Best hard rock/metal albums of 2023

It's time again for my album of the year picks.  I rank song quality and album consistency heavily, so if there's only a couple of good tracks, the rating suffers.  This year my list is not as stylistically diverse as last year's, but I always surprise myself with who makes the top 10 and in what order.  Once again I listened to a lot of music to make my final decisions, so I encourage you to check out my top picks as well as those from the list below if you need holiday gifts or to catch up on rock from 2023.

1. Mammoth WVH - Mammoth II

Wolfgang Van Halen (son of guitar god Eddie Van Halen) wanted to avoid the sophomore slump with his second solo release, and in my opinion he did a lot better than that.  Mammoth II bests his debut with better versatility and improved musicianship drawing on a variety of influences from classic rock to alternative metal (Tool) and even djent/modern progressive metal (Intervals; Meshuggah).  Wolfie even coined the term Meshuggah-Beatles to describe some of his new music like album closer "Better Than You."  "Waiting" is the lyrically-themed sequel to "Distance" about his father from the first album.

Best tracks: Another Celebration at the End of the World, Optimist, Waiting

Image taken by me @Starland Ballroom 11/17/23

2. Metallica - 72 Seasons

Metallica's 11th studio album is the first since 2016's Hardwired... and while I liked that one a lot, this one is even better.  Although it is not quite thrash, there are more driving rock songs than their more melodic opuses and ballads.  Critics have also noticed a deeper meaning to James' lyrics on songs like "Screaming Suicide" and "Room of Mirrors."  James says the concept of 72 seasons is about a person's growth and maturity over 18 years of life.  18 x 4 = 72, so the math adds up!

Best tracks: Lux Eterna; Room of Mirrors; 72 Seasons 

3. Filter - The Algorithm

Filter's first studio album in seven years started to form in 2018 when lead singer Richard Patrick rekindled with original guitarist Brian Liesegang.  A few songs got released in 2020 that we thought were going to be on the record that then became standalone singles.  Honestly the project that was billed as the "official follow-up to Short Bus" took so long to come to fruition it had fallen off my radar.  However, the Algorithm sounds like a true return to form with industrial roots and modern rock influences.  As one fan commented, "this album is pure time travel." Patrick has rarely been at a loss of things to write about, and he can still sing his ass off.  The album is leaning heavy with some of the lighter ballads they have also become known for.  Even if you haven't listened to Filter since the turn of the century, give this one a spin (hey, vinyl is back, this still makes sense).

Best tracks: Obliteration; Summer Child; Up Against the Wall

4. Beartooth - The Surface

Thematically this album is the antithesis of their last album, Below.  In some ways it is their most poppy.  There's even a song called "Might Love Myself" about self love and empowerment.  However, there are also some bangers, screams, and sick breakdowns as well.  While some metal fans say they've gotten too soft, other fans are embracing the positive mental health journey of lead singer Caleb Shomo and his uplifting songs.  I own other Beartooth albums and this is the first one I can play all the way through so take that for what it's worth.

Best tracks: The Surface; Riptide; What's Killing You

5. Staind - Confessions of the Fallen

First release since 2011.  I've already written about it here.  Aaron's voice is still strong and Mike Mushok keeps them rocking hard.

Best tracks: Lowest in Me; Here and Now; Cycle of Hurting

6. Blink 182 - One More Time

Another comeback album as it is their first since 2019 and their first with Tom DeLonge since 2011.  Tom's voice and songwriting are certainly welcomed, but these are not the same people as they used to be.  There are still some humorous moments, but largely the writing is mature and reflective.  I've listened to this album a lot since its release and I interpret it as Mark and Tom's love note to each other.  For example, the nostalgic "When We Were Young" has them trade off on verses about early years, rather than the usual formula of having one or the other be the lead singer.  Then there are lyrics from the title track that obviously refer to their relationship with each other.  "I wish they told us, it shouldn't take a sickness, Or airplanes falling out the sky" clearly are referencing illnesses such as Mark's recent battle with cancer and Travis's 2008 plane crash.  The chorus of "One More Time" I believe is about them regretting not speaking for several years during their two hiatus periods.  This album is more emo than punk rock, but still a fun return overall.

Best tracks: Dance With Me; Anthem Part 3; One More Time

7. Godsmack - Lighting Up the Sky

In what might be the last Godsmack album, they put together a fantastic eighth studio album showcasing their signature sound from power rockers to more emotional ballads.  It's only 10 tracks, but songs are a little bit longer than typical radio songs bringing the total time to almost 50 minutes.  55 year old Sully Erna says "Man I'm Growing Old" in the next to last song.  He says the band isn't breaking up and they will continue to tour, but right now he doesn't see them making another album.

Best tracks: Soul On Fire; Hell's Not Dead; Surrender

8. Dirty Honey - Can’t Find the Breaks
This band formed in 2017 in Los Angeles and attempted to follow the success of Guns N' Roses, even opening for Slash in 2018 and 2019 and the mighty GNR in 2022.  This is their second album and it has a fun mix of blues, country, and rock and roll.  They also sound a bit like the Black Crowes at times, and guess what, they opened for them too!  I also hear similarities with Greta Van Fleet, Red Sun Rising, and Crobot which means they are very good.  They have made some moves on the Mainstream Rock charts, but are largely still under the radar.  If you like your rock and roll with some swagger and swing, check these guys out.

Best tracks: Won't Take Me Alive; Can't Find the Breaks; Ride On

9. Drain - Living Proof

This is hardcore.  Literally.  If you're feeling angry, put this on and mosh or jam out.  Influenced by Suicidal Tendencies, and covering the Descendants, this is an interesting listen from a band that I think has huge potential.  Give them a listen.  Vocalist Sammy Ciaramataro says my favorite track "Watch You Burn" was written about a bad person.  "It's the meanest song I ever wrote, but I tried to make it into something good."

10. Sevendust - Truth Killer 

This is Sevendust's 14th album and they have been consistently good.  They are a band that is in the rare territory these days of being better live in person than on record.  That being said, this is one of their strongest, most consistent albums.  This year they've toured with Alter Bridge and Mammoth WVH.  They are currently touring with Static-X and Dope and will be through the winter into 2024.  If you get the chance, definitely watch a live performance.  There's dates in NJ, PA, and Long Island NY.  I've already got my tickets for Starland and might try to see them in Harrisburg as well.

Best track: Love and Hate

With streaming becoming the way most people consume music, some people think albums are becoming a thing of the past.  I still like a good album.  One way some bands are coping with the need to be productive and faster than an album cycle is putting out more EPs, or short collections of songs.

Here are my picks for best EPs (alphabetical order):

Ghost - Phantomime EP

Nonpoint - Heartless EP

Sleep Theory - Paper Hearts EP

Spiritbox - The Fear Of Fear EP

Other 2023 albums of note worth listening to:

Asking Alexandria - Where Do We Go From Here

Atreyu - The Beautiful Dark of Life

Avatar - Dance Devil Dance

Avenged Sevenfold - Life is But a Dream …

Babymetal - The Other One

Corey Taylor - CMF2

Creeper - Sanguivore (like a gothic Meat Loaf)

Danko Jones - Electric Sounds

Dethklok - Dethalbum IV

Dolly Parton - Rockstar (30 Songs)

Enter Shakiri - A Kiss For the Whole World

Fallout Boy - So Much (For) Stardust

Foo Fighters - But Here We Are

Greta Van Fleet - Starcatcher

(Hed)P.E. - Detox

Ice Nine Kills - Welcome to Horrorwood: Under Fire

Lacey Sturm - Kenotic Metanoia

Last in Line - Jericho

Joe Perry - Sweetzerland Manifesto MKII

Nita Strauss - The Call of the Void

Of Mice & Men - Tether

Overkill - Scorched

Paramore - This Is Why

Periphery - Periphery V: Djent is Not a Genre

Plain White T’s - Plain White T’s

Rival Sons - Darkfighter (8 Songs)

Royal Thunder - Rebuilding the Mountain

Sleep Token - Take Me Back to Eden

Queens of the Stone Age - In Times New Roman…

Taproot - SC\SSRS

Till Lindemann - Zunge

Winery Dogs - III

Within Temptation - Bleed Out

Coming early next year (2024)

Green Day - Saviors (Jan 19)

Metalite - Expedition One (Jan 19)

Neck Deep - Neck Deep (Jan 19)

Saxon - Hell, Fire, and Damnation (Jan 19)

Alkaline Trio - Blood, Hair, and Eyeballs (Jan 26)

Static X - Project Regeneration Vol. 2 (Jan 26)


Infected Rain - Time (Feb 9)

Darkest Hour - Perpetual Terminal (Feb 23)

Mick Mars - The Other Side of Mars (Feb 23)


Firewind - Stand United (Mar 1)

Ministry - HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES (Mar 1)

Judas Priest - Invincible Shield (Mar 8)

My Crazy Eyes see Dust on the White Album and the Electric Warlock Gores Metal Resistance with a Satanic Orgy

New Rock Release Reviews - May 2016

Weezer - Weezer ("white album")
There have been a lot of varied opinions about Weezer's last several albums.  I for one have always been a fan and have been able to enjoy every album from start to finish except their previous Everything Will Be Alright in the End.  The white album I think has a little bit of old and new Weezer style.  It has an overall pop feel, but there are some deeper themes and lyrics than a typical pop rock record.  Each listen reveals another favorite line or hidden nugget.
Highlights include: King of the World, Wind in Our Sail, Summer Elaine and Drunk Dori

Babymetal - Metal Resistance
This is another band that has had its critics, but the debut album set fire to the metal community and this sophomore effort has established that Babymetal are for real.  The musicianship is superb and, as an album, it rocks even harder than the self-titled.  We still have J-pop style lead and background vocals, but there is some more melodic singing on songs such as Karate.  Awadama Fever sounds like it could be a Slipknot song except for the teen girl voice of "Su-metal" singing over it.  It is unconventional, but this juxtaposition works for me.  Give it a shot.

Deftones - Gore
Deftones refuse to conform to anybody's idea of what they should sound like except their own.  Their experimentation has cost them fans along the way and certainly more notoriety.  Gore sounds like a return to form, IMO, in the best possible way.  Without repeating their nu-metal or ambient sounds on previous works, they seem to blend them together nicely while still being hard rock enough for me to listen to this album all the way through. They're back!

Highlights include: Doomed User, Pittur Infamante, Prayers/Triangles, Gore

Rob Zombie - The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser
On one hand, it's got what you'd expect from Rob.  There's lots of sound samples and interludes.  There's the industrial heaviness.  There's the offbeat, unconventional song titles and subject areas.  On the other hand, I think this album builds off of what Hellbilly Deluxe 2 and Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor did in terms of having a unique identity and coming together as a complete album.
Highlights include: Medication for the Melancholy (Fast, driving beat and metal riffs), Well, Everybody's Fucking in a U.F.O. (a headbanger with a party vibe)

Tremonti - Dust
Following up All I Was and Cauterize, Tremonti continues to impress with his ability to sing as well has crank out the rock riffs.  This guy is establishing himself as one of the most talented and maybe most important guitarists of our time.  While writing and touring extensively for his solo work and then reportedly creating a new album with Alter Bridge, I wonder how Tremonti has enough time to kick as much ass as he does.
Highlights include: The Cage, Betray Me, Catching Fire

Filter - Crazy Eyes
Filter is one of the most underrated rock bands, hands down.  If the last song of theirs you remember is Take a Picture, I encourage you to delve into their catalogue.  This album is a concerted effort to return to Richard Patrick's industrial roots from his NIN days. Album opener, Mother E, takes you on a journey through the mind of a tortured soul with scream-along lyrics and a beat that if you don't bang your head to when you hear it, we probably can't be friends.  Pride Flag is a faster paced anthem with rocking guitar work.  The bass lines and the solo work here are impressive and heart-pumping.  Your Bullets is a fun one to bounce and sing to.  These songs will be great additions to the live set!

Coal Chamber Comeback

I first heard about Coal Chamber around the time of their major label self-titled debut in 1997.  It was really an accident that I discovered them at this time.  I was in high school and I was just starting to expand my musical tastes.  This was a time when I was really into Dave Matthews Band and Hootie & the Blowfish.  About the hardest rock you could hear on the radio was Third Eye Blind (whose debut I also really liked).  I was a member of Columbia House (remember them?) and had been buying up CDs like crazy.  I saw a picture of Coal Chamber in the catalog and decided to take a chance on them.  Their goth look spoke to me for some reason even though I was a nerdy, preppy kind of kid.  The songs Loco, Bradley, and Big Truck turned me on to a new style of music and a new type of emotional connection with music.  I could turn it up loud and scream along to release some pent up rage or I could just bang my head to the rhythmic beats and simple choruses.  They were a little more accessible than the Deftones and not as creepy as early Korn.  I feel that although their songs are far from complicated, that they are underrated as a band that helped bring heavy music into the public during the nu-metal explosion.

I liked them so much I bought Chamber Music in 1999 and although I thought they took a step backward in terms of heaviness and rawness, I still invested in Dark Days when it came out in 2002.  This was their heaviest record and saw the return of simple sing-along choruses on tracks such as Fiend, Watershed, and Something Told Me.  After their breakup at the end of 2002 I basically forgot about them until Dez reemerged in DevilDriver.

I finally got my chance to see the reunited Coal Chamber April 3, 2015.  But first a few notes about the openers.  The Starland Ballroom show began with Saint Ridley.  I had never heard of this band before.  They are a local metal band who did a decent job energizing the crowd.  Their music was nothing too noteworthy except that I thought it was interesting that their drummer was positioned sideways ala Stryper and Nonpoint.  The second band CombiChrist was noteworthy.  They came out guns blazing with strobe lights and a lead singer with a mask full of red LED lights obscuring his face.  Their sound is a hybrid of industrial, electronica, and metal.  They had a keyboard player and DJ along with the traditional rock instruments.  Their drummer also played sideways and he played with a lot of passion.  Reading some Facebook comments afterwards, the crowd was pretty divided about them.  In the moment, the crowd seemed into them and I would know since I moved from my spot by the side bar down to the front middle of the floor to get a closer look and mosh a little.  The song that probably stood out the most was "Can't Control" from their most recent release We Love You.  After American Head Charge unexpectedly dropped off the tour without explanation, Filter rounded out the opening acts.  This was my second time seeing Filter and they were well received by the crowd.  They didn't play their hit "Take My Picture" as Richard Patrick said "we'll play that next time."  They chose to stick to a more rocking set which included newer songs like "Take That Knife Outta My Back" and classics like "Hey Man, Nice Shot."  Before the latter, Patrick talked about the inspiration for the song and added that the band has played it for the troops for many years.  He added "We don't need to be in Iraq.  We don't need to be in Afghanistan...You wouldn't catch Rihanna speaking the truth like this!"  If you think Filter are a one-hit wonder or are washed up, I dare you to pick up their latest album, or better yet, go see them in concert.

5 Above photos: Combichrist @ Starland 4/3/15

Filter @ Starland 4/3/15

At last it was time for Coal Chamber.  The reunited lineup of Mike Cox on drums, "Meegs" Rascon on guitar, and the sexy Nadja Peulen on bass joined lead singer Dez Fafara for their comeback tour before the release of the forthcoming Rivals due out in May.  They opened with "Loco" followed it up with "Big Truck" and it only got crazier from there.  The band sounded great and the energy on stage and in the crowd was insane.  By this time I had retreated back to the side of the room, but I was still surrounded by people pumping their fists, jumping up and down, and flailing around in dance.  They played a good mix of songs from their three releases as well as the heavy title track from their latest effort.  The band chemistry seemed renewed.  They looked locked in and excited to be playing together.  Dez promises that DevilDriver hasn't gone away, but I think he is enjoying the second life of Coal Chamber at the moment.  We'll see how long it lasts.  I for one hope that both bands can continue successfully.

Coal Chamber "Big Truck" @ Starland 4/3/15

Rock review 2013

November 4, 2013 The return of Diary of a Madman! 

I haven’t written about music in awhile - partly because I’ve been preoccupied by other things and partly because there hasn’t been enough noteworthy music to write about.  I have been reinvigorated by some conversations with friends about following my passions and reenergized by a resurgence of some solid rock albums of late.  My goal is to get back to writing about once a month including album reviews, concert reviews, and other editorials.  This first issue of the year is going to be kind of a “state of the union address” for hard rock.

            The early 2000s was a big time for rock with the popularity of nu-metal.  That was followed by a wave of screamo bands and then a small resurrection of thrash and hardcore inspired outfits.  The last couple of years have been pretty disappointing for rock.  Ticket sales are down, cd sales are down, and most hard rocking bands haven’t been able to put out back-to-back releases with any degree of continuity or growth.  I had to resort to reminiscing through my back catalog listening to things like Buckcherry, Rob Zombie, Taproot, and Mudvayne.

            Slowly but surely, a few glimmers of hope emerged throughout this past year. First, Ill Niño put out their new album Epidemia that harkens back to their major label debut mixing equal parts aggression, chugging guitars, and Latin percussion.  I still think they were at their best in terms of lyrics and overall composition of songs on Revolution Revolucion, but Epidemia is a step up from their last few albums.  Then, Device brought back some of the original nu-metal magic that made Disturbed popular.  David Draiman’s new band has the angst and hostility that had faded when Disturbed got commercial and went more melodic with their sound.  Then Filter mounted a comeback.  They too captured some of the energy and anthemic rock from their younger years on their latest album The Sun Comes Out Tonight.  Some other noteworthy releases this year include new albums by Oleander, Pop Evil, Skillet, Soil, Devildriver, Trapt, and Mindset Evolution.

            There have also been some new bands that have caught my ear.  The Winery Dogs are kind of a throwback band that have blues and classic roots with good lyrics and hooks, sounding sort of like Chickenfoot, but with a style all their own.  Gemini Syndrome is a new hard rocking group that could really be something big if they get some publicity.  My uncle says they rocked live too.  Eve to Adam is another band that is on the rise and is carrying the torch for dynamic heavy music.  There is not a throw away track on their aptly titled Locked and Loaded.

            It’s not all good news.  Korn and Blue October took big steps backwards, in my opinion.  Queens of the Stone Age, Sick Puppies and Black Sabbath all released albums much softer than expected.  Others that have had some breakout moments are struggling just to make ends meet.  Ozma and MadamAdam are looking for fans to donate toward their recording sessions.  Nonpoint has similarly taken to social media to solicit funds to help them expand their touring schedule.  Is this a sign of a lack of label support for hard rock or just a new way for bands to connect with their fans?  I think its both, but only time will tell if this becomes the new normal.