We have arrived at the final part of the Rocking In the Norseland Top 100 countdown for 2023!
25) RONNIE ROMERO – Raised On Heavy Radio
I have long since lost count of all the projects Ronnie Romero have been part of. Even his 2023 output is already getting out of hand, but off-hand I can think of at least five. For whatever reason, this is the one that I have enjoyed the most – the second in his series of covers albums. In 2022 he released Raised On Radio which focused on songs withing the melodic and classic rock genres. He now adds Heavy to that title and focuses on classic heavy metal tracks. This is where his voice really shines, and he once again proves himself to be a man of immaculate voice and excellent taste, often picking the off-kilter or somewhat lesser known tracks instead of the big hits. A covers album is only as interesting as the songs that are picked for it, and when the selection is as good as it is here, this is an easy album to enjoy.
24) KK’s PRIEST – The Sinner Rides Again
KK Downing is back with his second album of patented British steel after leaving the mothership. He was solely behind the riffs and direction on the first album, whereas this time is (and feels and sounds) more like a band effort. This benefits the end product massively, and The Sinner Rides Again is a big step forward. Ultimately, it shows yet again that you can take the man out of Judas Priest, but you can’t take Judas Priest out of the man.
23) SMACKBOUND – Hostage
Smackbound is a relatively new Finnish power metal band, consisting of experienced members from several established bands such as Amorphis, Stratovarius, Wintersun, Lordi, and Black Sun. They debuted with the album 20/20 in, well, 2020! They have gotten a lot of attention for the vocal prowess of frontwoman Netta Laurenne, who has an insistent and frequently intense vocal delivery.
The second album Hostage provides a more diverse offering, with the band swinging from more basic rock accompaniment to more typical melodic power metal. They also find themselves in a pensive mood on several songs, including the video provided here, which suits them very well.
22) EXTREME – Six
It took them thirteen years to return with Saudades de Rock in 2008. It’s now taken them fifteen years to follow up that one with Six. With gaps like that between releases, can we really expect a new album to pick up where the old one left off? The new Extreme album does not always sound like the Extreme we used to know, or any of the hits, yet it sounds like Extreme. Even 1995’s Waiting For the Punchline hinted at a band eager to shed the bonds with the albums they were the most known for. In that regard, it should not be a surprise that Six goes even further.
On the surface, there is very little here that sounds like the band that recorded Pornograffitti in 1991, but if you listen closer, they can still be found here and there. Six is definitely one of the most diverse albums of 2023. All the songs sound like Extreme, but very different from each other. They are massively genre-hopping from song to song, which would have been more frustrating if it hadn’t been for the quality of the material. The band is sharp and in top form. This makes for a very satisfying listening experience, albeit a somewhat schizophrenic one given the level of diversity.
Ultimately they are all good songs, and I am curious about the next album, which apparently was recorded at the same time as Six. This gives hope that the next wait could be shorter – but can we be certain?
21) BIG BIG TRAIN – Ingenious Devices
Big Big Train has always been an ever-evolving band. They saw some degree of stability for most of the 2010s, but with the departure of several members, and especially the heartbreaking accidental death of frontman Dave Longdon in 2021, the band needed to rethink things more than ever. Stopping was not what Longdon would have wanted them to do, and they are now back and on track with a new line-up.
Ingenious Devices features orchestral re-imaginings with some of their biggest tracks from the past, with Longdon’s vocals compiled from original album sessions, as well as live solos and contributions from other former members added in for an extra emotional punch. It is a very nice touch, in keeping with the original spirit of the band and the material. The album ends with a live version of Atlantic Cable – the new song that Longdon never got around to record, that now instead has become the baptism of fire on record for new vocalist Alberto Bravin.
An emotional release in many ways, and far from being any kind of interim or stopgap release. This is a full, proper, worthy album, allowing us to say goodbye to the previous incarnation of the band while also showing us that there is a strong way forward. The wait isn’t too long either: the new album The Likes of Us will arrive on 1 March 2024, and I can’t wait.
20) SAMANTHA FISH & JESSE DAYTON – Death Wish Blues
Full disclosure: I came to this album as a Samantha Fish fan, looking at her collaboration with Jesse Dayton as a bit of an unnecessary sidestep. Ms. Fish released one of my favourite albums of 2021 with Faster, which showed incredible growth and successful experimentation with her original blues rock formula. I was much keener for her to follow up that, but fortunately, as I’ve lived with Death Wish Blues for a while I’ve changed my mind.
The album brings back a purer blues rock expression with fresh approaches. The players clearly inspire and egg each others on, making for some very exciting moments both vocally and as far as competing to have the best solos and lead breaks. The songs are catchy with plenty of slick guitar work and fierce solos. I enjoy and appreciate the album’s attitude and the chemistry between Fish and Dayton.
While I still look forward to seeing where Fish’s solo path takes her next, this album has made the wait very tolerable indeed.
19) D’VIRGILIO, MORSE, JENNINGS – Sophomore
(Nick) D’Virgilio, (Steve) Morse & (Ross) Jennings are busy gentlemen, and all of them have already been represented in this countdown with albums by their main bands. It is however this side project that remains my favourite work that any of them are involved with.
They return with their second album Sophomore just a year after Troika, which was the album of the year for me in 2022. The new album gives us more of the same: harmony-laden acoustic-based songs in the spirit of CSN with a somewhat updated sound. Although, this second album is a little less CSN in feel, with more of a percussive and band-driven approach. The full band frequently plays, with the drums frequently being more prominent this time around, which opens the door to more intricate arrangements. There are also more individual vocal parts while the harmonies still come forward now and then. This may prevent it from reaching the same pinnacle that I put the first album on, but it is a great album with several wonderful moments nonetheless.
18) SHAKIN’ STEVENS – Re-Set
Shaky’s latter-day reinvention has been as surprising as it has been enjoyable. Is he a much better artist than he’s ever been given credit for? On the new album, which even Classic Rock Magazine gave an 8/10 rating, the Welsh national treasure embraces his inner bluesman, delves into folk/roots, swings by americana, and tops it off by showing that he can still rock’n’roll. But, this is nothing like his music from the 1970s and 80s.
Re-Set is only his third album after his lengthy break as a recording artist after 1991. The new albums all show a maturity and approach to songcrafting is very different than in his heyday. On this album he explores topics with the insight of someone who has lived for a while and has things to say. If you’re unfamiliar with his newer output you will be surprised.
17) GRAHAM NASH – Now
Graham Nash has never hurried with his solo albums, and an album just seven years after his previous one is almost a rush job by his own standards. Part of the reason is obviously his continual involvement in other projects and band constellations. Now actually comes hot on the heels of his deep involvement on Allan Clarke’s amazing I’ll Never Forget album (found elsewhere in this countdown), and sees him at his most personal and introspective.
Like many singer-songwriters from his generation, Nash has often used his personal experiences as launching points for his work. This time, with more time behind him than ahead, he frequently finds meaning in even the smallest of everyday occurrences and the people around him. The songs are frequently backed by the sparest of arrangements, with the occasional bite provided through the lyrics. The N in CSN still has a lot on his mind and his very own way of delivering it.
16) DORO – Conqueress
For whatever reason, Doro’s new album resonates a lot more than they have in a long time. She has released many albums over the course of a long career, and I must admit I have not always been one to check them out. This time I did, found myself going back to it, and ended up picking up the multi-disc book set which is currently sitting on my desk beside me as I type this.
The album’s been a refreshing listen, and aside from the albums from her first band Warlock, this is undoubtedly the Doro-related disc I have listened the most to ever. The songs feel sharp when they rock, soothing in their gentler moments, and overall just a lot more fun. There are also some emotional moments. True Metal Maniacs (a bonus track on the album’s special edition) expresses the strong unity between artist and fans, speaking about the deep bond that has sustained her through the ups and downs of a long career. Hardly an original topic, but it comes across as very heartfelt when Doro sings it.
Conqueress is an overall solid effort, and if you haven’t checked out Doro’s efforts in a while this is a very good point to jump back in – just in time to catch her duet with Rob Halford on Total Eclipse of the Heart!
15) URIAH HEEP – Chaos And Colour
It has already been five years since the last time Uriah Heep released their previous album (2018’s excellent Living the Dream), but they are still going strong in their 54th year. Chaos And Colour is their 25th studio release, and it shows a band still fully in touch with what made them great all those years ago.
Heep have always somehow missed out on the mainstream recognition and respect enjoyed by peers like Purple, Zeppelin, and Sabbath, but they have easily recorded as many great albums as any of the above, and are still doing it. Notably, the last four Heep albums have all been of laudably high quality. The progressive flourishes and intriguing arrangements that defined their early classics are still present, but at heart this is an album of vigorous, punchy anthems. Chaos And Colour is Heep at their most stirring and spectacular.
14) QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE – In Times New Roman
It took a while for me to get into this band, but I finally cracked the code with their previous album Villains, which is excellent. This album has less of the chrome-plated dance-rock of that album, bringing things back to a bluesy, feral sound.
Josh Homme has had a rough couple of years personally, which no doubt can be read about elsewhere. These events have influenced the material accordingly: this is the group’s heaviest, angriest work in a long time. There’s room for wry humour and introspection in between the high-octane blasts of filthy guitars, and the band is unable to totally forget about their strong melodic chops in any case. The percussive start-stop flair they are known for in the foundation of most of their songs is also quite intact, making this a fascinating and frequently earwormy album.
This album is the sound of Josh Homme taking the lemons life gave him and making lemonade of them. Excellent tasting lemonade.
13) STARBENDERS – Take Back the Night
Starbenders have returned with the follow-up to 2020’s Love Potions, giving the world yet another slice of fabulous rock’n’roll. This is where 1970s glam meets any of the following decades of your choosing in any given song. Each and every member of this band oozes star factor – that all have that elusive “it”, whatever “it” is – and the combination of the four of them is very powerful. Kimi Shelter is a very compelling frontwoman, whose husky vocals offer lashings of personality.
Topically, Starbenders touch on anything from youthful existential angst to larger than life superstardom. Frequently both. Take Back the Night is a multi-dimensional album, with all the songs blending into one coherent majestic whole. The image is a big part of the package. The band still look the part, exuding a mystic aura, taking us back to when bands looked, felt, and sounded larger than life.
12) DEATH VALLEY GIRLS – Islands In the Sky
Death Valley Girls continue to grow as a band, and have delivered their best album so far – with some distance. While I enjoyed their previous efforts, some which are reviewed elsewhere on the Norselands page, I never imagined they would take such strides in their songwriting as well as performances and presentation of their music. This is a prime example of not changing who you are, but still sounding very different than before by just getting better at what you do. The concept and main themes behind the album are based on the experience of frontwoman Bonnie Bloomgarden and her unknown illness that made her write love messages for her future self as a way of healing.
Where the previous album Darkness Rains was more hard-edged garage punk, the new album is a stunning piece of psychedelic garage music with thrilling melodies and a significantly stronger sense of spirituality.
11) PRISTINE – The Lines We Cross
They are Pristine, and they are still the hottest band north of the Arctic Circle! Hailing from Tromsø, Norway, they continue to deliver their special brand of blues-based rock’n’roll on The Lines We Cross, which arrives four years after their excellent Road Back To Ruin. Powerhouse vocalist Heidi Solheim is a force to be reckoned with, as usual, but this feels more like a band-oriented album that does a great job of showcasing just how good the entire band is as a unit.
The Lines We Cross is more even than their previous effort, making it a very satisfying listen. It does make it harder to point out highlights, and there are less obvious singles or unique tracks. The strength lies in the sum of the whole. A few more peaks would perhaps help the album stand out in the marketplace, but as it happens, there is at least one massive highlight in the shape of the epic orchestral track Carnival.
Otherwise, the album showcases a band which is keen to show how well they can rock, groove, wail, and even give us the feels on the journey through the album. A great return!
10) JETHRO TULL – RökFlöte
Jethro Tull albums have become like buses – first no new ones for 20 years, then two in a row. Last year, they released The Zealot Game which was themed around verses from the Bible, but these have been replaced with Norse mythology on RökFlöte. The title is made to appear Norse, but looks a little awkward with Norse eyes. The concept album itself, about the events surrounding Ragnarok, really is excellent.
Ian Anderson’s compositions are fascinating both musically and lyrically, as tempting as it is to imagine what the band as they were in the mid-1970s might have managed to get out of this material, the current version of the band really do a great job. Anderson might have lost a step or two vocally, but works around that quite satisfyingly rather than trying to force himself to sound like he used to. On the other hand, his flute playing seem to just get better with experience, and the sheer menace he is able to conjure up is simply stunning at times. The album both opens and closes with metal-sounding flute feedback that makes for a very chilling atmosphere.
9) TREVOR RABIN – Rio
Trevor Rabin – best known from his stint in Yes from 1982 to 1995 – is back with his first vocal-led solo album in 34 years (Can’t Look Away was released in 1989)! Being a film-score composer has taken up much of his time, and maybe it was touring with Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman as “Yes featuring ARW”, playing classics like Changes and Shoot High Aim Low, that finally got his rock juices flowing again?
Rio is not named after that big South American city or a Duran Duran song. It happens to be the name of Rabin’s granddaughter, giving it a personal touch from the get-go. He has stayed exactly as close to the finished result as you’d think, performing the majority of the instruments and vocals on Rio album himself, as well as painting the cover artwork.
The album features huge variations in ideas, both musically and lyrically, and it is clear that Rabin is indulging (and enjoying) himself along the way. In spite of the elapsed time since his last rock album, this also very much sounds like the Rabin we remember. It is a very welcome return. Should we dare hope for another one in another 34 years?
8) SMOKE FAIRIES – Carried In Sound
Smoke Fairies are back with their brooding, spellbinding brand of interweaving guitars and voices, evoking a gloomy folkloric atmosphere. The band consist of Katherine Blamire and Jessica Davies, who blends a distinctively traditional folk sound with modern rock influences.
Their sound is primarily defined by their harmonising voices set to interweaving (and often intricate) guitar parts, which never fail to conjure up magical moods and enchanting melodies. Some songs feature only the two of them, other utilize backing musicians, and it’s fair to say that there are two versions of Smoke Fairies – the acoustic duo, and an electric version which sees the two front a band version. The versions are not as different as this might seem – it’s all about flourishes and quiet underpinning, and the Fairies are amazing at giving each song exactly the colour it needs to convey the right ambience. I love this band, and so should you.
7) DOKKEN – Heaven Comes Down
Dokken are back with an album with tons of musical and lyrical references to their classic albums. It has been an 11-year wait since their previous album Broken Bones, partially due to the numerous health challenges for frontman Don Dokken. After a surgery that went wrong, his arm became partially paralyzed. Don has also suffered with voice issues, meaning he’s been struggling to live up to his legacy live, but at least in a studio setting things seem to work a lot better.
Heaven Comes Down sees Don sound more or less like he used to back in the day. There are signs of his voice being rougher around the edges, but not to any detrimental effect. If anything, these days he has a suitable world-weariness, with a pleasant timbre that is hard to describe, but just makes his voice pleasant to listen to.
The album is a refreshing comeback, especially stylistically. The material is consciously written in the style of the classic Dokken sound, making this a welcome return to the kind of Dokken I always wanted them to be. John Leven does a great job emulating George Lynch’s guitar style, delivering riffs and styles that complements and combines the Dokken that was with the Dokken that they are today.
The songs are all really strong. The material is mostly forward-leaning, slinky hard rock with a nice groove, but there is room for more reflective material with a melancholic twist as well. I am thinking of the album closer Santa Fe, which is the album’s secret weapon and an unexpected highlight. This bittersweet acoustic track sees Don deliver some poignant reflections on his heady Los Angeles days and his eventual relocation to Santa Fe. The nostalgic song is easily the album’s most vulnerable and convincing moment, giving it the appearance of one of the most meaningful songs Don has ever sung.
Overall, Heaven Comes Down is the sound of Dokken playing to their strengths. My 15-year old self tells me that he is extremely happy with this album, and I’ve learned to stay in touch with and trust that guy.
6) WITCH – Zango
WITCH originally came out of Zambia in the 1970s, blending traditional African music and rhythms with blues-based, somewhat psychedelic rock. They have returned after a lengthy break – and that’s not understating it. Zango is their first album in nearly 40 years!
Zango is rooted in Zamrock, and builds on the inherent malleability of the genre’s sound. The band always walked seamlessly between passages of Afrobeat, spacey psych-pop, and stomping, Sabbathian proto-metal.
Initially formed in 1972 by Emmanuel Chanda, who still leads the band today, WITCH (an acronym for “We Intend To Cause Havoc”) capture the same feeling of possibility that characterized the early Witch records. On the album’s closing track Message from WITCH he assumes the same emcee persona he used on Introduction, the first song Witch ever recorded. Just as he did in 1972, Chanda introduces his bandmates, only this time, he also sheds light on his intentions with this music: “It unites beliefs/Conquers xenophobia/It laughs at hate speech/Ends sexism/It erases homophobia/Shatters antisemitism/Embraces every race.”
Zamrock isn’t stuck in the ’70s. In WITCH’s hands, it still sounds like the future – a future filled with love, infectious grooves, and slinky riffs.
5) THE ROLLING STONES – Hackney Diamonds
Does this entry need much of an introduction? It’s the fricking Stones. We all know about them. Mick, Keef, Ron. Sadly no longer Charlie, although his work is represented on this album.
A new Stones album is always greeted with some degree of occasion, even when the album itself is in the ‘good, not great’ category. Happily, Hackney Diamonds is a great album.
It has been a long wait – 18 years, to be exact – since the previous Stones album of original material. It would have sucked to wait so long for something that wasn’t great. The fact that they are capable of delivering such a classic-sounding album the year when both Mick and Keith turns 80 is a testament to the youthfulness found in the music.
The world was ready for them, too. The lead-off single Angry exploded, and was instantly featured and talked about everywhere. A new Stones track is never just a new track. It is an event, and doubly so when the band has managed to tap into the source that made them great to begin with.
Some things go beyond even the sense of occasion that a new Stones album is. The band invited Bill Wyman back to play bass on a track that also featured the late drummer Charlie Watts. This has given us one last track with the classic rhythm section, as close to the classic line-up as we could possibly come in 2023. Hearing those men playing something new together, for the very last time… it goes far beyond the music itself.
Prominent guests include Paul McCartney on bass on the very punk-fuelled Bite My Head Off (who raved about how cool it was to play with a band again), Elton John (hammering away on the piano in the sideman role once occupied by the late Ian Stewart) and Lady Gaga (doing her best to evoke Merry Clayton, fabled Gimme Shelter guest vocalist with intense wailing on Sweet Sounds of Heaven).
Keef once again ends up providing the album’s most vulnerable moment in Tell Me Straight – a query about a relationship’s odds of survival. This is as unmitigated and honest as the Stones have sounded in years, which is a fitting description for the rest of the album too.
The Rolling Stones haven’t sounded so on top of their game in ages. It is genuinely the most excited I have been about a new Stones album in 30-odd years.
4) ALLAN CLARKE – I’ll Never Forget
Allan Clarke was one of the founding members of The Hollies in 1962, alongside his childhood friend Graham Nash. The lead singer achieved international hit singles with the group and is credited as co-writer on several of their best known songs.
Clarke retired from performing in 1999 due to ongoing medical problems with his vocal chords, which made his return in 2019 with the album Resurgence a huge and positive surprise. It was a good album, but he really has surpassed himself with 2023’s follow-up I’ll Never Forget.
The new album finds Clarke in a nostalgic mood. More than ever, he is looking back at his formative years, his past life, and fully allows himself to be inspired by that rather than trying to look forward. This led him to reconnect musically with Graham Nash, who has been involved in writing on the album as well as providing harmony vocals on nearly every track. The two of them certainly share many stories from over the years.
On the track Buddy’s Back, written by Nash, they sing together about their childhood days and forming a certain band together, heavily inspired by Buddy Holly. They named The Hollies after him as a tribute and acknowledgement of his influence. And now, with the two of them reunited, you could say that Buddy’s back. The track came out so well that Nash included a version of it on his own solo album, for good measure.
At 81, Clarke may not still hit the high notes he once reached, but his now deeper baritone has a richness in it which comes across nicely, especially given the feel of the material. As he did back in the Hollies days, Nash nicely augments Clarke with his harmonies, and his efforts end up meaning a lot to the end result. This could easily have been promoted as a collaborative Clarke/Nash album, but Nash is happy to stay in a supporting role.
I’ll Never Forget is an album filled with stories and memories, and at times an emotional listen. The amount of times I kept going back to the album has been a surprise in that I didn’t expect it, but far less surprising given the quality of the material. It’s not the type of material that knocks you off your feet and blows you away. This primarily hits nostalgic buttons, emotional buttons, and ends up being a lovely visit from dear friends. The Hollies (and related projects) are amongst the bands I have listened the most to over the past 10 years, so an album from Allan Clarke would naturally mean a lot to me.
At this point, there are fewer survivors from the 1960s scene with every passing year, and even fewer that produce albums of significant quality and substance. 2023 has been a wonderful year for great albums from that generation of artists, and very likely one of the last ones as the artists won’t be able to keep it up much longer. For an artist that retired in 1999, Allan Clarke’s doing all right, though.
3) IGGY POP – Every Loser
Every Loser is Iggy’s 19th studio album. Produced by Andrew Watt, who’s become a bit of a golden boy in recent years after producing The Rolling Stones, Ozzy Osbourne, Paul McCartney and Pearl Jam amid many others.
The album features a core backing band consisting of Chili pepper musicians Chad Smith and Josh Klinghoffer, as well as Andrew Watt himself. Notable guests include Dave Navarro, Duff McKagan and Taylor Hawkins. The album is a return to Iggy’s rawer and more energetic style, with a spoken intention to “beat the shit out of the listener”. The first single Frenzy is definitely a sonic attack not too unlike that of his first band The Stooges, and the album has plenty of those moments. It’s a delight to see the Igmeister churn out these type of songs again at age 76.
In between the bombast the album has intriguing moments with multi-layered songs that reek of danger. Klingenhoffer contributed one of the better ones in Strung Out Johnny, which weaves layers of unease amid it’s depiction of fatal drug use, similar to Gimme Danger on the classic Raw Power album. This is a topic Iggy can sing about with some credibility.
The best thing about Every Loser is how genuine it is. Iggy does not try to be something he’s not, and he is able to showcase every version of Iggy Pop that he wants to be. Over the course of its 11 tracks we are treated to a parade of iconic Iggy archetypes: the profane punk, the seedy underworld Sinatra, the Euro-bound futurist, the lovable curmudgeon, and (via the Warhol-inspired comedic interlude The News For Andy) the world’s coolest infomercial pitchman.
The album is a shiny, over-the-top, and briskly entertaining celebration of its subject, who is surrounded by a supporting cast of acolytes eager to do their hero proud. It’s not the type of albums that 76-year olds are supposed to make, but that’s probably exactly why Iggy still does it.
2) ALL FOR METAL – Legends
Manowar once declared “death to false metal”. They would undoubtedly approve of All For Metal. The slightly cheesy band name signals a lot of heart and determination, and this description works for the music as well: slightly cheesy, but with a lot of determination and heart. Kind of like Manowar, then. And in this case, the comparison is definitely meant as a compliment.
All For Metal is a new band consisting of established players. The man who had the original vision and put it all together is Tim ‘Tetzel’ Wagner, known as the singer of the band Asenblut. He is also known as a strength athlete and fitness instructor, which makes sense given his incredible physique – he is a huge presence in the band’s music videos, literally!
Growing up as a fan of said Manowar, Tetzel wanted to put together a band with the same type of music and mindset. “At [Manowar] concerts the audience is overwhelmed by the energy,” he says in the band’s press release. “That’s where strangers are in each other’s arms and fervently belting out the songs. This invisible bond, this connection, is created through the music alone.”
The band would have two vocalists. Tetzel is known for growling and having a deep voice, and knew they needed someone to soar with the eagles as well. Enter Antonio Calanna, known from DeVicious and Induction. The Italian tenor of tenors understood where Tetzel was coming from and was excited to join the band, saying “I have only experienced such a sense of community in the metal scene. With All For Metal, we want to help pass this on and let as many music fans as possible share in it.”
The band was bolstered by two incredible female guitar players Ursula Zanichelli and Jasmin Pabst, as well as the rock solid rhythm section of Florian Toma on bass and Leif Jensen on drums.
The music they set about playing is very much classic heavy metal with strong anthemic qualities. The first track All For Metal, which also named the band and gave them their mission statement, was introduced in proper style by heavy anvil strikes. It has a pounding rhythm, catchy guitar riffs, and an earworm of a chorus, which would pretty much be the template for most of their songs. But here and there other influences manage to creep in – Raise Your Hammer has nice, folky echoes, for example.
Legends managed to reconnect me with the feeling and excitement of being a teen and discovering a REALLY good album, which does not happen often any longer. The music breaks no new ground, but has a solid impact on a basic, emotional level. This is epic, anthemic metal with songs about metal performed by people with a clear metal image. It is direct, tribal, melodic, and very powerful. It’s been done before, and that may be the point – the music is metal as it used to be when I fell in love with the genre, no attempts at more modern types of metal. It is extremely well done, and it’s been a long time since an album in this genre has hit me like this.
Antonio is the star of the show. He soars on this album, providing amazing vocals all around. Next to him, it is easy to start wondering if Tetzel is even needed, but it definitely would be a very different band if he wasn’t there. He adds more than the first impression leads one to think, especially visually. I’ve seen clips of the band on stage and Tetzel is a mighty presence whose vocals adds exclamation marks. He even has his own song: Mountain of Power is a song about Tetzel and his legendary might! It’s both funny and endearing.
The entire band has an amazing look, which is almost expected when you play music like this. The band has made music videos for just about every song on the album and the sum of their total look and presence is amazing.
The album ends on an emotional note with the poignant track Legends Never Die, which in parts names the album. In the music video, Antonio’s real-life family makes an appearance as the family of his character. He is spending his last moments with them before heading out for battle, and eventually it’s time to go. He meets up with Tetzel, they head out the door together, cast one last look back before leaving, and aren’t seen again. It is a poignant reminder of the values that matters the most: the love for one’s family, as well as the deep bond one can have with those who stand by you as you face challenges. It also reminds us that if we plan to make a stand on that hill, possibly paying the ultimate prize, it better be for a deserving cause.
All For Metal is definitely a deserving cause. Legends is their debut album, and it is pretty much the soundtrack to the summer of 2023. Their second album is already on the way, and the band are trying to crowdfund a project that would see them travel to Japan. The goal: to create the most epic music video known to man for the new and as-of-yet unheard song The Year of the Dragon. Please, please, please let it happen!
1) THE DAMNED – Darkadelic
It has been a long time since The Damned could be called a punk band, but those were their meagre beginnings. Formed in 1976, they were the first punk band to release a single (New Rose, later covered by Guns N’ Roses), release a studio album (1977’s Damned Damned Damned) and the first to tour the United States. As they neared the end of the decade, and especially as they entered the 1980s, they were already well into their post-punk phase. They gradually embraced gothic rock as well as elements of late-1960s psychedelic rock. At the same time, they never quite shed the drive and energy from their punk years. On paper, these things should not even be possible to mix, but this unique concoction has become the very intriguing sound of The Damned.
In fact, the new album’s title seems to point back to these influences, referencing their goth side as well as interest in psychedelia. But does it? What is Darkedelic really?
“What is it?” vocalist Dave Vanian mused when Billboard Magazine asked the question. “Perhaps a box of deluxe chocolates full of delicious and surprisingly delightful flavors, a journey to the id, self-expression or discovery. A dark tale of intrigue heavily laced with noir, romantic Gothic melodrama, a first kiss, a dangerous drug, dark love…. Truly it will represent a myriad of things to the individual and is, as it should be, defining but also undefined.”
Guitarist Captain Sensible is more succinct, as usual. “I’m guessing it means it’s dark and it’s psychedelic,” he said with a laugh. And perhaps the difference in how they answer that question reveals the main difference between the two founding members of the band.
Topically, the band has always been interested in the dark underbelly of society, cult horror movies, and evil characters from old cult fiction and elsewhere. They have written about Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, referenced Edgar Allen Poe stories with Under the Floor Again, touched on cult movie disasters in Plan 9 Channel 7, and paid tribute to an evil villain from old Sunday papers comics with Grimly Fiendish.
And, not to forget, this is the band that created a once-in-a-lifetime Halloween-themed show at the London Palladium in 2019, teaming up with The Hammer House of Horror and the cast of The Circus of Horrors to create an immersive, sinister, bizarre gothic experience. The band asked the fans to dress in full vampire attire, doing the same themselves. During the show, David Vanian transforms from a classic Bela Lugosi-style vampire to Nosferatu. This show was released as A Night Of A Thousand Vampires on CD and DVD/Blu-ray in 2022. It was an apt title, as the theatre literally housed a thousand vampires. Appreciating this side of the band may be important in understanding what makes them unique.
On Darkedelic, the opening track look to a classic Universal horror movie for inspiration. The Invisible Man just works on every level. As always, the song has an insistent delivery with energetic playing, but the real energy comes from within. The focus is on the story, the moods and ambience behind the performances. It’s all there if you want to engage with it. Even if you take it “just” as a rock song, it is pretty brilliant.
The Damned teamed up with producer Thomas Mitchener, formerly of the bands Haunts and Spycatcher, because he was, as Captain Sensible put it, a purveyor of the ‘70s sound that they were going for on the album. Darkadelic is generally driven by more pronounced guitars, which vocalist Dave Vanian stated was his only criteria for the producer this time.
The arrangements on Darkadelic are incredible. None of the tracks suffer from pedestrian approaches, and there are things going on and delightfully unexpected twists and turns most of the time. This is no accident as prior to recording, Sensible and Granville-Taylor and was given special focus, with Captain Sensible saying that they sat down and listened to how certain Beatles songs were arranged, as they found them beautifully arranged. It clearly worked, as it has resulted in an album with many adventurous twists and turns, yet always with a catchy sensibility. Unlike The Beatles, though, with this band you never know when they’ll turn and bite!
The explosive “Wake the Dead” is a particular highlight. In 2023, Vanian and Sensible are 66 and 68 years old, respectively. “We’re of an age now when people you know start kicking the bucket,” Sensible told Billboard Magazine. “I go to funerals more often than I used to. I do dabble in the social networks and you see people playing “Smash It Up” at somebody’s funeral. “Love Song” was played at someone’s dad’s funeral because that was his favourite. So I thought, ‘Well, they’re playing these songs ’cause the deceased love the band. Why not write one actually for that purpose?’ So that was the idea, really. It’s a heroic kind of goth song because you’re laughing in the face of mortality. We’re all gonna go, so don’t get depressed about it and overthink it. I always celebrate the life rather than mourn the parting moment…so why not give them a really heroic, ‘F–k the Grim Reaper’ song?”
In sum, Darkadelic is both evocative and open-ended. The album plays like a best-of. It’s great track after great track after great track. It plays really well from beginning to end, with a track order optimized for a good listening flow. Although there are zero skippers, some songs rise a bit more above. More than any other album, this is my soundtrack to 2023.
And there you have it! 100 albums that all played a part in my own 2023 listening experience. Thanks for staying with me to the end – my hope is that some of you discovered a couple of new things along the way.
Which albums made up your own end-of-year lists?
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