GAGE’S TOP 15 NWOTHM RELEASES OF 2023

For those who rocked, I salute thee

Hey everyone, so continuing the theme of top albums of 2023, our writer Gage has jumped on board and delivered his top 15 for 2023. There are some killer bands he has chosen so check out his choices below!

Rob – THE NWOTHM

2023 was a massive year for NWOTHM (and for me!) The trad scene had another jolt of new blood shot into it, and dare I say, it’s one of the healthiest scenes around. With old guards like HEAVY LOAD and CIRITH UNGOL putting out bangers, as well some young titans arriving like SAVAGE and COBRA SPELL. All told this was a hell of a year, so good that I couldn’t just limit myself to merely 10 albums, but 15!

NOTE: I excluded the SORTILEGE reissue, for obvious reasons, and this list is EXCLUSIVELY New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal (so no power, doom, stoner, or prog). That being said, let’s Hit the Lights!

15: Helms Deep – “Treacherous Ways”

HELMS DEEP, which features the perennially underrated John Gallagher of RAVEN fame, and the drummer for FEAR FACTORY and RAVEN, Mike Heller. This was a wonderful little time capsule to NWOBHM, that not only had some killer songwriting and riffage, but a howling performance on vox from Alex Sciortino. I literally salivate over albums like this, a mix of sci-fi and sword and sorcery, it’s like the chocolate and peanut butter of music. (That means it’s good).
Somehow, there has never been a metal band called “Helms Deep” that actually put out a debut record, so that’s a fun fact.
Fav. song: “Treacherous Ways”

Bandcamp: https://helmsdeep666.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HelmsDeep666

14: Savage – “Glory Riders”

A bit of a bittersweet one this. I had the pleasure of reviewing this record here on the site, and I loved it. I thought it was a nice W.A.S.P. scented breath in NWOTHM air that is very much flooded with MAIDEN and PRIEST worship, so I found it great to see something a bit new in the scene. However, SAVAGE have since announced their split and scrubbed all social media. That leaves this as this as one of NWOTHM’s many, many records that never received proper follow-ups.
Fav. song: “Nightmare Invaders”

RIP SAVAGE

13: Blood Python – “Thunder City”

I fell in love with BLOOD PYTHON’s debut release “Acheron” in 2022, so to hear that this one-man-band had put out another full-length so soon after the first was an absolute treat. This is dark and broody NWOTHM with slight goth/occult tinges to it, and a killer album that is bookended by a 10 minute opus. Just please give it a physical release!!
Fav. song: “The Gods That Fell to Earth”

Bandcamp: https://bloodpython.bandcamp.com/
Big Cartel: https://bloodpython.bigcartel.com/

12: Blood Star – “First Sighting”

A veteran of Rob’s list! I’ve followed BLOOD STAR since their debut single/EP “The Fear” in 2020, and to see that sound be refined into a fantastic album was such a treat. Madeline Smith’s vocals are addictively good, as well as backup vocalist Jamison Palmer’s lead vox foray in “The Observers”. This band is the total package, with outstanding riffing, captivating lyrics, and earworm worthy choruses. BLOOD STAR is a band that I think will hold the NWOTHM banner high for years to come.
Fav. song: “Fearless Priestess”

Bandcamp: https://bloodstarslc.bandcamp.com/music
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bloodstarslc/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blood.star.slc/

11: Smoulder – “Violent Creed of Vengeance”

This year was the year that I fell in love with that oh so sweet mash-up of epic heavy metal and doom, and SMOULDER’s sophomore release brought that in spades. I adore Sarah Ann’s vocal style so much, and it meshes so well with the sword and sorcery theme that the band has. I also appreciate that this record didn’t sound identical to their debut release, which I also really dug, but that evolution is great to see and I can’t wait to see (hear?) what SMOULDER does next. It’s also host to my song of the year (see below), toward the end when Ann wails “In this my final hour!” I get chills every time.
Fav. song: “Dragonslayer’s Doom”

Bandcamp: https://smoulder.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SmoulderDoom/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smoulder_doom/

10: Blazon Rite – “Wild Rites and Ancient Songs”

It may only be at 10, but from the moment that I heard this record, I knew it’d be somewhere on my Best of list. This is everything that I love about heavy metal; epic songwriting, hooky choruses, insane riffage (seriously the riff in “Autumn Fear Brings Winter Doom” might be an all-timer), and most importantly, it’s fun! And also extra marks for having creative song titles, “Troubadours of the Final Quarrel” is just great, and joins the small list of metal songs with the word “troubadour” in the title.
Fun fact: On the day that I’m writing this, I actually received two BLAZON RITE cds in the mail. So I’m on a BLAZON RITE kick right now.
Fav. song: “Autumn Fear Brings Winter Doom”

Bandcamp: https://blazonrite.bandcamp.com/music
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blazonriteofficial/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blazonrite_philly/

9: Gatekeeper – “From Western Shores”

With this record, GATEKEEPER cemented themselves as all-time greats of the NWOTHM scene, in my opinion. It’s epic heavy metal done right, grandiose in scale and mighty as a dragon. New vocalist Tyler Anderson, of ODINFIST fame, does an exemplary job behind the mic. Also gotta shoutout the musicianship of the band, and how they’ve evolved since 2018’s “East of Sun”.
Fav. song: “From Western Shores”

Bandcamp: https://gatekeeper.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GatekeeperBand/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gatekeeper_metal/

8: Von Boldt – “Hallowed Be My Name”

Talk about a band that came out of nowhere! This dropped in early October, and I’ve been in love ever since. It’s as much heavy metal as it is just pure rock n roll, and seeing that spirit kept alive is precious. There’s songs that emanate DANZIG and others that easily draw inspiration from METALLICA. While a fair amount of the lyrics are rooted firmly in horror, there is some lyrical diversity here, such as with “The Night is Dark and Full of Terrors”.
Fav. song: “Dance With the Devil”

Bandcamp: https://vonboldt.bandcamp.com/music
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vonboldtband
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vonboldtband/

7: Sommo Inquisitore – “Aerarius Faber Artifex”

Epic and dark heavy metal belted out in the most romantic of languages (Italian). Everything about this is just perfection. The sound, production, the occasional operatic cadence in the delivery. This record builds upon everything that SOMMO INQUISITORE’s 2021 debut “Anno Mille” did right, and cranks the grandeur up to 11. Lead vocalist, the eponymous SOMMO INQUISITORE, is a veteran of metaldom, and that shows in this record. There’s a real maturity to it that few other bands in the NWOTHM scene have yet to replicate.
Fav. song: “Legione”

Bandcamp: https://sommoinquisitore.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SommoInquisitore

6: Cirith Ungol – “Dark Parade”

One of the best things about the traditional heavy metal renaissance has been the return of so many of metals lost titans. From SATAN to ANGEL WITCH, to HEAVY LOAD and of course the almighty CIRITH UNGOL. After digging deeper into their discography this year CIRITH UNGOL quickly became one of my favorite bands. Tim Baker’s vocals are simply immaculate, none sound like him, and he’s still got mad pipes. While they’ve announced the end of their touring career, CIRITH UNGOL’s return, first with 2020’s “Forever Black” and now with “Dark Parade”, has cemented them as all-time greats in my book, worthy of a place alongside SABBATH, MAIDEN, PRIEST, and SUM 41 (just kidding on the last one… remember when they randomly made a thrash song?).
Fav. song: “Sacrifice”

Bandcamp: https://cirithungol.bandcamp.com/
Bandcamp 2: https://cirithungolofficial.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cirithungolofficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cirithungolband/

5: By Fire & Sword- “Glory”

I had the pleasure of reviewing this one for the site, and it completely blew me away. I was expecting some run of the mill epic metal, but no this was different and special. The vocal stylings of Tom Newby are without compare, his preacher-esque delivery is just so addicting. More than that, this record had some of the best lyrics of the year. Definitely keep an eye on BY FIRE & SWORD.
Fav. song: “Tithe (The Money Song)”

Bandcamp: https://byfireandsword.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BFASboise/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/byfireandsword/

4: Enforcer – “Nostalgia”

Arguably one of the godfathers of NWOTHM, ENFORCER returned with a vengeance in 2023! Wiktrand’s uncanny vocals only continue their journey into all-timer territory. Despite their pedigree and back catalog, this doesn’t feel like simply a retread or an afterthought, these guys brought their A-game for this one. It has everything from blitzing speed metal, glam-esque choruses, and of course that traditional flair. Also, that album art is just perfection personified.
Fav. song: “Nostalgia”

Bandcamp: https://enforcer.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/enforcerofficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/enforcerofficial/

3: Bergfried – “Romantik II”

Triumphant, that’s the only word to describe this. The second part of a series, of what I believe to be a trilogy, of EPs, continues the tale of love and war, in a way that is both romantic and tragic. The curiosity is that information about the band remains relatively scarce, and the duo perform under the names of their “characters” (Anna de Savoy and Erech III von Lothringen). They have a sound all their own, with none others having came close to sounding as unique as BERGFRIED. It might seem ridiculous to place an EP so high on this list, but “Romantik II” is truly a work of art. I can only hope that their EPs see a physical release one day.
Fav. song: “May the Devil Pull Me Under”

Bandcamp: https://bergfried.bandcamp.com/

2: Spirit Adrift – “Ghost at the Gallows”

Watching the evolution of SPIRIT ADRIFT is a lot like watching a maestro conduct a magnum opus, and then do it again, and again, and again. Their continued shift from their doom metal roots into a more traditional metal sound has been a joy to witness firsthand. I was lucky to review this record as well for the site, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it. Every piece of this album was perfect, Garret’s vocals, all of the instruments (especially the riffing!). Dare I say it, a strong contender for one of the album’s of the decade, and one that will be looked upon NWOTHM masterpieces in the same way that VISIGOTH’s “The Revenant King” is.
Fav. song: “These Two Hands”

Bandcamp: https://spiritadrift.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpiritAdrift
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spiritadrift/

1: Legendry – Time Immortal Wept

My jaw was dropped the entire time that this played. Really, “Time Immortal Wept” and “Ghost at the Gallows” are interchangeable, but I gave the nod to LEGENDRY, because they’re less likely to get credit for this absolute instant classic of a record. They’ve reached the pinnacle of epic metal in terms of songwriting and production. The sheer amount of musical talent on display here is otherworldly, and the mates in LEGENDRY have established themselves as greats. The solos are insanely good, they made me think of everything from PINK FLOYD to IRON MAIDEN. I have nothing else to add, besides LISTEN TO THIS ALBUM.
Fav. song: “The Prophecy”

Bandcamp: https://legendry.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/legendryband/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/legendry.epic.metal/