2023 was a whirlwind.  It started with an amazing trip to California where we visited Vincent and also had the immense pleasure of meeting some other 9C family members—Colin and Hera.  We then returned home to a flooded basement and a dog in need of surgery due to an aggressive cancerous tumor in her jaw.  The middle of the year was spent attending to the chaos while I also started a new job.  The highs and lows have been extreme but thankfully we were able to end the year on a high note and carry those good vibes into the new year.  Our beloved dog is still going strong with part of her jaw missing but doing well and feisty as ever.  In November I got to say “yes” to my person as he got down on one knee in the woods and proposed.  We are carrying these delightful feelings of love and joy into 2024 and hopefully embarking on a way less dramatic year.

On a less personal note, the music that 2023 delivered is outstanding.  I enjoyed many metal and non-metal releases that carried me through to the end of December.  Instead of doing multiple lists, I am jam packing this one with my favorites.  What I love about the end of year season is the variety of lists we put out there and how diverse our tastes are with some overlapping favorites.  Those who are familiar with my reviews and/or The Nine Circles Audio Thing know that my musical interests tend to favor the doomy, female-fronted, dreamy, shoegaze-y, dark, spooky, sad and slow variety.  That being said, these lists consist of my personal favorites and albums that spoke to me.  Each year I struggle with the placement of my albums as some of my favorites tend to teeter on the line of metal.  I decided not to agonize over that this year and just go with my heart.  We’ll call this my list of metal and metalish (metal enough?) albums. 

Let’s crack into it!