Just noticed that no one had set up a 2023 thread yet for new album recs; there's usually decent interaction in these threads throughout the year so thought it might be worth getting the ball rolling.

I've reviewed most of my top finds thus far this year on the main page, but for suggestions of bands not yet on the site that I probably won't review, I'd say that Fathers made a solid sludgy hardcore record, and Pyramid Mass made some weird doomy death metal:

Fuck - this is so good. Really catchy rhymes in meloblack style

Anyone who has checked last year's thread will know I'm a fan of Matt Stephen's projects.
While it does not reach the level of last year's "Befoulment!!!", "Amidst the Manifolds of Adraa" will please the fans of extremely chaotic music, on the border between gorenoise and free jazz.
Additionnaly, my mate JP does the trumpets and synthesizers on the EP, which is really cool.

Interesting lofi and raw "pagan" black metal. I feel like the triumphant viking-esque atmosphere gets much more impactant when it's not overly abused and satturated with synthesizers and keyboards... Somehow...

Darker Manowar, with less cheese. Epic as fuck.

Written by [user id=329624] on 06.04.2023 at 00:45

Good fucking lord, that new supergroup Savage Oath released banger demo. Sounds like Stone Dagger, but much more US Power oriented.

Written by [user id=329624] on 06.04.2023 at 00:50

Wild tech/prog death with melodeath underlinings. It also features metal cover of Final Fantasy VII track of all things. Very promising demo.

You must have hacked my CC list for the following month.

<iframe style="border: 0; width: 350px; height: 470px;" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=3800715627/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/transparent=true/" seamless><a href="https://bonjourtristesse.bandcamp.com/album/against-leviathan">Against Leviathan! by Bonjour Tristesse</a></iframe>

Industrial-electronic project that reminds me of Jesu. Not sure if this is metal though.

Very melodic yet raw black metal sung in Yiddish, a nice change to see some jewish musicians in the scene.

New Fire-Toolz. It's decent, at least better than their last effort.

Written by SS on 08.04.2023 at 17:51

New Fire-Toolz. It's decent, at least better than their last effort.

Now this is my kind of shit

There's gotta be something in the water on Iceland since its inhabitants keep releasing excellent black metal albums. The latest addition is Sól Án Varma. Released by Ván Records so you know it's high quality.

Written by Nejde on 11.04.2023 at 00:45

There's gotta be something in the water on Iceland since its inhabitants keep releasing excellent black metal albums. The latest addition is Sól Án Varma. Released by Ván Records so you know it's high quality.

I was gonna post this stuff... Amazeballs

Written by Nejde on 11.04.2023 at 00:45

There's gotta be something in the water on Iceland since its inhabitants keep releasing excellent black metal albums. The latest addition is Sól Án Varma. Released by Ván Records so you know it's high quality.

Bit long, but very good! (although with every song titled Afbrigði I, II, III... I feel the album should be titled Afbrigði, surely?)

Written by musclassia on 11.04.2023 at 13:10

Bit long, but very good! (although with every song titled Afbrigði I, II, III... I feel the album should be titled Afbrigði, surely?)

I don't mind long albums if they are able to really draw you in which this one really does. The whole album has a great atmopshere, reminding of Almyrkvi at the beginning and then starting to give a bit more of a Gaerea feel by the fourth track, and that ambient closing track is very good.
And with some google translating we find out that 'Sól Án Varma' means 'Sun Without Heat' in Icelandic which feels like a fitting band name when listening to the album and 'afbrigði' means 'variation' which is kinda funny though when all the songs are called Afbrigði I-XII.

Pandrador - Seiðr

(Post) death metal from Poland due out on 26th of May.

Written by Paz on 13.04.2023 at 10:34

I'm optimistic about this being a great album with artwork like that (even if I was only mutedly positive about their debut)

New Nagaruum EP:

Very nice epic metal. Great cover art.

For the post-rock/post-metal enthusiasts. Debut record from the band.

Avant-garde jazz death metal, what else can I say. Much more digestible than what Effluence or any affiliated project usually put out. I feel like this could be enjoyed by many. And that sax is a pure treat.

This is an excellent melodic black/symphonic black album I found a while back. Also, can anyone please help me find out which classical composer they sample at the beginning of "Nihil". I know it by can't for the love of me remember who it is and it's bugging me like hell.

Great black metal from new Zealand, like a raw Soar.

The first two tracks will trick you into thinking it's generic atmospheric black metal but from isoble it gets really good.

Here's a treat for everyone who likes death/extreme doom with droning soundscapes.

And here's something for those who like meloblack. This album sounds amazing considering it's home-recorded, self-mixed and mastered.

Written by Roman Doez on 21.04.2023 at 10:57

Avant-garde jazz death metal, what else can I say. Much more digestible than what Effluence or any affiliated project usually put out. I feel like this could be enjoyed by many. And that sax is a pure treat.

Caught up with the recommendations in this thread from the past week, and this one definitely stood out - it's wild as fuck and definitely puts me off in moments, but not nearly as much as The Canyon Observer's album, and this one is fun in a lot of places

Are you tired of all Dutch symphonic bands sounding the same and find it difficult to tell them apart? Try some Japanese sympho/power by the beautiful Isiliel instead.

Some serious Motörhead worship going on here.