I hope you didn’t think we were done for! ”Better late than never” has been our motto the last couple years, and you know what, that’s okay. We’re riding smooth and easy over here baby. Nice and smooth, no rush, just cruising. HOWEVER, we couldn’t go on living without letting you know what albums from 2023 were the best, most influential, most fun, and most listened to. A big part of the delay here was deciding on how to cut this down to just 50 albums, because I’m pretty sure I could’ve named 50 metal albums alone that are worth your time , effort, and love. Week after week, 2023 blessed us with beauty and madness to the point that I’ve had the thought on multiple occasions – “what a time to be alive” – and damn, if that isn’t true. All things considered, at least we have the music.
One housekeeping thingy; I’m not going to provide links anymore. When I started doing that, Spotify was pretty much the only streaming platform there was and everyone was on it, but I switched to Apple Music a couple years back (because fuck Spotify), and now there are multiple others that I know people use. Bandcamp would probably be the best bet but I don’t think every artist is on that. The list is here, and I wish there was an easy way to provide album art to spruce things up a bit, but you know, time is obviously of the essence for us. Read the list, copy the name from the list, and paste that sum bitch into your selected listening medium of choice, then enjoy! Then think to yourself “Gat damn, those MFs at The Circle of Fifths really seem like decent people who love music a lot”! Then maybe go outside and look at the trees while you listen! Then maybe eat a good snack and take a nap after that! Then wake up, select another item from the list, and do it all over again! Wow, that sure sounds great.
Cheers to another year of wonderful music in 2023 as we look forward to another one in 2024. We might be late, but we’ll have your back this time around as well. – MCG
50. Life Under the Gun by Militarie Gun
49. A Storm Is Coming by Still Waters Run Deep
Another Editors Note for those who know us: Once again, I didn’t put Apache up to this, but damn if it didn’t make me smile so big and tear up a bit just like it did when he included it in the quarterly piece. It’s good to have friends that support you in creative endeavors. Thank you so much to him, and to all of you reading this that bought the album or streamed it. I couldn’t put it above (most) albums on the list because that felt weird, and it being 49 instead of 50 is just me being true to my troll self 😉 – MCG
48. Disharmonium – Nahab by Blut Aus Nord
This is darker, more dense, and more downright evil that past releases, far less cathartic and cleansing, much more oppressive and tyrannous, but Blut Aus Nord is one of my favorite metal acts of all time and they can do no wrong in my book. – MCG
47. Find Out by Filth Is Eternal
46. Every Day Like the Last by Wye Oak
45. Let There Be Music by Bonny Doon
This is some feel-good chillin’ ass music my man. You can’t be sad, mad or salty with this thing pumping through the air, and I think that’s helpful for everyone. – MCG
44. Desire Pathway by Screaming Females
43. Death Is Nothing To Us by Fiddlehead
42. Stone by Baroness
41. RAT WARS by HEALTH
HEALTH will forever remain in my good graces based on DEATH MAGIC. Anything they’ve done since has failed to reach that level, but it’s so good that I will always and forever check for them. RAT WARS is a cohesive piece of beautiful, heavier darkness that continues to reveal itself with every listen. – MCG
40. Dead Meat by The Tubs
39. No Joy by Spanish Love Songs
I don’t know why I like this so much but I found myself pressing play and listening to the whole album much, much more than I ever would have guessed. – MCG
38. Perennial by Woods
Just Woods doing Woods shit. One of the tightest and most consistent indie rock bands there has ever been. This is perfect for days at the park, or a beer on the patio, or with some burgers on the grill. Peaceful easy feelings and that’s it. Woods doing Woods shit. – MCG
37. Unbecoming by Vyva Melinkoyla
36. Paleolithic War Crimes by Saint Karloff
35. Hellmode by Jeff Rosenstock
34. What Keeps Me Here by To Be Gentle
33. Some of It Was True by The Menzingers
I think they’re probably the best at this thing they do, and I really enjoy the fact that they decided to try some new stuff on this album. Experimentation never hurt anyone, and in most cases, it opens up new doors. I’d say that rings very true here. – MCG
32. Inevitable by None
31. Brand New Soul by Angel Du$t
30. PetroDragonic Apocalypse… by King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
29. Margarita Witch Cult by Margarita Witch Cult
28. Songs of Froglord by Froglord
27. In Times New Roman… by Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age has been on my top 10 favorite bands list for a long time, but I was done after Villains. Thus, I had no expectations for their return after a six year dry span, because it had been ten years since they made any good music as far as I was concerned. I had a small glimmer of hope somewhere deep down, but I wouldn’t acknowledge it or make eye contact. I wasn’t going to let that spark turn into a flame. Luckily, I feel that this album is a return to form. I don’t think it belongs in the conversation of what is their best stuff, but damn it feels good to like an album by one of your favorite bands. – MCG
26. Que Dios Te Maldiga Mi Corazon by The Mars Volta
The same songs from the album we had on our list last year with a fresh, new stripped-down approach; acoustic guitars and hand drums galore. Now, being that the hand drums have been one of my favorite parts of The Mars Volta’s music the entire time I’ve been a fan, you can see why I had no choice here. It’s not only that though; these songs, these melodies, these lyrics, have been given new life by this reimagining, some of them cutting much deeper and resonating much more the second time around. A cool idea from a band who burst onto the scene 20 years ago with one of the best albums of the new millennium. – MCG
25. Sado Sex for Dummies by Loose Sutures
24. Access to the Lonely by Rid of Me
23. I Inside the Old Year Dying by PJ Harvey
At this point it’s no surprise that PJ Harvey released music that is fantastic. This should be the most obvious choice for any year end list because as long as she’s been doing it at this consistently high level, she has still managed to keep it fresh and find new ways to hypnotize the listener. Incredible. – MCG
22. Odium by Wothrosch
Pure Evil. Pure, wretched evil from the center of a blackened hell. Inject it into my veins. – MCG
21. Superskull by Black Rainbows
20. Ultraritual by Handgemeng
19. Devil Music by Portrayal of Guilt
One of the most interesting bands doing it decided to record their new songs two ways; one being their typical scathing madness and the other being suited for a Game of Thrones montage for the Night King with him at his most menacing. That’s dope. – MCG
18. everything is alive by Slowdive
It’s perfect. Can’t really say much about something that’s perfect, other than it’s perfect. Slowdive are cornerstones, pillars, etc. of the genre and in this year 2023 they showed that time has no effect on their magic. – MCG
17. Cares, Wills, Wants by These Beasts
16. Agriculture by Agriculture
Agriculture are doing the damn thing in a way that’s very refreshing. I’m not sure how to describe it exactly, but this isn’t your run of the mill black metal. It’s lighter, maybe it soars and floats a little longer. I think this is what the future sounds like. – MCG
15. Halo of Flies and Bardo by Rabbit
Halo of Flies is my EP of the year, and Bardo is great as well. Both are fantastic, both are what all hard music should strive to be. Easily one of my most listened to releases of the year. – MCG
14. War Remains by Enforced
13. The Old Ways Remain by Blood Ceremony
12. Australia Stops by C.O.F.F.I.N.
11. Desolation’s Flower by Ragana
I love how unhinged this whole thing feels. It’s hard, it’s heavy, it’s beautiful, and it’s something that I don’t think very many other people in the world could have pulled off. – MCG
10. Ψευδομένη, Τρωθησομένη, Ἀντιτιμωρουμένη by Ὁπλίτης
Three albums in one year from this madman. I couldn’t pick one, and really, I think the fact that he released three is the point here. Artist of the year for me personally. – MCG
9. Walk the Wheel by Truth Cult
8. Low Desert Surf Club by Fire Down Below
7. When No Birds Sang by Full of Nothing
I wondered how much of a collaboration album this would be. I wondered if it would sound kind of like a split, and maybe it does to some, but fuck man, I feel the synergy, and this thing is a flawless victory. Such a great balance of what both bands do best, damn near brought me to tears as I was on a long drive through rain, with one of the most peaceful moments coming right as the sun peaked out and a full rainbow appeared to be flowing directly into a roadside Chevron. I have no doubts there was a pot of gold there at that moment. – MCG
6. Drifting in the Endless Void by Dozer
5. Dogsbody by Model/Actriz
One of the most unique albums of the year, this finds the listener truly perplexed and clueless as to what comes next. A lot of parts remind me of other bands I love, and a lot of parts don’t. The way that it’s all combined and presented makes it an incredibly interesting experience all around. – MCG
4. Obsession Destruction by Chained To The Bottom Of The Ocean
This was my personal Album of the Year for awhile there. Just a brutal show of grimy, sludgy power. They also released a fantastic EP later in the year. Chained To The Bottom Of The Ocean is simultaneously the unstoppable force and the immovable object. – MCG
3. ATTA by Sigur Ros
Utter peace and harmony. Pure joy and euphoria. A calming audible balm perfect for the early hours of the morning and the late hours of the evening. No one else can do what they do to the degree that they do it. – MCG
2. Necropolitan by Green Yeti
1. The Rime of Memory by Panopticon
It was clear after the second listen that there wasn’t anything else from the past calendar year on this level. Mr. Lunn took all of the great aspects from his past releases and managed to combine and highlight them into one distilled masterpiece. As hard as it was to choose 50 albums for 2023, it was equally as easy to name this the best of them. – MCG
**Honorable Mentions**:
Blackbraid II by Blackbraid
Your Life and Nothing Else by FAIM
Flesh + Blood by Judiciary
Formal Growth in the Desert by Protomartyr
Helvegr by Tsjuder
Oromet by Oromet
Systemic by Divide and Dissolve
Petrol by Tar Pond
Pig City by Pig City
Upal by Kostnateni
So Unknown by Jesus Piece
I Don’t Want You Anymore by Cherry Glazerr
Thunder Ape by Bahboon
Close Encounters by KIND
Cartwheel by Hotline TNT
The Circle of Fifths 