This music year was a bit more special for me. On the one hand, I’ve experienced a lot of music through Summer Breeze in the summer and a few concerts, but on the other hand, I’ve rarely had such a hard time making my shortlist for albums of the year. Bands that I was really looking forward to this year have all released decent records, but nothing has captivated me so much that I would have put these records in a top list with a clear conscience. Also, most of the bands I’ve seen live haven’t released an album this year. Nevertheless, I got to know a lot of new music through Summer Breeze and then listened to albums that I would never have listened to otherwise. Which in turn lead to my “must see” concert lists growing again. I often only found albums well after 2023 releases by pure chance, Bandcamp, YouTube, Spotify lists that I really liked, but a review wouldn’t have made much sense for the blog, two of which will appear in this list. Like every year, this Top 10, there is in no particular order. As there are also two EPs among them, I’m simply including them as “one” album..
GGGOLDDD – PTSD (EP)
[Artoffact Records]
I first got to know GGGOLDDD at my Cult of Luna concert in October and was immediately impressed. Great voice, stage presence and some of the strongest lyrics I’ve heard in recent years. “I Let My Hair Grow” and “He Is Not” in the PTSD version have been a constant companion in my playlists for the last 2.5 months.
Probably the best 19 minutes of music that have been put together in recent times
Kanonenfieber – U-Bootsmann (EP)
[Noisebringer Records]
Kanonenfieber aka “Noise” hit a soft spot with their mix of playful black and death metal. Absolutely tasty riffs and drums that I just don’t get bored of have made “Kampf und Sturm” one of my most listened to songs of 2023. Even if “Havarie” is a bit tough for me in the first minute, it makes up for it for the next four minutes. Kanonenfieber is a lot of fun for me and I hope that the source of new music won’t dry up any time soon.
Vesuve – Pline
One of my favourite post-rock albums of 2023 goes to the debut album by Vesuve. The French band manages to create a wonderfully melancholic setting and adds a great edge with hard, well-placed riffs. Every post-rock fan should take the time to listen to this album.
follow – Old Haunts
The other “best” post-rock album of 2023 comes from the Australians from follow and is another debut album. Wonderfully set instrumental arrangements that play elegantly from one climax to the next. A musically light but very mature album that has sweetened many walks and car journeys for me this year.
Yota – Room 412
[NewRetroWave Records]
Of course, a synthwave album is a must this year. Room 412 not only has three banger songs on the disc with the two 80s vibing “Holding On” and “Dark Dandy” and the great synthpop “Don’t Tell Me Why”, but also keeps up the quality for the full +50 minutes. And you always want to hear the neon tubes and remember a time when you were just born and only know it from hearsay. An album that proves that (synth) pop is far from dead. And that’s a good thing.
The Hives – The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons
[Disques Hives]
The uncrowned kings of live performances have released their new album 2023 after a good 11 years. And it’s exactly what you’d expect from the Swedes. No more, no less. Even if not all of the 12 songs have the same quality, I enjoyed the album as a whole immensely and couldn’t keep my feet still.
Kvelertak – Endling
[R/Rise Records]
Where Kvelertak is on the label, Kverletak is inside. Garage rock meets punk with subtle black metal influences. Unique? Certainly. Qualitative? Super! Even if Endling sounds a lot less dirty than the previous albums, the band has not lost its musical recognisability. I listened to the album much more often than I thought I would when I first listened to it, so it deserves its place in the top albums.
Peter Fox – Love Songs
[Warner Music Germany]
When Peter Fox released the song “Zukunft Pink” at the end of 2022, also in the wake of the end of the corona pandemic that had lasted almost three years, a sigh of relief went through Germany. This was evident from the many comments on social media about how listening to the song released a lot of the anxiety and tension of recent years, as it reminded many of the late 2000s, when you had a good time with friends, having fun and relaxing to his songs. The album released in 2023 doesn’t match the excellence of its predecessor Stadtaffe, justifiably called one of the best German albums of all time, but it has many excellent songs that are among the highest quality that Musik-Deutschland 2023 has produced.
Svalbrad – The Weight Of The Mask
[Nuclear Blast]
I only listened to this album when the band announced that they would be at Summer Breeze next year. And Svalbard immediately landed on my “must see” list. Varied, great songs, modern. Something between metalcore, post-metal and melodic. Modern topics are addressed and shouted into the microphone in an angry but life-affirming manner. I wouldn’t be surprised if the band moved up a few notches on the gig lists in the next few years. It would be well deserved.
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