Okay, and extra last category, top EPs:

#Ufomammut – Crookhead (psychedelic metal)

#Marthe/The Lord – The Eye of Destiny (drone metal)

#WolvesInTheThroneRoom – Crypt of Ancestral Knowledge (atmospheric black metal)

Category 10: The Nottingham Twang

#MaȟpíyaLúta – Wowahwala (Indigenous black metal)

#SQÜRL – Silver Haze (experimental/drone)

#MongTong – Tao Fire 道火 (experimental/electronic)

#DonnyMcCaslin – I Want More (electronic jazz)

Category 9: Prettiest albums of the year

#vvilderness – Path (atmospheric black metal)

#JoQuail – Invocation and Supplication (neoclassical)

#ARCHE – Transitions (funeral doom)

#MarinaHerlop – Nekkuja (experimental/avant garde electronic)

Category 8: Experimental eclectic awesomeness

#JaimieBranch – Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ((world war)) (free jazz)

Ky – Power Is The Pharmacy (experimental noise)

#AllHandsMakeLight – “Darling The Dawn” (experimental art rock)

#LonnieHolley – Oh Me Oh My (blues/soul/folk)

#Sanam – Aykathani Malakon صنم – أيقظني ملاكٌ (postfolk/postrock/free jazz/krautrock)

Category 7: Peter, Paul, and Not Mary

#PeterGabriel – i/o (rock)

#PaulSimon – Seven Psalms (folk)

#BlindGuardian – The God Machine (power metal) (2022 release, but I didn't hear it until after 2022 list season)

2/2 #AOTY2023 #AOTY #MetalAOTY2023 #MetalAOTY

5 Moonlight Sorcery – Horned Lord Of The Thorned Castle
4 Blackbraid - Blackbraid II
3 Hellripper - Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags
2 Рожь – В​с​ё
1 Bell Witch – Future's Shadow Part 1: The Clandestine Gate

Category 6: Angriest albums of the year

#Ragana – Desolation’s Flower (blackened doom/blackened screamo)

#BigBrave – nature morte (postmetal)

#Ushangvagush – Pestmo’qon (Indigenous black metal)

Category 5: Most hell(fire and brimstone)ish albums of the year

#RASánchez – L’ottava Sfera (doom jazz/funeral jazz)

#ReverendKristinMichaelHayter – SAVED! (experimental)

#Khanate – To Be Cruel (doom/drone metal)

Category 4: Longest albums of the year

#BellWitch – Future’s Shadow Part 1: The Clandestine Gate (doom)

#André3000 – New Blue Sun (ambient/new age/soul jazz)

#Eremit – Wearer of Numerous Forms (doom)

Honorable mention: #DollyParton – Rockstar

Category 3: Pure fun

#Blackbraid – Blackbraid II (Indigenous black metal)

#Marthe – Further In Evil (black metal/crust punk)

#ÁrstíðirLífsins – Hermalausaz (pagan black metal)

#Mizmor – Prosaic (black metal/blackened doom)

#JalenNgonda – Come Around And Love Me (soul)

Category 2: Most chill albums of the year

#AcidKing – Beyond Vision (stoner metal/doom)

Midwife & Vyva Melinkolya – Orbweaving (shoegaze)

#SigurRós – ÁTTA (postrock)

#Zoon – Bekka Ma’iingan (moccasin gaze)

Okay, here's my list in list form. I did 10 categories to get away from ranking them all though, so here's my 40ish "Top 10", with one category per toot. Bandcamp links are in blog post.

Category 1: Most intense albums of the year

Rye – Всё (atmospheric black metal/blackgaze)

#JeremyDutcher – Motewolonuwok (neo-Indigenous/neoclassical)

#ANOHNI and the Johnsons – My Back Was A Bridge For You To Cross (pop soul/art pop)

#SufjanStevens – Javelin (indie)

10) Colossal Squid - A Haunted Tongue
If you're into experimental drum shit, Adam Betts has some ideas. He does a lot of experimental stuff combining electric and analogue drums and effects pedals and stuff to become some sort of one-man space techno band. Musically the earlier solo stuff was a bit hit and miss but this album has really pulled the project together and I want to celebrate that here x
Genre: Drums as fuck
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZbp9f5OObE&list=OLAK5uy_mMdDRkngd52p-eiK-lFlyHE5a9TnM4eMY
#AOTY #AOTY2023