The Top 10 Rock Albums of 2023 so far

As the Doomsday Clock races, time speeds up, finding  2023 already at it's midpoint. These  lists serve as a decent snap shot of where the year is heading in terms of music. I have already received  promos for albums dropping as far out as August in my in-box, so they are really going to need to bring it in order to compete with the top five albums on this list. Rock is being defined here as  basically anything that is not metal, pop, or goth. It might be a little darker or heavier than what you listen to , so we are going by my definition since yours's can't be trusted. 

"But wait that is M....,"

Shut up... in 2023 if you are not bringing it at least as hard as Pantera , it's not metal .We are in a darker and heavier world so the soundtrack even when it is only rock n roll, should still fit the times.  I have included links to full review if you want to check these out and with all that said here are the top 10 Rock albums of 2023 so far. 

10- LA Guns - "Black Diamonds" 

 As long as both Phil Lewis and Tracii Guns are on board then I am fine with LA Guns. This album finds them  continuing to kick ass while their arena packing peers are fat floundering fools. If these guys can still do it with dignity then we should be expecting the same from the Motley Crues of the world. They open this album with a more Zeppelin like groove. At 66 Phil Lewis sounds incredible. They stay true to the era they are from, while not sounding dated .

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/04/la-guns-black-diamonds.html

9-Riverside -"ID. Entity" 

This album is very impressive and not too prog for its own good. These guys remember that they  are songwriters first and foremost. They are also songwriters with something to say that goes a long way with me. More speculation than shredding is a lesson todays prog bands could learn from. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/01/riverside-id-entity.html

 8-Tigercub- "the Perfume of Decay" 

This trio from England plays a glammed out style of rock that feels like a darker , more androgynous take on what Muse does. This is displayed on the title track opens the album. A trickle of angle guitar cascades of the groove, as the vocals coo over it all. They work more of tense groove rather than feeling the need to glitter bomb everything with grandiose choruses

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/06/tigercub-perfume-of-decay.html

 

7-Narrowhead- "Moments of Clarity"

Now  this band coats their songs with the glaze of shoegaze . The vocals are more introspective. The title track has a harder syncopated jangle, as they remind you, they did not leave their distortion pedals at home. The vocal lines pack a hookier punch hookier, as their song writing has been sharpened this time around. They use a similar formula, but with more dynamic ebb and flow 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/03/narrow-head-moments-of-clarity.html

  6- Queens of the Stone Age - "In New Times Roman..." 

The band does what they to well, though upon a  casual listen all the key elements are in place , though  perhaps due to the almost too pristine production, they sit weird together. Homme's vocals are in his normal cadence, but the highly compressed guitars have odd effects on them.  Though not a huge departure for the band, it perhaps does not rely on grooves as heavily as "Villains" .  

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/06/queens-of-stone-age-in-new-times-roman.html

  5-healthyliving- "Songs of Abundance, Psalms of Grief"

Bringing together musicians from Scotland , Germany and Spain, this trio kicks up an impressive melancholic brand of driving rock that borders on metal. This keen sense of dynamics is what I listen for in music from all genres. The stark alto of Amaya is expressive. While  she is not a Siouxsie clone, you can hear traces of that influence. She proves to be a powerful singer capable of belting it out as needed.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/03/healthyliving-songs-of-abundance-psalms.html

4-Deathvalley Girls- "Islands in the Sky" 

This album is darker than their previous once ,as the band firmly adheres to creating astounding layers of sounds, but still serving the songs with them. They combine the 60s pop ballad feel with their more psychedelic pondering  creates something closer to Siouxsie and the Banshees than you might expect. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/03/death-valley-girls-islands-in-sky.html

   

3-Royal Thunder- "Rebuilding the Table" 

It's been seven years since their last album and the band went through some personal shit before returning reconfigured with drummer Adam Diprima back in the fold.  They can not be accused of doing more of the same and the lengthy break brought a fresh coat of sonic musing to the table. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/05/royal-thunder-rebuilding-mountain.html
 

 

2- Metallica- "72 Seasons" 

Sure there is  is some recycling and clock punching, to keep it from being perfect, but if you are a Metallica fan and wish the "Black Album' was more metal and power ballad free then this album is for you. It's fun which has earned it repeat listens . 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/04/metallica-72-seasons.html

1-Spotlights - "Alchemy for the Dead" 

 This trio's sound has continued to evolve, as it not places them some where between the shoe gazing side of post-hardcore and sludge. This album  gets better with each listen, and the shadows of it's mood seep into your head.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/03/spotlights-alchemy-for-dead.html