Annet’s favorite albums of the year 2023 involve a mix of punk rock and modern metal, bringing in loads of emotions going from deep and intense, to fun and light with albums from Green Day, Enter Shikari, Hexa Mera, Chris Maragoth, Powerwolf, Nanowar of Steel, Angus McSix, Blink-182, Gloryhammer and Bury Tomorrow!

Psy-core metal act Dymytry unleashes title track of their upcoming album ‘Five Angry Men’, set for release on January 26th via AFM Records!

French tech-death outfit Exocrine sharpen their sights on ‘Eidolon’, the 3rd single/video from their upcoming ‘Legend’ album, set for rel

Italian death metallers Kaivs are starting 2024 with a bang by signing with Time To Kill Records for the release of their debut album ‘After the Flesh’!

Australian dark folk/blackgaze act Suldusk announces upcoming new album ‘Anthesis’, set for release via Napalm Records in March, and share the title track now with an accompanying video! Fans of Myrkur, Oathbreaker and Chelsea Wolfe, don’t sit on this one!

One of the highlights of our adventures in the Finnish Autumn/Winter season, was most definitely the 3rd edition of Black Box Mikkeli, with on the 2nd day a celebration of Finnish metal with Lastout, I Am Your God, Balance Breach, Insomnium, the foreign black metal storm that is Gaerea, and of course an amazing set by Bloodred Hourglass, bringing their latest album in full!

Besides starting the new year properly looking to the future, this month we’re also still looking back at all the awesomeness that 2023 brought us. One of those awsome things was the already 3rd edition of the by Bloodred Hourglass curated festival Black Box Mikkeli. They were able to bring a killer line-up again on the 2nd day of their event with besides a fantastic show by themselves, Insomnium, Gaerea, Balance Breach, I Am Your God and Lastout!

Dutch black metal institution Funeral Winds revealed ‘Birthed by Pure Malevolence’, the first track from the upcoming album ‘333’, set for release on January 26th via Osmose Productions!

Dutch/Belgian black-doom project Stuporous shared the new track ‘Never Let Me Go’, another one revealed from their highly anticipated debut album ‘Asylum’s Lament’, set for release on January 25th via Void Wanderer Productions and War Productions!