The guitar albums of the year: from metal to blues, rock ’n’ roll to jazz fusion and all points in between…
50 STEVE VAI VAI/GASH
(Favored Nations)
These long-lost biker metal recordings were a glimpse into what could have been if Vai’s friend Johnny ‘Gash’ Sombretto had not tragically passed away.
49 SKINDRED SMILE
(Earache)
Nearly topping the UK charts with album eight, the Welsh reggae metallers are experts in combining aggressive guitars with off-beat syncopation.
48 ROYAL BLOOD BACK TO THE WATER BELOW
(Warner Records)
Returning to their heavier roots after experimenting with dance influences last time round, the signal-splitting UK duo again proved there’s more to them than hype.
47 BLACK STONE CHERRY SCREAMIN’ AT THE SKY
(Mascot Label Group)
The Kentucky troupe give skyscraping stadium rock a modern edge, peppering album eight with luscious harmonies and chunky, drop ‐tuned anthems.
46 COACH PARTY KILLJOY
(Chess Club)
Powered by the fuzzy guitar interplay of Steph Norris and Joe (not that one) Perry, this cheerfully anarchic debut was one of 2023’s most infectious.
45 NITA STRAUSS THE CALL OF THE VOID
(Sumerian Records)
The versatile string-slinger harmonises her voice with a cast of guest vocalists, excelling in melodeath, industrial metal and shock rock simultaneously.
44 HAKEN FAUNA
(InsideOut Music)
Henshall and Griffiths continue their derring-do double act, blending extended range, time signature-skewed metal with jazz, funk and punching choruses.
43 CODE ORANGE THE ABOVE
(Blue Grape Music)
Less abrasive and more contemplative than their recordings of the past, the Pittsburgh sextet’s fifth album thrilled in all the right places.
42 FEIST MULTITUDES
(Fiction)
She’s always been an exceptional songwriter, but the magic of Feist’s latest lies in its ASMR-like guitar recordings that capture every wonderfully woody detail.
41 IN FLAMES FOREGONE
(Nuclear Blast)
After two decades of experimentation, the melodeath mainstays return to their roots as ex-Megadeth guitarist Chris Broderick helps reignite their fire.
40 THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM HISTORY BOOKS
(Rich Mahogany)
The reunited band’s first album in nine years delivers trademark guitar-driven heartland rock – including a duet with Brian Fallon’s hero Bruce Springsteen.
39 MAEBE REBIRTH. RELIVE. REPEAT.
(Self-released)
The brainchild of guitarist Michael AstleyBrown, in which emotional depth and technical ability collide in the most articulate lyric-free album of the year.
38 TIGERCUB THE PERFUME OF DECAY
(Loosegroove)
For those who like their choruses catchy an
