Wall of Sound Presents: “2023 Year In Review” – by Writer Rod Whitfield
Narrowing down the best albums of 2023 to just 10 was next to impossible this year – it’s been a stunning year for new music, just stunning. I will never, ever be able to comprehend people who reel out the ‘there’s no good new music around today’/’only the old stuff is any good’ cliches. Such people are both deluding and depriving themselves.
I have a bunch of very honourable mentions: Ne Obliviscaris, To the Grave, Haken, Earthside, Periphery, Veil of Maya, The Voynich Code, Distant . . .
Anyway, here goes nothing . . .
TOP 10 RELEASES OF 2023
10. Klone – Meanwhile
9. Crown Magnetar – Everything Bleeds
8. Mental Cruelty – Zwielicht
7. Jakub Zytecki – Remind Me
6. Sleep Token – Take Me Back to Eden
5. Humanity’s Last Breath – Ashen
4. Voyager – Fearless in Love
3. Johnny Booth – Moments Elsewhere
2. Future Static – Liminality
1. TesseracT – War of Being
TOP 10 SONGS OF 2023
10. Future Static – ‘Will I?’
9. Chelsea Grin – ‘Fathomless Maw’
8. Humanity’s Last Breath – ‘Instill’
7. Johnny Booth – ‘Collapse in the Key of Fireworks’
6. Earthside – ‘Let the Truth Speak’
5. Voyager – ‘The Lamenting’
4. Jakub Zytecki – ‘HEART’
3. TesseracT – ‘Sacrifice’
2. Future Static – ‘…And The Walls That Were Built’
1. Lune Asea – ‘Outlier’
BEST GIG YOU CAUGHT THIS YEAR
Aussie Band
Sunk Loto / Ocean Sleeper / Red Bee at Max Watts, Melbourne (Naarm)
Tough one, I saw quite a few excellent local shows this year, but I have to give it to Sunk Loto. Watching an awesome band play your all-time favourite Aussie metal album end-to-end on its 20th anniversary, with two excellent supports, is always going to be a truly special evening. – Review here
International Band
Devin Townsend / Caligula’s Horse at The Forum, Melbourne (Naarm)
A little more cut and dry. Hevy Devy is my equal all-time favourite artist on the planet, so he’s always going to get the nod. The fact that he had the mighty C-Horse supporting was just a beautiful bonus.
FAVOURITE CONTRIBUTION PRODUCED
The UK’s magnificent TesseracT produced my album of the year in 2023, so talking to the band’s frontman Daniel Tompkins was a highlight. War of Being is a masterpiece and live, they are simply flawless. So I’m hanging on their tour, we just have to wait until May ’24!
FAVOURITE NEW BAND/MUSICIAN DISCOVERED IN 2023
Again, pretty cut and dry: Johnny Booth. A mate recommended them to me early-mid year – their album Moments Elsewhere completely blew me away from very first listen, and has been a constant fixture in my listening cycle ever since. It’s a truly explosive blend of metalcore, post-hardcore, punk and alt-rock, although it somehow manages to be dynamic and interesting at the same time, and makes for the perfect workout music.
The album made my top three this year. In another year, it may have been even higher.
This band is close to unheard-of here in Australia, and seemingly underrated elsewhere. Make sure you check them out, boost their numbers and maybe they’ll tour. I would love to see them play live.
NEXT BIG AUSSIE ACT TO WATCH IN 2024
They’ve had a massive year – they released a sensational version of Daddy Yankee’s ‘Gasolina’ as a single that’s done extremely well on YouTube, they’ve done their first-ever international tour, and they released their debut album (top two for the year for me), but I have a feeling 2024 will be even bigger for Melbourne’s Future Static. I’m sure we’ll see them on the road in Australia in early 2024, and hopefully they’ll get back o/s again at least once next year.
This band has something very special going on, and hopefully Australia and the rest of the world will see that next year.
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO MOST IN 2024?
There are several bands I’d love to see tour Australia next year, some are realistic, some are semi-realistic, some are complete pipe dreams, but I’ll put them out there anyway: Periphery, Lorna Shore, Johnny Booth, Humanity’s Last Breath, Nightwish, Porcupine Tree, Earthside, Crown Magnetar, Klone, Mental Cruelty, Darko US, Veil of Maya, Jinjer, the list goes on and on.
The list of bands I’d love to hear new albums from would be even longer.
Oh, and I’m really looking forward to the Dune sequel.
In a personal sense, I’d like the video game I’m writing the narrative and novelisation for, Brides of Vampira, to draw closer to completion, get out into the public eye more, and maybe attain some funding (please wishlist here: https://rb.gy/a00wwt )
Written by Rod Whitfield