2023 is over, but the past year brought a slew of great music from all directions whether it was from a masked group of crooning metalheads or a group of young siblings looking to take on the world. We look at the best albums, songs, and music videos that took us by surprise during the past year.

Top 15 albums of 2023

15. TemperMental - Play Time - self-released

After years of tearing it up in the Los Angeles scene while they were in high school, TemperMental unveiled their debut album Play Time, which finds them combining elements of hard rock, screamo, and a dash of pop metal to deliver one heavy ride.

14. Cannons - Heartbeat Highway - Columbia

Los Angeles indie pop group Cannons never miss when it comes to writing songs about love and heartbreak, and their third studio album Heartbeat Highway continues their streak with songs such as "Bad Tattoo," "Loving You," and "Metal Heart" being plastered all over breakup playlists.

13. Final Gasp - Mourning Moon - Relapse Records

Boston deathrock group Final Gasp embraces the dark side with their debut album Mourning Moon. Merging hardcore, metal, and goth, the 13-track album can be the soundtrack for a hardcore matinee show or a goth dance party, which can sometimes happen at the same venue.

12. Laura Wolf - Shelf Life - self-released

Brooklyn art-pop artist Laura Wolf transform trauma into a mystical offering with their sophomore EP Shelf Life. The EP also showcases Wolf's growth as a producer since they started unveiling tracks during quarantine.

11. As Friends Rust - Any Joy - End Hits Records

While the pandemic still loomed over us, Florida melodic hardcore band As Friends Rust went to work on their long-awaited follow-up to their 2001 studio album Won. Any Joy is the perfect title for an album about meeting our inevitable maker ("Final Form"), toning down rebellious behavior as we age ("No Gods, Some Masters"), and financial burden ("The Walking Debt").

10. Dildox - Post Traumatic - self-released

After wowing crowds all over Los Angeles, darkwave duo Dildox unveiled their debut EP Post Traumatic. The 18-minute release shows an act destined to be a major player in the scene in the following years with cuts such as “PTSD” and “Mutation” aimed directly at the dancefloor.

9. Cheree - Factory - Cherub Dream Records

Oakland industrial/noise rock band Cheree unveiled one of the scene's most promising debuts with their Factory EP, which features five smoldering songs in the vein of Godflesh and early Pitchshifter.

8. Pickle Darling - Laundromat - Father/Daughter Records

New Zealand indie pop artist Pickle Darling delivered a more to-the-point offering with their album Laundromat. A majority of the songs are under two minutes, but despite the short length, songs such as "King of Joy" and "Computer Repair" are definite earworms.

7. Loki's Folly - Sisu - Kitten Robot Records

Upon first listen, Loki's Folly debut album Sisu sounds like an album crafted by a seasoned indie-punk band. The energetic band is the complete opposite; the Minnesota trio of siblings - (sisters Annie and Nissa and their brother Oskar) - have the tools to be on the same level as sibling rock acts such as The Cribs and The Fiery Furnaces.

6. Boris/Uniform - Bright New Disease - Sacred Bones Records

Japanese experimental/metal band Boris and NYC industrial metal band Uniform are no strangers to collaboration albums. When the opportunity finally arose to do one together, both acts teamed up for the headbanging effort Bright New Disease.

5. Death Envy - If Life Is A Simulation, I Hope They Shut It Down Soon - self-released

Long Beach cybergrind act Death Envy continues their chaotic delivery with their EP If Life Is A Simulation, I Hope They Shut It Down Soon. With six songs running within eight minutes, the release is everything one would expect from a genre defined by blistering electronic beats and savage growls.

4. Laure Briard - Ne pas trop rester bleu - Midnight Special Records

French indie pop artist Laure Briard takes a time machine back to the '60s with their fourth studio album Ne pas trop rester bleue. With a deep inspiration from psychedelic pop, the 10-track album finds Briard changing styles yet again to mesmerizing results.

3. GELD - Currency // Castration - Relapse Records

Australian hardcore band GELD deliver an intense wallop to the senses with their third studio album (and Relapse Records debut) Currency // Castration. Kicking off with the ferocious opener "Currency," the 12-track album doesn't give the listener a chance to catch their breath, and quite frankly, GELD wouldn't have it any other way.

2. Sleep Token - Take Me Back to Eden - Spinefarm Records

Sleep Token became metal's most talked about band in 2023 for a good reason. Their third studio album Take Me Back to Eden merged the R&B prowess of The Weeknd and the alternative metal execution of Deftones for an hour-long journey that will still be dissected in 20 years. By the time the album was released, millions of people found their new favorite band to obsess over.

1. Panchiko - Failed At Maths - self-released

After reuniting for a string of sold-out performances in the U.K. and the United States, indie rock band Panchiko dove into work on their debut album Failed At Maths. Released over 20 years after the cult classic D＞E＞A＞T＞H＞M＞E＞T＞A＞L EP, the eight-song album finds the band looking at the past with fan favorites such as "Gwen Everest" and "Think That's Too Wise" while looking ahead with newer tunes such as the title track and "Portraits".

Top 10 songs of 2023

10. Rlyblonde - "Fantasy"

Rlyblonde gives a dreary look at the tiresome world of online dating with their debut single "Fantasy," which finds the NYC singer crooning, "Be a pretty girl you take home to your mama/Be the one drunk at your door causing drama."

9. Hatchie - "Rooftops"

Taken from the deluxe edition of Hatchie's studio album Giving the World Away, "Rooftops" finds the Australian artist joining forces with Liam Benzvi for an elevating dream pop tune.

8. Infinity Song - "Hater's Anthem"

Infinity Song brings a laughable look at haters worldwide ("I love the way it feels to be a hater/ Something so sweet about thinking that I'm better") with the catchy folk pop tune "Hater's Anthem."

7. Minji - "Ice Cream Days"

Too much ice cream can be bad for you, and Chicago indie pop artist Minji intertwines this feeling with being alone on their single "Ice Cream Days," which features one of 2023's most mesmerizing choruses.

6. zzzahara - “Girls On SSRIs Don’t Cry”

Los Angeles indie rock artist zzzahara offers support towards a loved one with the glistening track “Girls On SSRIs Don’t Cry."

5. Juliana Madrid - "Afterlife"

Texas alt-pop singer Juliana Madrid is trying to buy some more time for their goals with the high-energy number "Afterlife."

4. Emeline - "Everything I'm Not"

Los Angeles pop artist Emeline takes back their identity after a faulty relationship with "Everything I'm Not", which has the artist declaring "Not your future/Not your wife/Not forever/Not tonight."

3. Hemlocke Springs - "Stranger Danger"

North Carolina singer-songwriter hemlocke springs delivered a fantastic follow-up to their viral single "Girlfriend" with "Stranger Danger." The rising artist knows how to deliver some catchy tunes, and "Stranger Danger" is only accentuated by the artist's enchanting vocals.

2. Käärijä - "Cha Cha Cha"

Chosen to represent Finland at the Eurovision Song Contest, Käärijä's "Cha Cha Cha" became a surprise hit outside of their home country with its infectious clash of industrial metal and EDM.

1. Sleep Token - "Ascensionism"

While it wasn't released as a single from Sleep Token's breakthrough album Take Me Back to Eden, "Ascensionism" is probably the best way to introduce someone to the band. The seven-minute song transitions from a piano ballad to an R&B crooner to a collapsing metal breakdown right back into a ballad. On paper, this would look preposterous, but Sleep Token managed to make it work effortlessly.

Top five music videos of 2023

5. Jobber - "Summerslam"

NYC grunge punk band Jobber celebrated WWE's iconic summer event SummerSlam with a music video that continues to showcase their love for professional wrestling. Edited by Michael Falcone, the visual features footage from various wrestling events, including WCW's Beach Brawl.

4. Wolfie's Just Fine - "'Everyone Is Dead Except Us"

Wolfie's Just Fine, which is the indie rock project of comedian Jon Lajoie, shows a world where everyone's gone for the "'Everyone Is Dead Except Us" music video. Directed by Lajoie, the video roams through a world where everyone got the Thanos snap and all that's left are a string of clothes.

3. eMolecule - “Mastermind"

Prog metal band eMolecule needed a music video as equally as shapeshifting as their single "Mastermind" from their album The Architect. Directed by the band, the visual shows a world in turmoil with the mastermind looking over the chaos.

2. minji - "ice cream days"

Directed by cty.visuals, the music video for minji's "ice cream days" perfectly fits the song's bewitching aura. At one point, the singer's love for the sweet treat leads to them bathing in ice cream.

1. Infinity Song - "Hater's Anthem"

If you're gonna have a song called "Hater's Anthem," you better come with an accompanying music video that's just as wild. With assistance from Aaron Wink, Infinity Group took matters in their own hands as co-directors for the video, which finds them taking over the basketball court, an empty train, and the streets to showcase their love for drinking Haterade.