2023 Releases I have listened to (so far)

I completely forgot to post last month my quarterly list of 2023 releases (as in albums) I have listened, and my thoughts of what I think of the new music coming out this year,  so here it is.

I don't know I can say for sure if 2023 is a better year for music than 2022. The year is still young. I am waiting for parts 2 and 3 of DengeL's 3 part album The Garden of Earthly Delights. I definitely can say for sure this year is shaping up to be a great year for new music especially for heavy metal music. I have been hearing some really fantastic metal coming out of Japan this year (so far). 

I am not sure which gets the top spot Ryuuoudouji by Onmyo-za or Judgement Day by Lovebites. It is a tough call but I think Ryuuoudouji is my #1 favorite. All the songs on that album is flawless. On Judgement Day, I just can't stand the track "Dissonance". It is the band's heaviest song to date but at the same time, it is devoid of a good pop hook.  Also love the new Babymetal album The Other One. 

China has cranked out some great new music by the likes of DengeL, Twilight Blooming, and Anathematise. Outside of China, the new Bloody Tyrant EP Hagakure II is bloody good. The Vietnamese black metal band Leukotomy's debut album Eternal Path to Eden is one of the best black metal albums I have heard in recent years. They remind of a bit of Bliss-Illusion. That band is one of the inspirations that led me to go into a deep dive into the music scene (especially the metal scene) in Vietnam. 

I can honestly say I am not surprised by how flat the new Depeche Mode album Memento Mori. The band's music post-90s just never did much for me. It has some decent songs but the rest is a snoozefest. Some of the songwriting is terrible too. 

Outside the metal and EBM scene, I love the new Margo Price album Strays. It is so good, and she is even better live. I saw her at First Avenue in February. I was getting a lot of Grateful Dead vibes from her live set. Also digging the new M83 album a lot. T-Pain's On Top of the Covers album is a fun album to listen to. His music gives me a nice break from all the heavy metal I listen to during the work day.

My Current Favorite 2023 releases:
DengeL: The Garden of Earthly Delights
Lovebites: Judgement Day
Onmyo-Za: Ryuuoudouji
Leukotomy: Eternal Path to Eden

Anathematise: Bizarre Tales From the Past and the Future
M83: Fantasy
Babymetal: The Other One
Margo Price: Strays
Otyken: Phenomenon
Twilight Blooming: Song of the Warrior

A
Ad Infinitum: Chapter III - Downfall
Alicetopia: In Dreams
Anathematise: Bizarre Tales From the Past and the Future
Awake Mountains: After Light
Azam Ali: Music For Facebook Sound Collection Vol 2

B
Babymetal: The Other One
Beborn Beton: Darkness Falls Again
Belle and Sebastian: Developers
Beyond the Black: Beyond the Black
Black Belt Eagle Scout: The Land, The Water, The Sky
Bloody Tyrant; Hagakure II
Bridear: Aegis of London...Live!

C

D
Delain: Dark Waters
Delerium: Signs
DengeL: The Garden of Earthly Delights
Depeche Mode: Memento Mori
The Desperado: The Cry Against
Diary of Dreams: Melancholin

E
Enemy of Reality: Where Truth May Lie

F
Floor Jansen: Paragon
Frozen Crown: Call of the North

G

H

I

J
Jen Cloher: I Am the River, The River is Me.

K
Kruelty: Untopia

L
Ladytron: Time's Arrow
Lee Leirl: Naked
Leukotomoy: Eternal Path to Eden
Little Lilith: Strike
Liv Sin: Kali Yuga
Lovebites: Judgement Day
Lynch.: Reborn

M
M83: Fantasy
Margo Price: Strays
Maria Isa: Capitolo
Monsta X: Reason

N
Naqt Vane: Naqt

O
Onewe: Gravity
Onmyo-za: Ryuuoudouji
Otyken: Phenomenon

P
Phantom Elite: Blue Blood
P!nk: Trustfall

Q

R
Retribution: Tales of Phyhamis Land

S
Sabaton: Heroes of the Great War
Saigon Blue Rain: Oko
Saiseiga: Nostalgia
SKALD: Huldufolk
Speed Odd: Odd World

T
T-Pain: On Top of the Covers
Tomorrow X Together: The Name Chapter - Temptation
Twilight Blooming: Song of the Warrior

U

V
V/A: All I Ever Wanted - A Tribute to Depeche Mode

W

X
Xandria: The Wonders Still Waiting

Y
Yoko Kanno: The Makani - Cooking For the Maiko House

Z