Philly post-hardcore band Kaonashi returned this year with two new singles, “Humiliation Ritual” and “Blood Red Camry Dance Party,” and now they’ve got a co-headlining tour with Mugshot lined up for 2024, with support from Mouth For War, CELL, and PAINS, varying by date. They also play three shows with From Autumn To Ashes this weekend.
With the year coming to a close, Kaonashi’s five members have now made us a list of their favorite albums of 2023, including Dying Fetus, Cattle Decapitation, Sleep Token, and more, with commentary on each pick. Read on for what they had to say.
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Kaonashi’s Favorite Albums of 2023
Pao (drums):
Hail the Sun – Divine Inner Tension
Maybe it’s cuz we toured with them a lot this year, but this album really spoke to me and the songwriting and playing is absolutely killer front to back album. Constantly playing in the Kao Van.
Elodie – Ok. Respira
I’ve been getting super into Italian pop this year and Elodie released a great ALBUM along with great singles. The transitions between songs on the album are often seamless and which always makes for a good album playthru.
Alex (guitar):
Sleep Token – Take Me Back to Eden
The way this record was released really grabbed me. They had this cryptic message that the fans uncoded to unveil song names, and as the fans figured out the song names the singles were released. And each single gave us a new character to focus in on. On top of being great songs with insane production these extra Easter eggs give me something to come back to.
The Zenith Passage – Datalysium
This album reinvigorated tech-death for me. I had started to find most tech-death to be pretty boring, but this record is filled with so many catchy yet technical riffs with insane production that I’m sure I’ll be playing it for years to come.
Siddy (guitar):
Suffocation – Hymns From The Apocrypha
I picked Suffocation’s Hymns From The Apocrypha as one of my favorite records of the year. This record reminds me of why I started playing guitar.Terrence and Charlie absolutely killed it.
Dying Fetus – Make Them Beg For Death
The new Dying Fetus record is absolutely perfect front to back. This band is how my brain envisions death metal and I cannot get over how good the production is.
Peter (vocals):
Shed Theory – Authority
Modern music has an severe lack of originality, so when I first heard this I was instantly hooked. Experimental rap with lots of obscure references and weird production.
Cattle Decapitation – Terrasite
As a metal vocalist, it’s hard to find bands with a voice I’ve never heard. This album takes Cattle’s extreme sound and pushes it even further. I love listening to it for new ideas.
Ryne (bass):
Invent, Animate – Heavener
I picked Invent, Animate’s Heavener because the overall theme of the record resonated deeply with me based on what I was going through personally. The message behind each track served as a beacon of inspiration for me and will become a timeless classic in my playlist.”
Entheos – Time Will Take Us All
Entheos’ Time Will Take Us All made the cut for me personally because it’s one of the most interesting progressive metal records I’ve ever heard. For me, stuff like that can become a bit redundant to listen to, but this record scratched every itch while keeping me in a vice grip. 10/10 record.
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Kaonashi — 2023/2024 Tour Dates
with From Autumn to Ashes:
12/17 Baltimore, MD – Ottobar
12/18 Bensalem Township, PA – Broken Goblet
12/19 Cambridge, MA – Sonia
with Mugshot:
03/15 Albuquerque, NM – Ren’s Den
03/16 Lubbock, TX – Jake’s
03/17 Abilene, TX – The Zone
03/19 Little Rock, AR – Vino’s
03/20 Memphis, TN – Hi-Tone
03/21 Huntsville, AL – Insanity Skatepark
03/23 Hollywood, FL – American Legion Post 92
03/24 Bradenton, FL – Oscura
03/26 Knoxville, TN – Brickyard
03/29 Greenville, SC – The Radio Room
03/31 Erie, PA – Basement Transmission
04/02 Cleveland, OH – The Foundry
04/03 Louisville, KY – Mag Bar
04/04 Indianapolis, IN – Healer
04/05 Cincinnati, OH – Legend’s
04/06 Des Moines, IA – Lefty’s
04/07 Lincoln, NE – Cosmic Eye