Wow, where has the year gone? It only seems like yesterday I was putting together my Top 10 for 2022. 2023 overall has had it share of challenges and difficulties and as always, music finds you exactly when you need it, and there have been some phenomenal releases this year which makes it that much more arduous to select a Top 10. Upon reflection, I really wish I had have been able to do more reviews this year however my day job has got that much more intense and demanding so I have not been in the best place of mind mentally to fully focus on reviewing this year, lets see what lies in store for 2024. As always, it is an absolute pleasure to be able to share with you my Top 10 Albums of 2023.
10. Lycania – My Kingdom Come
My Kingdom Come is exactly the kind of music that could be pulled out of a compendium of classic fairy tales. This is the debut album of LYCANIA a Symphonic metal band from Germany and shows lots of promise of things to come in the bands future.
Favourite track: Majesty of Madness
Find LYCANIA on Facebook.
9. Avaland – The Legend of the Storyteller
This is the sequel to the bands debut album Theater of Sorcery from 2021 and returns us to the world of AVALAND. This is a perfect addition to the lore and stories told in the bands previous venture and further enriches them too. Once again the band make use of guest vocals and musicians to introduce us to a wealth of characters.
Favourite Track: You’ll Be the Legend
Find AVALAND on Facebook.
8. Demonstealer – The Propaganda Machine
This is the fourth full length release of DEMONSTEALER (Sahil Makhija, also of DEMONIC RESURRECTION fame). This is melodeath at its finest with a healthy dose of symphonic thrown in for good measure. The themes here run incredibly deep and this is evident across the lyrical content “Inducted into extremist forces, taught their ideologies and their ways, brainwashed and turned into pawn, spread forth their politics of hate” It is incredibly poignant with what continues to happen across our world in this day and age.
Favourite Track: The Great Dictator
Find DEMONSTEALER on Facebook.
7. Heavenqueen – Heavenqueen
This is the self-titled debut of HEAVENQUEEN from the Netherlands who are a Progressive-Symphonic metal band. There are touches of folk throughout the album which are ethereal and haunting and have a good touch of witchcraft for good measure, indeed parts of the album reminded me of the classic film The Wicker Man it was that haunting. There are some guest vocalists featured too on the track All Women in Me (Anna Kiara, Emma Elvaston of ATTRACTIVE CHAOS/BENEATH MY SINS and FIROUZEH of CONTROL THE STORM amongst others)
There are lots of themes represented across the album such as mental health, child loss and portrayed with a mythical twist to allow others to draw strength and support from these songs.
Favourite Track: Heavenqueen
Find HEAVENQUEEN on Facebook.
6. Against Myself – Tides of Insanity
Tides of Insanity is the fourth album from Spain’s AGAINST MYSELF. The band have been around since 2009 but this is the first album to fully feature Elizabeth Amoedo on vocals. There are evidently loads of influences from NIGHTWISH but that is no bad thing at all, just shows that they have opened the floodgates for a new generation of Symphonic metal bands. This was always guaranteed to be one of the best Symphonic metal releases of the year which is why it featured in my top 10. If you like epic compositions just wait until you hear the title track which is just shy of 20 minutes in length!
Favourite Track: Tides of Insanity
Find AGAINST MYSELF on Facebook.
5. Mystfall – Celestial Vision
Celestial Vision is the debut album of MYSTFALL, who are a Greek Symphonic Metal band from Athens, featuring Marialena Trikoglou on vocals (formerly of HORRORGRAPHY), whose vocals are akin to that of a sirens song. On the flipside of this there are some harsh vocals from Kostas Mexis which really balance out appealing to both Symphonic Power metal and Symphonic Death metal fans alike.
Favourite Track: Kings of Utopia
Find MYSTFALL on Facebook.
4. Promethium – Bleeding The Ghost
If there was one song this year that kept popping up in my head it was Priest. Taken from the latest offering by Lancaster’s PROMETHIUM, this was the bands fifth release and I can confidently say their strongest yet. A great album from start to finish and well worth checking out.
Favourite Track: Priest
You can read my review here.
Find PROMETHIUM on Facebook.
3. Scar Symmetry – The Singularity (Phase II – Xenotaph)
I have really missed SCAR SYMMMETRY! There was almost a decade between releases, but it was totally worth the wait! This is part 2 of a trilogy of albums named “The Singularity” and does exactly what SCAR SYMMETRY do best with a fantastic amalgamation of both harsh and clean vocals from Roberth Karlsson & Lars Palmqvist respectively. I am already excited for Part 3.
Favourite track: Altergeist
Find SCAR SYMMETRY on Facebook.
2. Kamelot – The Awakening
I love KAMELOT and as always, they showed no signs of slowing down, with The Awakening this was the bands thirteenth release, and my only regret was that it took me so long to finally get around to listening to it (It still is!). I have revisited the album quite a lot this year and has helped amongst some tough times. This album also had a sequel to the classic track Ghost Operafrom the album of the same name – Opus of the Night (Ghost Requiem) which to me felt like Thomas Youngbloods’ homage to the classic Music Of The Night (from Phantom Of The Opera) by Andrew Lloyd Webber
This was incredibly close to being my album of the year and only narrowly missed out.
Favourite Track: The Great Divide
You can read my review of The Awakening from earlier on this year here.
Find KAMELOT on Facebook.
NUMBER ONE: Temperance – Hermitage (Daruma’s Eyes Part 2)
This is the bands seventh offering and quite easily their most bombastic and glorious! There has been two new members added to the fold but what is presented is an incredibly consistent and solid band, harmoniously intertwined and operating as one. New vocalist Kristin Starkey perfectly bounces off both Marco Pastorino and Michele Guaitoli and adds an extra level in the vocal harmonisations in place. The album is narrated by Arjen Anthony Lucassen (AYREON, STAR ONE, STREAM OF PASSION) which adds extra weight to the depth of the story. Daruma’s Eyes was a song on the bands Of Jupiter And Moons album so now we have a full story across this album to explore the themes originally presented in this song. The album is certainly one that all fans of Symphonic metal should make it the next thing they listen to and is undoubtably an absolute masterpiece. I was fortunate to see the band twice earlier in the year so cannot wait to see them again performing more songs from this work of art.
Favourite Song: No Return
Find TEMPERANCE on Facebook.
What are your top albums? Comment below.
