The album I have been listening to the most this year is Shining’s self-titled twelfth album. It has the ugliest album cover art of the year, but the music is utterly dark and simply brilliant. I was looking forward to seeing them perform at Eindhoven Metal Meeting this year, but due to illness of renowned drummer Nicholas Barker they had to cancel their appearance.
With ‘How It Ends’ Ireland’s Primordial delivered a masterpiece of an album in September and they went on a co-headlining European tour with Paradise Lost in the Fall. I saw them perform at Beyond The Gates Festival in Norway in August and again in October in Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Germany’s Thron impressed me with their fourth studio album ‘Dust’ in March; They are Germany’s finest Black Metal outfit after the of split of countrymates Dark Fortress earlier this year.
Tulus have always been the black metal underdog of Norway. With their seventh studio album ‘Fandens Kall’ the three piece from Oslo deliver pure black energy as always. I also love the cover artwork for this album!
Norwegian avantgarde black metal veterans Dødheimsgard released their sixth full length album ‘Black Medium Current’ in April, I endlessly spinned this albums for weeks, and it left me in trance.
| Band | Title | Country | Label | Release Date |
| Shining | Shining | Swe | Napalm | 15-09-23 |
| Primordial | How It Ends | Ire | Metal Blade | 29-09-23 |
| Thron | Dust | Ger | Listenable Records | 31-03-23 |
| Tulus | Fandens Kall | Nor | Soulseller Records | 17-02-23 |
| Dodheimsgard | Black Medium Current | Nor | Peaceville | 14-04-23 |
| Bizarrekult | Den Tapte Krigen | Nor | Seasons of Mist | 27-01-23 |
| Memoriam | Rise To Power | UK | Reaper | 03-02-23 |
| Marduk | Memento Mori | Swe | Century Media | 01-09-23 |
| Immortal | War Against All | Nor | Nuclear Blast | 26-05-23 |
| Sammath | Grebbeberg | NL | Hammerheart | 16-06-23 |
| Imperishable | Come, Sweet Death | Swe | Hammerheart | 09-06-23 |
| Sulphur Aeon | Seven Crowns and Seven Seals | Ger | Ván Records | 13-10-23 |
| Incantation | Unholy Deification | USA | Relapse | 21-08-23 |
| Night Crowned | Tales | Swe | Noble Demon | 10-11-23 |
| Grá | Lycaon | Swe | Avantgarde Music | 13-01-23 |