It’s that time of year again where I talk about the music that I listened to the most….. in my digital library of music I own or things on places like YouTube. As you know, I am not a streamer when it comes to music so I don’t rely on apps to track what my favourite songs/artists/albums are, everything comes from my memory.
The last two years were very similar but this year was definitely a big change of new discoveries, comebacks, and even just singles that were enough for me to put on repeat.
Delain
They’re back! Delain made a triumphant return this year with Martijn able to find new members to keep the ball rolling. When the new album Dark Waters released, it was definitely the best comeback I’ve seen from a band this year that we all thought was done for.
The album is fantastic, I love almost every song, and it’s easily my album of the year for 2023! With the new boys and Diana’s lovely voice, it gives the band a whole new sound which I actually think is a bit heavier than with the previous members, but still brings that unique symphonic sound that Martijn strives for.
Alice Cooper
The legend himself! That’s right, I’ve started listening to him more after seeing him for the second time on the Freaks on Parade tour with Rob Zombie in September. Now I can’t get enough of him. I used to be a casual listener of his music in the past, on and off, or the occasional song but now we’re officially in the fan stage! Time to get some albums, and maybe merchandise too. That’s the kind of fangirl that I am!
Listening to Alice lately has also been helping me heal from the disappointment I had to deal with late last month, you know what it is. It shows that I can have more than one artist/band to help me get over grief, reduce anxiety, etc. Love you Alice, I hope I can see you live again sometime! ❤️ My friend jokes about how if we ever meet him, we should go: “We’re not worthy!” in front of him and see how he reacts (I’m sure he’s used to it). Even if an opportunity like that comes, I don’t think if I’ll do that act, I’ll just be myself, we’ll see. Another rockstar crush to my collection!
Xandria
Delain’s not the only band that has returned. Xandria was silent for years and they have gone through many singers, now there’s Ambre who’s like the jack of all trades in female metal vocalists. She can sing with a clean, opera, and do growling vocals as well, she’s very talented so let’s hope the boys keep her!
They also released a new album this year and it’s really good. I don’t love it as much as Delain’s but it has some beautiful tracks on it that I haven’t been able to stop listening to all year.
Linkin Park
Ah the band of my high school days… I did go through another LP period this year and discovered some new songs that I never heard of. It’s always their older songs that I play as it seems that their later stuff was a lot softer before Chester’s suicide.
Even so, many of the songs are still relatable when times are tough, so I love to turn them on. In fact, a lot of their tunes I enjoy singing along to when driving.
Cryoshell
Where have these guys been? They made their own comeback this year along with Essenger, releasing a single for the upcoming fan-made Bionicle game, and I can’t stop listening to it.
I feel like Cryoshell is still an “underground” sort of band. They are not extremely well-known. They are more of a niche band. One of the best ways to discover them is through Bionicle as they are all fans of the franchise and have made music for it and what remains of it today. I hope they do another song for the game because I would love to see them continue to show their love for a niche interest of mine.
And that’s what I listened to the most this year straight from my music collection that my trusty hippocampus pulled out, not from an app. 😉
👽Emily
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