100. Shining - "Shining"
100. Shining - "Shining"

The word Shining has such wonderfully barbaric connotations that it is understandable that not one, but two Scandinavian Black Metal acts have chosen to adopt the moniker.

The Shining, a Norwegian Black Jazz ensemble are no strangers to this very list. However, this is the other Shining. The Swedish one, fronted by controversial motormouth Niklas Kvarforth. Like a Black Metal Mark E Smith, he has been known to start fights with band members and to sabotage their equipment. As you can expect they have had a whole barrel load of members since their inception in 1996 (there are 23 former incumbents by my reckoning and of the current line up all but Peter Huss are class of 2022).

This is album number 11 and they have decided to go old school with an eponymous title. It is certainly the best thing I have heard them do and it's a wonderfully emotive take on melodic Black Metal. It avoids the insular and instead is packed full of big wide-screen moments that feel particularly cinematic. It feels ambitious in scope and adheres to production values usually absent in Black Metal.

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TOP 100 2023Author : Stewart LucasShining, TOP 100, 100-81Comment
98. Keep of Kalessin - "Katharsis"
98. Keep of Kalessin - "Katharsis"

Long-standing proponents of Norwegian Melodic Death metal, they hail from Trondheim, deep in the frozen North. This is very much the accessible face of black metal and the melodies and hum along choruses are plentiful. It is a buoyant album that bounces along with an enthusiastic level of vim and vigour. If you have never listened to a black metal album before, this is a good place to start.

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TOP 100 2023Author : Stewart LucasKeep Of Kalessin, Katharsis, TOP 100, 100-81Comment
97. Liturgy - "93696"
97. Liturgy - "93696"

Unlike the previous entry, if you have not listened to Black Metal before then this is not a good place to start. A euphorically impenetrable record that delights in being inaccessible. The sound loops over and over as Haela Hunt-Hendrix screams over the whole thing. It is a difficult album and not for the faint-hearted, but it has a hypnotic redemptive quality, like you are being reborn in its primordial ooze.

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TOP 100 2023Author : Stewart LucasLiturgy, 93696, TOP 100, 100-81Comment
96. Neil Morse - "The Dreamer - Joseph: Part One"
96. Neil Morse - "The Dreamer - Joseph: Part One"

I know what you thought when you woke this morning, “there aren’t enough elaborate rock operas based on the Old Testament tale of Joseph and his technicolor thing-me-jig.” Well former Spock’s Beard mainman and prog rocks favourite born-again Christian must have heard you as he has found a space in his busy diary to produce a prog rock re-telling of the well-known tale. For all my cynicism it's actually really good and packed full of whistleable tunes. It's completely unnecessary but I found it a highly enjoyable listen. 

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TOP 100 2023Author : Stewart LucasNeil Morse, The Dreamer Joseph: Part One, TOP 100, 100-81Comment
95. The Bites - "Squeeze"
95. The Bites - "Squeeze"

Ridiculous album that makes Motley Crue look like Radiohead. It's puerile, juvenile and revels in its patriarchal glory. It takes The Dirt as a road manual for success. It is also brim full of youthful zeal and feels utterly genuine in its glorified debauchery. It is the most rock n roll album I have heard in years and whilst the tofu-munching wokerati in me is dismayed by it, it has a magnetic pull that makes its self-confessed filth rather alluring. 

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TOP 100 2023Author : Stewart LucasThe Bites, Squeeze, TOP 100, 100-81Comment
94. Cannibal corpse - "Chaos Horrific"
94. Cannibal corpse - "Chaos Horrific"

First slice of death metal on the list (though not the last) and if we are going to do Death Metal, let's do the utter grandaddy of the scene, Cannibal Corpse. 35 years into their career they show no sign of slowing down or growing old gracefully. This is another slice of high-octane nastiness. Full of revolting rhymes and gnarly riffs. This is also a technically superb record as you cannot be this nihilistically heavy without having virtuoso abilities. 

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TOP 100 2023Author : Stewart LucasCannibal Corpse, Chaos Horrific, TOP 100, 100-81Comment
92.  Foo fighters - "But Here We Are"
92.  Foo fighters - "But Here We Are"

I know, I know, I know. I have regularly sneered at the Foo Fighters and called them Rock music for people who don’t like Rock Music. However, this is a mature and self-aware record that is not afraid to show its wounds. It is their first post Taylor Hawkins release and as such this is an emotionally raw release that is happy to wallow in its grief.

But it is not maudlin, instead, it looks for hope in the heartbreak. Frank, honest, fragile and beautifully rendered, by airing their insecurities the Foo Fighters manage to create an exemplary treaty on loss.

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TOP 100 2023Author : Stewart LucasFoo Fighters, But Here We Are, TOP 100, 100-81Comment
90. Blut Aus Nord - "Disharmonium - Nahab"
90. Blut Aus Nord - "Disharmonium - Nahab"

Exquisite experimental black metal from the prolific French outfit. They seem to dispense a new album each and every year and the quality never drops. This is an almost transcendental journey into sensory overload. Everything sounds off-kilter and disorientingly out of synch. It is as fascinating as it is difficult, and the overall experience is emotionally exhausting but also soulfully fulfilling. 

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TOP 100 2023Author : Stewart LucasBlut Aus Nord, Disharmonium - Nahab, TOP 100, 100-81Comment
89. Delain - "Dark Waters"
89. Delain - "Dark Waters"

Those who follow my adventures in music journalism will be surprised to see this lot here. You see I gave the new incarnation of this once-revered Dutch act a bit of kicking. I went as far as describing new vocalist Diana Leah as a pound shop version of the previous incumbent.

The band didn’t take too kindly and decided to share my barbed words to their fevered followers who in turn took it in turns to mercilessly condemn my hatchet job. I stand by the review because they relied too much on regurgitating material associated with the previous vocalist. What they should have done is played much much more from this, the first album from the almost entirely new version of the band, as it is really rather good. 

The trick here is not to view this as a new Delain album, where it then has all the baggage of living up to their rather prestigious legacy. Instead, view this as a symphonic metal album by a band who happen to also be called Delain. If you do the latter, it is actually a really well-done and sumptuous feast of deliciously luxurious musical morsels. I stand by my summation of a current run of shows, but I also stand by the fact that I really like the new music they are creating, I just wanted them to rely much more heavily on it.

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TOP 100 2023Author : Stewart LucasDelain, Dark Waters, TOP 100, 100-81Comment
88. Young Fathers - "Heavy Heavy"
88. Young Fathers - "Heavy Heavy"

There will be a smattering of non-metal/rock releases on the list, and this is the first of them. A highly inventive album from a highly inventive band. Whilst they are still heavily reminiscent of Massive Attack, they have quite effectively managed to carve their own distinctive sound. It is a modern interpretation of trip-hop embracing indie sensibilities and an almost lethargic approach to rapping. 

Interesting can be used as faint praise, but it is exactly what this album is, interesting. It is absolutely brim full of ideas and it steadfastly refuses to adhere to anything as vulgar as convention. The delivery is minimal and restrained and as such the album never explodes into life and I’m clear that is very much the intent. Instead, it slouches through its duration content to be intriguing and enticing. Interesting really really interesting. 

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TOP 100 2023Author : Stewart LucasYoung Fathers, Heavy Heavy, TOP 100, 100-81Comment
87. Mizmor - "Prosaic"
87. Mizmor - "Prosaic"

A one-man black metal project from Portland, created as a way of interrogating A.L.N’s relationship with God through art. Over four albums it has charted his detachment from his faith and his journey towards a much more secular understanding. 

“Prosaic” in many ways is the conclusion of his endeavours as it sees him face the world as a fully paid-up agnostic, finally freed from the throes of his infinite faith crisis. Rather than get a narrative-driven forensic examination of his current state of mind, we get a much more open examination of the state of the world in general. 

There are moments of righteous anger but in the main, this is an emotionally intelligent album that uses doom-laden black metal as a canvas on which to investigate the injustices that A.L.N sees in front of him. Insightful and thought-provoking.

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TOP 100 2023Author : Stewart LucasMizmor, Prosaic, TOP 100, 100-81Comment
86. Uada - "Crepuscule Natura"
86. Uada - "Crepuscule Natura"

Uada are masked purveyors of a cosmic variation of black metal. Black metal can usually be very insular and inward-looking. Its distinctive sound is created with down tuned guitars and claustrophobic production. Basically, authentic black metal sounds like it was recorded in a jam jar.

Uada reject the spectre of low production values and instead create a variant of black metal that is big, bold and bright. Instead of hiding away in the shadows it embraces the light. “Crepuscule Natura” is a big album full of big songs. It’s re-purposes black metal’s inherent negativity to create something that feels cinematic and bombastic. Basically, this is black metal built for stadiums.

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TOP 100 2023Author : Stewart LucasUada, Crepuscule Natura, TOP 100, 100-81Comment
85. Twin Temple - "God Is Dead"
85. Twin Temple - "God Is Dead"

The third album of satanic doo-wop from the Californian duo. This is as wonderfully retro and malevolently evil as the previous two albums. Alexandra’s voice is still sensual and seductive and hearing her utter satanic filth in such a sultry manner still feels like the last word smut.

I really loved it as I loved the two previous releases. The issue is now there is the beginning of the feeling of diminishing returns because there is nothing new at all being brought to the party. They haven’t refined or changed the sound. It is exactly the same as it was on albums one and two. It’s great but I do get the feeling that they may have to at some point change their tune if there’s is to be any level of longevity about this.

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TOP 100 2023Author : Stewart LucasTwin Temple, God Is Dead, TOP 100, 100-81Comment
84. Asphagor - "Pyrogenesis"
84. Asphagor - "Pyrogenesis"

Stripped back black metal from the Icy summits of the Tyrol’s. As we have already seen there is an awful lot of genetic modification going on when it comes to black metal and this seems to be a current penchant for splicing any genre that is going to its demonic majesty. “Pyrogenesis” swerves this particular trend by pruning all the unnecessary bumf and taking black metal back to its malignant nasty core.

It’s a hasty record that has no time to admire the scenery. Instead, it races from track to track like it was recorded on the clock. It’s searing simplicity is equally refreshing and invigorating and it pumps new blood into black metal by the simple virtue of doing the basics incredibly well.

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TOP 100 2023Author : Stewart LucasAsphagor, Pyrogenesis, TOP 100, 100-81Comment
83.  Night Verses - "Every Sound Has a Color In The Valley Of Night: Part 1"
83.  Night Verses - "Every Sound Has a Color In The Valley Of Night: Part 1"

If we were to start to contemplate which are the dominant genres on my lists, then I think it would come down to a tossup between black metal and post-rock/metal. Whilst they are hardly easy bedfellows, I love both with equal vim and vigour. This is the first appearance of the latter.

Night verses have an esteemed pedigree but have been worryingly quiet of late. Thankfully, five years on “From The Gallery Of Sleep” they return with part one of a two instalment epic. Well I say epic, however part one only clocks in at 33 minutes. 

If the second half is of a similar length, well it begs the question why the hell? You see I really really love this album but it seemed to simply stop without reaching a satisfactory conclusion. After just over a measly half an hour of soaring brilliance it just finishes without warning. The point is this is a brilliant collection of seven songs but it would have got an awful lot higher and made me a lot more satisfied if we simply got both parts together in one sitting. I look forward to the abridged version.

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TOP 100 2023Author : Stewart LucasNight Verses, EVery Sound Has A Color In The Valley Of Night, TOP 100, 100-81Comment
82. Tortured Demon - "Rise Of The Lifeless"
82. Tortured Demon - "Rise Of The Lifeless"

ROCKFLESH’s favourite teenage prodigy’s are growing up. There are now four of them and they are eyeing up their 20’s with malicious intent. Their second record signals a massive step up in both quality but also ambition. Their debut, “In Desperation’s Grip” was all about the potential. Basically it was a great record for a bunch of preteens. 

“Rise Of The Lifeless” is a great record no matter the age of the people who have recorded it. They have sussed the great thrash is about crushing anthems brimming with youthful energy. This album is full of them but it also has a mature side that is complex and contemplative. “Rise Of The Lifeless” is an album that really understands its origins and roots but also seeks to take thrash metal forward and it is that audacious appetite to push new frontiers that makes it so exciting.

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TOP 100 2023Author : Stewart LucasTortured Demon, Rise Of The Lifeless, TOP 100, 100-81Comment
81.  Sorrowful Lands - "Faded Anchors of the Past"
81.  Sorrowful Lands - "Faded Anchors of the Past"

In retrospect, there are actually quite a few one-person outfits on this list. Sorrowful Lands are a one-man doom outfit from Ukraine. This is a deeply personal album that looks at the environmental apocalypse that we seem to be blindly heading toward. 

The doom metal is used to paint a horrific picture of a desolate future where our planet has failed us due to our own neglect. It is slow, mournful, and full of haunting melodies. To accentuate the lingering horror of our slow descent into a planet-wise ecological meltdown, the doom metal is pensive as opposed to predatory. The heaviness has been toned down in order to ramp up its lingering pensive atmosphere. A Startlingly evocative album.

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TOP 100 2023Author : Stewart LucasSorrowful Lands, Faded Anchors of the Past, TOP 100, 100-81Comment