Some Other Music I Liked in 2023
These songs come from albums that I found interesting, but that didn't quite
make my Top Nine Albums List (releasing tomorrow).
Holy Fawn -- "Foal"
Holy Fawn's Realms EP may have been released in the mid-2010s, but it's new to vinyl this year, and the band's dreamy shoegaze metal always feel fresh, meaning this vinyl release feel revelatory, a boon to 2023, with the rumbling, autumnal "Foal" cresting as its pinnacle.
Fathomage -- "Vales of Darkness"
Fathomage''s sprawling atmospheric black metal album, Autumn's Dawn, Winter's Darkness, just barely missed my top nine list, the first one out, not because of a lack of quality, but because at 75 minutes, it's just too much to chew on--hence, I didn't revisit the entire album often, but I did frequently revisit its standout track, "Vales of Darkness," which distills all of the album's best qualities into 10 perfect minutes of heaviness, harps, and husky medieval choir work.
The Plot in You -- "Left Behind"
While I generally don't go for the big, anthemic hard rock style popularized by bands like 30 Seconds to Mars, I loved both singles The Plot in You released this year, particularly the fist-pumping "Left Behind," which features a huge and rousing chorus that's as anthemic as it gets.
Paramore -- "Liar"
After a six-year hiatus, Paramore's This Is Why feels like a strange afterthought, though the final third is as good as anything they've released, particularly the hushed and powerful "Liar," which was also great live, when my wife and I saw the band play in NOLA this summer.
'68 -- "They All Agreed"
Unfortunately, this year's Yes, and... marks the first time a Josh Scogin-led act has released two straight albums that don't do much for me. However, that spark of the eternal found in Scogin's best work is still present at times on this 4th '68 full-length, particularly on this moody and atmospheric take on a love song.
Earthside -- "Pattern of Rebirth" and "The Lesser Evil"
Progressive rock band, Earthside, pretty much throw everything at the wall on this year's lengthy (80-minute!) Let the Truth Speak, but when the band hit, they hit hard, from the more straightforward, driving rock of "Pattern of Rebirth" to the amorphous, funky, chunky "The Lesser Evil," which are both so good, I've included each of them here.
Acid Magus -- "Dead Weight"
Acid Magus' Hope Is Heavy is a fun stoner rock album, full of the stretched-out jams the genre is known for, though the standout moment is the funky, unbelievably fun "Dead Weight," a groovy delight about blowing a vampire's face off with a shotgun that I couldn't stop listening to in 2023.
Naoki Sato -- "Pain"
Godzilla Minus One is my favorite film of 2023, and that's due in no small part to Naoki Sato's fantastic soundtrack, which employs building, swelling strings to invoke wells of emotion. I particularly love "Pain," which follows the lead character (the lead character is not Godzilla) and his mental struggle (though I would be interested in a film about Godzilla's mental struggle) throughout the film, as he tries to find the will to live and find hope for the future in the ruins of the world around him.
Linkin Park -- "Fighting Myself"
Chester Bennington returned from the grave in 2023, as Linkin Park released a 20th anniversary edition of their classic album, Meteora(an album which made my best of 2003 list earlier this month),which contains a treasure trove of unreleased tracks. The head-bopping "Fighting Myself," featuring magnificent interplay between Bennington and co-frontman, Mike Shinoda, and one of those huge, epic outros only Linkin Park could create, is my favorite. What a gift from the beyond!
Holy Fawn -- "Foal"
Holy Fawn's Realms EP may have been released in the mid-2010s, but it's new to vinyl this year, and the band's dreamy shoegaze metal always feel fresh, meaning this vinyl release feel revelatory, a boon to 2023, with the rumbling, autumnal "Foal" cresting as its pinnacle.
Fathomage -- "Vales of Darkness"
Fathomage''s sprawling atmospheric black metal album, Autumn's Dawn, Winter's Darkness, just barely missed my top nine list, the first one out, not because of a lack of quality, but because at 75 minutes, it's just too much to chew on--hence, I didn't revisit the entire album often, but I did frequently revisit its standout track, "Vales of Darkness," which distills all of the album's best qualities into 10 perfect minutes of heaviness, harps, and husky medieval choir work.
The Plot in You -- "Left Behind"
While I generally don't go for the big, anthemic hard rock style popularized by bands like 30 Seconds to Mars, I loved both singles The Plot in You released this year, particularly the fist-pumping "Left Behind," which features a huge and rousing chorus that's as anthemic as it gets.
Paramore -- "Liar"
After a six-year hiatus, Paramore's This Is Why feels like a strange afterthought, though the final third is as good as anything they've released, particularly the hushed and powerful "Liar," which was also great live, when my wife and I saw the band play in NOLA this summer.
'68 -- "They All Agreed"
Unfortunately, this year's Yes, and... marks the first time a Josh Scogin-led act has released two straight albums that don't do much for me. However, that spark of the eternal found in Scogin's best work is still present at times on this 4th '68 full-length, particularly on this moody and atmospheric take on a love song.
Earthside -- "Pattern of Rebirth" and "The Lesser Evil"
Progressive rock band, Earthside, pretty much throw everything at the wall on this year's lengthy (80-minute!) Let the Truth Speak, but when the band hit, they hit hard, from the more straightforward, driving rock of "Pattern of Rebirth" to the amorphous, funky, chunky "The Lesser Evil," which are both so good, I've included each of them here.
Acid Magus -- "Dead Weight"
Acid Magus' Hope Is Heavy is a fun stoner rock album, full of the stretched-out jams the genre is known for, though the standout moment is the funky, unbelievably fun "Dead Weight," a groovy delight about blowing a vampire's face off with a shotgun that I couldn't stop listening to in 2023.
Naoki Sato -- "Pain"
Godzilla Minus One is my favorite film of 2023, and that's due in no small part to Naoki Sato's fantastic soundtrack, which employs building, swelling strings to invoke wells of emotion. I particularly love "Pain," which follows the lead character (the lead character is not Godzilla) and his mental struggle (though I would be interested in a film about Godzilla's mental struggle) throughout the film, as he tries to find the will to live and find hope for the future in the ruins of the world around him.
Linkin Park -- "Fighting Myself"
Chester Bennington returned from the grave in 2023, as Linkin Park released a 20th anniversary edition of their classic album, Meteora(an album which made my best of 2003 list earlier this month),which contains a treasure trove of unreleased tracks. The head-bopping "Fighting Myself," featuring magnificent interplay between Bennington and co-frontman, Mike Shinoda, and one of those huge, epic outros only Linkin Park could create, is my favorite. What a gift from the beyond!
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