Could some of these albums been also featured on the Hardcore list? Maybe.
Am I stupid for not doing a more generalized "core" list? Also maybe.
Am I a fucking nerd for doing separate categories for specific sub-genres? Potentially.
Do I care? Not really.
So without further a-do, here were my favourites from the mathiest of cores in 2023 :
1.) fromjoy - "fromjoy" :
Easily one of the most exciting, original and refreshing mix of music genres I've heard in heavy music this past year while also being absolutely chaotic and emotionally raw. Bands with "cyber" or "futuristic" themed albums often opt for a polished, pristine sound to convey the mechanical perfection we tend to associate with these universes, but in this case, fromjoy's cybergrind digital horror sophomore album is as abrasive as it is unpredictable.
2.) Dead Soma - "Pathos" :
Existing on a similar spectrum of digitalized, futuristic dystopian mathcore as fromjoy, Dead Soma are that mechanically precise and pristine-sounding counterpart I mentioned earlier.
Such a strong, quality debut from a still criminally overlooked band.
If you favor the chuggier, djentier side of mathcore (Danza, Car Bomb, Frontierer), you'd be a fool to miss out on "Pathos". Some of my favourite tones and production from last year too!
3.) Pupil Slicer - "Blossom" :
2021's "Mirrors" was already an incredibly strong statement as a debut full length, but Pupil Slicer have taken things up to the next level with "Blossom", displaying an impressive expansion of scope and ambition with this concept album while also diversifying their songwriting in the process; resulting in a much more impactful and "mature" final product.
The future of UK mathcore is in good hands.
4.) Telos - "Delude" :
My god is this thing filthy.
I'm a late-comer to "blackened mathcore" and to be honest, prior to listening to this album I wasn't even sure if it was a thing. But "Delude" successfully manages to combine the best elements of mathcore, black metal and even post-metal while also not shying away from influences such as Converge, Gaza and Cult Leader. Absolutely brutal stuff.
5.) Death Goals - "A Garden of Dead Flowers" :
Another UK band who put out a sophomore that far exceeded their already strong debut LP, I'm sensing a theme here...
Not only do Death Goals kick serious ass with their mathy beatdowns and dual-vocals screamo sasscore, but they're also one of the most important voices in the scene when it comes to queer representation and visibility.
"Faux Macho" is also probably my mathcore song of the year as well, so there's also that.
6.) Sleepsculptor - "Divine Recalibration" :
Yet another entry with a dystopian sci-fi concept behind its music, except "Divine Calibration" is a solid contender for being the most relentless and sonically punishing of the bunch.
7.) Basil's Kite - "Shooting Tsars" :
The most quintessential mathcore entry on this list in my opinion.
When I think "mathcore", I think of frantic technical display, chaotic energy, artistic freedom but also sardonic humour, not taking yourself too seriously and just generally taking the piss while being absolutely unhinged.
And Basil's Kite's "Shooting Tsars" is absolutely that.
8.) hopscotchbattlescars - "Sick Of You" :
More queercore representation, you love to see it!
From my perspective, hopscotchbattlescars have become underground protégés within the mathcore community and as their first LP, "Sick Of You" demonstrates why.
Displaying a surprising amount of versatility; while the songwriting and production's underground roughness might be a bit of a double-edged sword at times, it does however contribute to the band's identity in a generally positive light as they keep swinging in the right direction.
9.) See You Next Tuesday - "Distractions" :
MySpace mathcore/deathcore is back babyyyy.
"But why didn't you put it in a deathcore list then" I hear you ask.
Well, because deathcore has become a dead, boring, repetitive genre aside from a few exceptions, that's why, and because See You Next Tuesday's return after a fifteen year hiatus is anything but!
10.) Lotus Eater Machine - "Prisoner To Seven Demons" :
The final cyber-horror entry on this list which, when I think of it, might actually beat Sleepsculptor's reign of terror when it comes to unrelenting, punishing sonic assault, or at the very least go toe-to-toe with it.
Lotus Eater Machine's (pka. Geisterfahrer) hellish, ceaseless sonic assault suffers from being a bit too uniform however, and each track ends up bleeding into one single maelstrom of torment, which definitely also has its appeal but can result in empathizing with the album's artwork a bit too much by the time the album is finished, which may or may not have been by design.