Bear’s Best of 2023!
If you’ve been following along this year, you may have noticed that a lot of changes have happened around here! My site’s been broken up in to multiple different series! You can find Gathering of Geeks, Unleashed, Monthly Mayhem catch-up blogs, Reviews, and random Personal Musings all in their own place now! I’ve been self-publishing short stories! I’ve started a podcast! Lots of things are going on and I’m really excited to finally just start sharing things. Since shouting out awesome things is part of who I am, it’s only natural that I want to share the best stuff from this year with all of you! Here are some of my favorite things that I discovered in 2023!
Books Bear Published in 2023
“Soulsong” - A Nightsea short story set after the Shatterclysm, when people are picking up the remains of their lives after the mutliverse was destroyed
“Adrift” - A Nightsea short story set during and directly after the Shatterclysm, when a psychopomp and a recently deceased person suddenly find themselves without purpose or destination
Best New Metal Albums
Asking Alexandria - “Where Do We Go from Here?”
Dyecrest - ““Once I Had a Heart”
Everwave - “Another Life”
Psychework - “Spark of Hope”
Silver Bullet - “Shadowfall”
Suasion - “The Infinite”
Vexed - “Negative Energy”
Warmen - “Hell on Four Wheels”
Within Temptation - “Bleed Out”
Best New Non-Metal Albums
From Grotto - “Monuments of Our Time”
Game Music Collective - “Restart”
GG Caravan - “Instrumental”
Pihka Is My Name - “Caller Unknown”
Best New Songs
“Closure Will Prevail” by Let It All Burn
“Ember Waltz” by Kalle Laakso (from Abeona)
“Avalon” by Ember Falls
“The World Outside (Is Gonna Be the Death of Me)” by The Cog Is Dead
“Unstoppable” by Eva Under Fire ft. Cory Marks
“Break These Ties for You” by Frozen Factory
“Katso mun silmiin” by Merta
“Harmaahaikara” by Helena Haaparanta
“Ihana Lutka” by Johanna von Hertzen
Best Live Events
27.1 Kiuas, Ensiferum, & Battle Beast
14.4 Infected Mushroom
16.7 Frozen Factory
21-23.7 Kosmos Festival
16.9 Ayreon: Live Beneath the Waves
24.10 Jekaterina X & Pihka Is My Name
28.10 Merta & Machinae Supremacy
10-11.11 Love Potion Psych Fest (day 1 & day 2)
24.11 Musamimmit vol. 2
16.12 Heikki Hänninen, Johanna von Hertzen, & more
My Best Interviews
Interview with Griffin Tucker of Classless Act
Interview with Dane Piper of Classless Act
Interview with Franco Gravante of Classless Act
Interview with Chuck McKissock of Classless Act
Interview with Derek Day of Classless Act
Best Video Games (I played this year)
(2023) Sea of Stars
(2022) Stray
(2021) Wytchwood
(2020) Spiritfarer
(2019) Children of Morta
Best Series (I watched this year)
Heartstopper (season 2)
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Keep an Eye on in 2024!
Belzebubs 360 Hexperience
New Merta album
New Luna Kills album?
New Coventhrall album
