Another year done and gone, and what a great year for music. These are my top ten favorite albums of 2023, in alphabetical order by artist name . . . . Baroness: Stone (Abraxan Hymns - 9/15/23) Not so long prior to 2015’s Purple , Baroness’ excellent fourth album in a color-coded series that concluded this year, their tour bus flipped in Bath, England, resulting in both shattered bones and band lineup. Founder and frontman John Baizley remains as the sole original member of this Savannah, GA, sludge and progressive metal group. 2017’s Gold & Grey introduced fans to axe-shredder extraordinaire Gina Gleason, cementing a new and now consistent dynamic that pays dividends on Baroness’ latest LP, Stone . As its title implies, this one is rock solid with drums and bass locked in propulsive motorik tempo, Gleason’s soaring six-string leads, and Baizley’s bellowing howl rounding out
These are my runners up and honorable mention albums of 2023, in alphabetical order by artist name . . . . Vincent Neil Emerson: The Golden Crystal Kingdom (La Honda - 11/10/23) Foo Fighters: But Here We Are (Roswell - 6/2/23) Adam Hood: Adam Hood's Different Groove (Southern Songs - 9/22/23) Gabe Lee: Drink The River (Torrez Music Group - 7/14/23) Royal Blood: B ack To The Water Below (Warner - 9/1/23) Sci-Clone: Radio Therapy (Metalheadz - 5/19/23) Chris Stapleton: Higher (Mercury Nashville - 11/10/23) The Steel Woods: On Your Time (Woods M