Best albums of 2023

[tobi is an animal]

With Q1 finished I currently have 3 strong contenders for my top 10.

1. Lordi - Screem Writers Guild

2. Crowne - Operation Phoenix

3. Kamelot - The Awakening

Wig Wam - Out Of The Dark is a solid album and could make the top 10 depending on how strong the rest of the year is.

Looking forward to upcoming albums from Elvenking  and Extreme. 

[tts42572]

Been a horrible start to 2023 for me. 

No albums added to my 2023 playlist so far and have only added a handful of singles that have dropped.

I don't expect things to start picking up for me until May/June.  Stuff like Heavens Edge, Extreme, Midnite City, The Defiants & Temple Balls are on my radar.  Hopefully Eclipse and Crazy lixx might have something out before the end of the year also.  

 

[auslander]

For me it has been the following 3 so far:

1. Crowne - Operation Phoenix

2. Arctic Rain - Unity

3. Heroes and Monsters - Heroes and Monsters 

Hasn't been a big year so far but think it will start picking up. Most looking forward to Extreme.

[whiplash1972]

Big slow down so far in 2023; we're currently on a pace to have appx 200 fewer HH related releases this year versus 2022.

This is not unexpected though, as all the artists/bands who used 2020/2021 to work on and release new music are out touring now.

Anywho.... my faves so far have been Last in Line, Wig Wam, Robin McAuley, and Godsmack. 

[The Rocker]

I'm loving the new First Signal

[KarpetRydOFunk]

ModX, ModX, ModX!

This album can't drop soon enough. 

[Crazysam]

I agree with those who mentioned there haven't been too many standouts so far.  Of the ones I've listened to Creye's latest is easily my favorite.  I enjoyed First Signal's new one as well.  There are quite a few scheduled for release in May & June that I'm looking forward to though including The Defiants, ModX, Winger, Extreme, Midnite City, Heaven's Edge and Mystic Prophecy.

[Glen]

only 2 I've loved so far are Story of the Year and Creye. 

Plenty of great stuff to look forward to though. I'm personally stoked to hear the new Metallica in a few days time. First 4 singles kick arse imo. 

Other more melodic stuff on my radar this year is Winger, ModX, Midnite City, Nitrate, new David Forbes solo album, Vega, Lebrock, Defiants, Nighthawk & Degreed and hoping there might be a new NFO 

 

Edited April 6, 2023 by Glen

[Crazysam]

3 hours ago, Glen said:

I'm personally stoked to hear the new Metallica in a few days time. First 4 singles kick arse imo. 

I forgot about that one, I think the last Metallica release I truly looked forward to hearing was Load, and that ended up being a huge let down.  As you mentioned though, most of the songs for this upcoming album have sounded good

[lettard]

Big stand out for me so far is Black Star Riders - Wrong Side Of Paradise,a few others that I'm liking are the new Roxanne , The Flood & Creye III

A lot of biggys to come though

Edited April 6, 2023 by lettard

[Doggy]

First one.

Butch Walker - Butch Walker as Glenn.

[Whatever Happened To Fun?]

9 hours ago, lettard said:

Big stand out for me so far is Black Star Riders - Wrong Side Of Paradise,a few others that I'm liking are the new Roxanne , The Flood & Creye III

A lot of biggys to come though

I’ll 2nd the new Roxanne - Stereo Typical 

Cross Country Driver (Rob Lamothe from River Dogs) - The New Truth 

Winery Dogs - III

[Jez]

Riverside, Lordi, Creye, Katatonia, Delain, Beyond The Black 

 

Lots more goodies to look forward to this year as well.

[warrenamos01]

Khymera, Transworld Identity, Ava Max (just a bangin' pop album), Creye, Fall Out Boy (return to former glories), Crowne

[Eric3]

1. Creye - III

2. ???

Expecting The Defiants to be awesome and Vega should be good too, but other than that not much I've heard has stood out.

Unless, of course, you count EPs, in which case LeBrock knocked it out of the park once again...

[Captain Howdy]

Not really bought that many albums so far this year plus still catching up with last year.

Metallica was decent

Steel Panther was ok but pretty mid considering some of the best material

Tragedy was fun as always

LA Guns was good but the weakest of their reunion albums

 

Looking forward to Winger, Heavens Edge, Ghost (EP), Buckcherry & Avenged Sevenfold.

Edited April 29, 2023 by Captain Howdy

[Geoff]

Oh cool, I thought it might just be me, but I agree, really slow start to the year - never seen a playlist so thin this far into a year. Gotta admit I like it, though.

The few standouts so far;

First Signal
Creye
Story Of The Year
Lift The Curse
Through Fire
Revolution Saints
Solence

First Signal is the clear pick so far, though. 

Of course if we're including EPs, LeBrock slay everyone, again. 

[tts42572]

On 4/29/2023 at 7:35 AM, Captain Howdy said:

Not really bought that many albums so far this year plus still catching up with last year.

Metallica was decent

Steel Panther was ok but pretty mid considering some of the best material

Tragedy was fun as always

LA Guns was good but the weakest of their reunion albums

 

Looking forward to Winger, Heavens Edge, Ghost (EP), Buckcherry & Avenged Sevenfold.

Same here.  Really been a slow start.  I've bought nothing this year so far and my 2023 playlist is basically just singles that have been released outside of the Gunshine EP.  I've mostly just been going back to older stuff this year.

Lots of good stuff coming though that I plan on checking out like Winger, Extreme, Heavens Edge, Defiants, Midnite City, Degreed, Buckcherry and maybe later in the year we'll get Temple Balls, Eclipse and some other surprises.

[Glen]

my tops : in order

Lebrock 

Story of the Year

Creye

Metallica

 

Nothing else has grabbed me I'm afraid. 

plenty of goodies in May & June tho 

 

[lettard]

10 hours ago, Geoff said:

Oh cool, I thought it might just be me, but I agree, really slow start to the year - never seen a playlist so thin this far into a year. Gotta admit I like it, though.

The few standouts so far;

Revolution Saints

Really? wow , didnt think much of this new one at all  

[Glen]

19 minutes ago, lettard said:

Really? wow , didnt think much of this new one at all  

reeks of ADV. 

[Captain Howdy]

8 hours ago, tts42572 said:

Same here.  Really been a slow start.  I've bought nothing this year so far and my 2023 playlist is basically just singles that have been released outside of the Gunshine EP.  I've mostly just been going back to older stuff this year.

Lots of good stuff coming though that I plan on checking out like Winger, Extreme, Heavens Edge, Defiants, Midnite City, Degreed, Buckcherry and maybe later in the year we'll get Temple Balls, Eclipse and some other surprises.

Forgot to mention Midnite City on my looking forward to list ... Rob will kill me if he ever sees this

[Geoff]

10 hours ago, lettard said:

Really? wow , didnt think much of this new one at all  

 

10 hours ago, Glen said:

reeks of ADV. 

Interesting. Yeah, I quite like it. It's not perfect, but there's no bad songs on it, and there's quite a few rather strong ones. I'm enjoying it. 

[auslander]

Nearly halfway through and I have some strong contenders now. My current top 5 in no order:

Creye - III: Weightless 

Crowne - Operation Phoenix 

Arctic Rain - Unity

The Defiants - Drive

Grand Design - Rawk 

[tobi is an animal]

Q2 results (nothing much of interest to me for the remainder of June)

1. Lordi - Screem Writers Guild

2. Elvenking - Reader Of The Runes - Rapture

3. Kamelot - The Awakening

4. Crowne - Operation Phoenix

5. Extreme - Six

6. Metallica - 72 Seasons

looking forward to upcoming releases from Eclipse and Hell In The Club.