That's Not Metal

The second load of That's Not Metal Albums of the Year come from Mark and Sam, and crucially in a year of some of the most divisive albums we announce the results of the listener AOTY poll.

The end of the year at TNM is nigh; it's time to cut the ribbon and begin crowning our top 20 albums, as Perran and Elliot start off with all of the great musical colour and invention that has graced our ears in 2023.

News show close for 2023 with acknowledgement of the passing of Killing Joke's Geordie Walker, before turning to more new music from ex-Black Peaks members and Video Nasties, and some very exciting Glenn Danzig news.Releases:Future Static - LiminalityCruciamentum - Obsidian RefractionsValdrin - Throne of the Lunar SoulMidnight Odyssey - Biolume Part 3 - A Fullmoon MadnessKvelgeyst - Blut, Milch und ThranenGnaw Their Tongues - The Cessation of SufferingPanopticon - The Rime of MemoryMouth Culture - Mishaps of My Mid TwentiesFull of Hell & Nothing - When No Birds SangBjorko - HeartrotVarathon - The Crimson TempleGoing Off - Kill ListHealth - Rat Wars

The final reviews bag of 2023 is a brilliant one, with loads of late year contenders: The Gaslight Anthem, Green Lung, Dying Wish, NOBRO, Autopsy, Wayfarer, Underdark, & Malokarpatan.The Gaslight Anthem 24:45Green Lung 50:42Dying Wish 1:11:20NOBRO 1:27:30Autopsy 1:42:46Wayfarer 2:02:52Underdark 2:22:46Malokarpatan 2:37:30

When We Were Young pulls an insane choice, Slipknot drummer rumours abound, and live reports from Creeper and future Download headliners Queens of the Stone Age among others.Releases:Dolly Parton - Rock StarHigh Spirits - Safe on the Other SideRacetraitor - Creation and the Timeless Order of ThingsC.L.S.M. - Infinity ShitPlaguemace - Reptilian WarlordsFoetal Juice - GrotesqueSadus - The Shadow InsideAeturnus - PhilosopherKing - Fury and DeathBewitcher - Deep Cuts & Shallow GravesEarthside - Let the Truth SpeakSoars - RepeaterCeleste - Epilogue(s)

We were fully back on the ground for this year's Damnation Festival (41:12) to see sets from Anaal Nathrakh, Electric Wizard, Enslaved, Akercocke, and many more of the best in underground and extreme. Bonus on Download and Grammys whinging.Releases:Tarja - Dark ChristmasLonely the Brave - What We Do to FeelHelmet - LeftMTVoid - Matter’s Knot, Pt. 1Gama Bomb - BatsMouthBreather - Self-TapeEx Everything - Slow Change Will Pull Us ApartShylamagoghnar - ConvergenceNight Crowned - TalesVastum - Inward to GethsemaneLeft Cross - Upon Desecrated AltarsAGLO - Build FearSodom - 1982Triumph of Death - Resurrection of the Flesh

Spiritbox release their new Fear of Fear EP, and there are conundrums about the ethics of contriving "viral moments" at shows with Frozen Soul's Magic the Gathering pit and Blink-182 recreating the Denny's hardcore memeReleases:Green Lung - This Heathen LandDying Wish - Symptoms of SurvivalFuming Mouth - Last Day of SunSugar Horse - Truth or Consequence, New MexicoSpiritual Cramp - Spiritual CrampSexless Marriage - This is Not LoveMorne - Engraved With PainAll Get Out - All Get OutSuffocation - Hymns from the ApocryphaKrypta - Outo laaksoMortuary Drape - Black MirrorWatain - Die In Fire - Live In HellStrigoi - Bathed in a Black SunInsomnium - Songs of the DuskSpiritbox - The Fear of Fear

Green Day threaten us with a new album, there's the out of nowhere news of Mike Portnoy's return to Dream Theater, and Mortician become the unlikeliest social media stars of all time. We TOLD you.Releases:Within Temptation - Bleed OutMyrkur - SpineBoys Like Girls - Sunday at FoxwoodsKnuckle Puck - Losing What We LoveGo Ahead and Die - Unhealthy MechanismsCirith Ungol - Dark ParadeSAVAGE - Glory RidersClowns - Endlessawakebutstillinbed - chaos take the wheel and i am a passengerAfterbirth - In But Not OfMarthe - Further In EvilWorm / Dream Unending - StarpathThe Gaslight Anthem - History BooksTaking Back Sunday - 152Wargasm - VenomPoppy - ZigIn This Moment - GodmodeYear of the Knife - No Love LostEND - The Sin of Human FrailtyRile - PessimistNOBRO - Set Your Pussy FreeAutopsy - Ashes, Organs, Blood and CryptsWayfarer - American GothicMalokarpatan - Vertumnus CaesarEndseeker - Global WormingDokken - Heaven Comes DownSorcerer - Reign of the ReaperLegendry - Time Immortal Wept

This month we feast upon the new albums from Creeper, The Menzingers, Blink-182's nostalgic reunion, Svalbard, Kristin Hayter, Primordial, Maggot Heart... and Roger Waters redoing Dark Side of the Moon.Creeper 26:20The Menzingers 1:01:40Blink-182 1:20:43Roger Waters 1:41:29Svalbard 1:58:50Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter 2:16:00Primordial 2:37:29Maggot Heart 3:03:44

Sam catches a double helping of Better Lovers, and Sick New World announces its lineup for 2024.Releases:Creeper - SanguivoreThe Menzingers - Some Of It Was TrueBeartooth - The SurfaceCrosses - Goodnight, God Bless, I Love U, Delete.Twin Temple - God is DeadÅrabrot - Of Darkness and LightFree Throw - Lessons That We Swear to KeepThe Keening - Little BirdGévaudan - UmbraBody Void - Atrocity MachineSulphur Aeon - Seven Crowns and Seven SealsKrieg - RuinerGruzja - Koniec WakacjiSlidhr - White Hart!Laster - Andermans MijneSadistic Force - Midnight AssassinAcid Blade - Shooting Star