the Top 10 Doom Albums of 2023

 

I love to celebrate death and darkness, Doom is the music that should not only embrace a sense of loss and depression but sonically express it. These  are the albums that did that best captured that feeling this year .   After I sort through the top 10 albums of all the respective genres, I use those lists to compile the top 10 albums of the year. 2023. The very fact these bands made it on the list speaks to how great these albums are, so it's not a slight that the number 8 album is above the 9th album, there is something that just gives it an edge that makes me want to listen to it more. After all, we can try to look cool and pick the hippest bands for a list, but at the end of the day what makes an album the best is that it makes you want more, you look forward to listening to it again. Perhaps you can find your next favorite on this list; and have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out the audio on these guys. Anyway here are the top 10 Doom albums of 2023.

10-Adversvm-"Vama Marga"

This  band is capable of traversing sonic depth and on the heavier side of death doom as needed. This German band recently added the keyboardist from Evoken to their ranks, which is what made me take notice. This marks the band's third full length. Not sure I would quite  lump them into funeral doom as I am not getting that same sense of depressive longing , so they seem more like an atmospheric death doom band .

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/05/adversvm-vama-marga.html

 9-Saturnus- "the Storm Within"

 It could be said these guys are death doom if your definition of the sub-genre weighs heavily on the vocals. Musically there is a very lush expanse of sound summoned from what this Danish band does. They have been around since the 90s and this is only their 5th album, so they take their time. They have what they do very dialed in

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/06/death-is-june-saturnus-storm-within.html

8-Isole-" Anesidora"

I  really liked this Swedish band's 2019 album "Dystopia". They seem to be heading into even more melodic territory. Deliberate and dark, but not doom in the way it is most easily defined. There is more drive, almost in the same sonic zip code as Hangman's Chair, the vocals have a more regal operatic feel, and the singer is clearly not as depressed. This majestic soaring feel, is what separates them into their own niche. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/03/isole-anesidora.html

7-Usnea - "Bathed in Light"

I was a fan of this band's 2017 album. They are back at it with a greater mix of atmospheric moods and crushing doom that carries the dirty heft of sludge. Though a great deal of it has been smoothed out due to the attention to detail that was spent recording this. The vocals go from a low guttural growl to a more anguished scream. In the past six years since their last album they have been polishing every element of what they do. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/05/usnea-bathed-in-light.html

6- Ahab- the Coral Tombs 

8 years of chaos have passed since this German doom band released their last album. Chris Noir of  Ultha lends his voice to the highly aggressive black metal start of the opening track before it ebbs down into the doom you expect from this band. The croon of the baritone vocals here, is delivered with more power and presented more forward in the mix. The vocals play a bigger role in the overall sound this time around. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/01/ahab-coral-tombs.html

5- Shores of Null- the Loss of Beauty" 

I really enjoyed this Italian band's 2017 album, now they are proving to be just as hard to pin down. Musically there is a great deal in common with black metal, but the crooned vocals throw that comparison off to some extent. The growled vocals feel more death metal. The tremolo flow of guitar could also come from something pagan metal like Tyr, so a great deal is going on with some interesting melancholy passages to add to the dynamics.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/03/shores-of-null-loss-of-beauty.html

4- the Abbey-"Word of Sin"

Hailing from bands like Man Eating Tree and Shape of Despair, this doom band out of Finland , does what I wish Ghost did, by playing dark metal, with catchy layer vocals . The cadence and how the vocals are layered is what brings Ghost to mind. Unlike Ghost this has the balls of metal to it even when draped in doomy goth finery

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/02/the-abbey-word-of-sin.html

3-GODTHRYMM - "Distortions"

UK doomsters Godthrymm return with their dark and gritty vision of metal. It's vision that is true to the classic while not gazing into the stagnation of retro obsessions. Unless we are talking about the 90s as this would have fit well into the doom that was coming out then. They feels like they are chugging forward rather than meandering in droning sprawl.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/07/godthrymm-distortions.html

2-Orphans of Dusk -"Spleen"

 They are doom band with low sung baritone vocals , but also use death metal snarls as well, which not what Peter Steele did, so yes there is influence there, but Woods of Ypres, Moonspell, Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride could all be influences as well. If you just label them a Type O tribute then you are telling me you have a very limited range of musical knowledge. They 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/04/orphans-of-dusk-spleen.html

1- Mansion- Second Death 

This Finnish band does doom most uniquely at times they blend a minimalist folk not unlike what a  cult would sing as their mantra, as they lurch along in a very creepy manner. The tangible darkness of the music is heavier than the distortion of the guitars of the volume, though they are capable of applying those dynamics as well. I think they tap into cool dark places that few go in a new way. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/11/november-is-doom-mansion-second-death.html

The Top 10 Goth / Post Punk Albums of 2023 so far

The great Tik Tok goth craze of 2022 is a distant memory to the lemming minded masses and it is  just another depressing day for actual goths to celebrate darkness. Since goth is about music with a side order of fashion, it's time to look at the mid year report card for goth, post-punk and industrial music this year.  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. Given my tastes things lean in the more death rock direction. I like my goth to be aggressive, to the point even one metal band made the list. Though most sub-genre's are represented here, though not much of interest in terms of dark wave as really impressed me this year. There is very few projects here that rely too much on electronics as I am a firm believer in actual instruments making music.  I have included links to full review if you want to check these out and with all that said here are the top 10 goth/ post-punk albums of 2023 so far. 

10-STAHV- "simple mercies' 

Maybe there is a DJ out in Seattle who is not afraid of music with instruments. They are likely bumping this album at their goth night while , those of us on the east coast might just have to endure the same old Front 242 songs. It pays homage to the sound of an era while not being chained to it. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/03/stahv-simple-mercies.html

  9--Miranda and the Beat-"s/t'

If Amy Winehouse was making  brooding post-punk that still favored her 50's inspired doo-wop the results would not be unlike what happens on this album. It offers a great deal of sounds and moods while sticking to the boozy back alleys invoked here. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/04/miranda-and-beat-st.html

 

8-Godflesh- "Purge" 

This time around the iconic duo embraces their 90s past, to create throbbing grooves that bring a mass hypnosis as the soundtrack to the current state of pre apocalypse. I mean the world could not have ended with out another album from these guys. The first trumpet from the four horse men, Swams, Killing Joke and the Cure will be the final blasts of the bleakness to come. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/06/godflesh-purge.html

 

7-Bosco Sacro-"Gem"

This quartet out of Italy plays a very dark and atmospheric kind of music that is hard to pin down.The singer uses her voice like an instrument, which I am a fan of rather than verse / chorus pop structure to songs. Artists like Dead Can Dance and Kate Bush , are a fair  measure of what is going on here, which is a compliment in and of itself. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/02/bosco-sacro-gem.html

 

6-Orphans of Dusk - "Spleen" 

This album is not  the most original thing , but I like where they go with and the toys they are choosing to play with are some of my favorite toys in the toy box. If you are a fan of gothy doom do yourself a favor and check this out. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/04/orphans-of-dusk-spleen.html

   

 

5- Ville Valo- "Neon Noir" 

It depends on how attached your are to this sounding like H.I.M , as to how you are going to respond to the sounds gathered here. This feels in many ways like a logical place for him to pick up after where he left his former project .

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/01/ville-valo-neon-noir.html

 

4-Naut-"Hunt" 

Most post-punk revival bands do not have this kind of power in their attack. It is not mistake these guys got signed to Season of Mist in many ways this is defined by the sum of it's parts and the influences that make those up but this album is also a great deal of fun.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/02/naut-hunt.html

  3-Night Goat-"Totem"  

 This band from Portland, is kicking up an interesting blend of sonic abrasion that is equal parts grunge and death rock on their second album. Imagine L7 jamming with 45 Grave and you are pretty close to what is happening  here. It ends up beings heavier than expected. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/02/night-goat-totem.html

2-Grave Pleasures-"Plagueboys"

My favorite Finnish post- punk revivalists are back. There is a more melodic quality in place on these new songs, that takes some of the more metallic edges off. On songs like "Heart Like a Slaughterhouse" they have taken their tried and true sound, echoing all the way back to when they were Beastmilk and polished it into something even catchier. The pleading baritone warble of his croon, even stronger due to the songs being written with vocals at the centerpiece.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/04/grave-pleasures-plagueboys.html

1-Temple of Angels -"Endless Pursuit" 

I knew they were worthy to carry that torch of dream pop on the first song of their debut album. Fans of moody dream pop with a guitar fueled backbone  that jangles into your bones, will  perhaps be as wow'ed as I am by this album. Sadly it does not come out until July 14th , I promise this is an album to look forward to. For them to beat out Grave Pleasures for the top spot says a great deal.  

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/04/temple-of-angels-endless-pursuit.html