Olympia/Oakland metal-meets-slowcore duo Ragana released one of our favorite albums of 2023 with Desolation’s Flower (The Flenser), and now the duo have also told us what their favorite albums of the year were. The list includes Lankum, Nothing/Full of Hell, Maria BC, Wolves in the Throne Room, Dawn Ray’d, and a couple bands local to Olympia and Oakland that may be new to you (they were new to us) and are worth checking out. Read on for their list.
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Ragana’s Favorite Albums of 2023 (in no particular order)
Sucker – Demo
The self-titled Demo is fun and raw, everything music should be. (Maria)
Trust Fall – You Can Glow in the Dark
Pop punk, indie rockers from Olympia, their newest album builds mountains of songs. (Maria)
Fish Narc – Fruiting Body
This album celebrated new and interesting ideas I don’t usually hear in pop songs. (Maria)
Maria BC – Spike Field
Nostalgic, beautiful, Haunting and perfect. (Maria)
Nothing/Full of Hell – When No Birds Sang
This album brings beauty and heaviness that I needed in 2023. (Maria)
Lankum – False Lankum
One of my favorite albums and bands of all time. Seeing them live at Supersonic Fest in Birmingham was one of the best parts of my year. Incredible musicianship, stunning voices, the most ominous, beautiful, sorrowful, drone-anchored Irish folk anyone could ever wish for. (Coley)
Wolves in the Throne Room – Crypt of Ancestral Knowledge
Another foggy, folkloric cascadian black metal masterpiece from WITTR. I love the additional acoustic instrumentation on this EP. (Coley)
Dawn Ray’d – To Know the Light
It is an honour to call Dawn Ray’d friends and comrades, their music has inspired us to keep fighting. (Coley/Maria)