The last genre category for my 2023 list-posting, and what better way to close these off than progressive metal, who (in my opinion) had one of the best years in a while, with a flurry of long awaited returns from household bands :
1.) Sleep Token - "Take Me Back To Eden" :
You can say what you want about the anonymous, masked UK collective but they have always been progressive in their approach to heavy music and how they weave it with threads of various music genres outside of its realms.
Not only is "Take Me Back To Eden" a brilliant and satisfying conclusion to their conceptual album trilogy but it also sees the band's best results thus far in their genre-fluid style of songwriting through some of their most ambitious work yet, who rightfully earned them a ridiculously meteoric rise in popularity, the scale and speed of which I have rarely ever witnessed before.
2.) TesseracT - "War of Being" :
A long awaited return on my behalf and by the majority of the prog community ; "War of Being" easily boasts the best vocal performance regardless of genre this year as far as I'm concerned.
Daniel Tompkins really pushed his craft on this release and it can genuinely be felt throughout the record as he manages to display tremendous technical mastery while also sounding incredibly vulnerable without ever being overpolished or inoffensively pristine.
Of course, everyone involved in the project excels at their task and despite having an initial lukewarm reaction to the album upon first listen, each return to it has given me more to enjoy and unpack and that process is still on-going today.
TesseracT 's all-in dedication to conceptuality on "War of Being" is also incredibly commendable and to me, is one of the key elements of what makes a great prog metal record that stands the test of time.
3.) Earthside - "Let the Truth Speak" :
Another long awaited return, another triumph.
With only one album under their belt, Earthside developed an immediately recognizable sound with a bombastic sense of dramatic scope as well as layered songwriting with incredible depth and variety in part due to the many guests from different musical backgrounds they invite into their instrumental prog metal majesty.
"Let the Truth Speak" continues and elevates Earthside's pursuit of progressive metal grandeur while exceeding the standards of what a prog album should be.
4.) Frostbitt - "Machine Destroy" :
We leave behind sprawling prog epics for more "core"-related territories that mix elements of thall, nu-metal and mathcore ; Frostbitt's departure from congealed crevasses or volcanic landscapes for biomechanical sci-fi is an absolute groove-fest and a clinic in guitar tone experimentation.
While "Machine Destroy" 's conceptual nature might not share the same intricate depths of previous entries, it does provide a solid playground for the Norwegian's incredibly fun, catchy and spine-snapping grooves that kept me coming back for more throughout the year.
5.) Their Dogs Were Astronauts - "Momentum" :
A strong contender for my most favourite "first listen" experience in 2023.
Seriously, "Momentum" is packed with creative songwriting twists and ideas that are highly entertaining and kept me in awe throughout.
It's easy nowadays for instrumental progressive metal to feel stale but this record is anything but. Also, "Equivocator" is perhaps one of the most fun instrumental prog tracks I've heard in a while.
6.) Periphery - "Periphery V : Djent Is Not A Genre" :
Winner of the silliest album title of 2023 contest, "Periphery V : Djent Is Not A Genre" almost feels like a companion record to 2019's "Periphery IV : HAIL STAN" by continuing to pursue this balance of blistering aggression, pop-like melodic catchiness, electronics and lengthy "opus-like" tracks.
Although Periphery can be a bit of a frustrating band at times given their tendency to blend shitpost with genuine emotion and technical ability ; PV is another 2023 progressive metal album that features standout vocal performances and despite being a bit inconsistent in terms of overall tone and flow, when it is at its best, Periphery's latest opus provides plenty of memorable moments that instantly stick with the listener and beg to be experienced again.
7.) Stömb - "Massive Disturbed Meta Art" :
Buckle up for the djentiest sonic equivalent to a psychedelic-induced trip ;
Underground French djentlemen Stömb incorporate elements of various electronic genres and more to their sprawling instrumental compositions for a musical journey unlike any other.
Time to open that third eye lads.
8.) Haken - "Fauna" :
Haken leave behind the worlds of retro and futuristic sci-fi behind for a more grounded and natural (hehe) theme, using animals as a lens to observe human behavioral patterns and traits.
"Fauna" also sees Haken favour a "track by track" approach, each having their own thematic instead of having one big conceptual narrative throughout the record.
It also sees them focus more on accessibility, melody and puts an emphasis on synth-work, which plays a key role in defining "Fauna" 's overall feel.
While it might not be my favourite output from the British proggers, "Fauna" had some of the most iconic choruses in the genre this year for me.
9.) Stellar Circuits - "Sight To Sound" :
While "Sight To Sound" might lack some of the more flamboyant and "showy" elements of previous entries, it is such an easy and pleasant listening experience that flows beautifully from beginning to end.
Hoping I can catch them on their first visit to Europe!
10.) Night Verses - "Every Sound Has A Color In The Valley Of Night : Part 1" :
After having been absolutely mind-blown by "From the Gallery of Sleep" in 2018, I'm honestly surprised and almost annoyed at myself for placing this new Night Verses material at the bottom of this list but I have a few reasons to justify it :
Firstly, I haven't had that much time to sit with the record so far, secondly, this is a two-part album so I'm waiting to hear it in its entirety to form a proper opinion.
But lastly, I did feel like it lacked the "wow factor" of Night Verses' previous material but perhaps that is due to the bar being already so high and that this Part I feels like it focuses more on atmosphere than mind-boggling technical prowess and guitar wizardry (even though it's still definetly there).
Looking forward to Part 2 to have a better perspective on this new body of work!
This category deserves its own "honourable mentions" so I would also like to give a shout-out to Omnerod's "The Amensal Rise" and its impressive, theatrical blend of melodic progressive metal and death metal as well as Pomegranate Tiger's return with "All Input Is Error" and its futuristic instrumental, frenzied shred-fest.