Welcome to our top albums of the year list for 2023. We’ve just covered the top singles and the top EPs, showcasing many fantastic acts, but as proudly album-oriented editors and writers, it’s this list that consumes our attention from the first release of a year to its last. The variety in our end of year choices go beyond simple box checking by genre or identity; these artists are powerful advocates for themselves and those with stories like them.
Mental health has crystallised from buzzword to problem for all of us, at the very least in the years since 2020. Every artist here confronts inner demons through more than just cathartic noise, particularly Vexed, Cauldron, and Graphic Nature. Zulu speak about race with cutting urgency and pride, highlighting a part of the scene that I’m sure we demonstrably undervalue and hold in a blind spot. This, and the many hardcore releases across our lists, are intensely specific in their anger, dispensing of ‘pity me’ for ‘overcome and overthrow’.
Queer influence in heavy music has everything to do with its roaring success, with trans stories in the music of Liturgy, Pupil Slicer, Death Goals and Dreamwell being just a few of the inspiring figures in our lists. And as the years increasingly turn to shit around us, the power of music to be that light at the end of the tunnel has never been brighter, whether that music is itself uplifting or depressive.
25. Pain of Truth – Not Through Blood (DAZE)
Joe: Listening through Not Through Blood will offer one of the most intense listens of the year, with its fist-throwing hooks and brawling riffs. Album highlights “Actin’ Up“, “Too Late” and closer “Not Through Blood” show spitting lyrics and contain a host of features, including Last Wishes, 200 Stab Wounds and Trapped Under Ice. There’s a distinct New York pride to the record underlined by the inclusion of several features (Madball, The Movielife, Incendiary and Mindforce) – it feels like a celebration of hardcore’s community spirit, and draws the listener into that sphere of jubilation.
24. The Armed – Perfect Saviors (Sargeant House)
Sean: Endless innovation has always been the crux of The Armed and has made them endlessly exciting. On latest record Perfect Saviors, the unit take one of their largest sonic shifts, and still remain close to what made them originally fascinating. The stand out dance-esque “Liar 2” staples itself to the top of their discography, alongside other gems “Everything’s Glitter” and “Sport of Form” that inject themselves into the imagination of the ongoing kayfabe of The Armed.
23. Harms Way – Common Suffering (Metal Blade)
Joe: A follow up to Posthuman from Harms Way had become a far off dream to many, and even then, what it might be shaped by and sound like was and even wilder unknown. Yet those who had patiently waited were rewarded as the Chicago band returned this year with Common Suffering. Embracing their industrial influences while drifting between classic hardcore and touching of metalcore, they produced one of the most potent records of the year, and delivered one of the best songs of 2023 on “Undertow” featuring King Woman.
22. Serration – Simulations of Hell (DAZE)
Jack: A highly anticipated release, Serration‘s debut album Simulations of Hell was more than anyone could have ever expected. Receiving great fan reception from the get go, the band expertly crafted a punishingly brutal release, which is direct and never overstays its welcome. It is a testament to the band’s songwriting ability to have been able to achieve such a powerful and lasting impact in such a short time period. They ensure that no time is wasted, and avoid any lulls in the record’s tight runtime. Serration truly are a powerhouse within the scene, and if this debut is anything to go off, they are only just getting started.
21. Harm – a song you can’t feel anymore. (Independent)
Matt: This year has given us no shortage of impeccable releases from the underground, and undoubtedly one of the standouts is a song you can’t feel anymore. by North Carolina-based ensemble Harm. The album is 40 minutes of emo-tinged post-hardcore bliss, absolutely bursting with stunning atmosphere and emotive performances across the board. Rather it be the beautifully solemn opener “when i say it out loud, it all falls apart”, the frantic and energetic “People Just Want To Be Seen. Doesn’t Matter What For.”, or the vibe-centric and shoegaze-y “I Fear Only That My Rage Will Fade Over Time”, the album covers an impressive range of sounds and is highly successful and delivering on all fronts. Harm is definitely a group to keep an eye on, as they have the potential to do some incredible things if a song you can’t feel anymore. is to be taken as any indication of what they are capable of.
20. Gel – Only Constant (Convulse Records)
Joe: Only Constant is one of the most true-unto-itself records this year, taking a hard handbrake turn down its own avenue. GEL deliver an energetic and empathic force that ruminates through on Only Constant. Bar its interlude, the record never lets off its electric riffs and roaring vocals from Kaiser. GEL‘s ‘hardcore for the freaks‘ message cuts deep, showing that hardcore should be personal, not puritanical.
19. Blodet – Death Mother (Church Road Records)
Dobbin: In a list full of heavy music, Blodet’s Death Mother is a bastion of relative calm, introducing rock, punk, and post influences to the tough competition of our interest in heaviness. This introspective album has many special qualities, from its spacious and frigid mix to the patient performances and songwriting. It’s both immediate, with strong singles “Death Mother” and “The Hour”, and a grower thanks to the epic “Without/Within”, which has become their career defining track. It’s profoundly influenced by the passing of guitarist Rickie Paleski-Östlund, and is a marvellous tribute to the person who defined Blodet’s sound. Death Mother is our favourite from Church Road’s incredible year, in which they have showcased the heavy underground and esoteric didacts from across the world.
18. Dying Wish – Symptoms of Survival (SHARPTONE)
Matt: Symptoms Of Survival sees Portland-based hardcore/metalcore powerhouses Dying Wish taking everything they did on their already stellar debut Fragments Of A Bitter Memory and cranking it up to 11, resulting in one of the most unyielding and emotionally vulnerable releases of the year. Tracks such as “Starved”, “Tongues of Lead”, and “Hell’s Final Blessing” are absolute ragers that are sure to cause pure mayhem in any crowd, while tracks such as lead single “Torn From Your Silhouette”, the epic closer in “Lost In The Fall”, and the particularly beautiful “Paved In Sorrow” see the group broadening their melodic horizons and absolutely nailing it. The album is a perfect bridge between the iconic 2000s melodeath inspired metalcore sound and the emotionally charged melodic hardcore sound which is increasingly popular in the present scene, and as a result is an album that any fan of the scene should not miss.
17. Johnny Booth – Moments Elsewhere (Independent)
Jack: Metalcore luminaries Johnny Booth have been a relatively beloved band within the scene for some time now, however, with Moments Elsewhere, they have really come into their own. They’ve transcended, away from being just another solid metalcore act, becoming one of the best in the currently scene. Moments Elsewhere includes some of the most catchy and fun instrumentation that metalcore has seen for a while now, with vocals and lyricism to match. Tracks like “Full Tilt”, “The Ladder”, and “Ring Light Altar” really demonstrate the band’s ability to innovate whilst retaining their signature characteristics, something that so many bands struggle to achieve. Front to back, this album is full of fantastically hard hitting moments, both instrumentally and lyrically. Johnny Booth have a lot to say, and they damn well make sure that you are listening with Moments Elsewhere.
16. Pupil Slicer – Blossom (Prosthetic Records)
Dobbin: A blistering, fully fledged LP from Pupil Slicer became the mathcore sound of the summer. It brims with fully realised ambition, showing the band has captured their own sound from every angle, through the unique voice of Kate Davies, genre-hopping visits to blackgaze, alternative, and hardcore, as well as sublime album structure. Lyrically, the record mixes nihilism, video games, and identity, forming an enigma as swirling as their instrumentals. The band moves into 2024 with a question mark, as bassist Luke Fabian has recently departed from the band. The crisp slap bass and deep barks are a huge part of Blossom’s success, so we expect to see further evolution and surprises from Pupil Slicer in the near future.
15. Invent Animate – Heavener (UNFD)
Nisrin: Out of all the metalcore bands that have been catapulted into the forefront this year, none stand out to me like Invent Animate. Heavener is the product of a decade’s worth of tireless work. Not only does it boast their massive improvement, but it possesses an emotional depth in both sound and lyricism that is nothing short of phenomenal. Tear-jerker “Without a Whisper” and the criminally underrated “Emberglow” are now staples in my regular rotation, and they absolutely should be in yours as well.
14. Initiate – Cerebral Circus (Triple B Records)
Joe: Delving through Cerebral Circus, there is a sense of connection and humanity to the record that few other bands form. Within all the anger and emotion of the record, there is an authenticity to the narratives being told. The heart wrenching “Alone At The Bottom” and grief-stricken “Amend” are complimented with the rage of “Fire Starter”, all which are intertwined with an exceptional performance from Crystal Pak. Further introspection culminates on closer “Transparency”, as Cerebral Circus contemplates on itself “What if I don’t know if I smile with no regret?”, closing out one of the most exceptional records of 2023.
13. Death Goals – A Garden of Dead Flowers (Prosthetic Records)
Dobbin: Keeping the pace up from their celebrated debut, Death Goals returned this year with A Garden of Dead Flowers alongside extensive UK touring. Technicality and 4D chess chords are married to lurid and frankly stupid breakdowns, and the dual vocals from the two-piece go harder than ever. However, the band’s true purpose is even greater than the bombast of their songs. Championing queer identity within hardcore, their lyrics confront self-hatred, dysphoria, and suffocating governments (“We’re not valid, we’re not real / But we have everything you lack”). But it would be wrong to say it’s all doom and gloom, as they offer hope in these stories of adversity, not to mention their glittery care-bear aesthetic and party anthems like “Faux Macho”. All this strikes a chord far and wide, as 2024 will start with an EU tour, and that’s just the bare minimum for what should be another fantastic year for Death Goals. Queer hardcore forever!
12. The Acacia Strain – Step Into The Light/Failure Will Follow (Rise Records)
Kath: Amidst an ongoing creative renaissance, scene veterans The Acacia Strain add to their extensive discography with a crushing one-two punch in Step Into the Light and Failure Will Follow. Employing a two sides of the same coin narrative with Step Into the Light’s blistering romp through carnage and decay and Failure Will Follow’s murky, bog stomping trudge, the dual-drop strengthens the group’s legacy as titans of the heavy music world. Recruiting the likes of iRis.EXE, Dylan Walker, Ethan McCarthy, Jacob Lilly, and Josef Alfonso for features across the two records additionally provides further ammunition for The Acacia Strain’s apocalyptic rampage.
11. Vexed – Negative Energy (Napalm Records)
Jonathan: VEXED pulled absolutely no punches on their sophomore album, delivering a ferocity fueled by raw emotions. Negative Energy doesn’t shy away from the reality of trauma, grief, and anger, and it manifests in a barrage of filthy, low-string riffs, cathartically destructive breakdowns, and the monstrous abilities of vocalist Megan Targett. Combined with the unfiltered and deeply personal lyrics of the album, the result is undeniably impactful. VEXED are pissed off, and you will know it.
10. Sleep Token – Take Me Back To Eden (Spinefarm)
Harry: Simultaneously iconic and mysterious, with theories abound swirling continuously around them, Sleep Token have had an explosive year quite like any other, taking the internet by storm and growing tenfold since the release of “The Summoning” in early January. The hype increased in deserved and similarly eruptive fashion with the release of Take Me Back To Eden‘s subsequent singles, and the enigmatic UK outfit delivered on every bit of it. Every promise, every tortured plea. At a fraction over an hour, Take Me Back To Eden is Sleep Token‘s masterpiece, their hitherto magnum opus, and it deserves all the plaudits music critics and listeners alike heap upon it: it’s cathartic, it’s polished, and most of all, it’s honest; the plethora of lyrical and sonic callbacks alongside their notable, and quite frankly surprising, indulgence in the genre’s heavier side makes for an album written for the fans without any artistic compromise, one which is firmly among the very best metal records ever.
9. Liturgy – 93696 (Thrill Jockey Records)
Tim: Fulfilling the potential demonstrated most notably on 2019’s H.A.Q.Q., 93696 represents a culmination of Liturgy‘s years spent developing their original style of black metal. The emphasis on dynamics, both in terms of genre bending and more melodic and pummeling elements, sets the stage for a unique and demanding listen. While admittedly not an easy task for those not yet amongst the Liturgy faithful, this lengthy album heaps rewards upon the listener at reliably regular intervals and proves well worth a dedicated try.
8. Zulu – A New Tomorrow (Flatspot Records)
Kath: Presenting their own distinct blend of rough around the edges hardcore punk cut and sewn together with a number of samples from genres that pay homage to black artists like jazz, hip-hop, soul, funk, and reggae, black powerviolence pioneers Zulu use their unique sound to give voice to a largely underrepresented demographic in the heavy music world. The Q1 release of their critically acclaimed debut record A New Tomorrow set the group up for what proved to be a breakthrough year that saw them touring across the United States and Europe. Powerful, provocative, and genre-defying, A New Tomorrow contrasts black anger and pain with proud celebration of black music and culture.
7. Graphic Nature – A Mind Waiting To Die (Rude Records)
Joe: Since their emergence in 2019, there has always been a sense that Graphic Nature were set to be a presence and force to be reckoned with. After several singles and EP New Skin last year, Graphic Nature released their debut full-length A Mind Waiting To Die at the turn of 2023. Containing previously released ragers “Into The Dark” and “White Noise“, incredible tracks such as “Sour“, “Sleepless” and “The Downpour” set themselves as part of a record that was one of the most furious in its delivery, yet also intertwined in a message that confronting the mind and its mental state. Many have touched on this theme, but few with such power in recent memory.
6. Cauldron – Suicide in the City (The Coming Strife)
Nick: After a rather long rollout, metallic hardcore upstarts Cauldron have finally delivered Suicide in the City, an ambitious debut record packed with killer riffs, bombastic drumming and an array of impressive guest features. A no-nonsense record that remains largely an upgrade to the band’s already stellar sound, Suicide in the City is a must-listen for those who believe modern metalcore has strayed too far from its roots.
5. Soulkeeper – Holy Design (Independent)
Max: Tight, chaotic and damn fun, Soulkeeper’s debut LP is an exercise in how far you can push the boundaries of metalcore whilst still retaining its core values. An unbelievably dense and air-tight release, Holy Design is a cybergrind-meets-metalcore foray for the ages, and has proven one to be on a steadily increasing rotation since its release back in May. Tracks like “Three Parts Disdain” and “Hyperfine Transition” in particular stick out as some of the strongest and most memorable heavy tracks I’ve heard all year, and only reinforce the notion that Soulkeeper are one of the best discoveries I’ve made in 2023.
4. Silent Planet – Superbloom (UNFD)
Jonathan: Few bands can take a catastrophe and turn it into such a masterpiece. On the anniversary of a potentially tragic van crash, Silent Planet released SUPERBLOOM, their most experimental album to date. Venturing into a level of sonic aggression that the band had dabbled in before and combining it with extraterrestrial themes, Silent Planet still managed to craft something profoundly personal. It really does live up to the desert phenomenon it’s named after; strange, yet beautiful.
3. END – The Sin of Human Frailty (Closed Casket Activities)
Kath: A masterclass in all things harsh, caustic, and abrasive, from its opening moments The Sin of Human Frailty drags the listener through its smothering atmosphere and jagged soundscape into the depths below. Far more than their designation as a supergroup or as merely a side project for its esteemed members, END’s sophomore record is a testament to the group’s willingness to continually push the bounds of their cataclysmic sound. Industrialized and suspenseful production, menacing breakdowns, and impactful use of its features from Debbie Gough, J.R. Hayes, and Dylan Walker, all wrapped up in a concise thirty minutes, makes for one of this year’s most enthralling listens.
2. TesseracT – War Of Being (Kscope)
Max: The first time I heard War Of Being, I was at something of a loss. TesseracT’s progressive shift away from the djenty metalcore stylings of their early work has given life to some of modern prog’s greatest and most outwardly revered releases, but within me there was always this slight hope that one day, somehow, they would tap into the raw, ballistic tech-metal energy that was bursting from the seams on their 2011 debut, One. As a result of that desire, from the moment I heard the opening riff of “Natural Disaster” for the first time, I was along for the ride. From that point, all the way up until the album’s terminus in “Sacrifice”, I was glued to the edge of my seat. Overflowing in every facet with passion and energy, War Of Being is one of the most remarkable prog albums I’ve ever heard, and almost certainly stands as my most beloved TesseracT release to date. A masterful and dizzying combination of all of their eras, refined to the nth degree, in one lengthy – yet concise – package, War Of Being is a masterclass in its field, and will surely go down as one of the genre’s all-time greats in the years to come.
1. Dreamwell – In My Saddest Dreams, I Am Beside You (Prosthetic Records)
Dobbin: Finding inspiration in the face of despair: a poetic statement that we would love to find truth within. Even once we excise romanticisation from our depression, it’s simply unlikely that our lowest points can somehow become our greatest. It’s the allure of screaming your misery deep into your pillow, and in the process, finally nailing that voice memo for your next unfinished demo. This juxtaposition has a magic to it that screamo can sublimely capture. Atop our list is Dreamwell’s screamo masterpiece is In My Saddest Dreams, I Am Beside You, the year’s most devastating emotional gut punch. It’s an inwardly facing rumination on failing relationships, the let-down of religious faith, and the challenge of living in your own head when it’s filled with venomous serpents (“I will find a way to pull you all out”). It has captivated our inner screamos, with internal channels full of lyric quoting like we never stopped writing poetry at 16 years old. The music brings the band to sonic heights that their debut only hinted at, with all the sliders turned to maximum. Its eclectic soundscapes and meticulous structure make it a celebration of the album format, a critical aspect that pulled it to the very to of our list. In My Saddest Dreams, I Am Beside You is Dreamwell documenting their misery through musical elation, promising no simple answers; an ultimately more powerful message than any quick fix could provide.