Album review: Morkera - Aggravations (2023)

 

Morkera – Aggravations

Croatia

Unsigned/independent

Morkera is unequivocally the best band from Croatia I’ve heard (not that I know many bands from there), and their second album “Aggravations” is a truly outstanding work. The music sounds raw and unpolished, and while this is probably intentional, it gives the compositions a gritty and unique feel. The band has a knack for crafting remarkably punishing (and sometimes weird) riffs, with nuances of death and apocalypse emanating from their music. The riffs can be quite intricate at times and feature some excellent harmonies, while the vocals are categorically vicious and have a war metal feel to them. I definitely recommend them to fans of (early) Necrodeath, Rites of Thy Degringolade, Axis of Advance as well as Deathspell Omega for the eerie atmosphere. The fact that they don't have a label is one of the most puzzling mysteries of the 21st century, although they seem to be a DIY band. Stop whatever you’re doing and check this band out.

TOP 50 METAL ALBUMS OF 2023

Initially, every album on this list was going to be reviewed, but at some point it dawned on me that there's just too many albums for me personally to review, since 2023 was a very productive year for metal (as you can see from this list). I figured it's better if I publish each review individually and get my list out as soon as possible since people were already waiting for it. I only had about 21 reviews ready, so you can imagine how much longer it would have taken me to finish the article if every review were to be included. I may update this list again later if I come across more killer shit. I hope this list will be useful for those who may have missed out on some of these amazing releases. If I missed some important titles, don't fret, I'll probably review them at some point, or you can just send me an email to give me a heads up. Thanks for browsing, and I wish all you maniacs and music nerds a prosperous 2024, so without further ado, here are my favourite albums of 2023 IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER:

50. 

INFERNAL EXECRATOR (SGP)

 
Diabolatry

Pulverised Records

49.

FAITHXTRACTOR (US)

Contempt for a Failed Dimension

Redefining Darkness Records

48.

ESKHATON (AUS)

Horracle

Hells Headbangers Records

47.

APHELIUM AETERNUM (DEU)

Dark interstellar Mysteries

Dominance of Darkness Records

46.

DIABOLICAL MESSIAH (CHL)

Satanic Alpha​-​Omega

Veins Full of Wrath Productions

45.

IZROD (BiH)

Sarajevski Odisej

Signal Rex 

44.

ABYSSAL RIFT (US)

Extirpation Dirge

Sentient Ruin Laboratories

43.

MORTUARY DRAPE (ITL)

Black Mirror

Peaceville Records

42.

MISANTHROPY APOTHEOSIS (GRC)

Crush the Mask of Virtue

Repulsive Echo Records

41.

NOTHINGNESS (US)

Supraliminal

Everlasting Spew Records

40.

THUNRAZ (EST)

Revelation

Independent 

39.

THY DARKENED SHADE (GRC)

Liber Lvcifer II – Mahapralaya

World Terror Committee Productions

38.

TRAMALIZER (FIN)

Fumes of Funeral Pyres

Soulseller Records

37.

ATONEMENT (SWE)

Sadistic Invaders

Dying Victims Productions

36.

SHADOWS (CHL)

Out for Blood

Sentient Ruin Laboratories

35.

CRUCIAMENTUM (UK)

Obsidian Refractions

Profound Lore Records

34.

MORKERA (HRV)

Aggravations

Independent

33.

KEN MODE (CAN)

Void

Artoffact Records

 

32.

BLOOD SERPENT (VN)

Bestial Extermination

House of Ygra

31.

IMPERIAL CRYSTALLINE ENTOMBMENT (US)

Ancient Glacial Resurgence

Debemur Morti Productions

30.

CEMETERY URN (AUS) 

 
Suffer the Fallen

Hells Headbangers Records 

29.

ALCHEMY OF FLESH (US)

By Will Alone

Redefining Darkness Records

28.

AEON VOID (TR)

Fragments of Illusion

Zazen Sounds 

27.

AUTOPSY (US)

Ashes, Organs, Blood and Crypts

Peaceville Records

26.

INCANTATION (US)

Unholy Deification

Relapse Records

25.

REBEALLIUN (BRA)

Under The Sign of Rebellion

Agonia Records

24.

BLACK EUCHARIST (US)

Inn of the Vaticide

Stygian Black Hand

23.

ASCENDED DEAD (US)

Evenfall of the Apocalypse

20 Buck Spin 

22.

SPIRIT POSSESSION (US)

Of the Sign…

Profound Lore 

21.

THE NEGATIVE BIAS (AUT)

The Seven Seals of Saligia

Vendetta Records

20.

CIRITH UNGOL (US)

Dark Parade

Metal Blade Records

19.

MARDUK (SWE)

Memento Mori

Century Media Records

18.

WARGOAT (GRC)

Mysteries of Primitive Damnation

Angel of Cemetery RecordS

17.

COMBAT NOISE (CUBA)

To the Heart of the Battle

Independent

16.

MÊLÉE DES AURORES (CAN)

Aube Cannibale

Sepulchral Productions

15.

VILE RITUAL (US)

Caverns of Occultic Hatred

Sentient Ruin Laboratories

14.

FESTERDECAY (JPN)

Reality Rotten to the Core

Everlasting Spew Records

13.

BLUT AUS NORD

Disharmonium – Nahab

Debemur Morti Productions

12.

STARGAZER (AUS)

Bound by Spells

Nuclear War Now! Productions

11.

TETRAGRAMMACIDE (IND)

Typho​-​Tantric Aphorisms From The Arachneophidian Qur'an

Iron Bonehead Productions

10.

MAZE OF TERROR (PE)

The Night Where The Evil Prevails

Selvajaria Records

9.

BASTARD GRAVE (SWE)

Vortex of Disgust

Pulverised Records

8.

PROFANATICA (US)

Crux Simplex

Season of Mist Underground Activists

7.

NUCLEARHAMMER (CAN)

Xaos Tenawas - Demo MMXXIII

Nuclear War Now! Productions 

6.

SAMMATH (NDL)

Grebbeberg

Hammerheart Records 

5.

VARATHRON (GRC)

The Crimson Temple

Agonia Records

4.

ONE MASTER

The Names of Power

Eternal Death

3.

DEMONCY (US)

Black Star Gnosis

Dark Descent Records

2. 

ASTRIFEROUS (CR)

Pulsations from the Black Orb

Me Saco un Ojo Records

1.

ANGRENOST (PT)

Magna Lua Ordem M​í​stica

Norma Evangelium Diaboli