WHAT WERE MY FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 2023?

	1) SUFFOCATION: Hymns From The Apocrypha Wasn't expecting a new Suffocation album to be my album of the year, I figured with Frank gone they'd generally wind down, but damn this album is excellent. It's like they've got a second wind (or is that third?) Top notch.
	2) THE ZENITH PASSAGE: Datalysium So glad the band is back and doing their special blend of tech-death. This might have gotten top spot if the last few songs didn't kind of meander, but the first half of the album is killer.
	3) DYING FETUS: Make Them Beg For Death Once again a super solid and inventive album even after all these years. A+ for consistency over the years.
	4) TESSERACT: War of Being Some really excellent songs, it's a vibe as the kids say these days. Great mix of beautiful, heavy and weird time signatures.
	5) CATTLE DECAPITATION: Terrasite The song writing is more memorable this time around, without giving up any of the aggression.
	6) VOYAGER: Fearless In Love Is it pop, metal or djent? it's all 3. And a fine collection of super memorable songs that defy genre.
	7) CRYPTOPSY: As Gomorrah Burns A solid album from my Montreal brethren, but not quite as classic as their last album or last 2 EPs.
	8) NECROTICGOREBEAST: Repugnant I think I preferred their last album more, but no question this new entry is heavy as fuck.
	9) PERIPHERY: Periphery V: Djent Is Not a Genre About half the songs I'm not terribly into, but the ones that are good are really good, so it deserves proper respect.
	10) PRONG: State Of Emergency Strong songwriting and extra aggression makes this a great way to round out the top 10.

	CREEPING DEATH: Boundless Domain Old school brutal death metal, another strong album from the group.
	HUMANITY'S LAST BREATH: Ashen The masters of slow, plodding, ridiculously pitch shifted mayhem.