So, here we are. The end of 2023. This is the second year in a row that I have done a Top 50 as opposed to a Top 10 as I have done in years passed. I even considered not doing a full site blog and just relegating it to an Instagram post, but I want to make sure I am not hindered by the apps character limit and tag limit. So, I’ll just be running posts all day today Highlighting what the best of the best is. But for a little more in depth analysis as to why I picked what I picked, specifically in the Top 10, this is the right place to be.
Now, these albums are what I consider to be the Top 50 from an absolute stellar year of music, This list has changed numerous times this week, and pretty much every day since I started to lock in what my Top 10 will be. And that’s OK. I started Sounds of the Void just because I wanted to talk about Heavy Music in a positive way, because I haven’t had a ton of that. And as we all navigate our own stories and lives in 2023, all that matters is what makes us happy. What things we can find a home in. Pre-pandemic it was tabletop gaming, during the pandemic it was retro video games. I even had a podcast called Retro Spexx highlighting certain subjects. Post-pandemic it has been things like Yoga, and just trying to find a meaning to it all. But the thing that has always been there, keeping me company, has been heavy music. If one of your favorite albums are on this list, that’s awesome! If not, let’s talk about it!
So with all that said, Sounds of the Void Presents: The Top 50 Albums of 2023.
50. Tumultuous Ruin – An Abscess on the Heart of the State
Black Metal from Los Angeles, California
Fiadh Productions
49. Guts – Decay
Death Metal from Finland
Independent
48. Arnaut Pavle – Transylvanian Glare
Black Metal/Punk from Finland
Amor Fati Productions
47. Blazon Rite – Wild Rites and Ancient Songs
Heavy Metal from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Gates of Hell Records
46. Alchemy of Flesh – By Will Alone
Death Metal from Athens, Georgia
Redefining Darkness Records
45. Runemagick – Beyond the Cenotaph of Mankind
Death/Doom Metal from Sweden
Hammerheart Records
44. Nithing – Agonal Hymns
Brutal Death Metal from California
New Standard Elite
43. Fabricant – Drudge to the Thicket
Death Metal from Berkeley, California
Profound Lore Records
42. Inculter – Morbid Origin
Blackened Thrash Metal from Norway
Edged Circle Productions
41. Grotesqueries – Vile Crematory
Death Metal from Boston, Massachusetts
Caligari Records
40. Sepulcrum – Lamentation of Immolated Souls
Death Metal from Chile
Chaos Records
39. Kostnatění – Úpal
Black Metal from Minneapolis, Minnesota
Willowtip Records
38. Weald and Woe – For the Good of the Realm
Melodic Black Metal from Boise, Idaho
Fiadh Productions
37. Thantifaxath – Hive Mind Narcosis
Avantgarde Black Metal from Canada
Dark Descent
36. Trastorned – Into the Void
Blackened Thrash Metal from Chile
Dying Victims Productions
35. Phobocosm – Foreordained
Death Metal from Canada
Dark Descent Records
34. Ebony Pendant – Ebony Pendant
Black Metal from Seattle, Washington
Independent
33. Kruelty – Untopia
Death/Doom Metal/Hardcore from Japan
Profound Lore Records
32. Uada – Crepuscule Natura
Melodic Black Metal from Portland, Oregon
Eisenwald
31. Enforced – War Remains
Thrash Metal/Crossover from Richmond, Virginia
Century Media Records
30. Fossilization – Leprous Daylight
Death/Doom Metal from Brazil
Everlasting Spew Records
29. Ascended Dead – Evenfall of the Apocalypse
Death Metal from San Diego, California
20 Buck Spin
28. Kommand – Chimera Soldiers
Death Metal from Los Angeles, California
20 Buck Spin
27. Lamp of Murmuur – Saturnian Bloodstorm
Black Metal Los Angeles, California
Argento Records
26. Varathron – The Crimson Temple
Black Metal from Greece
Agonia Records
25. Smoulder – Violent Creed of Vengeance
Epic Heavy/Doom Metal from Canada
Cruz del Sur
24. Pest Control – Don’t Test the Pest
Crossover/ThrashMetal from The United Kingdom
Quality Control HQ
23. Blackbraid – Blackbraid II
Atmospheric Black Metal from Adirondack Mountains, New York
Independent
22. Majesties – Vast Reaches Unclaimed
Melodic Death Metal from Minneapolis, Minnesota
20 Buck Spin
21. Crypta – Shades of Sorrow
Death Metal from Brazil
Napalm Records
20. Horrendous – Ontological Mysterium
Progressive Death Metal from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Season of Mist
19. Hellwitch – Annihilational Intercention
Death/Thrash Metal from Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Listenable Records
18. Blood Star – First Sighting
Heavy Metal from Salt Lake City, Utah
Shadow Kingdom Records
17. Dying Fetus – Make Them Beg for Death
Brutal Death Metal/Grindcore from Baltimore, Maryland
Relapse Records
16. Afterbirth – In But Not Of
Progressive Death Metal from Long Island, New York
Willowtip Records
15. Gatekeeper – From Western Shores
Epic Heavy Metal from Canada
Cruz del Sur
14. Fires in the Distance – Air Not Meant for Us
Melodic Doom/Death Metal from Newington, Connecticut
Prosthetic Records
13. VoidCeremony – Threads of Unknowing
Progressive Death/Black Metal from Ramona, California
20 Buck Spin
12. Moonlight Sorcery – Horned Lord of the Thorned Castle
Symphonic Black Metal from Finland
Avantgarde Music
11. Astriferous – Pulsations from the Black Orb
Death Metal from Costa Rica
Me Saco un Ojo Records
10. Blood Oath – Lost in Eternal Silence
Death Metal from Chile
Caligari Records
I gotta say, I am so impressed with South America’s metal output over the last several years. Obviously in Chile, Brazil, and the whole continent, metal is a respected and well-loved genre, and Chile’s Blood Oath is no exception.
Arriving here via time machine from late 80s Florida, Blood Oath perhaps better than all has harnessed that Old School sound of Death, Massacre, and Sadus, but added a progression that fits perfectly between the typical Death Metal chug and the insanity of bands like Atheist or Cynic.
The band was founded in 2015 and by 2017 we had our first EP from the band. And then pretty much radio silence. Fortunately for us Metal fans, we were given this gem of a debut back in September, and it has been on constant rotation for me ever since. There is a saying, “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.” The world of death metal has one too, “if it Autopsy’s don’t fix it.” And this band Autopsy’s and beyond. I cannot wait to see the amazing lead and rhythm section continue to build and mature into their next stages.
9. Phantom – Handed to Execution
Thrash/Speed Metal from Mexico
Inframetal Records
Another incredible debut comes from Guadalajara’s Phantom. I’m not exactly sure when I became aware of Phantom but what originally caught my attention was their killer yet super simple logo. Plus, phantoms are badass. I was so stoked when they came back on my radar in the second part of the year when I was able to get my hands on their debut, Handed to Execution. his is disgustingly fast no frills, Show No Mercy era Slayer worship at its best with a little bit of Riot V and NWOBHM thrown in just to make it as unique as possible while still honoring the old ways. This is leather, spikes, and Reebok Royal Highs come to life to melt your faces off.
8. Nothingness – Supraliminal
Death Metal from Minneapolis, Minnesota
Everlasting Spew Records
So, one of the negative things I hear about Nothingness’ sophomore release, Supraliminal is that it is too long. Excuse me, what?! To be too long would mean that the content is something you’d want to end, which with Supraliminal does not exist. 72 Seasons is too long, this is perfect.
Starting with the drumming, this is one of my favorite performances that I have heard this year. Not working with a one-sided approach to death metal, the former Ghost Bath drummer, Jason Hirt provided a unique take on drumming for a death metal band with some doom elements. Moving on to the rest of the rhythm section, while you don’t have anything that stands out as above anything else, what you have is an in-sync unit working together with impeccable unity to deliver something solid and effective. If this is too long for you, then it may not be for you. But for me, and I have a feeling a lot of you, this is an unrelenting Hellstorm of what we love about Death Metal.
7. Cirith Ungol – Dark Parade
Epic Heavy/Doom Metal from Ventura, California
Metal Blade Records
First off, I would like to say that 2023 has been a banner year for traditional Heavy Metal. Blazon Rite, Smoulder, Gatekeeper, Helm’s Deep and of course the legends Cirith Ungol. In Middle-Earth lore; Cirith Ungol was a pass through the Ephel Dúath that led into Mordor. The pass was located in a cleft on the slope of the mountain on the left side of the Morgul Vale above the Morgul Pass. It could be reached by climbing the Stairs of Cirith Ungol at the beginning of the Morgul Vale, passing through a tunnel, and taking a long flight of broad, shallow steps to the cleft with the crown of the pass after which the road turned left and plunged steeply down to the Tower of Cirith Ungol.
Now, I was a huge fan of 1984’s King of the Dead album from a long time ago, and when bands like Satan and Manilla Road were rising in popularity over the last decade, I was hoping for a resurgence in Cirith Ungol as well. In 2020 we got the very good, Forever Black, and this year, in my opinion, Cirith Ungol released their Magnum Opus in Dark Parade. The band has never sounded better, especially Tim Baker’s vocals. They have never been this good. The whole band has turned it up to 11 on this release.
Shortly after the release of Dark Parade, the band announced that 2024 would be the final year the band would be touring, and it looked as though I would never have a chance to see them live. Thankfully, they were added to Houston, TX’s Hell’s Heroes VI festival, which I already have a ticket for.
This is a kick-ass heavy metal album that should be celebrated as such.
6. Tomb Mold – The Enduring Spirit
Death Metal from Canada
20 Buck Spin
I’m pretty proud that I was an early adapter of Tomb Mold’s particular style of space-filth Death Metal. That’s why I have to say I was shocked when I heard Tomb Mold had a new album coming out, and it was coming out a week after that announcement! I think they did something similar with their EP from last year now that I think about it. But I’ll be honest when I first listened to The Enduring Spirit, I was… let down isn’t the word, I guess caught off guard. I was not expecting such a progressive and technical death metal record. If you follow me on Instagram, I’m sure you know that I am not a fan of super technical death metal. However, after some time and another listen it clicked. This isn’t just another band trying their hand at being proggy or technical just for the sake of being proggy or technical. No, this is a band taking the idea of those two death metal adjectives and perfecting them.
How I feel right in this moment is that The Enduring Spirit is the greatest technical death metal album of all time. The Canadian three-piece has managed to take that cobwebbed-infused style of death metal and make it progressive and technical the way so many have tried. The Enduring Spirit is absolutely worth the hype.
5. Helms Deep – Treacherous Ways
Heavy Metal from Florida
Nameless Grave Records
This album is an absolute triumph. By far and away the best traditional Heavy Metal album of the year, and it’s from a band that has done nothing before this release, so that means another killer debut, but the lineup consists of John Gallaher of Raven fame, yeah, that Raven, on bass and vocals, as well as Mike Heller also of Raven, as well as Fear Factory, and Malignancy. So this little Heavy Metal record comes out of nowhere and takes the scene by storm. Helms Deep is a reference to another bit of Tolkien geography, as it was a gorge in the northwest White Mountains on the far side of the Westfold Vale, below the Thrihyrne. It also referred to the whole defensive system, including the Deeping Wall and the fortress known as the Hornburg. And you all know the Battle at Helm’s Deep, come one.
This is a Heavy Metal fan’s dream. If you were to take a displaced metal head who feels not at home with the current scene and show them Helms Deep, they would be beckoned on home. And if you show the most hardened, jaded metal-head out there these blazing solos, speedy riffs, and soaring vocals, they won’t be able to help but raise their leather and stud clad fist to the sky in triumph.
4. Cruel Force – Dawn of the Axe
Black/Thrash Metal from Germany
Shadow Kingdom Records
Cruel Force is a band that has been around since the late 2000s that I had missed. Their first full-length album, The Rise of Satanic Might, was released in 2010 to much acclaim. The very next year they released their sophomore effort, Under the Sign of the Moon to mostly positive reviews, and then that was it. The next year in 2012 they decided to call it quits. Maybe finding themselves is more of an appropriate phrasing for what happened. In 2022 Cruel Force would return with a new logo, a new bass player, and a more focused vision of what they wanted to accomplish, and boy is that exactly what they did with Dawn of the Axe.
Channeling the blooming rise of speed-ridden black metal and late-stage NWOBHM bands coupled with a clear love for fellow Germans, Destruction, and Sodom, you have the new and improved Cruel Force. Teaming up with Shadow Kingdom was just icing on the cake with killer marketing and a great bit of release merch, the band only had to do what they do best, deliver some of the most engaging, and sinister speed metal I’ve heard in a long time.
3. Hellripper – Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags
Black/Speed Metal from Scotland
Peaceville Records
Hellripper started as a Black ‘n’ Roll era Darkthrone worship one-man project from the mind of James McBain, which just so happens to be my favorite era of Darkthrone (besides their death metal roots). And McBain made it work! Releasing two killer prior albums in 2017’s Coagulating Darkness, and 2020’s, The Affair of the Poisons. Then, much like a lot of us in the world, 2020 gave us quite a bit of time, and I can only assume that James, who was already a killer guitarist, became an insane mastermind at all things heavy on the guitar. And it certainly shows Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags, as this is a much more guitar-driven album. While still maintaining the blackened aesthetic and raspy shrieks, Hellripper shreds the fat away and adds a healthy dose of progression, more mature song structuring, and much better production to give us an album steeped in modern-day attitude with a healthy respect to late 80s, guitar-driven Thrash.
2. Cruciamentum – Obsidian Refractions
Death Metal from The United Kingdom
Profound Lore Records
It’s been a while since we had seen anything from Cruciamentum. Their previous full-length album came out eight years ago, and their last EP was 5 years ago. When I saw we were getting new music from the International Death Metallers I was excited! Matt Heffner had joined up with the band on drums. He also just so happened to be the dude who stepped up and was able to fill in for our fallen brother in Metal, Ruben Elizondo of Imprecation (RIP). And with several more line-up changes, Cruciamentum finally found the lineup that makes sense to them. What they were able to craft and build with Obsidian Refractions is simply put a masterpiece/ This is everything good about where modern-day Death Metal is in 2023. great production that gives it that vibe as if we are listening to this while trudging along in a haunted dungeon with one candle, no matches, and doom surrounding us from every corner. This album is brutal without taking up the connotations of being “Brutal Death Metal”. It’s doomy and brooding but isn’t “Death-Doom”. They had a vision, and they nailed it. Best Death Metal album of 2023.
1. Panopticon – The Rime of Memory
Atmospheric Black/Folk Metal from Ely, Minnesota
Bindrune Recordings
I’m not sure how Austin Lunn manages to do this, but Panopticon often releases music when, frankly I need it the most. I’ve told the story about how 2015’s Autumn Eternal was what brought me back to metal. How its themes of renewal, accepting certain changes, and accepting who you are was something I needed 8 years ago. In 2023 however, as I turn 37 years old, I’m starting to think about things like my mortality more and more. I worry for the future of this planet and the decimation of the environment caused by man, and am sad frankly. I think every millennial in 2023 is dealing with some kind of trauma, whether they want to believe so or not. These are all themes brought to us in, The Rime of Memory.
While Panopticon is often known as the Atmospheric Black Metal band with lots of Americana and folk music thrown in, that’s not the case here. While certainly not removed completely in The Scars of Man, What we have here is the dying of those very historically American instruments. When they are there they convey a sort of sorrow. They are in some ways harsh and dissonant while always trying to capture the beauty that once was. This album is long but not a slog. The album is real and almost feels like a submission to time and the reality of life. The vocals are mixed perfectly with this release and all of the instrumentation. But the vocals convey a pain that has never been experienced before on a Panopticon record.
Austin Luun is one of, if not my all-time favorite musician. and this is yet another display of his genius. I hope one day to be able to experience it live.
Panopticon’s The Rime of Memory is the best album of 2023.
We did it! The end of List week. I hope everyone had as much fun checking out all of these killer metal releases over the last year. I hope you see your favorite album somewhere on this list. If not please let me know in the comments! Also, make sure to head over to the Sounds of the Void Instagram page and join the conversation about our favorite bands and artists.
Thank you so much for your time, and turn that shit up!
