It’s the return of our favorite end-of-year series, and this year again, we decided to team up with some of our favorite artists in the stoner and doom scene to share their favorite records of 2023. We are stoked to welcome these fine gentlemen in SUNNATA, Poland’s premium purveyors of ritualistic heaviness, as they delve into their albums of the year for The Heavy Chronicles. Dig it!
1. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard “PetroDragonic Apocalypse; or, Dawn of Eternal Night: An Annihilation of Planet Earth and the Beginning of Merciless Damnation” (KGLW)
This is metal for people who don’t listen to metal music. Crazy riffage and songwriting overall, dipped in gizzardish sauce. You might not like this record, but you can’t ignore it. If King Gizzard & The Lizzard Wizard won’t become a modern-times legend, no one will.
2. Queens Of The Stone Age “In Times New Roman” (Matador Records)
After the okay-ish “Villains”, it’s so refreshing to see the Queens return to do what Queens do best: great rock songs. Solid and even record. A nice proof that staying with Kyuss wouldn’t have been the best decision for Homme. Or would it?
3. Furia “Huta Luna” (Pagan Records)
This album wants to eat you alive, exhaust and burn just to give the long-awaited relief in the end. Furia are one of the most distinctive Polish metal bands with their own, unique poetic language filled with local contexts. Full-blown, fully-defined artists. It’s not the best release of theirs (“Księżyc Milczy Luty” ftw), but it is definitely a strong, artistic concept.
4. Hania Rani “Ghosts” (Gondwana Records)
Have you ever heard of her? If you haven’t – you should and you will, because Hania’s career is blooming. “Ghosts” is an album to listen to in a bathtub, or under a blanket on a cold, winter night. Piano, synths, electronics, live band, subtle vocals – she’s got it all. Music for staying adrift.
5. Kvelertak “Endling“ (Rise Records)
A mix of Axl Rose & Young Neil Young found in a Norwegian trash bin is what defines not only the looks of Kvelertak’s one and only Ivar, but also the nature of this record. Powerful, catchy riffage (“Likvoke!” is made of heavy metal steel), choruses to sing along, maybe a bit lighter touch than the previous record, but still black’n’roll all the way. You can’t go wrong with Kvelertak.
6. REZN “Solace” (S/R)
Doom which isn’t boring. Period. We could end the commentary here, but “Solace” is a truly great record. Diverse, humongous, spatial, and heavier than the planet. Pure pleasure to listen to such thought-through albums like this one.
7. Laboratorium Pieśni “Hé oyáte“ (Agencja Perspektywy)
Y’all probably think that folk ends on either Wardruna or drunk metalheads playing blast beats with flute lead, while dressed as fantasy elves, but the world also has to offer gems like Laboratorium Pieśni. Enchanting group exploring mostly eastern-European (but not only) folk songs. A whole different story than the other records in this list, but definitely worth a listen, if you’re eager to explore that raw, natural piece of world music.
8. GEL “Only Constant“ (Convulse Records)
Pissed-off hardcore girls and big dudes make Turnstile look like they grew their first mustache. GEL isn’t the most innovative band in this genre, not even this very year (check Eyes, for example), but they have this something, that makes you instantly want to jump straight into the pit.
9. Wieże Fabryk “Doskonały Świat” (Hasiok Records)
Cold wave. Post punk. Minimalism.
10. Knower “Knower Forever“
What Knower plays, actually? No one knows, but it grooves AF. This album alone has more skilled musicians than all the bands delisted here. You gotta give it a try, but dress quirky and do drugs first. Oh, and you might know some of their musicians from viral Clowncore vids. Can’t recommend it more.
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Last modified: 14 December 2023
