Best of 2023: Quarter 4

And just like that, another year came and go, bringing a welcome dose of kickass modern metal across the entire board. We have seen some outstanding releases in Quarter 1, Quarter 2 and Quarter 3 but noone can deny that the last three months have been on a whole new level. Quarter 4 gave us not just my personal Album of the Year but also most of the bangers in Top 10, and as a whole served as the perfect grand finale 2023 deserved.

20. P.O.D. - 'Afraid To Die' (ft. Tatiana Shmayluk off Jinjer)

Nothing beats a quality collaboration, especially if it transcends generations, genres and continents like San Diego veterans P.O.D. teaming up with Tatiana from the Ukranian metal sensation Jinjer for 'Afraid To Die', taken from their upcoming record Veritas due out soon.

19. Frontières - 'Cold Nights' (ft. Hollow Front)

Over the last 12 months, Canadian newcomers Frontières have given us a series of fantastic EPs that finally merged into the full-lenght La Trilogie with a few new singles like 'Cold Nights' with Hollow Front taking the complete release to another level.

18. Beartooth - 'I Was Alive'

Following a series of fantastic new singles, Beartooth finally dropped their refreshingly positive and envigorating last album The Surface in October, sharing 'I Was Alive' as the final part of Caleb Shomo's turbulent path to happiness.

17. While She Sleeps - 'DOWN' (ft. Alex Taylor off Malevolence)

Another brilliant collab this quarter, this time with a characteristic British flavour seeing While She Sleeps continuing their path to modern metal excellence alongside Alex from local hardcore troopers Malevolence on the sweaty single 'DOWN'.

16. Hollow Front - 'Over The Cradle'

Quickly recovering from the departure of their ex-singer and guitarist Dakota Alvarez, modern metalcore wonders Hollow Front released their brand new album The Fear Of Letting Go stacked with certified bangers like the standalone single 'Over The Cradle'.

15. Bleed From Within - 'Overthrone'

Scottish juggernaut Bleed From Within returned to prime form earlier in November with the special Deluxe edition of their fantastic 2022 album Shrine, featuring the three killer new singles 'Overthrone', 'Chemical Carnival' and of course the familiar 'The Will To Resist'.

14. Imminence - 'Death By a Thousand Cuts'

Far from their heavier or most imaginiative release and still an unrivaled piece of modern audio-visual metal brilliance, Swedish sensation Imminence gave us yet another taste of their hugely anticipating upcoming record with the latest single 'Death By A Thousand Cuts'.

13. Ice Nine Kills - 'Meat & Greet'

Another reissue entry for this quarter but a must-see one, this time courtesy of our favourite horrorcore gents at Ice Nine Kills with their Welcome To Horrorwood: Under Fire Edition and the brilliant 'The Silence Of The Lambs' homage on the single 'Meat & Greet'.

12. Emil Bulls - 'Whirlwind of Doom'

German rock veterans Emil Bulls might have just dropped the surprise of the quarter with their fantastic latest single 'Whirlwind of Doom', taken from their upcoming record Love Will Fix It scheduled for international release via Arising Empire on 12 Jan 2024.

11. Orbit Culture - 'While We Serve'

As if we did not just get one of the absolute best LP releases this year in Descent, Swedish powerhouse Orbit Culture immediately bounced back with a brand new 3-track EP The Forgotten with its lead single 'While We Serve' shaking the ground in familiar style.

10. Thornhill - 'Viper Room'

A full year passed since Thronhill shook the conservative metalcore world with their dreamy Heroine (2022), and the Aussie gents are already back to their grungy, sleek, confident selves in their latest seductive single 'Viper Room'.

9. The Ghost Inside - 'Death Grip'

Fully embracing the more groovy and bouncy nature of their latest single drops, melodic hardcore veterans The Ghost Inside shared yet another crushing track 'Death Grip' ahead of what is shaping to be one of the most exciting albums to likely come in 2024.

8. Banks Arcade - 'Change'

Another flawless single release from Melbourne-based Banks Arcade, 'Change' serving as the perfect follow up to their earlier 'Worship The Internet' and a teaser for their upcoming Death 2 EP scheduled for premiere on 2 Feb via UNFD.

7. Siamese - 'On Fire'

Reclaiming their rightful place as one of the most exciting bands across Europe right now, Danish modern metal wonders Siamese dropped another sweaty pop-infused electronicore rager 'On Fire' and we are already waiting for the next one.

6. Spiritbox - 'Cellar Door'

Amazingly consistent and consistently amazing, Spiritbox just about dropped a brand new 'Holy Roller'-esque rager 'Cellar Door' as the heaviest part of their latest excellent 6-track EP The Fear of Fear and one of this year's absolute finest moments.

5. thrown - 'On The Verge'

Another iressistable drop from thrown, the unstoppable partnership between Buster Odeholm (Vildhjarta, Humanity's Last Breath) and Marcus Lundqvist (ex-Grieved), 'on the verge' is a solid reminder of just how uncompromisingly good these gents are.

4. Bring Me The Horizon - 'DArkSide'

A masterclass in paying homage to your heroes, Bring Me The Horizon returned to their best form on their latest single and modern alternative metal gem 'DArkSide', packed with subtle references to just about everything that made them who they are today.

3. Northlane - 'Dante'

Righfuly described by Northlane themselves as "4D on steroids", their latest 'Dante' is the perfect continuation to where the Aussie legends left it in Obsidian (2022) and hopefully the start of an exciting new chapter to unfold in 2024.

2. Silent Planet - 'Offworlder'

Taken right from what ended as my unrivalled personal Album of the Year for 2023, 'Offworlder' set the perfect tone for Silent Planet's absolute masterpiece SUPERBLOOM with its dystopian atmosphere, uncontainable energy and infectious hooks.

1. Architects - 'Seeing Red'

No need for explanation here, Architects totally owned not just the release calendar this Quarter with the absolute rager 'Seeing Red', but also every little whiner who wouldn't stop giving them hell for being who they are over the last several years. Respect!

Keep an eye on this page as we reset the counter and start reviewing everything worthy of attention in the first quarter of 2024 and beyond!

The Most Anticipated Releases For Quarter 1 of 2024:

Emil Bulls - Love Will Fix It (Arising Empire), 12 Jan

Bring Me The Horizon - Post Human: Nex GEn (Sony Music), 12 Jan

Any Given Day - Limitless (Arising Empire), 26 Jan

Static-X - Project: Regeneration Vol. 2 (Otsefo Entertainment Group), 26 Jan

Banks Arcade - Death 2 (UNFD), 2 Feb

Darkest Hour - Perpetual I Terminal Self (Self), 23 Feb

Blind Channel - Exit Emotions (Century Media), 1 Mar

Alestorm - Voyage of the Dead Marauder (EP) (Napalm Records), 22 Mar

Sum 41 - Heaven :x: Hell (Rise Records), 29 Mar

While She Sleeps - Self Hell (Self), 29 Mar

Wildcard: Crosses (†††) - 'Big Youth' (ft. El-P)

Definitely a wildcard collab between Crosses and El-P (RTJ), taken from Goodnight, God Bless, I Love U, Delete., a personal favourite from one of my top artists of 2023, and a beautiful insight into the wonderful minds of Chino Moreno and Shaun Lopez.