And here we are – 2023 is here, and we even have the first month already behind us. January started of strong, and if it’s any indicator for the quality of the releases throughout the year, we are in for an awesome ride. SHALL WE BEGIN?
Ὁπλίτης – Ψευδομένη
January 1 // Independent
The year started with something really special – J.L, known for his other project Vitriolic Sage. Ὁπλίτης or ‘Hoplites’ is a new project, and damn it’s great. If you wanna get into black metal this year, this is a pretty awesome start.
Death Engine – Ocean
January 13 // Throatruiner Records/Code Records
We had the honor of premiering this album, but even before that, I’ve spent a significant amount of time listening to the promo for Ocean – it’s a powerful, pulsating piece of post metal, and definitely a benchmark for the genre in 2023.
Wothrosch – Odium
January 13 // Hammerheart Records
When I first listened to Odium, I kinda felt that 2023 would be year with good metal for me. I usually feel not that connected to metal anymore, although having my fair share of metal adjacent records in THE NOISE OF. Wothrosch definitely gave me a feeling of ‘fuck, those riffs slap’, and that’s all I needed.
MOLLY – Picturesque
January 13 // Sonic Cathedral
KOLLAPS\E – Phantom Centre
January 13 // Trepanation Recordings
Gaz Coombes – Turn The Car Around
January 13 // Hot Fruit/Virgin
This album has just such a sweet and timeless vibe. It’s warm and inviting, getting rid of any flashiness for good songs and good sound. I dig it.
Allen Epley – Everything
January 6 // Spartan Records
Atsuko Chiba – Water, It Feels Like It’s Growing
January 20 // Mothland
Aiming For Enrike – Empty Airports
January 20 // Jansen Records
From math rock to…mathy electronica? When Aiming For Enrike blasted their first glimpses of new material, I was a bit skeptical. Turns out, they fuckin know what they’re doing and release another fantastic album, which takes their math rock looping and Battles-ish electronica to new heights.
Oddisee – To What End
January 20 // Outer Note Label
Mette Henriette – Drifting
January 20 // ECM Records
Ah, jazz, my trusty companion. My light in the dark. With Drifting, we get one of the first highlights of they year – a moving, pulsating piece of work, driven by Mette Henriette‘s impressive work on the saxophone!
Complete Mountain Almanac – Complete Mountain Almanac
January 27 // Bella Union
I just love those records you put on and immediately know are special. Complete Mountain Almanac might come off as a bit cheesy and has some Anne Murray vibes here and there, but the intricate arrangements and the charismatic vocal performance by Rebekka Karijord make this truly wonderful.
Sightless Pit – Lockstep Bloodwar
January 27 // Thrill Jockey
Ugh, that’s fucking nasty. In case of Sightless Pit, the wild project by The Body‘s Lee Buford and Full Of Hell‘s Dylan Walker, being nasty is a good thing. Very good indeed.
Kimbra – A Reckoning
January 27 // Independent
Many of you might know Kimbra from her feature on Gotye‘s hit “Somebody That I Used To Know”, but make no mistake on stopping there. Beyond that, and more importantly, she is a fantastic solo artist – her third album Primal Heart is one of my favorite pop album in recent years. A Reckoning is dark and intimate, a perfect opportunity to jump right into her music.
Fucked Up – One Day
January 27 // Merge Records
There aren’t many bands which are as rewarding for the listeners who dig into their discography as Fucked Up. The artistic vision present in each release they’ve put out is simply astonishing – the rawness of hardcore, but the finesse of prog and avantgarde. One Day continues the impressive journey.
Crosslegged – Another Blue
January 27 // Independent
I really love this little gem. ‘You can’t push the river‘ seems to be the quote Keba Robinson aka Crosslegged built their album on – every song confidently flows into the next one – maybe a bit rough and chaotic here and there, but those currents make the ride excited in the first place.
Thanks for scrolling!
