The 50 Most Critically Acclaimed Hard Rock, Metal & Punk(ish) Albums of 2023
I read more than 75 “Album of the Year” lists, saving you the hassle.1
In order to organize the most critically acclaimed Hard Rock, Metal, and Punk(ish) Albums Of 2023, I devised a specific and meticulous methodology.
First, I ordered the albums according to how many different (reputable) lists each one appeared on. For example, Paramore’s This Is Why showed up on over 25 lists, followed by Foo Fighters (on 16 of the lists I surveyed), Metallica, and QOTSA. In cases where albums appeared on the same number of lists, I looked up the critical review average to determine the respective ranking.
I also looked at how highly each album placed on any given list, and finally, there was some consideration for the size and credibility of particular outlets.
In other words, a great spot on Rolling Stone’s list weighs a little more than a lower-tiered entry on Toilet Ov Hell.
The Paramore album is tricky, given that it’s pretty “indie rock,” and landed in a lot of mainstream places where it was the only album from “our” world listed.
But given the band’s deep ties to the scene, and the vast number of lists the album joined, it only seemed fair to hand them the Number One spot. (Even when I subtracted some of those mainstream lists, Paramore was still No. 1.)
I left a few artists, like 100 gecs and Wednesday, off the list entirely when the records felt just a bit too far outside what Stream N’ Destroy generally covers.
We can nitpick subgenres, but I put this list together as a celebration of the achievements of the artists and their teams behind the scenes.
To that end, I’ve gone to the extra effort to look up the credits for each release, including production, mixing, mastering, and management.
The list is also an opportunity for all of us to make some killer discoveries.
I’ve added the most-streamed song from each of these 50 albums to the Stream N’ Destroy Spotify playlist, plus another 50 artists, culled from other critically acclaimed releases and Spotify’s own Best of Kickass Metal 2023.
#1 PARAMORE
This Is Why
(Atlantic Records)
Producer: Carlos de la Garza
Mixer: Manny Marroquin
Mastering: Emerson Mancini
Management: Fly South
#2 FOO FIGHTERS
But Here We Are
(Roswell / RCA)
Co-Producer: Greg Kurstin
Co-Producers: Foo Fighters
Mixer: Mark “Spike” Stent
Mastering: Randy Merrill
Management: SAM
#3 METALLICA
72 Seasons
(Blackened Recordings)
Co-Producer/Mixer: Greg Fidelman
Co-Producers: Hetfield/Ulrich
Mastering: Bob Ludwig
Management: Q-Prime
#4 TOMB MOLD
The Enduring Spirit
(20 Buck Spin)
Producer: Sean Pearson
Mix/Mastering: Arthur Rizk
#5 MILITARIE GUN
Life Under the Gun
(Loma Vista Recordings)
Co-Producer: Ian Shelton
Co-Producer: Taylor Young
Mixer: Mark Needham
Mastering: Ruairi O'Flaherty
Management: Roc Nation
#6 JESUS PIECE
…So Unknown
(Century Media Records)
Producer/Mixer: Randy Leboeuf
Mastering: Randy Lebouef
Management: Sherwin Shapouri
#7 ZULU
A New Tomorrow
(Flatspot Records)
Producer/Mixer: Zach Tuch
Mastering: Zach Tuch
#8 SLEEP TOKEN
Take Me Back to Eden
(Spinefarm Records)
Producer/Mixer: Carl Brown
Mastering: Ste Kerry
#9 AVENGED SEVENFOLD
Life Is But a Dream…
(Warner Records)
Co-Producer/Mixer: Joe Barresi
Co-Producers: Avenged Sevenfold
Mixers: Andy Wallace, Dan Malsch
Mastering: Bob Ludwig
Management: Velvet Hammer
#10 QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE
In Times New Roman…
(Matador Records)
Producers: QOTSA
Mixer: Mark Rankin
Mastering: Gavin Lurssen
Management: SAM
#11 DRAIN
LIVING PROOF
(Epitaph)
Producer: Taylor Young
Mixer: Jon Markson
Mastering: Mike Kalajian
Management: Unchained
#12 GEL
Only Constant
(Convulse Records)
Co-Producer/Mixer: Zachary Miller
Co-Producer: Trish Quigley
Mastering: Will Killingsworth
#13 THE ARMED
Perfect Saviors
(Sargent House)
Co-Producer: Ben Chisholm
Co-Producer: Tony Wolski
Co-Producer: Troy Van Leeuwen
Mixer: Alan Moulder
Mastering: Matt Colton
Management: Polarizer
#14 BLINK-182
ONE MORE TIME…
(Columbia Records)
Producers/Mixers: (HERE)
Mastering: Randy Merrill
Management: Cardiff Giant
#15 CANNIBAL CORPSE
Chaos Horrific
(Metal Blade Records)
Producer/Mixer: Erik Rutan
Mastering: Alan Douches
Management: Unchained
#16 PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS
Land of Sleeper
(Rocket Recordings)
Producer/Mixer: Sam Grant
Mastering: Christian Best
Management: Singing Light
#17 KHANATE
To Be Cruel
(Sacred Bones Records)
Mixers: Randall Dunn & Khanate
Mastering: Alan Douches & James Plotkin
Management: Oblique
#18 CODE ORANGE
The Above
(Blue Grape Music)
Co-Producer: Shade
Co-Producer: Jami Morgan
Engineering: Steve Albini
Mixer: Caesar Edmunds
Management: Roc Nation
#19 GODFLESH
PURGE
(Avalanche Recordings)
Producer/Mixer: JK Broadrick
#20 BLACKBRAID
Blackbraid II
(Blackbraid)
Producer/Mixer: Neil Schneider
Mastering: Neil Schneider
#21 HORRENDOUS
Ontological Mysterium
(Season Of Mist)
Producer/Mixer: Damian Herring
Mastering: Damian Herring
#22 CREEPER
Sanguivore
(Spinefarm Music Group)
Producer/Mixer: Tom Dalgety
Mastering: Robin Schmidt
Management: 5B
#23 DØDHEIMSGARD
Black Medium Current
(Peaceville Records)
Producer/Mixer: Yusaf Parvez
Mastering: Harris Zourelidis
Management: Proxy
#24 BARONESS
STONE
(Abraxan Hymns)
Producer: Baroness
Mixer: Joe Baressi
Mastering: Bob Ludwig
Management: Q-Prime
#25 RAGANA
Desolation’s Flower
(The Flenser)
Producer/Mixer: Nicholas Wilbur
Mastering: Nicholas Wilbur
#26 CATTLE DECAPITATION
Terrasite
(Metal Blade Records)
Producer/Mixer: Dave Otero
Mastering: Dave Otero
Management: Unchained
#27 MSPAINT
Post-American
(Convulse Records)
Producer/Mixer: Taylor Young
Mastering: Nick Townsend
Management: Gold Theory
#28 FALL OUT BOY
So Much (For) Stardust
(Fueled By Ramen/Elektra/DCD2)
Producer/Mixer: Neal Avron
Mastering: Chris Gehringer
Management: Crush
#29 FIRES IN THE DISTANCE
Air Not Meant for Us
(Prosthetic Records)
Producer/Mixer: Dave Kaminsky
Mastering: Ryan Williams
#30 ENSLAVED
Heimdal
(Nuclear Blast)
Co-Producer: Ice Dale
Co-Producers: Enslaved
Mixer: Jens Borgen
Mastering: Tony Lindgren
Management: AISA/By Norse
#31 BABYMETAL
THE OTHER ONE
(Cooking Vinyl)
Producer: Kobametal
Mastering: Ted Jensen
Management: 5B
#32 HEALTH
RAT WARS
Producer: STINT
Mixer: Lars Stalfors
(Loma Vista Recordings)
Management: Bad Habit
#33 ORBIT CULTURE
Descent
(Seek & Strike)
Producer/Mixer: Niklas Karlsson
Mastering: Niklas Karlsson
Management: 5B
#34 WAYFARER
American Gothic
(Century Media/Profound Lore)
Producer/Mixer: Arthur Rizk
Mastering: Arthur Rizk
#35 AUTOPSY
Ashes, Organs, Blood and Crypts
(Peaceville Records)
Producer: Autopsy
Mixer: Greg Wilkinson
Mastering: Ken Lee
#36 LITURGY
93696
(Thrill Jockey)
Recorded By: Steve Albini
Mixer: Seth Manchester
Mastering: Record Technology, Inc.
#37 HELLRIPPER
Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags
(Peaceville Records)
Producer/Mixer: James McBain
Mastering: Damian Herring
#38 AGRICULTURE
Agriculture
(Flenser Records)
Producer: Agriculture
Mix/Master: Richard Chowenhill
#39 IN FLAMES
Foregone
(Nuclear Blast)
Producer: Howard Benson
Mixer: Joe Rickard
Mastering: Ted Jensen
Management: 10th Street
#40 PERIPHERY
Periphery V: Djent is Not a Genre
(3DOT Recordings)
Co-Producer/Mixer: Adam “Nolly” Getgood
Co-Producers: Periphery
Mastering: Mike Kalajian
Management: Fly South
#41 3TEETH
EndEx
(Century Media)
Producers: Sean Beavan, Chase Brawner, Mick Gordon, Andrew Means, Nick Rowe, Tensor, Xavier Swafford
Mixer: Sean Beavan
Mixer: Zakk Cervini
Mastering: Will Borza
Management: 2+2
#42 OBITUARY
Dying of Everything
(Relapse Records)
Co-Producer/Mixer: Joe Cincotta
Co-Producers: Obituary
Mastering: Brad Boatright
#43 VV
Neon Noir
(Heartagram Records)
Co-Producer/Mixer: Tim Palmer
Co-Producer: Ville Vallo
#44 EMPIRE STATE BASTARD
Rivers of Heresy
(Roadrunner Records)
Co-Producer/Mixer: Adam Noble
Co-Producers: Empire State Bastard
Mastering: Frank Arkwright
#45 SCOWL
Psychic Dance Routine
(Flatspot Records)
Producer/Mixer: Will Yip
Mastering: Will Yip
#46 DETHKLOK
Dethalbum IV
(WaterTower Music)
Co-Producer/Mixer: Ulrich Wild
Co-Producer: Brendon Small
Mastering: Dave Collins
#47 TESSERACT
The War of Being
(Kscope Music)
Co-Producer: Peter Miles
Co-Producers: TesseracT
Mix/Master: Alec “Acle” Kahney
Management: 5B
#48 INSOMNIUM
Anno 1696
(Century Media)
Producer: Insomnium
Mixer: Jaime Gomez Arellano
Mastering: Tony Lindgren
#49 MAMMOTH WVH
Mammoth II
(BMG)
Producer/Mixer: Michael “Elvis” Baskette
Mastering: Brad Blackwood
Management: Janus Music
#50 POLARIS
Fatalism
(SharpTone Records)
Producer/Mix/Master: Lance Prenc
Co-Producer (Vocals): Scottie Simpson
Management: Graham Nixon
Lists: Albumism, AllMusic, AltPress, Amplified Anthems, Audio Ink Radio, AV Club, Bandcamp Daily, Billboard, Brooklyn Vegan, Business Insider, Clash, Consequence, Coup De Main, Decibel, Distorted Sound, Double J, Esquire, Exclaim!, The Forty-Five, FLOOD, Fopp, God Is In The TV, GQ (UK), HuffPost, Kerrang!, Knotfest, The Line Of Best Fit, LA Times, Loud and Quiet, Louder Than War, Loudwire, Metal Hammer, Metal Injection, Metal Kingdom, Metal Storm, MetalSucks, MondoSonoro, The Needledrop, NME, No Clean Singing, No Ripcord, Paste, Picadilly Records, Pitchfork, PopMatters, Punktastic, The Quietus, Radio X, Revolver, RIFF, The Ringer, Rock Sound, Rolling Stone, Rough Trade (UK), The Skinny, Sputnik Music, Stereogum, Time, Time Out, Toilet Ov Hell, Treble Zine, Ultimate Classic Rock, Uproxx, Variety, Vulture, XS Noize, XS Rock, your mom.