Mostly Metal's Favorites 2023

We're four months into 2023, and overwhelmed with new music, not only in quantity, but also in quality.  I want to share some of my highlights here - To be continued... :-)

Dive in, have fun \m/

SIX SIDED STORM

Dance of the Serpent 

USA

January 3rd, 2023

Guitar wizard Addikus Storm delivers high-energetic yet virtuoso instrumental prog

Bandcamp


SAMTAR

Shadow of the King's Charade

USA

January 13th, 2023

SAMTAR's music comes along beautifully melodious, groovy, and a bit crazy

Bandcamp / Interview


MASK OF PROSPERO

Hiraeth

Greece

January 27th, 2023

Modern progmetal from Greece, intense, expressive, and highly emotional

Bandcamp / Review


ASHEN

Ritual of Ash

Australia

January 13th, 2023

Pure death metal, sounding as dark and relentless as the cover promises

Bandcamp / Interview


CTHULHU DREAMT

Precursor

USA

January 20th, 2023

A conceptual project exploring themes of loss, fear, and battling elements larger than ourselves

Bandcamp


OUTRUN THE SUNLIGHT

The Return of Inertia 2.0

USA

February 17th, 2023

Excellent, instrumental progmetal, groovy, virtuoso, yet heavy

Bandcamp


ENOCH ROOT

Delusion

USA

February 19th, 2023

A marvelous, touching prog record, telling about a man whose fate was decided for him 

Bandcamp

 

THE WORLD IS QUIET HERE

Zon

Release Date: January 27th, 2023

Country: USA

Don't let the band's name fool you, this album isn't quiet at all ;-)

Bandcamp


HYPNO5E 

Sheol

Release Date: February 24th, 2023

Country: France

With this musical piece of art, the avant-garde metal act take us on a challenging ride

Band-Links: Bandcamp / Review


THE RESONANCE PROJECT

Ad Astra

Release Date: February 24th, 2023

Country: USA

A mighty sounding, yet diverse masterpiece of orchestral fusion metal 

Bandcamp


HamaSaari

Ineffable

Release Date: March 3rd, 2023

Country: France

The post prog act caught me immediately with their debut and its intense atmosphere

Website / Interview


ABEL SEQUERA

Soundscapes

Release Date: March 3rd, 2023

Country: Spain / International

Together with 50! guests, the Spanish drummer & composer takes us on a mesmerizing journey

Website / Review


WITCH RIPPER 

The Flight After the Fall

Release Date: March 3rd, 2023

Country: USA

A crazy, space-themed story, great musicianship, and a proggy approach hidden under a sludge tag

Bandcamp / ReviewInterview


GOROD

The Orb

Release Date: March 10th, 2023

Country: France

Brutal, highly technical, yet virtuosic and incredibly diverse in their compositions 

Bandcamp / Review (for The Progspace)


TURRIGENOUS

Vesper, The Evening Star

Release Date: March 14th, 2023

Country: USA

The progmetal four-piece skillfully melt a wide range of styles to tell an epic story

Bandcamp / Interview


MARTIN MILLER

Maze of My Mind

Release Date: March 31st, 2023

Country: Germany

A mesmerizing piece about the challenging journey to become a better self 

Bandcamp / Review (for The Progspace)


SERMON

Of Golden Verse

Release Date: March 31st, 2023

Country: UK

Marvelous 2nd chapter by this anonymous, London-based duo

Bandcamp


SLICE THE CAKE

Odyssey to the West (Remastered 2023)

Release Date: April 1st, 2023

Country: International

Mind-blowing, highly expressive, and sounding even better than the already great original version

Bandcamp


NEVERUS

Burdens of the Earth

Release Date: April 21st, 2023

Country: Netherlands

This debut is some serious listening fun, offering majestic death metal 

Bandcamp / Interview / Review (for The Progspace)


LOAM

Featherbrained

Release Date: April 28th, 2023

Country: UK / International

Mesmerizing, light-hearted yet sophisticated instrumental prog

Bandcamp


IGNEA

Dreams of Lands Unseen

Release Date: April 28th, 2023

Country: Ukraine

Mighty third album by the Ukrainian masters of musical story-telling 

Bandcamp


FIRES IN THE DISTANCE

Air Not Meant For Us

Release Date: April 28th, 2023

Country: USA

Marvelous blend of brutality and melody, coming along atmospheric and intense

Bandcamp


OMNEROD

The Amensal Rise

Release Date: May 12th, 2023

Country: Belgium

Omnerod deliver the full spectrum from mind blowing craziness to melodious beauty

Bandcamp / Interview


ROGER STAFFELBACH

The Quest

Release Date: May 12th, 2023

Country: Switzerland / International

On his first solo album, the Swiss guitar wizard offers finest instrumental, neoclassical prog

Bandcamp / Review