As 2023 is coming to an end, and I grow one year closer to death, also YouTube Music seems to have jumped on the "recap" train following Spotify's template. It's not as accurate as Spotify, telling me not much more than 65% of my listening being simply "heavy metal" (unlike Spotify which separates into subgenres, but I still prefer YouTube Music for various reasons), 8% rock, 2% indie, 2% pop, and 2% reggae. My top "moods" were 39% dramatic, 39% sorrowful, 14% energising, 3% uplifting, 3% happy. My 5 top artists were Impaled Nazarene, Senshi, Bloodywood, Kypck, and Turmion Kätilöt.

I'm a bit surprised by some of these stats, such as electronic music not appearing among my top genres (I still listen to Shpongle a lot and will do so until I die), "angry" not being one of my top moods, and alternative metal being so heavily featured among my top bands, but I can't fight the stats, I guess. Here are my most listened to songs in 2023 according to YouTube Music's recap.

1.Bloodywood - Aaj

2.Arkona - Kob'

3.Bloodywood - Gaddaar

4.Anamnesi - La Precessione Degli Equinozi

5.Senshi - Evil In Dem Eyes

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1.Fires In The Distance - Air Not Meant For Us

2.Tomb Mold - The Enduring Spirit

3.Cattle Decapitation - Terrasite

4.Church Of Misery - Born Under A Mad Sign

5.Kalmah - Kalmah

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1.Ensiferum - Dragonheads

2.Insomnium - Songs Of The Dusk

3.Insomnium - Argent Moon

4.Moonsorrow - Tulimyrsky

5.Equilibrium - Waldschrein

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1.Rivers Of Nihil - Where Owls Know My Name

2.Sulphur Aeon - The Scythe Of Cosmic Chaos

3.Slugdge - Esoteric Malacology

4.Amorphis - Queen Of Time

5.1914 - The Blind Leading The Blind

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1.Sacred Outcry - Towers Of Gold

2.Sulphur Aeon - Seven Crowns And Seven Seals

3.VoidCeremony - Threads Of Unknowing

4.Panopticon - The Rime Of Memory

5.Afterbirth - In But Not Of

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It is very hard to understate how much Scott Burns' talents have given to the world of metal music. He might disagree about the following statements, but his work defined one of the most admired and revered eras of death and thrash metal, vastly influencing the sonic imprint that was to be copied for generations to come, and his skills were far and beyond just the engineering.

1.Agent Steel - Unstoppable Force

2.Whiplash - Ticket To Mayhem

3.Crimson Glory - Transcendence

4.Death - Leprosy

5.Terrorizer - World Downfall

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The best album art of 2024. I usually gravitate towards album covers based on these factors:
-Level of detail (Foreground, background, etc. One dimensional album covers don't work for me usually)
-Art style (Renaissance is cool, power metal fantasy cartoons are not)
-Colour scheme (Vibrant colours but not too wacky or fluro)
-Winter, space, large scale visuals
-Contrast (Through colour and actual landscape)
-Abstract/paradoxical

No particular order, they are all great

1.Solbrud - IIII

2.Eternal Storm - A Giant Bound To Fall

3.Infected Rain - Time

4.Darkspace - Dark Space -II

5.Borknagar - Fall

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1.IQ - Ever

2.IQ - The Seventh House

3.IQ - Subterranea

4.IQ - Dark Matter

5.IQ - Nomzamo

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1.Angra - Cycles Of Pain

2.Twilight Force - At The Heart Of Wintervale

3.Noveria - The Gates Of The Underworld

4.Sacred Outcry - Towers Of Gold

5.Triumpher - Storming The Walls

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These are albums that I'm currently enjoying. They may be classics that I'm revisiting or new gems I've recently discovered. (Ordered alphabetically)

- A star (⭐️) denotes a new discovery that I find exceptionally special!
- A flame (🔥) denotes an album that I've heard before, enjoyed, and am revisiting this month!

1.Atramentus - Stygian

2.Carnosus - Visions Of Infinihility

3.Giant Squid - Metridium Fields

4.Immortal - Sons Of Northern Darkness

5.Indian - The Unquiet Sky

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1.Varathron - Patriarchs Of Evil

2.Venus - Obscured Until Observed

3.Finsterforst - Zerfall

4.Cult Of Luna - The Long Road North

5.Dimmu Borgir - Inspiratio Profanus

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My Favorites songs on drums…
A tribute to those great drummers…A Huge investigation about the name of those drummers and their best moments and songs

1.Rush - 2112

2.Van Halen - 1984

3.Iron Maiden - Piece Of Mind

4.Dream Theater - Train Of Thought

5.Dio - The Last In Line

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1.Phobocosm - Foreordained

2.Varathron - The Crimson Temple

3.Bjørkø - Heartrot

4.Evergrey - From Dark Discoveries To Heartless Portraits

5.Winterhorde - Neptunian

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This alphabetical list presents bands that took the inspiration for their name from films (movies, tv series, documentaries).

Please feel free to suggest more examples of metal/hard rock band names that are inspired by films.

1.Alien Queen - Matriarch

2.Alien Weaponry - Tū

3.Anaal Nathrakh - The Codex Necro

4.Austrian Death Machine - Total Brutal

5.Bhayanak Maut - Bhayanak Maut

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Here it goes, one month left to end of the year

1.From North - Raven Banner

2.Stormlord - The EPic Of War

3.Shylmagoghnar - Convergence

4.Night Crowned - Tales

5.Temple Balls - Avalanche

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