Best of 2023
Some nice surprises in 2023, plenty of fantastic music released and some great live acts too. Here's Let There Be Rock's eventual winners for Best Album, Single, Breakthrough Artist and Live Act. Click the links to read the full reviews.
Best Album of 2023
The Rolling Stones - Hackney Diamonds
Released 20th October 2023
In the world of rock there’s no bigger name than The Rolling Stones. Some 60 plus years into their career the British institution, led by living legend Mick Jagger, continues to tour the world and sell out stadiums. Who would have thought that a band formed in the 60s could keep up that level of quality and mass appeal. This isn’t a band who have ever taken a graceful step back from the industry that made them a household name, generations after generations of fans have continued to enjoy the music of the band’s extensive back catalogue. When world tours and countless greatest hits compilations have kept the band’s pension fund topped up nicely, you would forgive them for not writing a new album for some 18 years.
The previous new material came in the form of singles ‘Doom and Gloom’ and ‘One More Shot’, both released in 2012, and snuck into the greatest hits compilation ‘Grrr!’ (2012), which commemorated their 50th anniversary, even that felt like a lifetime ago. Prior to that the last album of new material was 2005’s ‘A Bigger Bang’.
Fast forward to September 2023, the Stones publicity machine, matched only by Gene Simmons and Kiss, announced their forthcoming new album and release of their new single ‘Angry’ with all the pomp and hype of a press conference you would expect...
(Read full review HERE)
Best Single of 2023
The Dust Coda - 'Road To Hell'
Lifted from Loco Paradise released on 7th July 2023
This years selection for best single has come down to a simple bit of maths, which song throughout the year had received the most plays. This category was very difficult to make a selection from, with tracks from an eclectic mix of genres, rock to metal to blues, all making a worthy claim for the title. The stand out track and most played by myself overall throughout the year was by London based rockers The Dust Coda, with their punchy rocker ‘Road To Hell’. Released as a single on the 26th May, the track was a first taster of their well received new album ‘Loco Paradise’, which was unleashed via Earache Records on the 7th July.
As far as album teasers go, this was one track to certainly make you sit up and listen. An instantly loveable hit, and a real statement of intent from a band whose previous album, ‘Mojo Skyline’, had set the bar extremely high. Described by The Dust Coda front man, John Drake, as “a gift from the rock n’ roll gods” this monster of a rock number was, like all great hits composed with inspiration from a great riff. “I sat down with a beer and my Strat at my mate’s place one afternoon and the riff appeared, then the whole song came together in a few hours.” Stated John Drake after the songs release...
(Read full review HERE)
Breakthrough Artist of 2023
Cassidy Paris
Album: New Sensation released 8th December 2023
When it comes down to reviewing the best of the year, some categories can be almost impossible to choose a winner from. This year the best breakthrough artist proved to be such. Awash with brand new and up and coming talent from across the globe, I decided that a stand out artist this year had to be someone I had seen live, and also released a new album within the past 12 months. Although several artists I had selected also fell into this category, the one that stood out in my mind the most was Australian classic rock inspired artist Cassidy Paris.
At just 20 years old the extremely talented young Aussie has already released two EPs, ‘Broken Hearted’ and ‘Flirt’, and at the back end of the year released her debut album as a solo artist titled ‘New Sensation’, which was released on the 8th December via her new label Frontiers Music s.r.l. With a very bright future ahead of her she draws a lot of inspiration and comparison to female pop/rock legends such as Joan Jett, Lzzy Hale, Pink, Pat Benatar and even Avril Lavigne...
(Read full review HERE)
Live Act Of 2023
Limp Bizkit
@ The Piece Hall, Halifax, 12th August 2023
This years selection for the best live act has been head and shoulders above the others I've seen since the 12th August. For a month or so I thought I had found my clear winner for this category when Sheffield’s finest, Def Leppard, graced the stage on Glasgow Green in the pouring rain for the long awaited World Tour gig with Mötley Crüe. They were exceptional, ultimate professionals and true showmen, proudly flying the flag for British classic rock. Surely nothing could top that?… Or so I thought!
On the 12th August, after a month of non-stop rain, it was finally time to head to The Piece Hall, in Halifax, my home town, for my first experience of what has be labelled as Yorkshire’s ‘hottest’ new music venue. The location, an historic grade I listed former Georgian cloth hall, dating back to 1779, the oldest of its kind in the world. In recent years the huge open-air courtyard had been rescued from a state of decline with a multi-million pound make-over, now boasting a wealth of unique and boutique independent shops, bars, cafes and a restaurant. Post covid, the plans were in place to use the square courtyard as a music venue, installing a massive temporary stage for over the summer months where acts from a wide variety of musical genres could perform in the open-air to a few thousand people. Never in my wildest dreams would I ever have imagined that one of those acts performing there would be nu-metal legends Limp Bizkit!
(Read full review HERE)
