60. Prong – State of Emergency
Tommy Victor, singer/guitarist and mastermind behind crunch-metal veterans Prong (and guitarist in Danzig), clearly isn’t fucking around on State of Emergency, the band’s thirteenth LP and first in six years, which punches you in the face repeatedly like the Beg To Differ days, but on sonic steroids. This is arguably one of Prong’s heaviest records to date, edging closer to Victor’s NYHC roots than ever before.
Don’t Miss: “The Descent”, “Non-Existence”, “Breaking Point”

61. Overkill – Scorched
NY thrash metal OGs Overkill have ascended to one of those timeless, ageless bands that seem to perpetually crank out quality music that hits with all the sonic hallmarks you know and love, yet still sounds fresh and with “of the moment” production quality. That holds true again, quite spectacularly, on Overkill’s latest and amazing twentieth studio album, Scorched, which bursts at the seams with furious, double-bass driven old-school thrash riffs and speedy leads, punctuated by singer Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth’s inimitable vocal power and delivery.
Don’t Miss: “The Surgeon”, “Twist Of The Wick”, “Goin’ Home”

62. Incendiary – Change The Way You Think About Pain
Venerated Long Island hardcore outfit Incendiary are back in 2023 after a six-year absence with Change The Way You Think About Pain, the band’s fourth studio LP, and haven’t lost a drop of their raw sonic destructive power or attitude. Incendiary’s rhythmic, RATM-flavored vocal delivery and outspoken lyrical take on societal injustices—which punctuate the pummeling guitars like a machine gun—make for a pure powder keg of hardcore brutality.
Don’t Miss: “Jesus Bones”, “Rats In The Cellar”, “Echo Of Nothing”

63. Broadside – Hotel Bleu
Richmond, VA pop-punks Broadside play a fun, dance-y version of the style that makes State Champs sound hard, but there’s something about their Hot Mulligan-meets-Johnny Craig bounce that prompts many repeat spins. Hey, don’t judge: Sometimes hardcore kids wanna dance too, and we’re not talking about that wack kung-fu shit.
Don’t Miss: “Bang”, “Lucid”, “Bleu”, “Feel Love”

64. Immortal – War Against All
No metal subgenre is as wrought with drama and petty rivalries quite like black metal, thus Norwegian icons Immortal’s tenth studio album is a divisive one, now that Demonaz is squarely at the helm, in the stead of the conspicuously departed Abbath. The result is a brutal recording that proponents are likening to the Immortal of old, thanks in large measure to Demonaz’s caustic, “icy” blackened riffs.
Don’t Miss: “Wargod”, “Immortal”, “Nordlandihr”, “Return To Cold”

65. Asking Alexandria – Where Do We Go From Here?
UK heavies Asking Alexandria ask an apt question on their eighth studio full-length, 14 years since their debut, and the answer—at least according to this latest rock-solid 2023 effort—is to take fans on an audio tour of all the things the band has done well (and in rare cases, not so well), on LPs one through seven. From blistering metalcore, to massive arena rock anthems, to electronic-tinged pop, it’s all fair game on this thoroughly gargantuan affair.
Don’t Miss: “Bad Blood”, “Dark Void”, “Where Do We Go From Here?”

66. Enter Shikari – A Kiss For The Whole World
St. Albans, UK alt metal outfit Enter Shikari are feeling pretty great in 2023, according to A Kiss For The Whole World, their seventh studio full-length, which draws stylistically from virtually all phases of the band’s nearly two-decade career, permeated with a pervasive positivity that pulls you in like an Imperial tractor beam. That’s not to say the record is a mere rehash; once again, Enter Shikari take you on a volatile, unpredictable journey best experienced with an open mind.
Don’t Miss: “(pls) set me on fire”, “Jailbreak”, “Bloodshot”

67. Origami Angel – The Brightest Days [EP]
D.C. alt/emo duo Origami Angel are stylistically everywhere, and make no apology for that in 2023 on The Brightest Days, a self-dubbed “mixtape” EP that fuses together emo, indie pop, metal, post-hardcore, ska and so much more, into one neat little package. Origami Angel haven’t repeated themselves yet and there’s no telling what comes next, so just enjoy the ride.
Don’t Miss: “My PG County Summer”, “Thank You, New Jersey”, “Few And Far Between”

68. All Out War – Celestial Rot
NY metalcore veterans All Out War clearly aren’t a band looking to mellow with time; rather, on Celestial Rot, the group’s eighth full-length, they’ve propelled the music to an even higher level of extremity, more akin to blackened thrash than metalcore. The album is a full-on sensory assault, with startling amounts of riffs and notes crammed into every punishing second.
Don’t Miss: “Glorious Devastation”, “Wrath/Plague”, “Shroud of Heaven”

69. Suffocation – Hymns From The Apocrypha
Long Island-bred death metal pioneers Suffocation are back in 2023 after a six-year absence with a new frontman (Ricky Myers, formerly of Disgorge) and new LP, and luckily fans can breathe a sigh of relief, because the record—Suffocation’s ninth studio release—continues the band’s legacy with uncompromising brutality throughout this latest batch of nine songs. The common denominator continues to be lead guitarist Terrance Hobbs, whose steady presence on Hymns ensures listeners still walk away throttled, but happy.
Don’t Miss: “Immortal Execration”, “Embrace the Suffering”, “Delusion of Mortality”

70. Rival Sons – Lightbringer / Darkfighter
California hard rockers Rival Sons emerged from the pandemic with so much material, the band needed to release it as two separate albums: the conceptually and sonically linked Lightbringer and Darkfighter. Both 2023 efforts find the group at the top of their game, dishing out ’70s-tinged fuzz and honest blues rock that never comes off like a nostalgia act.
Don’t Miss: “Before The Fire”, “Sweet Life”, “Nobody Wants To Die”, “Darkside”

71. Cannibal Corpse – Chaos Horrific
You might roll your jaded eyes and think, “What can Cannibal Corpse possibly do on their sixteenth album that’s going to surprise me?” And you’d be wrong. On one hand, Chaos Horrific is unmistakably a Cannibal Corpse album, with all the key ingredients, but the crisp, modern sound and penchant for experimentation attributed to producer-turned-guitarist Erik Rutan—now playing on his second LP with the band—has been like a giant, gore-dripping shot in the arm for the Buffalo/Florida death metal kings in 2023.
Don’t Miss: “Summoned For Sacrifice”, “Fracture And Refracture”, “Blood Blind”

72. Incantation – Unholy Deification
NJ death metal legends Incantation created a bona fide monster in 2023 with Unholy Deification, the band’s twelfth studio outing, weighing in with a ferocious, often surprising effort that showcases Incantation at their modern-day best. The group’s pedigree is reason alone to check this album out; the purely evil riffage and breakneck drums will keep you returning though to the darkness.
Don’t Miss: “Concordat (The Pact) I,” “Convulse (Words of Power) III”, “Exile (Defy the False) II”, “Offerings (The Swarm) IV”