Tomb Mold - The Enduring Spirit (20 Buck Spin)
It’s been four years since Canada’s Tomb Mold released their third LP “Planetary Clairvoyance’ which instantly became a Gimme favorite. Their murky & intense sound has been a crucial part of the recent years’ death metal resurgence & their new ‘The Enduring Spirit’ on 20 Buck Spin, despite being a step in a new direction for them, is no different. With just over 40 minutes of OSDM with a pinch of prog & an outstanding production, ‘The Enduring Spirit’ earns the top spot in our top 5 this year. A limited Doublemint Green & Aqua Blue vinyl is available now for pre-order!
Green Lung - This Heathen Land (Nuclear Blast)
British coven Green Lung scored this year with their third (and Nuclear Blast debut) cult offering ‘This Heathen Land’ - “A Journey Into Occult Albion” as said on the cover art, and we couldn’t say it better. Probably their heaviest record to date, yet still rich in doomy riffs & folky riffs, eerie organ and the classic stoner metal sound. It’s old school Black Sabbath & Deep Purple vibes with a unique fresh touch making this a phenomenal record, and Green Lung’s best and most refined LP so far. If you haven’t checked this out already, here’s the perfect record to ease some of the holiday stress.
https://gimmemetal.com/products/green-lung-this-heathen-land
Obituary - Dying of Everything (Relapse Records)
Fans have been waiting for a new LP from Florida’s Obituary for a long six years, and back in January the death metal icons started 2023 with a blast with ‘Dying of Everything’ on Relapse Records. These old school beasts have managed to remain consistent for the last several decades, keeping their same brutal sound but utilizing the modern production to craft their eleventh(!) studio album. With the typical Obituary catchy riffs, Tardy’s gloriously brutal vocals and each song being extremely fleshed out from the rest, ‘Dying of Everything’ is definitely not another boring and repetitive death metal listen.
https://gimmemetal.com/products/obituary-dying-of-everything-exclusive-gold-vinyl-pre-order
Cryptopsy - As Gomorrah Burns (Nuclear Blast)
Speaking of waiting for a new album for years, this years “As Gomorrah Burns” (Nuclear Blast) is Cryptopsy’s first new LP since 2012 - a surprise to be sure but a welcome one. We’ve got the modern Cryptopsy sound, fast, technical & heavy as always, making up a perfectly nasty slap of death metal to enjoy. Seems like Cryptopsy’s other works have always been compared to ‘None So Vile’, almost living in its shadow - and of course ‘As Gomorrah Burns’ is not ‘None So Vile’, but it’s a wickedly good record nevertheless.
https://gimmemetal.com/products/cryptopsy-as-gomorrah-burns
Overkill - Scorched (Nuclear Blast)
Thrash metal giants Overkill prove once again they are still as mean and green as they’ve ever been with this year’s ‘Scorched’ on Nuclear Blast! They’ve remained faithful to their sound & production style, razor-sharp leads, crushing riffs & of course Bobby Blitz’s catchy vocal lines, and that formula still works. The albums over 51 minute runtime goes by fast as hell and leaves you wanting more.
https://gimmemetal.com/products/overkill-scorched
Honorable Mentions:
Spirit Adrift - Ghost At The Gallows
Suffocation - Hymns From The Apocrypha
Cirith Ungol - Dark Parade
Cannibal Corpse - Chaos Horrific
Enslaved - Heimdal
Check out the full collection:
https://gimmemetal.com/collections/top-albums-2023