I took a break from blogging for the last few months because I’ve been busy living the dream as a real-life metal professor in NYC (more on that later). To close out 2023, I offer my thoughts on five memorable albums that shaped my year.   

5. Children of Bodom – A CHAPTER CALLED CHILDREN OF BODOM

Standout track: Hate Crew Deathroll

Recorded during their final show at the Helsinki Ice Hall in 2019, A Chapter Called Children of Bodom serves as a fitting eulogy for the late Alexi Laiho. The setlist includes at least one song from each of their 10 studio albums, including some songs that are less memorable like Shovel Knockout and I Worship Chaos. From start to finish, the album is hard hitting and fast paced, enshrining their energetic showmanship for all time. Songs from the first four records, like Hate Crew Deathroll and Downfall, are still electrifying even though a subtle air of sadness and finality permeates the album’s latter half. My only complaint is that they did not play Sixpounder, a song that is solely responsible for my love of heavy metal. This album closes the book on Finland’s finest, reminding me that these melodies still flow through my veins, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.  

4. Warmen – HERE FOR NONE

Standout track: Warmen Are Here For None

You may remember Warmen from their blazing fast Baroque period style instrumentals inspired by the rivalry between Mozart and Salieri. As the brainchild of keyboard wizard Janne Wirman from Children of Bodom, Warmen started out as a jazzy solo project known for a variety of musical avenues, including pop rock covers with memorable guest musicians. This version of the band still includes guitarist Antti Wirman, but the addition of Ensiferum’s Petri Lindroos on vocals breathes new life into the music and makes this once side project, a cohesive band. Here For None swaps out the neoclassical compositions for upbeat, melodic death metal shredding that is befitting of the Bodom legacy.  

In a lot of ways, this album sounds a lot like a mid-2000s Children of Bodom record, with catchy hooks and dueling solos between keys and guitar. The two singles, Warmen Are Here For None and Hell On Four Wheels, are clear frontrunners with high energy chorus chanting and that familiar keyboard tone throughout. Mixed in are Slayer style riffs, recognizable on A World of Pain and Death’s On Its Way. A slower track, The Cold Unknown, projects the same heavy sadness as Bodom’s Was It Worth It?

Here For None quenches the thirst for Finnish metal, but still leaves me eager for what the brothers Wirman have in store next.

3. Blackbraid – BLACKBRAID II

Standout Track(s): The Wolf That Guides the Hunters Head & Celestial Passage

I rarely listen to black metal, but there is usually one album a year from metal’s most “extreme” subgenre that catches my ear. This year it was Blackbraid’s sophomore release, recommended to me by legendary metal drummer Richard Christy.

Blackbraid is a one-man band (Jon Krieger) from the Adirondack Mountains, a short drive from where I live in upstate New York. Krieger also goes by Sgah’gahsowáh, a Mohawk name meaning “the witch hawk.” Blackbraid II contains stunning acoustic instrumental tracks like Autumnal Hearts Ablaze, Spells of Moon and Earth, and Celestial Passage, dispersed between absolute bangers. Songs like Twilight Hymn of Ancient Blood and The Wolf That Guides the Hunters Hand are classic black metal in the truest Nordic tradition, but uniquely capture the bleakness and beauty of upstate New York. Native American sounds and instrumentation permeate the album, but ever so subtly, contributing to a brilliant atmosphere of solitude, tranquility, and natural wonder.

2. Voice of Baceprot – RETAS

Standout track: God, Allow Me (Please) to Play Music

Marginalization is a familiar experience for heavy metal fans, but despite being pegged as outsiders, most of us rarely confront any tangible threats due to our musical preferences. On the contrary, Voice of Baceprot’s RETAS builds a poignant narrative of actual oppression experienced by this Indonesian, all women, hijab-wearing metal band.

RETAS is a breath of fresh air and a nostalgic trip down nu-metal memory lane. The band draws clear inspiration from Rage Against the Machine and System of a Down both musically and lyrically, with a socially conscious message against war, sexism, and dogmatic repression. What’s The Holy (Nobel) Today? and [NOT] PUBLIC PROPERTY are straight from the Killing In The Name tradition with funky licks, prominent bass lines, and the occasional rap breakdown. The instrumental track, Kawani, is a real treat for listeners as it highlights the band’s skilled and dynamic musicianship with heavy and progressive riffing. The album’s strongest track, God, Allow Me (Please) to Play Music is a beautiful, desperate cry that speaks to the resilience of the human spirit. RETAS is exceptionally tight and polished for a debut album, and it will be interesting to see how the band’s sound evolves over time. Armed with activism and sheer talent, Voice of Baceprot make a vital contribution to heavy metal.  

1.  Kalmah – KALMAH

Standout track: Veil of Sin

Often underrated and overlooked across the vast landscape of Finnish death metal, Kalmah balances thrash and harmony with this self-titled release that might be their magnum opus.

Kalmah is packed with beautiful melodies and catchy riffs. Haunted by Guilt is reminiscent of the classic, They Will Return, enhanced by low growl, booming vocals that have been their mainstay since 2006’s The Black Waltz. Veil of Sin embodies the perfect mix of speed and keyboard synchronization while No Words Sad Enough is a haunting, sorrowful tune that packs an emotive punch. The album’s overall mix is crisp but doesn’t sacrifice their signature swampy rawness, allowing the slower and mid-tempo songs like Drifting in a Dream and Home Sweet Hell to shine.   

Kalmah is often compared to Children of Bodom and on this record, one could argue that the neoclassical scale 25 seconds into Serve the Untrue acts as an unofficial homage to their virtuosic colleagues. However, unlike many of their contemporaries, Kalmah exhibits remarkable consistency in creating visceral and striking music, and for that, they deserve the spotlight.