Music of 2023 - Part 1

As we get older, each year seems to pass more quickly than the previous one. Given that each year is a less significant amount of our lives in the context of the whole, this stands to reason - but it does mean that the end of year summary which I like to undertake on this blog has rolled around again in double quick fashion. It helps, though, for me at least, that 2023, like every other year, has been packed full of excellent music. I have reviewed a lot of new albums and EPs this year as is traditional; and I also attended a number of concerts, with 44 evenings out of that nature occurring. This is almost as many as I went to in 2022 (47), which I think was likely my busiest ever year due to the amount of post-pandemic catching up which took place. 2023 contributed to this, too, but in general the touring cycles this year felt more normal - with many bands out touring some of the excellent releases which I reviewed this year (or last year). I will detail my favourite albums and gigs of the year tomorrow, as is typical, but I also like to highlight a few albums at the end of each year which I did not get around to reviewing. I would like to review every newly-released album that I buy each year, but sadly that is not possible. This blog is a hobby, so has to fit in around work commitments and my social life - but I think that I manage to get to an impressive number of new releases each year, especially as my reviews tend to be quite lengthy track-by-track analyses. Even though the readership numbers on this blog are pretty low, I feel that I get a lot out of writing my reviews. I certainly appreciate each album I have reviewed more than I would have otherwise done - and reviewing albums encourages me to stick with them, even if they initially did not grab me. It is also good to write positively about music online. I do write negative reviews from time to time, but generally I cover things that I enjoy - and with so much negativity out there it feels good to shout about things worth shouting about. I do not feel that I will ever tire of digesting new music and when so much is released each year it is impossible to get bored. Something new is always around the corner - and I already have quite a few albums on order which drop in the early months of next year. Before I highlight some of those, though, I have five mini reviews to present. As mentioned, I cannot review everything which I buy. Some albums I just do not have much to say about them, but generally the reason I do not review something is time. Albums often come out in batches, meaning that lots drop within a few weeks of each other. I like to review albums whilst they are still relatively new, otherwise the wider window of interest has closed. As such, during busy periods some albums inevitably miss out. As always, too, I will also detail my favourite live release of the year below - as I do not cover them otherwise.

Up first, though, is the second solo album from Ray Alder - unimaginatively titled II. This was an album that, due to its initial high price, I did not pick up until the price dropped two or three months after its release. It was too late to review it by the time that I got it, then, but it has been on semi-regular rotation since - even if it may not be quite as strong as his 2019 solo debut What the Water Wants (which I reviewed here). With Fates Warning now seemingly over, Alder has been looking for other things to do with his time. His solo career is now two albums deep and he has also found the time to create music with his prog metal supergroup A-Z - who released their self-titled debut album (which I also reviewed here) last year. A-Z's album felt a bit brighter and more metallic due to the personnel involved, but II returns to the murky sounds which Alder has made his own in recent years. Like What the Water Wants, II sees Alder writing songs with both Fates Warning's touring guitarist Michael Abdow and Lords of Black's Tony Hernando. This second solo album is much more atmospheric than Alder's first, though, and it feels much darker as a result. I think this is why it perhaps has not connected with me quite as much, but the mood that it creates is excellent. Some more overt heavier moments would have been welcome, but as a showcase for Alder's emotional vocal style the album works well. No-one else really sounds like Alder vocally these days and the way that he has approached aging from a singing perspective should really been seen as an inspiration by others. His rich, warm tones are on full display throughout II and the album is great for when something darker and more atmospheric is required.

A new discovery for me this year was the Swedish heavy metal act Heavy Load. I had not heard of the four-piece until their latest album Riders of the Ancient Storm was released in October - and I picked up a copy in November after being impressed with lead single Ride the Night. Riders of the Ancient Storm is the band's first album since 1983's Stronger than Evil - meaning that it had been 40 years since the band's fans had something new to look forward to. In fairness, Heavy Load were dormant for most of that time - but they have been active again recently and clearly decided to write and record their fourth album. I have not gone back yet and explored their early work, but this latest album is very enjoyable. The band were a part of that early wave of European power metal which was strongly influenced by the NWOBHM and some of the American equivalents. Heavy Load pre-dated bands like Helloween, though, so were certainly a bit ahead of their time - and this latest album is packed full of epic songs which generally stick to a crunching, mid-paced formula and are fleshed out by plenty of dramatic keyboards and the duelling vocals of brothers and founding members Ragne (guitar/keyboards) and Styrbjörn Wahlquist (drums). Classic-era bassist Torbjörn Ragnesjö also returns here, with the only new face being guitarist Niclas Sunnerberg. Riders of the Ancient Storm is certainly not the fastest or the heaviest of power metal albums, but anyone wanting to hark back to the genre's early days can do worse than revisiting this band which flew under the radar previously - and are sounding vital here.

I was prepared to review Paragon, the debut solo album from current Nightwish, and former After Forever and ReVamp, frontwoman Floor Jansen, but I ended up passing on it. I remember that its release ended up being delayed and I also think that, for some reason, the physical copies in the UK were posted out later still. As such, by the time I got the album it was quite a while after its release date - but it is an album which I would struggle writing a typical length review about. I wanted to cover it here as Jansen has featured on this blog due to her time with Nightwish - but Paragon, in my opinion, ended up being an album I could take or leave. I would not say that I was disappointed with it, as it was clear that it was going to be a departure from her traditional symphonic metal sound, but a handful of strong songs aside it feels quite limp. In some ways it is good to hear Jansen doing something different on the album, but it falls flat compared to her best work - and it does seem like a bit of a cash-in following her appearance on the Dutch reality TV series Beste Zangers in 2019, with perhaps an eye on a more mainstream solo career in the future. With Nightwish due to release a new album in 2024 which they have already said that they are not going to tour in support of, I do wonder if Jansen is looking for other opportunities - and 2023 has seen her branch out as a solo artist. I would not be surprised to see her doubling down on this given that Nightwish will not be touring - but it does seem that she is wanting to branch out and gather a new fanbase. This is understandable, but I am not sure that this album will float the boats of many After Forever or Nightwish fans - despite her strong vocals throughout. I rated the album she put out with Northward (which I reviewed here) a few years ago, and, in my opinion, she is better suited to gritty hard rock more so than the sultry pop of this album.

Another new discovery for me this year was the Italian power metal band Temperance. I was somewhat familiar with them in name only due to knowing both guitarist and principal songwriter Marco Pastorino and co-lead vocalist Michele Guaitoli from other bands - but I discovered them properly the old fashioned way back in February when I saw them opening for Tarja. Despite having a make-shift line-up on that tour, I was impressed by the band's catchy and poppy brand of power metal. Not quite as poppy as someone like Amaranthe, Temperance have a much more traditional power metal sound. I have since gone back and picked up a few of their older albums - and I also picked up their seventh album Hermitage (Daruma's Eyes - Part 2) when it was released back in October. October and November were extremely busy with new releases so I did not get a chance to review the album here - but I have listened to it a few times. Given my relatively limited knowledge of Temperance, I was not expecting this latest album to be so involved. Generally the band's work consists of snappy power metal, but this album, which (Dream Theater style) is a sequel to a song from 2018's Of Jupiter and Moons, is a lengthy concept album which features a much more symphonic sound than is typical. It is the band's first album with co-lead vocalist Kristin Starkey, and she does a great job alongside Guaitoli - but there are some guest vocalists here too, including Alessandro Conti (Trick or Treat; Luca Turilli's Rhapsody; Twilight Force) and Fabienne Erni (Eluveitie; Illumishade). Prog legend Arjen Anthony Lucassen provides narration throughout, too, meaning that there are twists and turns around every corner. I am not sure that the album has really clicked with me yet, but there is a lot here to like - and I am looking forward to seeing the band again in February with Serenity.

The final album which I want to look at here is the self-titled release from the Canadian melodic rockers Tempt. Despite releasing an album back in 2016, this self-titled album feels like the band's launch proper - and I certainly had not heard of them until a few months ago. With labels like Frontiers Records pumping out endless amounts of cookie-cutter AOR it can often be hard to see the wood for the trees - but Tempt feel fresh. They do not look like a throwback band with their sleek, modern look - and their sound is very much influenced by modern pop as much as it is by 1980s melodic rock and AOR. Def Leppard is clearly a big touchstone here, with many of the guitar melodies and the approach to harmony vocals clearly borrowed significantly from the Sheffield band - and this guitar-centric sound actually helps Tempt to stand out from the modern AOR crowd. There are plenty of keyboards and synths here, but Harrison Marcello's guitar drives everything - and the synths feel more modern and pop-influenced than retro. The album is a great mix of old and new, then, and Tempt deserve the attention which they have been getting. I have to admit that a listen to one of their singles did not do much for me, but I picked up the album a while later due to all of the press and I am glad that I did. The songs work really well within the context of the album and the songwriting is smooth and filled with hooks. Frontman Zach Allen has the perfect voice for this sort of music and, with some luck, Tempt may be the band to bring AOR back to the masses with their boy band-esque charm and accessible material.

Whilst that includes my final say on 2023's new album releases, I also like to highlight my favourite live release of the year in this annual post. I do not cover live albums here, but I listen to them quite regularly - and I particularly enjoy a well-shot concert video. There have been a few good ones this year, but I would like to highlight Robert Jon & The Wreck's Live at the Ancienne Belgique. Robert Jon & The Wreck have probably been my most important discovery of the year. I consumed their whole discography, enjoyed their latest album Ride into the Light, and saw them live for the first time in September. They are definitely going to be a big favourite going forward, so it is good to have Live at the Ancienne Belgique as a reminder of their no-nonsense southern rock captured live. The lengthy show contains a number of fan-favourites performed by the five-piece band (augmented by a couple of backing singers) with plenty of style and swagger. Frontman Robert Jon Burrison is a great singer and songwriter, but it is perhaps lead guitarist Henry James Schneekluth who steals the show with his endless soloing and tasteful slide playing. Many of the band's song stretch out live and the excellent ability of the musicians to go with the flow makes each of their concerts a unique experience. Whilst not a jam band in the vein of The Allman Brothers Band, they certainly show shades of such sometimes - and southern rock has been calling out for such a band for a while, with many of the more modern examples of the genre being tougher overall. With a new album set for release next year, Robert Jon & The Wreck are not slowing down and I doubt that they will be playing small clubs such as the Ancienne Belgique for much longer.

All that is left for me to do now is to list off my top albums and gigs of the year, which I shall do tomorrow on New Year's Day as has become traditional. Reviewing new music and concerts always keeps me busy; and I already have a lot planned for next year. I have many gig tickets in the bag already and there are a number of albums which I am looking forward to. The first review of the year is likely to be Magnum's Here Comes the Rain - which drops in early January. Magnum often reliably release a new album every other year, and this latest one is likely to be as impressive as ever. Also throughout the early months of the year I am looking forward to hearing Death of the Party, the second album from one of my favourite young bands South of Salem, the latest effort from Blackberry Smoke, and the first solo album from Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson since 2005. There is a lot to look forward to as always, and I hope that you will continue to join me in celebrating the very best of it.