 2 albums are also quite good and also featuring just a handful of songs, so let's see what 2023 has to offer.

Exul

Exul is now their fourth studio album following 2017's Urn. It features 6 tracks in 52 minutes. The album has been in the works since 2020 but the pandemic caused several delays. Now here we are finally ready to enjoy a new Ne Obliviscaris album. And there's no kidding around, the album already opens with the single and longest song on the album, "Equus" and its 12min30sec of length. Within the first couple of minutes we already have a pretty decent sample of the Ne Obliviscaris sound. A solid rhythmic session with interesting drum groves and prominent bass sound, we also have a flavor of the violin and the two singers performing a duet in the second verse. Ah, and very nice guitar work, complex and interesting guitar riffs. The vocal lines, specially the clean ones, are melodic and even catchy at times. But that's of course in contrast with the harsh aggressive vocals.

"Misericorde" is a 17min-long song broken into two parts. Part I is titled "As the Flesh Falls" and it starts quite brutally, nice heavy riffs and harsh vocals. The bass is one of the highlights of this song and album. When the clean vocal kicks in the bass is shredding on the background. And it goes like this for most of the song. The mixing really helps as the bass sound is clear and prominent. I also love the violin heavy section, it's pretty Mozart-like. "Misericorde II - Anatomy of Quiescence" is mostly instrumental. It features a really beautiful start with soft piano and melodic string solos. This leads to a fantastic guitar solo, one of my favorites of the year. Honestly I did not know those guys were such good guitar players. Those 3 first songs are certainly my favorites of the album. 

"Suspyre" features a melodic intro leading into the harsh vocals and more beautiful violin phrases. It builds up into the clean vocals super catchy kind of chorus. During its 10 min the song continues this journey of ups and downs. Some cool features of this song are the acoustic guitars and relentless drumming. Both subtle but noticeable. "Graal" goes directly into a sort of heavy symphony, classical music meets metal sort of feeling. It's fast pacing and again we hear the bass shredding on the background and the drummer going nuts all over the kit. "Anhedonia" which is by far the shortest song on the album functions more as an outro and reminds me of Pink Floyd's "The Great Gig in the Sky" and while that's OK, I am not sure we needed an almost 4min outro.  

The Picky Guy

It's not always easy to keep focus when the songs are that long. I feel the band can improve their music writing skills further to make the full songs even more engaging from start to finish. Other than that, not much to complain about this album. It is however for prog music nerds, there's nothing direct and simple on Exul. 

Wrap Up Opinion 

Ne Obliviscaris is back with an album that builds on previous releases. The technical proficiency, a prominent string quartet and the melodic sensitivity combined with Death Metal influences is their hallmark. The songs are long and some may have difficulty keeping the focus. With that said Exul is a further improvement from previous albums as a whole. However, individually none of the 6 songs stood out compared to their older best songs. I think fans will dig this album and it won't change the opinion of those who didn't enjoy their previous releases. To me a good album, 81/100. 

SCORE: 81/100

Genre: Progressive Metal

Released by Season of Mist on March 24th, 2023

Rating System

99 - 100 Perfect
94 - 98 Excellent
87 - 93 Great
82 - 86 Very Good
77 - 81 Good
66 - 76 Mixed
58 - 65 Bad

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METALLICA 72 Seasons | Weekly Heavy Metal Album Review

Released by Blackened Recordings on April 14th, 2023

Quick Background

Obviously there's no introduction needed. Metallica ranks as one of the most commercially successful bands of all time, having sold more than 125 million albums worldwide as of 2018. The black album, from 1991 to this day still pops up on most sold albums list, say what? Yeah, it's just crazy. Despite being one of the first bands I fell in love with when I was a teenager, I haven't cared for anything they did after And Justice. Then Hardwire came and I was open to that, and it's an OK album. I even have it in vinyl. Now almost 7 years later let's check the super yellow follow up 72 Seasons.

72 Seasons

I came to this album as I did in 2016, with an open mind. The very first single was promising but also deceiving. I reviewed it on the channel, it is a short energetic song mixing Kill em All era with NWOBHM vibes. I didn't love it, but I liked it. Now the album came, and every of the other 11 songs are much longer than that. There's a lot of fat on this album, and no time was spent trying to trim it down. 77 minutes and 12 songs is just too much. Moreover, it's not that the songs needed to be all that long. No, they drag and mostly extend their welcome. "Too Far Gone?" with 4:30 is one pleasant exception. Nice Heavy Metal, notice not thrash, song with cool guitar harmonies and catchy groove and chorus. And even the closer "Inamorata" with its whopping 11 minutes and a Sabbath-like sound is an ok song and not the album's biggest problem. At least here they tried something different and explored new (heavy) avenues.  The problem are most of the other songs being around the 6, 7 minutes. Those could and should've been shorter. And it's not only the length but the fact that they are mostly mid-tempo with a lot of repetition and ideas being recycled. It all sounds familiar and too much the same.

For example, "Crown of Barbed Wire" sounds exactly like Glenn Huges song "The Liar" and from the same Live album "Room of Mirrors" reminds me of Deep Purple's "Stormbringer". Just exemples, because many parts resemble something out of And Justice or the black album (there's a "Enter Sandman" part 2 with " ").

With that out of the way,  there are some good moments, the first 4 tracks, for example, are fun with nice grooves, some cool ideas and catchy vocal lines. James is singing really well on this album. The singles "Lux Æterna"  and "If Darkness Had a Son" are also some of the highlights. During many songs, we hear some moments of cool bass lines that we can actually hear it, so that's cool. The drumming is not too bad, we know what to expect. And the production despite being too loud and pristine, at least the mix is OK. The guitar tones are also not that impressive. The artwork is horrible and the guitar solos substandard specially because we know what Kirk can accomplish. The 80's albums were hugely influential for me and some of those solos are iconic. But this...I won't even go there. It's mostly bad. 

The Picky Guy

"You Must Burn!", "Crown of Barbed Wire", "Chasing Light" didn't have to be in this album, they add no value or anything interesting.

Wrap Up Opinion 

I realize that this may sound too negative, but I actually see some value on this album and I still consider it a good 79/100 album. But, if 72 Seasons would be released by any other band, it would get no attention at all and nobody would care. But it's Metallica, so we try. I guess I mostly hoped that without any pressure from timelines or financially that those guys could use the potential they have to create something cool, heavy and sharp. We saw some light of it, pun indented, with "Lux Æterna". But it just feels that they don't care, the album is just an excuse to tour and sell new merch and on the bright side it does add some cool moments to the set list. That's just my opinion, and when it comes to Metallica everyone has one from love to hate and anything in between. So it's fine for me either way. Have fun with it or go check the new Overkill if you are on the hate it side. 

SCORE: 79/100

Genre: Heavy/Thrash Metal

Released by Blackened Recordings on April 14th, 2023

Rating System

99 - 100 Perfect
94 - 98 Excellent
87 - 93 Great
82 - 86 Very Good
77 - 81 Good
66 - 76 Mixed
58 - 65 Bad

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KAMELOT The Awakening | Weekly Heavy Metal Album Review

Released by Napalm Records on March 17th, 2023

Quick Background

Kamelot is an American power metal band from Tampa, Florida, formed by Thomas Youngblood in 1987. The Norwegian vocalist Roy Khan joined for the album Siége Perilous, and shared songwriting credit with Youngblood until his departure in 2011. On June 22, 2012, Youngblood announced on their website that their new vocalist would be the Swedish singer Tommy Karevik, who was first featured on Kamelot's album Silverthorn as the main vocalist, co-songwriter, and lyricist. 

The Awakening

The Awakening is the thirteenth studio album by Kamelot. It is the band's first studio album in five years, following 2018's The Shadow Theory, making this the longest gap between two of their studio albums. It is the first one to feature Alex Landenburg on drums and it's already the 4th album with Tommy as singer. His soaring vocals complement the band's sound, and his range allows him to transition from melodic ballads to powerful, high-energy anthems. No surprises there and good to see that the band could survive a difficult frontman change.

In addition to the intro and outro tracks, the albums features 11 songs and totals almost 53 minutes. The 11 songs stay very consistently between 4 and 5 min long and there are no epics or longer songs in parts. As always, the focus of the band is not on the guitars really, those are mostly chugging guitars and power chords, rarely we have riffs and long elaborated guitar solos. But the symphonic elements, choirs and keys make Kamelot to sound big and epic. That's their style. And most importantly, Youngblood focus have always been on melody and catchiness, so special attention is given to vocal lines and big catchy choruses. 

The first track following the intro is "The Great Divide", a trademark modern Kamelot in the  "Veil of Elysium" style, it's heavy and by the way it does feature a nice guitar solo. "Eventide" keeps the tempo fast and the heaviness, specially due to to the super heavy Post-Chorus while being catchy and melodic. It's a perfect Kamelot single and I dare to say a future live favorite.  It's also a nice way to bring us to another heavy tune, "One More Flag in the Ground" which was the album's first single. A stand out track is "Opus of the Night (Ghost Requiem)" featuring Tina Guo who has toured the world as a Classical Cellist soloing player. It's a cool song bringing back the Ghost Opera vibe. Tina also plays a major role in the ballad "Midsummer's Eve". I don't necessarily dislike ballads, and Kamelot has some good ones such as "Abandoned" and "Song for Jolee" but the only thing good about this one is Tina's presence. 

There's a lot of call backs on this album and "Bloodmoon" brings back the eastern music influences that we have seen in the past in songs such as "Nights of Arabia". "New Babylon" featuring Melissa Bonny, a Swiss heavy metal singer from the symphonic metal band Ad Infinitum, is one of my favorite songs on the album. Recently I reviewed the new album from Xandria, and this song reminds me a lot of it. But with the added benefit of the dynamic between Tommy and Melissa voices. The last song before the outro, "My Pantheon (Forevermore)" leave us on a high note, it's a good anthemic song.  

The Picky Guy

In addition to the 2 ballads mentioned before, I also find the over melodic "NightSky" a bit repetitive. Overall, that's my only concern with the album, repetition and similarity. Besides the guest appearances which added a nice flavor to the album, the band play quite safely in known territory. We've heard all of this before and it's difficult to distinguish songs and the last 4 albums as it is all sounding very much the same. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but for seasoned fans, the band is loosing that edge of appeal. For example "The Looking Glass" tries to recreate "Karma" and many others.

Wrap Up Opinion 

Overall, The Awakening is a solid album that showcases Kamelot being back to the roots. The album's themes and sound are well known to long time fans and well-executed, making it a must-listen for fans of the band. Despite not being too adventurous, it's still a good album deserving 80/100. 

SCORE: 80/100

Genre: Power Metal

Released by Napalm Records on March 17th, 2023

Rating System

99 - 100 Perfect
94 - 98 Excellent
87 - 93 Great
82 - 86 Very Good
77 - 81 Good
66 - 76 Mixed
58 - 65 Bad

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PERIPHERY Periphery V: Djent Is Not A Genre | Weekly Heavy Metal Album Review

Released by 3DOT Recordings on March 10th, 2023

Quick Background

Periphery is an American progressive metal band formed in Washington, D.C., in 2005. Their musical style has been described as progressive metal, djent, and progressive metalcore. They are considered one of the pioneers of the djent movement within progressive metal. Their self-titled debut was released in 2010 and the single "Icarus Lives!" was my gateway into the band. The Periphery II: This Time It's Personal released in 2012 was one of my top 3 albums of that year. Following years they released the double album Juggernaut: Alpha and Omega (2015), Periphery III: Select Difficulty (2016), Periphery IV: Hail Stan (2019). Now Periphery V: Djent Is Not a Genre is their seventh studio.

Periphery V: Djent Is Not A Genre

The album was self-produced by the band and the band's former bassist Adam "Nolly" Getgood. It features 9 songs in 71 minutes. Periphery always delivers long albums, but this time they have also kept the number of songs limited to 9 so obviously they are quite long. 6 are above seven minutes and two of the them (the last two) are 12 and 11 minutes long respectively. Now, we will see that often the length of those songs is driven by long outro sections. The single "Wildfire" opens the album and The song sets the tone for the album: heavy and yet catchy and melodic, full of jazzy or electronic long interludes, powerful vocal delivery and awesome guitar work. It's indeed my favorite song out of Periphery V. It's really heavy and a punch in the face. I love the vocals and the guitar work. Specially the guitar solo that sounds so Meshugga! The chorus is catchy and that jazzy interlude is a welcomed curved ball. A short symphonic outro take us to "Atropos" which despite the heavy opening riffs features a poppier feel to it due to the softer singing. But nothing to worry, it is one of the longest song of the albums, so after 2:30 minutes, things get very heavy again. It's a nice song. And here we another outro section, this time not too short and very cinematic. I dig it. It's a nice transition to the clean intro riff of "Wax Wings" which follows similar direction. This takes us to the second third of the album where we have the shortest songs on the album, 3 songs at about the 5min mark: "Everything is Fine!", "Silhouette" and "Dying Star". The first being a heavy modern song, with hints of Code Orange but without loosing a Periphery trademark stamp. The other two are to me the lowest points on the album. While I appreciate the change of pace, I just don't like the songs for being too mellow and pop oriented. 

This all leads us to the last third of the album featuring 3 long songs. The single "Zagreus" and its 8+ minutes is the first one. It's a return to what we heard with the first 3 songs. But here the vocal approach is even heavier going into brutal death metal for a few moments. We have again a cool atmospheric interlude feature a super melodic guitar solo and soft clean singing. This leads the song to proceed in an alt rock fashion, and close with another cinematic ending. "Dracul Gras" the longest song on the album and one of the highlights comes next. An adventures song with all the Periphery hallmarks packed in 12 minutes including an electronic music inspired outro. I wish this was the last song, the album would've been shorter with 8 songs and the last song doesn't add much to it. 

V showcases the band's technical proficiency and versatility as musicians, as they seamlessly blend elements of progressive metal, djent, and atmospheric and pop rock. Guitarists Misha Mansoor, Jake Bowen, and Mark Holcomb are the driving force behind Periphery's sound. They are renowned for their complex and intricate guitar riffs. But in this album I also positively surprised by super melodic and cleaner guitar solos. Drummer Matt Halpern often employs intricate rhythms, odd time signatures, and dynamic shifts to create a dynamic and engaging rhythm section. Finally, lead vocalist Spencer Sotelo again displays his powerful and versatile voice. He seamlessly transitions between clean and harsh vocals, often using a wide range of vocal techniques. I think he sounds even better than in previous albums. Finally love the album title and couldn't  agree more with their own statement!

The Picky Guy

As I mentioned a couple of songs did not work well for me. Moreover, the album's length can be overwhelming, particularly for casual listeners and this time around even more challenging as most of the 9 songs are quite long. The album's overall sound can feel overly polished or sterile at times for some metalheads.

Wrap Up Opinion 

Periphery's latest album, Periphery V: Djent Is Not A Genre, is a progressive metal musicianship journey. With complex and intricate guitar riffs, precise and dynamic rhythms, and powerful vocals, the band showcases their technical proficiency and versatility throughout the album. The band experiments with different time signatures and textures, keeping listeners engaged and interested. The album's impressive production quality and innovative songwriting make it a must-listen for fans of the genre.

SCORE: 81/100

Genre: Progressive Metal

Released by 3DOT Recordings on March 10th, 2023

Rating System

99 - 100 Perfect
94 - 98 Excellent
87 - 93 Great
82 - 86 Very Good
77 - 81 Good
66 - 76 Mixed
58 - 65 Bad

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HAKEN Fauna | Weekly Heavy Metal Album Review

Released by InsideOut Music on March 3rd, 2023

Quick Background

Haken are an English progressive metal band formed in 2007 by multi-instrumentalist Richard Henshall and vocalist Ross Jennings releasing their first album Aquarius in 2010. Their 3rd album, 2013's The Mountain made the band gain a more substantial fanbase. At Prog Sphere, it won first place in albums of 2013 and fourth place in The Prog Report. Haken did not drop the ball and the albums that followed Affinity (2016), Vector (2018) and Virus (2020) are all strong prog metal statements. So let's see how Fauna stack up to them. 

Fauna 

Fauna is just over 1hr long and features 9 new tracks. Song lengths are all over the place with the single "Lovebite" being only 3:50 and the epic "Elephants Never Forget" over 11 min. Funny enough Haken has been touring Europe with BTBAM and the intro of "Elephants Never Forget" reminds me a lot of BTBAM. Coincidence? It doesn't matter, but don't expect it will be a heavy track as their touring partners' music. In fact, the song seems to be an homage to Gentle Giant, the iconic 70's Prog band. I like the song but it goes on for too long.  About "Lovebite" I fully agree with singer Ross and I quote "This is the Phil Collins inspired upbeat love song in 11/8 with Cannibal Corpse inspired lyrics that you never knew you needed!” It's a great short and powerful single. 

Overall the greatest achievement of Haken is keeping their music complex without overdoing while being catchy and melodic. From Jazz to 70's prog rock to Metal, their influences are eclectic and the results are visible. Fauna is a collection of diverse songs each one with its own characteristics but they all share the comment theme of metaphor using animal fables. The two singles "Taurus" and "The Alphabet of Me" are fantastic songs. The album opener "Taurus" is heavy and catchy, the harmonic intro and somber chords lead us into the moody verse. Then the chorus is so beautiful and emotional, it's difficult not to sing along. There's a Tool vibe here that I really enjoy. "The Alphabet of Me" on the other hand has much more pop music vibe that's mainly due to the electronic drums and gang vocals. But I'm telling you that chorus is marvelous, it gives a heavy punch and lift things up. The contrast with the verses is just very well done. "Nightingale" brings back that 70's Prog Rock influence so present in the now classic album The Mountain.   

Another highlight for me is "Sempiternal Beings", it's a longer prog metal track in which, in case you hadn't notice by now, we hear an incredible vocal performance and fantastic drum work.  Talking about heavy, that intro of "Beneath the White Rainbow" is so Opeth meets Dream Theater, great song as well. But I must say I did not like the choice of using overdrive and distorting heavily the vocals for that bridge. "Eyes Of Ebony" closes the album on a very personal and emotional note, here I noticed more hints of Dream Theater. 

Haken is known for their exceptional musicianship, and Fauna is no exception. The band's technical abilities are on full display throughout the album, with complex time signatures, intricate guitar and keyboard work, and impressive vocal performances. The rhythm section of bassist Thomas MacLean and drummer Raymond Hearne provide a solid foundation for the music, with complex and innovative grooves. It took me a few years and some other albums to get used to the voice of Ross Jennings, and I am happy I insisted because he delivers a standout performance on the album, with powerful and emotive vocals. His range and versatility are particularly impressive, he is able to incorporate different styles and techniques without going out of his range and without using harsh vocals or screams. 

The Picky Guy

I can't really complain about this album, yes maybe a bit too long and "Island in the Clouds" doesn't really work for me, maybe too soft but it's by no means a bad song.

Wrap Up Opinion 

Overall, Fauna is one of Haken's best albums since The Mountain and a must-listen for fans of progressive rock and metal. It is a testament to the exceptional musicianship of Haken, with each member of the band contributing to a sound that is both technically impressive and emotionally engaging. The result is a unique blend of progressive rock and metal, with elements of jazz and pop music. The album theme using animal kingdom as metaphor for personal messages is quite interesting and the lyrics sound amazing under the soaring vocal melodies. An early contender for album of the year, 85/100 with high risk I will bump it up later in the year as I continue to listen to it.Have fun prog metal fans and be metal always! 

SCORE: 85/100

Genre: Progressive Metal

Released by InsideOut Music on March 3rd, 2023

Rating System

99 - 100 Perfect
94 - 98 Excellent
87 - 93 Great
82 - 86 Very Good
77 - 81 Good
66 - 76 Mixed
58 - 65 Bad

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INSOMNIUM Anno 1696 | Weekly Heavy Metal Album Review

Released by Century Media Records on February 24th, 2023

Quick Background

Insomnium is a melodic death metal band from Finland. The sound and lyrical themes of their music portray darkness, sorrow, loss, pain, and nature. They are primarily a melodic death metal band with occasional elements of doom metal and progressive metal. The band line-up has been quiet stable with the changes happening only for the guitar players. Niilo Sevänen on bass and harsh vocals founded the band with Ville Friman − guitars and Markus Hirvonen − drums in 1997. They release their first LP In the Halls of Awaiting in 2002. They have a very strong discography and I particularly like their 2016 concept album Winter's Gate. The album that followed it,  Heart Like a Grave in 2019 was also very good. So I am looking forward to this new one.

Anno 1696

Their 9th studio album is centered around a short story by bassist and vocalist Niilo Sevänen. With 50 minutes in 8 tracks, it is a shorter and tighter album than its predecessor, but there's no lack of memorable melodies and a massive choruses. Despite the slow build up from acoustic guitars and spoken words, the opening track, once it reaches  the 2 min mark, sounds more aggressive and fast paced than I come to expect from those guys. It's a good song to start the album and a sample of the picks and valleys of this album. We constantly go from anger and aggressiveness to sadness and melancholy. 

A notable moment on the album "White Christ" featuring Sakis Tolis from Rotting Christ is a groovier song, with a distinctive drum beat. Given the song lyrics and dynamic, Sakis was the perfect guest singer to add texture to the album. It's almost like a tribute to the Greek band. Vocal wise, the band rarely uses clean singing this time around, sometimes some spoken words, but given the theme of the album and how dark and heavy it is, there's little room for more polished melodic clean singing. So I do appreciate the use of guest singers to add variation to the album without loosing its overall direction.  Johanna Kurkela is the other guest singer, and she brings this melancholic folky flavor to "Godforsaken" which is the longest song on the album. But as with the title track, it's a diverse song that goes into very heavy territories.    

Guitar work is strongly based on guitar licks during verses and choruses which creates an overall epic feel or sometimes using more tremolo picking to give a black metal flavor. With that said, the use of acoustic guitars is also very prominent often given a more atmospheric and folk sound to the album. The culmination of that is the fully acoustic dark ballad "The Unrest". The single "Lilian" starts with this beautiful acoustic guitar intro and then goes into a sort of folk metal territory. It is probably the most traditional Insomnium hit song on the album. "Starless Paths" is a very dynamic progier song (going from super heavy sections into acoustic guitars). In addition, I appreciate the guitarwork and vocal delivery giving me an epic vibe that reminds me of early Amon Amarth. I enjoyed the production quality with excellent mixing and mastering that highlights these dynamic sound choices by the band and overall delivering rawer sound than in previous releases.

The Picky Guy

There's no specific moment that I dislike on this album. So I guess my only criticism is that it's not very innovative and fully consistent with the latest albums.  

Wrap Up Opinion 

Overall, Anno 1696 is a solid addition to Insomnium's discography, with the band continuing to deliver their unique brand of melodic death metal. While the album may not necessarily break new ground, it certainly delivers on the expectations of Insomnium's fans. It's a more cohesive and easily digestible statement and yet very dynamic between sadness and anger and diverse. A very good melo death album deserving 83/100 proving further why Insomnium are at the top of their class. 

SCORE: 83/100

Genre: Death Metal

Released by Century Media Records on February 24th, 2023

Rating System

99 - 100 Perfect
94 - 98 Excellent
87 - 93 Great
82 - 86 Very Good
77 - 81 Good
66 - 76 Mixed
58 - 65 Bad

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IN FLAMES Foregone | Weekly Heavy Metal Album Review

Released by  Nuclear Blast Records on February 10th, 2023

Quick Background

In Flames is a Swedish heavy metal band, formed in Gothenburg in 1990. Alongside At the Gates and Dark Tranquility, In Flames pioneered the genres known as Swedish death metal and melodic death metal. Their 90's albums are classic Melo Death must haves but their sixth studio album Reroute to Remain (2002) showed the band moving toward a newer style of music that moved further away from melodic death metal and closer to alternative metal. This decision was criticized by fans of the group's heavier metal sound; however, it increased the band's mainstream audience and bolstered their album sales. I came to know the band in the year 2000 with the release and tour of Clayman, I love that album. I did lost touch with them until the release of Sounds of a Playground Fading (2011) which I surprisingly like quite a lot. But the 3 albums after that were really not for me, so I have been waiting for 12 years for an In Flames album that I actually like. 

Foregone

Foregone is their fourteenth studio album. It is the first album by the band to feature guitarist Chris Broderick and the first to entirely feature drums performed by Tanner Wayne. It features 12 songs in 47 minutes including "The Beginning Of All Things", a  2-min intro with acoustic guitars and symphonic arrangements. The album marks a return to their classic 90's elements without loosing their more recent influences. As a result many songs are quite heavy and mostly with death growls while others have a mix of growls and clean vocals. The focus on melody is a continuous stable in their sound. 

Following the intro the album kicks off with the high-energy track "State of Slow Decay" which is old school In Flames, I really enjoy this track. Fast paced guitar riffs, aggressive singing, relentless drumming, and melodic guitar solos. It's a perfect opener that demonstrates In Flames' ability to write memorable hooks while still maintaining their heaviness. Another standout tracks on the album is

"Meet Your Maker" which is also a heavy track with a lot of groove and a catchy chorus. "Foregone Pt. 1" is so Colony, I love it and Pt 2 is still OK but it's a much mellower song. Still, the guitar work and that heavy pre-chorus makes it an interesting song, it reminds me of Sounds of Playground Fading era. 

Throughout the album, the band seamlessly blends their heavier roots with the melodic sensibility of the 2000's. "Bleeding Out" is a clear example of that, it features heavy and engaging guitar riffs and a very cool guitar solo, kind of Malmsteen at half speed. On the other hand, the verse and chorus go much more into their softer melodic side of the last few albums. It sounds to me like Bullet For My Valentine. But this time it works for me as a whole experience. Then at track number 7 we hit the sort of ballad "Pure Light Of Mind" and I must say it's not too bad, I mean by the time we get here I am super invested in the album and while I will never love the song I think it bridges well into the single "The Great Deceiver" which is again a punch in the face and back to 90's In Flames! "End The Transmission" closes the album in a high note, a heavy mid tempo song that balances early sound with the direction of latest albums. So it's a good summary of this album and good way to close it. 

In Flames' musicianship is top-notch throughout Foregone specially when it comes to the guitar work. The melodic and short guitar solos are memorable and Chris Broderick contribution is a big plus for the band. In addition there are some harmonized guitars and tons of cool chugging heavy riffs. The keyboards are on the background only and the rhythmic section does a good job holding the album together. I also really like Anders Fridén harsh vocal delivery and there's a lot of it on this album. The clean vocals though are weird. I'm not sure what it is, but it sounds overproduced almost artificial at times.

The Picky Guy

I do struggle with albums with more than ten songs, and it's no different here. All in all, the last one third of the album is not so strong. "In The Dark" is a mid-tempo groovy and heavy song but I am on the fence on this one. The same for "A Dialogue In B Flat Minor". Both feel like they were trying too hard to build a catchy chorus but it didn't work. With that said parts of these songs are still quite OK. Then "Cynosure" doesn't help to bring me back into the album.  And that's my main problem with this album, but I am sure many old time fans won't like this album very much because it is still modern In Flames with lots of melody and clean singing. While that side of the album is not my favorite, at least this time around it is quite OK.  

Wrap Up Opinion 

Overall Foregone is the best In Flames album in many years, and while some songs really bring me back to their 90's sound, the band has maintained their later alt-rock influences very much alive, I just think the song writing and the balance is much better than in previous albums. At the end of the day, it may just be that I wanted to like a new album from them so much that I'm glancing over their over produced vocals and sounding like Bullet From My Valentine at times. With that said, I'm enjoying it and it's a very good effort deserving 82/100. 

SCORE: 82/100

Genre: Alterative Metal

Released by  Nuclear Blast Records on February 10th, 2023

Rating System

99 - 100 Perfect
94 - 98 Excellent
87 - 93 Great
82 - 86 Very Good
77 - 81 Good
66 - 76 Mixed
58 - 65 Bad

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XANDRIA The Wonders Still Awaiting | Weekly Heavy Metal Album Review

Released by Napalm Records on February 3rd, 2023

Quick Background

Xandria is a German symphonic metal band founded by Marco Heubaum in 1994. since then the band has gone through various lineup changes. Their seventh album, Theater of Dimensions was released on January 2017 and after that the whole band left leaving founder Marco alone. In 2022, then he announced a new lineup, with the addition of the band's new vocalist Ambre Vourvahis. Ambre has an impressive dynamic range varying between beautiful classical harmonies to powerful clean singing in the style of Nightwish, to even harsh growls that remind me of Arch Enemy.

The Wonders Still Awaiting

The Wonders Still Awaiting is their eighth studio. It is the first studio album to feature not only Ambre  but also Tim Schwarz on bass, drummer Dimitros Gatsios and guitarist Rob Klawonn. With 13 songs and clocking in at 75min, this is a very long album. 

From the first bars of the opening track "Two Worlds" the use of choir and orchestral elements creating an epic and cinematic feel of the album are very clear. While the symphonic elements are very prominent, there's also a considerable emphasis on the guitars. At some moments it gets pretty heavy as in the bridge of this song. Not only it's a heavy guitar tone with cools riffs but also Ambre showcases her ability with death metal growls. While not used very frequently, they appear throughout the album and to me they add a lot of character to their music. In "Illusion is Their Name" the growls are prominent. On the other hand, in the single "Reborn" we can hear she going full operatic (e.g. the Post-Chorus). 

If you are distracted as the single "You Will Never Be Our God" starts, I can bet you will think it's a new Arch Enemy song. Now, this song features Ralf Scheepers from Primal Fear and I must say, why? His voice is so low in the mix that it barely makes a difference and he only does backing vocals, not for a sentence he sings alone. I liked the song a lot, but what a missed opportunity.

The title track is so Nightwish, but ok I like it. There's even more emphasis on keyboards which is not the case for most of the album. And actually this focus on guitars backed up by symphonic arrangements is what I like the most in Xandria's new sound. That's very evident in many tracks, but specially in the single "Ghosts", sick riffs here and super over the top symphonic blasts. Worth noting how cheesy this song's video is, it's so bad that it's good, if you know what I mean. And damn the chorus is catchy. 

In terms of musicianship, Xandria showed their technical proficiency on instruments, particularly in the guitars, while maintaining a strong sense of melody and catchiness. Take "My Curse is My Redemption" as an example. The album was produced by Marco Heubaum to a high standard, with a clear and balanced mix that allowed almost all elements of the music to shine through. The only exception is the bass. 

Finally I want to talk about the epic album closer "Astèria", a 9 min piece translating from Greek into stars. One of Marco's passion is film scores and the best example is the album closer. Featuring a eastern flavor and lyrics about refugees leaving their home country behind. The whole song could be part of the soundtrack of an actual movie. Marco is so proud of all the symphonic arrangements on this album that a deluxe version can be found with a second CD with  Orchestral Version of the entire album.

The Picky Guy

Xandria demonstrate their versatility as songwriters, incorporating elements of different sub-genres of metal into their sound. The album features a mix of aggressive, fast-paced tracks and more atmospheric, slower pieces that showcase the band's strong sense of dynamics. Do I really like the slower tracks such as "Your Stories I'll Remember" and "Paradise"? Not really. The other thing is when we reach track number 10, we are already 50min into the album and still 4 songs to go. It's difficult to keep the focus.

Wrap Up Opinion 

Overall, The Wonders Still Awaiting is Xandria's long waited comeback showcasing strong songwriting skills and musical talent from the new members, specially singer Ambre, making it a standout release in the symphonic metal genre. The album is a diverse blend of symphonic metal, power metal, and subtle death metal elements. And while not innovative and a bit too long, it is a good release deserving a strong 81/100. For fans of the genre, this is a must check release. 

SCORE: 81/100

Genre: Symphonic Metal

Released by Napalm Records on February 3rd, 2023

Rating System

99 - 100 Perfect
94 - 98 Excellent
87 - 93 Great
82 - 86 Very Good
77 - 81 Good
66 - 76 Mixed
58 - 65 Bad

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RIVERSIDE ID.Entity | Weekly Heavy Metal Album Review

Released by InsideOutMusic on January 20th, 2023

Quick Background

Riverside are a progressive rock band from Warsaw, Poland. They were founded in 2001 by friends Mariusz Duda (vocal, bass, main songwriter), Piotr Grudziński (guitars) and Piotr Kozieradzki (drums) and soon after Michał Łapaj(keyboards), who shared a love for progressive rock and heavy metal. On February 21, 2016, guitarist Piotr died of a pulmonary embolism. 

Wasteland, their seventh studio and first album without founding guitarist was released on September 2018. The album was released as a trio, meaning without a replacing guitarist, but Maciej Meller contributed with 4 guitar solos. In 2020, Riverside announced that Meller had now become an official member of the band.

ID.Entity

The group’s 8th studio album features seven new tracks in 54 minutes and marks the return to Riverside’s heavier roots that defined their 2000s output: theatrical keys, maximalist songwriting and metal-inspired riffing as opposed to more moody and atmospheric direction from recent albums. "I’m Done With You", the album's first single is a good example of a track that revisits that energy and aggression. Duda began writing ID.Entity while on the tour for Wasteland. But the band worked together in the studio so final arrangements were a team effort. Lyrically, ID.Entity sees Duda questioning his own place in the world and, also, Riverside’s place in the prog scene. 

The opening track, "Friend or Foe?," sets the tone for the album in the sense that you don't know what's coming next. It's not a typical opening track. It's impossible not to think of  the song "Take on me" by a-ha. So it takes some spins to get used to it, but then you can appreciate how cool the vocal melody sounds. Moreover, the song builds up and delivers some heavy riffs. I really enjoyed the overall result. One of the standout tracks on the album is the 13-min long "The Place Where I Belong". It features a long intro with acoustic guitars then a very cool instrumental interlude, amazing bass lines, bluesy guitars and cool Deep Purple-like keyboards. And then the mid section with this amazingly beautiful melody, not to mention the melodic guitar solo that closes this masterpiece of a prog song.  Other cool tracks are the short and catchy "Landmine Blast" and the riff driven "Post-Truth".

The musicianship on this album is truly great. Each member of the band showcases their talents and abilities throughout the album, from the intricate bass lines to the heavy riffs. I also love the keyboards in here going from Deep Purple to Pink Floyd and brining a lot of flavor and texture to their music. Riverside are able to seamlessly blend different styles and instruments, creating a cohesive and immersive sound. The bass work is particularly noteworthy, with the instrument often taking the front stage. The pop rock elements of the album are also expertly executed, adding a catchiness to the music without loosing the heavy elements. Overall, the band's musicianship is top-notch and it is clear that they allowed themselves to go where their imagination led them.

The Picky Guy

While I don't think "Big Tech Brother" and "Self-Aware" are by no means bad songs, I do think that for me they have some ups and downs. Therefore they do not captivate me from start to finish like the other songs on the album. And that's my only criticism of this album. 

Wrap Up Opinion 

ID.Entity Riverside's latest album is a masterful blend of hardrock and experimental prog rock. The band takes the listener on a journey through a variety of moods and emotions. Overall, ID.Entity is a must-listen for fans of prog-rock. The band has truly allowed themselves the freedom to create something unique. It is a testament to their skills as musicians and composers in this newly open new phase for the band. To me except for a couple of missteps it's a very good album deserving 83/100. 

SCORE: 83/100

Genre: Progressive Rock/Metal

Released by InsideOutMusic on January 20th, 2023

Rating System

99 - 100 Perfect
94 - 98 Excellent
87 - 93 Great
82 - 86 Very Good
77 - 81 Good
66 - 76 Mixed
58 - 65 Bad

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