In Flames, Metallica, Avatar + Others: Fred Phillips’ Best of 2023 Hard Rock and Metal
Nita Strauss, Extreme, Overkill, Winger and Ad Infinitum are among the others who appear on Fred Phillips’ Best of 2023 hard rock and metal albums list.
Nita Strauss, Extreme, Overkill, Winger and Ad Infinitum are among the others who appear on Fred Phillips’ Best of 2023 hard rock and metal albums list.
I wanted to offer up some quick thoughts on my favorite records of the first half of 2023 because it has been a strong year.
It’s not until you actually start combing through the hundreds of records you’ve listened to over a decade that you realize how daunting the task really is.
As you go through my Best Hard Rock and Metal of 2016 list, you’ll see why I’m calling it the year of the classic thrash band.
Texas Hippie Coalition will always have difficulty topping ‘Peacemaker,’ but ‘Ride On’ still has its moments.

For hard rock and metal, 2012 certainly wasn’t the best year that I can remember. In all honesty, there were only a few albums that came across my desk that really excited me. You May Also Like: Metal Church – XI (2016) Pantera – ‘Power Metal’ (1988): Forgotten Series WhyRead More
If there was a Texas city where Pantera Boulevard crossed Skynyrd Street, that’s where you’d probably find the world headquarters of Texas Hippie Coalition.