Now that 2023 is coming to a close, we at Tuonela Magazine want to share the releases that we have most enjoyed. Each of our staff members will share their own list, so here is the list of Jani Lehtinen.
This year appears to have turned out rather awesome in terms of international, top-quality prog albums! I might even go as far as to dub it the year of the prog. Yeah, pristine albums were released in other genres, too, but the matter of cold fact is that progressive rock and metal ruled with an iron fist in 2023. Through a great effort of will and voodoo, I could bring myself to discard a couple of haunting prog albums from my Top 10 International Albums list in order to squeeze in a few gems of non-progressive variety. That’s why neither the absolutely sublime new album “Memorial” by SOEN nor KATATONIA‘s “Sky Void of Stars” could make it to the list. The thing is, the bluesy new endeavor released back in March by THE COLD STARES as well as the new outing by the Italian fusion guitarist, Matteo Mancuso, have truly earned their place on this list. These proggy Swedes weren’t the only ones that I had to leave out with a heavy heart. If I could have extended the list with, say, yet another ten absolutely breath-taking endeavors, I would have included the latest offerings by artists such as THE OCEAN, DROTT, RIVERSIDE, THY CATAFALQUE, eMOLECULE, SKINDRED, IGNEA, SEVENDUST, SLEEP TOKEN, and Myrkur. These may not represent prog in the very strictest sense but, nonetheless, they do traverse sonic terrain far beyond the mainstream. Regarding the Finnish albums, the prevalence of prog was not perhaps as triumphant as in the international category. Yet, I firmly believe that none of these Finnish albums represent exactly the most mainstream craft, either. EPs proved quite a challenge this year – at first, it seemed that I could barely come up with one or two decent efforts; it was almost as though this format were going out of vogue or something. Quite frankly, apart from the GENESIS cover, the latest EP, “Phantomime,” by GHOST did not exactly convince me – and the new EP, “The Fear of Fear,” by SPIRITBOX had two banging tracks out of six, so I guess it would not be fair to rank it in my Top 3. Then, as luck would have it, it was around the beginning of November when I found out about this Tampere-based up-and-coming metal squad SARGASSUS through their “King of the Sun” EP, which proved to be the absolute pinnacle of 2023 in the EP category. This band was by far one of the best new metal acquaintances I made in 2023 – and along with the Estonian post-rock squad, WOLFREDT, these sludgey proggers were absolutely one of the most promising up-and-coming outfits I came across over the course of the past 12 months! Then, as an added bonus, the Norwegian one-man powerhouse of gloomy shoegaze, DOPEDRONE, popped into my awareness a little late, in mid-November, with his new album that had come out already in March, further cementing the fact that 10 is nowhere near the adequate number to compile a list of the most banging releases of 2023! (Not to mention the new album by UNPROCESSED!)
These lists are not in any particular order of greatness – except maybe for the number ones; both in the international and Finnish album categories (as well as the EP category, obviously), the album holding the pole position does stand above the rest. In EARTHSIDE‘s case, it even does so with flying colors! That is not a small feat! You see, at the time of its release, I was pretty damn sure the runner-up, TESSERACT‘s haunting new mindfuck of an album, would get the laurels, hands down. Don’t get me wrong, it IS a stellar endeavor but EARTHSIDE‘s latest outing does resonate with a tad more spectacular aura on all counts. Of course, I’m not complaining – quite the opposite! Our dear prog elders should spoil us, mere mortals, like this every year!
Top 10 International Albums
10. The Cold Stares: Voices
9. The Circle: Of Awakening
8. Enslaved: Heimdal
7. Matteo Mancuso: The Journey
6. Advent Horizon: A Cell to Call Home
5. Night Verses: Every Sound Has A Color in the Valley of Night
4. Silent Skies: Dormant
3. Haken: Fauna
2. TesseracT: War of Being
1. Earthside: Let the Truth Speak
Read more: REVIEW: The Circle – Of Awakening, REVIEW: Enslaved – Heimdal, REVIEW: Matteo Mancuso – The Journey, REVIEW: Advent Horizon – A Cell to Call Home, REVIEW: Night Verses – Every Sound Has A Color in the Valley of Night: Part 1, REVIEW: Silent Skies – Dormant, Interview with Silent Skies, Interview with Haken, REVIEW: Tesseract – War of Being, Interview with TesseracT, REVIEW: Earthside – Let the Truth Speak
Top 10 Finnish Albums
10. Dark Sarah: The Attack of Orym
9. Before the Dawn: Stormbringers
8. Omnivortex: Circulate
7. Oceanhoarse: Heads Will Roll
6. Vansidian: Reflecting the Shadows
5. Damnation Plan: The New Horizon
4. Pressure Points: The Island
3. Grave Pleasures: Plagueboys
2. Hanging Garden: The Garden
1. Alase: A Matter of Time
Read more: REVIEW: Before the Dawn – Stormbringers, REVIEW: Omnivortex – Circulate, REVIEW: Oceanhoarse – Heads Will Roll, REVIEW: Vansidian – Reflecting the Shadows, REVIEW: Damnation Plan – The New Horizon, REVIEW: Pressure Points – The Island, REVIEW: Grave Pleasures – Plagueboys, Interview with Grave Pleasures, REVIEW: Alase – A Matter of Time
Top 3 EPs
3. Set the Sun: Pendulum
2. Ihsahn: Fascination Street Sessions
1. Sargassus: King of the Sun
Read more: REVIEW: Sargassus – EP: King of the Sun
Top 5 Music Videos
5. Sevendust: Everything
4. Silent Skies: Reset
3. The Circle: Of Awakening (feat. Tim of Ne Obliviscaris)
2. Tesseract: War of Being
1. Earthside: All We Ever Knew and Ever Loved (feat. Baard Koolstad of Leprous)
Top 5 International Songs
5. TesseracT: The Grey
4. Night Verses: Arrival
3. Temic: Mothallah
2. Steven Wilson: Economies of Scale
1. Matteo Mancuso: Silkroad
Read more: REVIEW: Tesseract – War of Being, REVIEW: Night Verses – Every Sound Has A Color in the Valley of Night: Part 1, REVIEW: Matteo Mancuso – The Journey
Top 5 Finnish Songs
5. Pressure Points: The Island
4. Grave Pleasures: Plagueboys
3. Omnivortex: Of Aeons Past
2. Damnation Plan: The New Horizon
1. Alase: The Source
Read more: REVIEW: Pressure Points – The Island, REVIEW: Grave Pleasures – Plagueboys, REVIEW: Omnivortex – Circulate, REVIEW: Damnation Plan – The New Horizon, REVIEW: Alase – A Matter of Time
Top 5 Cover Art
5. Oceanhoarse: Heads Will Roll
4. Night Verses: Every Sound Has A Color in the Valley of Night
3. Pressure Points: The Island
2. Silent Skies: Dormant
1. Tesseract: War of Being
Best Collaboration
Unsurprisingly, the best collaboration can be found in the opening track of the progressive magnum opus of 2023; entitled “But What If We’re Wrong,” the opener for EARTHSIDE‘s new album “Let the Truth Speak” features the mesmerizing performance of the Brooklyn-based percussion quartet, SANDBOX PERCUSSION, which comprises musicians Jonathan Allen, Ian Rosenbaum, Victor Caccese, and Terry Sweeney. Their multi-layered mallets really elevate the song to soaring, cinematic heights – the vibe is almost as though the British electronic legends, ORBITAL, were having their iconic 1996 suite “The Box” reinterpreted by some prog-metal juggernaut. Absolutely haunting!
Read more: REVIEW: Earthside – Let the Truth Speak
Best Concert
GOJIRA‘s performance at Tuska Festival, Helsinki, in the summer, was the absolute pinnacle of the whole year. Not only was the show the highlight of 2023, but it also ranks very high in the list of my all-time best concert experiences among unforgettable performances such as TOOL in 2006, KINGSTON WALL in 1992, AMORPHIS in 1996, and PORCUPINE TREE in 2009. It was one of those “You shoulda been there, man!” gigs, no question about it.
Read more: 30.6.2023 Tuska Festival – Day 1 @ Suvilahti, Helsinki
Most Promising Act
Estonian postrock act WOLFREDT made quite an impression with their new album “IIII,” released in April. The overarching prog theme of 2023 applies here quite befittingly as well: these post-rockers have dubbed their signature sound as “progressive post-rock,” which is more than an apt description of their style. Their album was truly a beautiful sonic journey well worth a listen.
Top 5 Best Last-Minute Songs
Holding the pole position, Steven Wilson‘s haunting new single “Beautiful Scarecrow” did actually come out in early November but the more I watch the music video, the more soul-crushing the song becomes.
5. Everwave: Alternate Ending
4. The Pineapple Thief: Frost
3. Unprocessed: Glass
2. Caligula’s Horse: Golem
1. Steven Wilson: Beautiful Scarecrow
Top 5 Most Anticipated Releases of 2024
5. Gost: Prophecy
4. new stuff from Opeth, by any chance?
3. Caligula’s Horse: Charcoal Grace
2. Amarok: TBA
1. New Gojira album, perhaps?
Want to share your lists with us? Comment below with your lists.
The whole Tuonela Magazine team wishes you an inspirational 2024 filled with a lot of new music to discover. We hope to see you back next year!
