Our Annual Report rocks on with our list of the 30 Best Metal & Hard Rock Songs of 2023. We’ve got plenty more coming as we look back on the best in music, film, and TV of 2023, so stay tuned. Find our full Annual Report coverage here, and don’t forget to see our 30 Best Metal & Hard Rock Albums of 2023 list, too.
Picking the best metal and hard rock songs each year is never an easy task. Unlike pop music, where singles take the spotlight, finding the year’s best heavy tunes can take us off the beaten path. But once we embarked on that trail, we found a treasure trove of stellar tracks.
What we discovered was an eclectic mix of songs, ranging from standout tunes from Rock & Roll Hall of Fame acts like Metallica and Judas Priest, to dynamic cuts from newly formed bands like Better Lovers, Empire State Bastard, and Many Eyes.
A handful of these songs made big impacts on rock radio, including singles from Sevendust, Dirty Honey, and Wolfgang Van Halen’s Mammoth WVH. Others came late in the year from albums that won’t be released until 2024, including tunes from Ministry, Chelsea Wolfe, and Ihsahn.
The 30 Best Metal & Hard Rock Songs of 2023, as chosen by the staff of Heavy Consequence, offer a wide range of sounds from hardcore to industrial to extreme to melodic. See our picks in the list below.
— Spencer Kaufman
Managing Editor, Heavy Consequence
30. Knocked Loose — “Deep in the Willow”
If there’s anyone that can drive a sense of urgency, it’s Bryan Garris. The singer is boisterous and commanding, even at moments where the instrumentals may not call for it. But really, when isn’t there a moment for it? “Deep in the Willow” is not the most intense Knocked Loose song, but that isn’t saying much considering even the lightest of their discography is heavy as all hell. It’s hard not to go deep into the three and a half minutes of this song, but its whirred end begs for more, which we get with the companion track “Everything Is Quiet Now.” — Cervanté Pope
Listen via Apple Music
29. Ace Frehley – “10,000 Volts”
While KISS recently called it a day with their final concert ever, the band’s original Spaceman – the incomparable Ace Frehley – hasn’t slowed down a bit. His upcoming 2024 album, 10,000 Volts, will be his sixth full-length effort since 2009, and the newly released title track serves as a tasty sneak peek of what’s to come. Co-written with Steve Brown of Trixter, the tune contains all the elements you’d expect from good ol’ Space Ace — a guitar solo chock full of trademark “Ace-isms,” ragged-yet-charming lead vocals, and a mighty groovy riff, to name a few. — G. Prato
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28. Sevendust – “Everything”
Sevendust returned with the melodic but heavy Truth Killer this year, and the single “Everything” is really the perfect snapshot of this album. With thick, crunchy guitars and Lajon Witherspoon’s soaring, crystal-clear vocals, “Everything” has a mass appeal, much like classic Sevendust anthems “Enemy” and “Praise.” Witherspoon works in some screaming, too, perfectly placed as the explosive chorus kicks in. — Anne Erickson
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27. Many Eyes — “Revelation”
A dysfunctional relationship between singer Keith Buckley and the rest of his bandmates led to the breakup of longstanding metalcore act Every Time I Die. While three of his ex-bandmates went on to form the supergroup Better Lovers, Buckley started his own outfit, Many Eyes. Along with his new bandmates, brothers Nick and Charlie Bellmore, Buckley debuted Many Eyes with the explosive single “Revelation,” featuring his intense screams along with a clean-sung chorus, proving that the vocalist is still very much on top of his game. — S. Kaufman
Listen via Apple Music
26. Dethklok — “Aortic Desecration”
Since Dethklok are cartoons, it might sound funny to say that they have matured a lot as a band. However, the release of their recent film Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar and album Dethalbum IV have proven that Dethklok mastermind Brendon Small has grown up a bit and refined Dethklok’s style. Don’t worry, Dethklok has certainly not gone soft; “Aortic Desecration” features fast and technical guitar riffs and a steady heavy beat tapping into a sound reminiscent of Cannibal Corpse peppered with a dash of old school Morbid Angel. — Colette Claire
Listen via Apple Music
25. Mick Mars — “Loyal to the Lie”
Mötley Crüe fans have been patiently awaiting the much-delayed solo debut by the band’s original guitarist, Mick Mars. While we will have to wait a bit longer for the full-length (The Other Side of Mars won’t arrive until February), at least we finally received a preview of what to expect with the arrival of “Loyal to the Lie.” Listening to the surprisingly hard-hitting yet melodic number (which prominently features the lead vocals of Jacob Bunton), one can’t help but see the connection between the song’s title and lyrics to Mars’ falling out with his former Crüe bandmates. — Greg Prato
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24. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard — “Dragon”
Musical chameleons King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard are versed in myriad styles, including heavy metal. The Aussies stepped back into the “Rat’s Nest” for another metal album with 2023’s PetroDragonic Apocalypse, highlighted by pseudo title track “Dragon,” which balances the band’s affinity for thrash riffs with the gonzo psych weirdness that’s patently KGLW. The winding 10-minute prog arrangement evokes their most adventurous work (i.e. Polygondwanaland), while the overt metal elements (growled vocals, thrash riffs, fantastic imagery, etc.) callback to the aforementioned Infest the Rat’s Nest, the band’s famous heavy-metal aside. — Jon Hadusek
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23. Corey Taylor — “Dead Flies”
Slipknot singer and Consequence cover star Corey Taylor tends to delve into an array of different genres with his solo music, but he always manages to comfortably blend heavy with melody. “Dead Flies,” off Taylor’s 2023 solo album, CMF2, is of that quality, featuring huge, melodic hooks and Taylor’s warm vocals. Taylor sings, “One by one, silence keeps your stitches tied,” wrapped in thick harmonies and powerful riffing. This song recalls Stone Sour cuts such as “Say You’ll Haunt Me” and “Tired,” but with more of Taylor’s solo flair. — A. Erickson
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22. Job for a Cowboy — “The Agony Seeping Storm”
This isn’t the same Job for a Cowboy we were throwing bows to in 2006; this is a Job for a Cowboy steeped in a couple of decades of technical death. Metalcore was just the starting point for them. “The Agony Seeping Storm” shows them at the peak of their craft, even incorporating bits of that pit shit we fell in love with. The instrumental prowess each member displays is enthralling, making you want to go along for the ride no matter where it takes you. — C. Pope
Listen via Apple Music
21. Dirty Honey — “Won’t Take Me Alive”
“Won’t Take Me Alive” is built on Dirty Honey guitarist John Notto’s central riff that singer Marc LaBelle labeled the best riff he’s heard in a decade. While that might be a stretch, it certainly grabbed our ear earlier this year — notching our Heavy Song of the Week at the time — invoking ’70s rock and ’80s metal with its warm, analog sound and strutting swagger. LaBelle and company are among the best modern practitioners of Headbangers Ball-style hard rock, as exemplified by bangers like this song. — J. Hadusek
Listen via Apple Music
