2023 Rock/Metal Album Releases

alpha128
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2023 Rock/Metal Album Releases May 23, 2023 0:21:20 GMT

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Post by alpha128 on May 23, 2023 0:21:20 GMT

Here are my favorite albums released in 2023, and I've linked to a sample song from each album.

P.S. Here are my favorite 2015, 2016-ish, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2024 albums.

I look forward to your commentary and your contributions.

(In Alphabetical Order)

IGNITION - Vengeance NEW
www.youtube.com/watch?v=HA7_xFecUKA (Sample Song)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzcF4Yry4JY (Full Album)
Country of origin: Germany, Formed in: 2014, Genre: Power Metal
For more information: www.metal-archives.com/bands/Ignition/3540421581

KK'S PRIEST - The Sinner Rides Again
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sypj3SPBKKU (Sample Song)
www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nWtWbrR2kigdFiLIyrVlvdcbplFkd5nUQ (Full Album Playlist)
Country of origin: United Kingdom/United States, Formed in: 2019, Genre: Heavy Metal
For more information: www.metal-archives.com/bands/KK%27s_Priest/3540495587

MYSTIC PROPHECY - Hellriot
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHJZOr2NcHw (Sample Song)
www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kDaHMLiVRYT7QhWRomyZjTPNQoYVRiIHI (Full Album Playlist)
Country of origin: Germany, Formed in: 2000, Genre: Heavy/Power/Speed/Thrash Metal
For more information: www.metal-archives.com/bands/Mystic_Prophecy/3123

NIGHTWOLF - The Cult of the Wolf
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dubb9eM18WE (Sample Song)
www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kCBDQdHAyiqs_5gX0hsUQMBBa4k3pirlw (Full Album Playlist)
Country of origin: Brazil, Formed in: 2017, Genre: Heavy Metal
For more information: www.metal-archives.com/bands/Nightw%C3%B6lf/3540463911

SAVAGE BLOOD - Wheel of Time
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCG1HpeTOnY (Sample Song)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyafSZB5K0E (Full Album)
Country of origin: Germany, Formed in: 2016, Genre: Heavy Metal
For more information: www.metal-archives.com/bands/Savage_Blood/3540418920

WARDRESS - Metal 'til the End
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSKiD4-BeEE (Sample Song)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FB7BaIH9nSE (Full Album)
Country of origin: Germany, Formed in: 1984, Genre: Heavy Metal
For more information: www.metal-archives.com/bands/Wardress/3540452145

EDIT 07/01/2023: Added MYSTIC PROPHECY to the list.
EDIT 11/11/2023: Added KK'S PRIEST to the list.
EDIT 02/20/2024: Added NIGHTWOLF and SAVAGE BLOOD to the list.
EDIT 10/19/2024: Added IGNITION to the list.

Last Edit: Oct 20, 2024 0:07:34 GMT by alpha128: Added IGNITION to the list.

Roberto
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2023 Rock/Metal Album Releases May 24, 2023 1:10:57 GMT alpha128 likes this

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Post by Roberto on May 24, 2023 1:10:57 GMT

Here are the ones I've heard so far:

Phantom Elite - Blue Blood
9/10 Another great album from them. Very unique and original sounding with a mix of different genres. Super catchy and another great performance by one of the best vocalists.

Delain - Dark Waters
8/10 The best album they've done in over a decade. The new vocalist is amazing. I kind of feel bad that the first album I've loved in a while is the one without Charlotte. Potential to take 1st place after a relisten.

BABYMETAL - THE OTHER ONE
7/10 Another solid album from these guys. I don't tend to listen to music with foreign vocals but they are always a joy to listen to and the music is always fresh and exciting.

The Amity Affliction - Not Without My Ghosts
4/10 Pretty decent with a few good songs and moments but ultimately rather forgettable.

Xandria - The Wonders Still Awaiting
3/10 Has some good moments but for the most part is incredibly generic and forgettable.

Beyond the Black - Beyond the Black
2/10 Was very disappointed with this one as I've enjoyed some of their previous stuff, and enjoyed the single "Dancing in the Dark", but sadly that was the only good song and the rest of the album was forgettable nonsense.

Last Edit: May 24, 2023 1:12:01 GMT by Roberto

alpha128 Elite Member @alpha128 Posts: 15,621 Likes: 18,852 Member is Online	2023 Rock/Metal Album Releases May 24, 2023 1:30:37 GMT Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by alpha128 on May 24, 2023 1:30:37 GMT May 24, 2023 1:10:57 GMT Roberto said: Here are the ones I've heard so far: Thanks for the capsule reviews!

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2023 Rock/Metal Album Releases Jul 1, 2023 22:23:32 GMT

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Post by alpha128 on Jul 1, 2023 22:23:32 GMT

My latest 2023 purchase is "Hellriot" by MYSTIC PROPHECY. This is the band's twelfth full-length album, and the fifth one I've bought. Their previous albums of original material, "War Brigade" and "Metal Division", were among my favorite 2016 and 2020 releases respectively.

Reviewer Larry Best at The Metal Observer gives the album 8.5/10 and wrote:

These guys are difficult to fault, unless you’re one who constantly craves creativity and innovation. That’s just not what this quintet is here for. They come to, as Liapakis puts it in most of his social media posts, ‘ATTAAAAAACCCCCKKKK!!’ and they do it splendiferously. If you’re new to the band, Hellriot would be a wonderful gateway into their material. But, then again, so would literally any other album (especially from 2006 onwards). The steel tank that is Mystic Prophecy rolls inexorably on, crushing everything in its path with riffs heavy enough to melt a submarine. Now I’ll sit and wait like a loyal hound for the next one. Please don’t take more than 3 years.

www.metal-observer.com/3.o/review/mystic-prophecy-hellriot/

I've linked to a sample MYSTIC PROPHECY song, and also their entire 2023 album, in the first post of this thread.

alpha128
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2023 Rock/Metal Album Releases Nov 11, 2023 18:37:55 GMT

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Post by alpha128 on Nov 11, 2023 18:37:55 GMT

KK'S PRIEST's debut was one of my favorite 2021 albums, and my latest 2023 purchase is their sophomore effort "The Sinner Rides Again". The album was released on September 29th, 2023, but I did not get a chance to listen to it until recently.

Reviewer Pete Pardo at Sea of Tranquility gives "The Sinner Rides Again" a 4/5 rating and wrote:

Former & founding Judas Priest guitarist KK Downing and his current outfit known as KK's Priest are back with their second album, titled The Sinner Rides Again, basically picking up right where they left off with Sermons of the Sinner, though this time around the music is heavier, better produced, and sounds more like a band and less like a project.

Some have complained that The Sinner Rides Again is loud, distorted, and overly compressed...well, it's a heavy metal album for cryin' out loud! This one gets better with each listen, and I'm now going to give this a higher rating than I did on our YouTube channel a few weeks ago, because it continues to kick my ass more with each passing listen. Crank it up loud folks, cause the Sinners are back to defend your souls from the Sentinels!

www.seaoftranquility.org/reviews.php?op=showcontent&id=24542

I've linked to a sample KK'S PRIEST song, and also their entire 2023 album, in the first post of this thread.

Last Edit: Nov 11, 2023 18:42:01 GMT by alpha128

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2023 Rock/Metal Album Releases Feb 21, 2024 2:46:40 GMT

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Post by alpha128 on Feb 21, 2024 2:46:40 GMT

And now, a special two-for-one posting.

My latest 2023 purchases are "The Cult of the Wolf" by NIGHTWOLF and "Wheel of Time" by SAVAGE BLOOD.

There are a lot of similiarities here. Both bands were founded in the mid-to-late 2010s, and released their latest albums in the fall of 2023. In both cases, the previous entries in their respective discographies were released independently - making those hard to come by. But both their 2023 albums are on established labels, and the MP3 versions are easily found on Amazon.com. Finding the albums in the CD format was more difficult, but I was able to purchase them on eBay and received both in the mail today!

Reviewer Neil Arnold at Metal Forces Magazine gave "The Cult of the Wolf" an 8.5/10 rating and wrote:

...Nightwölf boasts one hell of a colossal sound that will surely leave headbangers worldwide suffering from severe whiplash. The Cult Of The Wolf is fantastic debut… buy or die!

www.metalforcesmagazine.com/site/album-review-nightwolf-the-cult-of-the-wolf/

Reviewer Edmund Sackbauer at The Metal Archives gave "Wheel of Time" a 95/100 rating and wrote:

...this album is a must-buy for fans of non-cheesy power metal executed with a lot of passion and the perfect mixture of melody and grit. Despite maybe being not as trendy or hip as other bands I really hope Savage Blood will get the recognition they deserve. For me personally a AotY contender.

www.metal-archives.com/reviews/Savage_Blood/Wheel_of_Time/1170112/Edmund_Sackbauer/402292

I've linked to sample songs, and also their entire 2023 albums, in the first post of this thread.

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2023 Rock/Metal Album Releases Oct 20, 2024 0:11:06 GMT

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Post by alpha128 on Oct 20, 2024 0:11:06 GMT

My latest 2023 purchase is "Vengeance" by IGNITION. It is the first of their albums I bought.

Early on IGNITION was described as a mix of Blind Guardian and Trivium, two bands that frankly, I'm not a fan of. But singer Dennis Marschallik said about "Vengeance", "With the album we deliberately ventured into new realms that you don't know about us and will still love." Bassist Andreas Leyer added, "For me, Vengeance combines everything that makes IGNITION what it is. We present ourselves with more variety on this record and make a statement that for us metal has many facets and that pigeonholing and a reduction to a defined genre means standstill!"

Reviewer Iron Mathew at METAL GODS TV gave "Vengeance" an 9.5/10 rating and wrote:

‘Vengeance’ is Ignition’s third album, and was released in 2023, featuring twelve songs across fifty ferocious minutes! I say ferocious, ’cause the band deliver a blend of heavy/power metal similar in style to fellow countrymen (and power metal pioneers) Rage.

Overall, power metal fury at its best, ‘Vengeance’ is a non stop barrage of infectious heavy metal with a high level of head bang ability.

metalgodstv.com/ignition-album-review-vengeance/

I've linked to a sample IGNITION song, and also their entire 2023 album, in the first post of this thread.

2023 Rock/Metal Album Releases

Post by alpha128 on May 23, 2023 0:21:20 GMT

Post by Roberto on May 24, 2023 1:10:57 GMT

Post by alpha128 on May 24, 2023 1:30:37 GMT

Post by alpha128 on Jul 1, 2023 22:23:32 GMT

Post by alpha128 on Nov 11, 2023 18:37:55 GMT

Post by alpha128 on Feb 21, 2024 2:46:40 GMT

Post by alpha128 on Oct 20, 2024 0:11:06 GMT