Tom Hanno, our favorite bottom dweller! A prolific writer and omni presence when it comes to the Heavy Underground. Doing stuff for Doomed and Stoned, Cave Dweller Music, The Sleeping Shaman, Monster Riff, The Third Eye and of course his very own Tom’s Reviews! Never one to sugercoat his opinion for anyone, and his love for the good stuff is apparent from every first sentence he has ever jotted down… Thanks for letting us into your world of heaviness!

We’re honored to present it here as the third list of Favorite Albums of 2023 by one of the Doom Charts Contributors… There are many Contributors as you might know; and many already posted their list of Favorite Albums of 2023 on their own sites or the sites they write for. Some of those lists will be published here as well. And for all the others we advise you to check out all of their personal sites… Cause it might just contain your next very favorite album!

“Much like the amps of Spinal Tap, we go to 11 at Tom’s Reviews, so with that in mind, I present you with my picks for the Top 11 Albums from 2023.”

1. Dopelord – Songs For Satan (October 6th, 2023)

Warsaw, Poland is home to the band Dopelord, a group that I feel is the epitome of the Stoner-Doom genre. Songs For Satan is the best album in that genre for 2023, and it was played so much at my house that I have to call it the Album Of The Year as well. Just one listen to tracks like “Night Of The Witch” and “Evil Spell”, will have you understanding why it’s sitting at the top of my list, and why I feel that they are also the greatest band in modern day Stoner Doom.

2. Dying Fetus – Make Them Beg For Death (September 8th, 2023)

I’ll probably be “Summoned For Sacrifice” (see what I did there? 🤣) for putting Dying Fetus above the new Cannibal Corpse album, but this Baltimore, Maryland based band absolutely blows me away with their technical ferocity, brutal vocals, and overall quality of songwriting. This band consistently puts out punishing albums that I absolutely love, and Make Them Beg For Death is no exception.

3. Orphans Of Dusk – Spleen (April 28th, 2023)

If Woods Of Ypres is the Canadian Type O Negative, then Orphans Of Dusk is New Zealand’s answer to both of those bands. Australian singer Chris G. provides vocals that cross the borders of Peter Steele’s deep baritone, the more Black Metal attack of David Gold, as well as some of David’s cleans, and even a bit of Burton C. Bell while the rest of the band puts out dirge-like music that pulls from the band’s that I’ve mentioned, while keeping things modern as well. Both of this group’s albums are phenomenal, and I suggest that you give each a listen.

4. Almost Honest – The Hex Of Penn’s Woods (November 24th, 2023)

This album absolutely blew me away! Between the high class riffing, excellent vocal performances, and the ultimate in creativity, there’s so much to dig into. I love that they created their own cryptids and lore based on their local heritage as well, which all adds up to an album that was my #1 for November’s Doom Charts submission list.

5. Metallica – 72 Seasons (April 14th, 2023)

The first single from 72 Seasons both intrigued and irritated me. On one hand “Lux Æterna” was the ultimate throwback to their old sound, but with their modern take in it, on the other hand, I was irritated because of that. However it grew on me, and I became excited to hear the album in full; when I did hear it, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. There are a few songs that could have been shortened by 90 seconds or more, but overall, 72 Seasons is a solid album from the Biggest Heavy Metal Band on the planet.

6. Orbit Culture – The Forgotten (December 1st, 2023)

I only recently discovered Orbit Culture, thanks in no small part to the announcement that they’ll be out on tour with Fear Factory. This Swedish band has the genre tag of Melodic Death Metal, but that only scratches the surface of what this band does; they also have a touch of Industrial, and a bit of Nű-Metal thanks to the clean and extreme vocal approaches. The 3 tracks that make up The Forgotten are all phenomenal, as are their other albums, and I’ve been obsessed with them since I first heard “While We Serve”.

7. Cannibal Corpse – Chaos Horrific (September 22nd, 2023)

The masters of gore, the purveyors of filth, the legendary and highly influential, the one, the only, Cannibal Corpse. The band has been putting out superior Death Metal for decades, and Chaos Horrific is yet another example of that. It also seems like C.C. has been on fire ever since Erik Rutan joined, his writing style and intricate riffs fitting in perfectly! Corpsegrinder is at his best here, seeing him employ brutal growls, and the high growls that have made his style a fan favorite. In my opinion, tracks like “Summoned For Sacrifice”, “Vengeful Invasion”, and “Chaos Horrific” are among the best that the band has ever written.

8. Cattle Decapitation – Terrasite (May 12th, 2023)

I wasn’t a big fan of Cattle Decapitation until about 6 years ago, and now they’re one of my favorite Extreme Metal acts. Travis Ryan has one of, if not THE most distinctive vocal approach from any of the Metal subgenres. Then add in the brutal riffing that is a constant aspect of their sound, and again, is very distinctive to this band, an absolutely punishing rhythm section, and you come up with Extreme Metal excellence!

9. Venamoris – Drown In Emotion (February 10th, 2023)

This is the debut album from the husband and wife team of Dave and Paula Lombardo, and it is one of the best debuts of 2023. We all know Dave from Slayer, Grip Inc, Testament, etc, but now he introduces yet another side of his musical repertoire, as well as having the incredible vocal talents that Paula possesses being showcased throughout this amazing album. I do want to add an interesting fact about where the band name comes from … The name Venamoris comes from the belief that the fourth finger of the left hand possesses a vein that runs securely to the heart; the Vein of Love, also called the Vena Amoris; which is why married couples wear their rings on the same finger.

10. They Watch Us From The Moon – Cosmic Chronicles, Act I: The Ascension (May 12th, 2023)

You could pin any number of genre tags on these mystic travelers of time and space; from heavy psych and space rock to doom and stoner metal, and from shoegaze to krautrock, meaning that They Watch Us From The Moon leaves nothing off the table while excelling at all that they do. Cosmic Chronicles Vol. 1 is chock full of riffs, has stunning vocals that are as hypnotic as they are beautiful, and a powerful rhythm section that’s so locked in that you’d think them to be of another world altogether. Now consider that the songwriting is of the highest quality, and you will understand why this album made my year’s end list!

11. Obituary – Dying Of Everything (January 13th, 2023)

It can be said that if you’ve heard one Obituary album, then you’ve heard them all … but this is why we love this band. You always know what to expect, and throughout the years the band has tried some different approaches, but fans love them the most when they provide us with slower, crushing riffs, the unmistakable growls of John Tardy, and a rhythm section that is more than capable of melting faces with no guitar parts at all. Dying Of Everything is exactly what Obituary does, and was exactly the start that 2023 deserved!

Honorable Mentions (in no particular order)

*Ojo Malo – Black Light Fever Tripping

*The Cimmerian – Sword And Sorcery Vol. 1

*Overkill – Scorched

In Closing …

2023 was jam packed with incredible music, and many stellar albums didn’t make my Top 11, so I highly suggest that you check out any of the other Top Albums Of 2023 lists in order to discover the ones that either didn’t make mine, or that got lost in the shuffle. Enjoy!!