This year I experienced a rather extreme lifestyle change by moving from Melbourne, Australia, a city known for its thriving music, art and sports cultures, to Canada's picturesque mountain ranges. Almost every factor of my life has changed, including how I enjoy music; however, my passion towards our worldwide heavy music community has only increased.
I've had the pleasure to further hone my skills as a writer and interviewer as I spent 2023 crushing my biggest challenges yet, beginning in March when I had the pleasure to interview artists backstage at the first edition of Knotfest Australia, which, despite minor technical issues was an exceptionally successful day, with a personal highlight outside of my interviews being meeting long time idol (s and anchors), Parkway Drive vocalist Winston McCall for the first time backstage after being a fan for fifteen plus years and seeing him on stages across Australia 30+ times. I was delighted to discover that he is as lovely and personable as they say.
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My next challenge saw me chase down the appropriate people to gain a media pass for the Vancouver stop on Wage War's North American Manic Tour for my first international gig review. The melodic metalcore heavyweights put on an incredible show, which I like to think is well and truly reflected in my review.
From there, I have continued to thrive as an internationally based music journalist, covering live performances from Parkway Drive, The Amity Affliction, Motionless In White, Knocked Loose, Suicide Silence, Northlane, Make Them Suffer, Chelsea Grin, Left To Suffer, Distant, Alpha Wolf and many more.
My desire to continue evolving and shaping into the best music journalist I can be runs deep and will drive me to conquer even more throughout 2024 and beyond.
TOP 10 RELEASES OF 2023
10. LUNE - The Change Around Us & The Change In You
9. Left To Suffer - Feral
8. Movements - RUCKUS!
7. Chelsea Grin - Suffer In Heaven
6. Thy Art Is Murder - Godlike
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RI_HeZpo6g8
5. The Amity Affliction - Not Without My Ghosts
4. Melancolia - HissThroughRottenTeeth
3. Currents - The Death We Seek
2. To The Grave - Director's Cuts
1. Invent Animate - Heavener
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEFeRruBSRY
TOP 10 SONGS OF 2023
10. Kublai Khan TX - 'Theory of Mind'
9. Chelsea Grin - 'Fathomless Maw'
8. HEAVENSGATE - 'GINSICK'
7. Left To Suffer - 'Disappoint Me'
6. THROWN - 'On The Verge'
https://youtu.be/DqBzOVCmIdM?si=qBvFQ9E26nGtIA1M
5. Diamond Construct - 'Jynx'
4. Bloom - 'Bound To Your Whispers'
3. ATLVS - 'Forked Tongue'
2. Invent Animate - 'Immolation of Night'
1. The Amity Affliction - 'I See Dead People'
https://youtu.be/5USscK73aRI?si=i24Y8xSgAFE3buwt
TOP 5 MUSIC VIDEOS OF 2023
5. The Amity Affliction - It's Hell Down Here
https://youtu.be/7J9_A5r6kJk?si=sB8_Ec1KTkYI36v_
4. Invent Animate - Immolation of Night
https://youtu.be/1iwNEukbK48?si=0vU52iP2p0jWXv3z
3. Diamond Construct - Jynx
https://youtu.be/ymBZyDZFLC0?si=WL2cZMEyVh94URM9
2. Knocked Loose - Deep In The Willow/Everything Is Quiet Now
https://youtu.be/H4KYH7LK2_0?si=mo_5gJ5vcbIeFYD6
1. Melancolia - God Tongue
https://youtu.be/hLijSU13d0o?si=f39A8q2hc9Z6KP6B
BEST GIG YOU CAUGHT THIS YEAR?
Australian Band/s: Monsters of Oz North American Tour with Parkway Drive, The Amity Affliction, Northlane and Make Them Suffer at Echo Beach, Toronto, Canada. My review here
International Band/s: Motionless In White at WAMU Theatre, Seattle, USA. My review here
FAVOURITE CONTRIBUTION YOU PRODUCED?
After last year's Slipknot interview being a standalone highlight for my career as a music journalist, I wondered how I could top that contribution throughout 2024. While this year has seen me take on challenges I have never faced before, propelling further growth as a writer, my favourite contribution for 2023 is an opinion piece I wrote for Wall of Sound Magazine Issue #002. The article highlights the challenges of tackling the North American industry, as I have done this year, and how I overcame any challenges to produce some of the best work of my career.
As a writer who focuses on music, I don't often get to write about myself in a very personal manner. I usually don't like to reveal too much, but that's precisely what this article does, which I am very proud of. You can enjoy the Digi-Mag in its entirety here.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C0sYxWjpAtT/?img_index=1
FAV NEW BAND/MUSICIAN DISCOVERED IN 2023?
THROWN
A few friends told me how good these guys were for quite a while. Still, I didn't give them much of my attention until I saw them play in Vancouver, Canada, as they toured the North American region with Invent Animate. I was speechless; the Swedish group performed superbly, and my long-lasting connection with this group began to fuse.
https://youtu.be/GmsCSBWDAmA?si=33KjA7iCgZRmyuKT
NEXT BIG AUSSIE ACT TO WATCH IN 2024?
Mélancolia
As far as melodic blackened deathcore goes, this Melbourne based four piece dropped one of the subgenre's best LP's in recent years as their debut release, scoring them label deals with Greyscale Records and Nuclear Blast Records. I dare predict that these (not so colourful) characters have a few tricks up their sleeves for 2024.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N37bv7nKGEg
WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO IN 2024?
I am, without a doubt, loving my time in North America. However, 2024 will see me return to Australia, which is a bittersweet thought, although I am always excited about what special moments the next chapter of my life will hold.
My large appetite for new music means that 2024 album releases from Alpha Wolf, Bloom, Gravemind, Ocean Sleeper, Diamond Construct, Make Them Suffer, Whitechapel, and many others are all I think about as I toss and turn in bed at night.
As always, you can catch me at gigs and festivals (**cough** Knotfest Australia **cough**) throughout 2024, no matter what part of the world I am in!
Also, for the love of god, can Saviour please do something again?!
Written by Adam Rice
https://youtu.be/tIlLi7MwIug?si=RKwm-zApAj4kKHE8
