It’s that time of year again, the Album of the Year 2023 Metal Roundup video. A fantastic year for black and death metal especially, with many honourable mentions in this list. Let me know your favourites in the comments!

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25.
Apogeion – Astrolatria I: Initiatio.
https://youtu.be/-XpJgiKrxnI

24.
Claustrum – Claustrum
https://youtu.be/fkX2Pb0l34Q

23.
Arbor – Behold the Age of Pagan Blood
https://youtu.be/Hrl0OKVgpA4

22.
Ebony Pendant – Ebony Pendant
https://youtu.be/zevs3w_gUtc

21.
Sanctuarium – Into The Mephitic Abyss
https://youtu.be/MQtcocvBmhc

20.
Disimperium – Grand Insurgence Upon Despotic Altars
https://youtu.be/abw3VsHHh7g

19.
Taubrą – Therizo
https://youtu.be/tsi7oHksZ1k

18.
Fabricant – Drudge To The Thicket
https://youtu.be/PswpkL5BoYY

17.
Vastum – Inward to Gethsemane
https://youtu.be/SIbzWFmwvXg

16.
VoidCeremony – Threads Of Unknowing
https://youtu.be/pWGOcaS1RPc

15.
Dripping Decay – Festering Grotesqueries
https://youtu.be/KGiewknMl9s

14.
Scáth Na Déithe – Virulent Providence
https://youtu.be/0e9drw43QLI

13.
Pustilence – Beliefs Of Dead Stargazers And Soothsayers
https://youtu.be/UvsVDXxuZA0

12.
Ascended Dead – Evenfall of the Apocalypse
https://youtu.be/GvMj3qyvXCI

11.
Astriferous – Pulsations of the Black Orb
https://youtu.be/DXvxHbgB2NA

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BEST EPs and DEMOS

Aethyrick – Kolme Veljestä
Gauntlet Ring – Raped in the Blood of Angels
Lunar Chamber – Shambhallic Vibrations
Stenched – Gorging on Mephitic Rot
Malformed – Uncontrollable Malformity
Oerheks – Landschapsanachronismen and Valkengebed
Orkblut – Ghost Paths To Septentrion
Undergang – De Syv Stadier Af Ford​æ​rv

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10.
Excarnated Entity – Mass Grave Horizon
https://youtu.be/xTN9yRvzdMo

9.
Thantifaxath – Hive Mind Narcosis
https://youtu.be/_j1bZeyFdxs

8.
Demoncy – Black Star Gnosis
https://youtu.be/jeQ4HCCAuzw

7.
Reverence To Paroxysm – Lux Morte
https://youtu.be/yojyfptgDDc

6.
Aara – Triade III: Nyx
https://youtu.be/AOIQFP4-F2s

5.
Baxaxaxa – De Vermis Mysteriis
https://youtu.be/Lib15JVXze4

4.
Cruciamentum – Obsidian Refractions
https://youtu.be/SrwQdUgpVSo

3.
Ruïm – Black Royal Spiritism – I. O Sino Da Igreja
https://youtu.be/S5oeJSs5tZ0

2.
Cryptworm – Oozing Radioactive Vomition
https://youtu.be/YdMf8KKRI1w

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HONOURABLE MENTIONS

Lamp Of Murmuur – Saturnian Bloodstorm
Majesties – Vast Reaches Unclaimed
Outer Heaven – IInfinite Psychic Depths
Tomb Mold – The Enduring Spirit
Argenthorns – The Ravening
Ulthar – Anthronomicon and Helionomicon
Moonlight Sorcery – Horned Lord of the Thorned Castle
Incantation – Unholy Deification

HAVEN’T YET LISTENED TO / STILL IN THE POST

Ringare – Of Momentous Endless Night (one of many Alex Poole projects)
Nattfard – The Abyss (another one that I’ve only just received)
Bloedmaan – Castle Inside the Eclipse (new project by guitarist from Ars Veneficium)
Disguised Malignance – Entering the Gateways (meaty death metal, copy in the post)
Putrid Yell – Consuming Aberration (Chilean meat and potatoes death metal)
Phobocosm – Foreordained (only just got the CD and need more time with it)
Fossilization – Leprous Daylight (same as above – have not had the time with it)
Deteriorot – The Rebirth (need to order this!)
Valdrin – Throne of the Lunar Soul (fantastic melodic black metal, in the post)
Blood Oath – Lost in an Eternal Silence (the vinyl got pushed back to 2024, argh!)

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ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Häxanu – Totenpass
https://youtu.be/YmCYutJyI6k

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HEAVY METALLURGY REVIEWS
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?listPLTXOdRIhfloV4j–m6cL2n2tBwaHlZyLZ

MOVIE REVIEWS
https://www.explosiveaction.com

SOCIALS
https://instagram.com/explosiveaction
https://letterboxd.com/ExplosiveAction/
https://www.facebook.com/ExplosiveAction
https://twitter.com/XplosiveAction

TIMECODES
0:00 Intro
0:12 Overview
0:55 Top 25 to 11
11:23 Top EPs and Demos
15:12 Top 10 to 2
24:28 Honourable Mentions
32:30 Album of the Year
34:11 Outro

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