Noizze Presents: The 20 EPs Of 2023

We love the humble little EP.

Often overshadowed by its long play counterpart, the extended play is a crucial format always worth championing. It’s on EPs where young artists first make forays into the scene and where established acts can experiment with new sounds. An EP release may not always make the same impact as a full-length, but as proven time and time again, some of an act’s best work can be found on this humble little format. And with that in mind, here are the top 20 EPs of the year.

20. Underneath – Nothing Here Is Held Sacred

Sounding like a gnarlier, dirtier Kublai Khan, Underneath pull no punches on ‘Nothing Here Is Held Sacred’. With echoes of black metal and shades of grindcore in the mix, it isn’t an easy listen, but once your jaw unclenches, you’ll find yourself drawn into the grim, menacing world of Underneath. – Chris Earl

19. Knife Bride – Don’t Dream Too Much

Coming a long way from their ‘slut metal’ origins, the Brighton modern gothic metal outfit Knife Bride, take centre stage as their cinematic inspired utterings of romanticised femme rage and vengefulness reign supreme with a polished yet charmingly whimsical disposition. In short, don’t dream too much is an exhilarating stepping stone in this intriguing band’s unceasing evolution. – Bennie Osborne

18. Beyond Extinction – Nothing More Wretched

There’s no denying that 2023 has been a brilliant year for extreme metal, with many an emerging act showing the art of musical punishment is still being furthered. One such act are Beyond Extinction, with their new EP Nothing More Wretched seeing the young act drawing upon deathcore, death metal and even galloping black metal with the finesse of the legendary pioneers. A wretched sound overall indeed, but one that shows how this act have a promising career ahead of them. – Dan Hillier

17. FORT – Once All Is Said And Done, We Still Draw Breath

The second EP from the South Wales post-rock group, Once All Is Said And Done, We Still Draw Breath is the sound of FORT encapsulating both bliss and punishment into 28 spellbinding minutes. Despite its immensely broad scope and shifting tones, here FORT have managed to coalescence a plethora of motifs into a one fluidly concise and wonderfully cohesive body of work. – Dan Hillier

16. Dead Heat – Endless Torment

There’s no doubt Dead Heat absolutely nail crossover thrash and Endless Torment perfectly showcases this brilliance. Packing a punch from the first note, Endless Torment is fast, it’s thrashy, it leaves you wanting to hear more and it’s undoubtedly the best work from Dead Heat we’ve heard yet. – Amy Bowles

15. The Totemist – Less We Know

Former Black Peaks drummer Liam Kearley is certainly one of the country’s best talents with a pair of hickory sticks in his hands; paired up with master guitarist Rabea Massaad (also ex-Toska) they snuck out four tracks of mesmerising technical proggy metal goodness. Could this also be a preview of what is to come with their new project Vower with Joe Gosney (ex Black Peaks) and Josh Mckeown (Palm Reader)? – Adam Vallely

14. xNOMADx – On Skylines Of Embers

Erupting onto the scene with their first EP, vegan straight edge metalcore outfit, xNOMADx take you back to good old fashioned 00s metalcore, with a modern spin. On Skylights of Embers is just over 17 minutes of delightfully twiddly melodic guitars being juxtaposed with blisteringly raw vocals and crushing breakdowns. – Amy Bowles

13. Fox Lake – Fear & Loathing

A downtuned slab of hip-shaking hardcore tinged with nu-metal. Fox Lake’s newest EP is an indication that the band are one of the most exciting young bands of today. With scream along choruses, a phenomenal Paleface (Swiss) guest spot, it won’t take long till you succumb to their brand of groovy aggression. – Chris Earl

12. Tokky Horror – Kappacore

The sound of a 1am rave in an abandoned warehouse circa 1998 given a modern punk and queer edge, Kappacore sees Tokky Horror at their neon tinged best. Mixing techno, Gabba and drum and bass, these are tracks to take your shirt off and shrink your pupils to. – Chris Earl

11. Better Lovers – God Made Me An Animal

Metalcore’s most exciting supergroup of 2023 dropped their EP over the summer, and it is a four-track heater. Better Lovers’ God Made Me An Animal has it all: whiplash rhythm changes to contemplative sections to verses spit at speeds rivaling Eminem’s ‘Godzilla’. This supergroup exceeded the hype by delivering one of metalcore’s greatest breakup albums. – Josiah Aden

10. Lake Malice – Post-Genesis

From the off, Lake Malice’s first non-single release hits you in the face with their vicious blend of hyperpop, nu-metal and metalcore. Alice Guala’s vocals alternately soar over the top of the mass of sound that she and Blake Cornwall have created, and roar straight through it. Each one of the six songs on the EP feels like it has its own story and sound, yet they all flow cohesively and blend together brilliantly on what is a thoroughly consistent release. Post-Genesis may sound like a huge variety of things, but one comes to mind above all else – it sounds like the next generation of heaviness. – Jake Longhurst

9. Scowl – Psychic Dance Routine

Scowl are one of the most exciting and industrious bands on the hardcore circuit. On top of three EPs and a full album in as many years, they tour regularly with the biggest names in the game. Psychic Dance Routine is a brilliant package, full of earworm choruses and despairing, “do-not-attempt-at-home” snarls. Scowl do more for the hardcore genre in five songs and ten and a half minutes than many bands do in a full LP. No one does it quite like them, so at this point, what are you doing, staring at a screen instead of moshing to Scowl? – Josiah Aden

8. Copse – Old Belief | New Despair

Whilst Copse showed off their chops on their brilliant debut two track single Mara | Mondrem last year, it wouldn’t be hyperbolic to say that their offering from this year caught many by surprise. Even with blackgaze and post-metal being a musical cavern many have plundered in recent years, Old Belief | New Despair is a breathtaking and brilliant descent into the depths of awe-inspiring extremity, one deluged with authenticity and genuine purpose. It’s impossible to say that the genre has reached it’s creative capacity when experiencing this wonderful EP. – Dan Hillier

7. GGGOLDDD – PTSD

Milena Eva was diagnosed with PTSD in recent years and part of her musical journey with dealing with the pain that is unknowable for many of us was to craft a quite simply powerful record here. Revisiting some of her previous work in ‘He Is Not’ and ‘Old Habits’ alongside three new tracks, this is haunting and hard hitting. Her vocal delivery which is somehow comforting regardless of the content of the lyrics alongside the neo-goth electro beats encapsulates her pain and pulls listeners into the world. This is not an easy listen at all but it is vital and important. – Adam Vallely

6. LibraLibra – CUT

A record of constant flux that flows from touchpoints reminiscent of Fugazi, CLT DRP, Bjork and everyone in between, LibraLibra encapsulate the unbridled freedom and joy of the national contemporary queer scene with their truly wonderful EP CUT. By addressing trauma and tragedy with zealous individualism and postmodernism aplomb, LibraLibra have crafted a truly unique body of work that serves as a wonderful exploration across the radiant spectrum that is their soundstage. The band may have now entered a stage of dormancy, and while it remains to be seen if they will return in the new year, we can all take comfort in this brilliant EP in their absence. – Dan Hillier

5. Royal & The Serpent – The ‘Rat Trap’ Saga

Dominating the alternative sphere with their daring multi-release extended play collective, the Garden state via The City of Angels indie rock queen Royal & The Serpent continues to prove themselves to be a formidable force of nature. In 2023, they guided us through not only one, but four interconnected aspects of their post-Happiness is an Inside Job era, with ‘the blueprint’, ‘the burn’, ‘the band-aid’ and ‘the burden’. Their brave lamentations of profound community spirit and emotional allyship, all the while presenting its breathtaking simplicity and rawness in such a sonically blissful fashion, is simply masterful. – Bennie Osborne

4. Lambrini Girls – You’re Welcome

Unleashing their debut EP with an unyielding bite, Brighton’s queer-punk trio Lambrini Girls set the scene on fire with the release of You’re Welcome in May. Stoking the flames of discourse with their riot grrl influenced grit, packed to the brim with in-your-face lyrical urgency and a nonchalant middle finger to misogynists, homophobes and transphobes alike in a straightforward and relatable punk package. Lambrini Girls are unashamedly themselves in their music and lyricism, their authenticity fostering a healthy and wholesome community of fans and netting numerous festival appearances and opening for punk rock legend Iggy Pop. – Harry Shiels

3. Sugar Horse – Truth Or Consequences, New Mexico

Less of an extended play and more of a singular 18 minute movement cut up into six easily digestible tidbits, the latest release from noiseniks Sugar Horse is a miasma of doom most intoxicating. Further solidifying the Bristolian band’s penchant for untraditional songwriting and their utter disdain for haste, Truth Or Consequences, New Mexico is a coalescence of doom, shoegaze and post-metal that revolves around a central pillar so absurdly muscular it could bench-press any single one you. It’s a metallic atmosphere of all that makes Sugar Horse so uniquely brilliant and one should make haste to inhale this in. – Dan Hillier

2. FOXCULT – THE INDIGO FAULT

With exemplary polish and out of this world songwriting, ‘stargaze’ (the band’s term for their unique brand of space-rock infused shoegazey post hardcore) outfit FOXCULT’s debut EP, THE INDIGO FAULT is a strong case for positioning them as one of the most exciting and promising bands heading into 2024. With a penchant for emotive, narratively driven post-hardcore, the Seattle based band have near enough crafted a masterpiece right out of the gate. The EP wraps around itself, with the narrative coming full circle, the songs themselves containing both lyrical and musical references to the other tracks on the record, foretelling and acknowledging each other, making the EP feel larger and more expansive than the sum of its parts. It’s an extremely detailed experience, constructed with intense foresight and planning, meticulous and extravagant in all its glorious form. To think that this is just the beginning is incredibly exciting, and THE INDIGO FAULT will forever remain a gleaming and proud entry in FOXCULT’s discography. – Elliot Grimmie

The EP Of The Year: The Callous Daoboys – God Smiles Upon The Callous Daoboys

Where to even begin? How can you succinctly sum up a three track EP that touches on more genres and inspirations than most bands do in their entire careers? God Smiles Upon The Callous Daoboys is an often bewildering yet magnificent record, that veers from skittering mathcore, lurching metal and lounge sections to a salsa infused breakdown. It’s brave, at times ridiculous but always cohesive. You’ll be humming the jazz bridge from ‘Pushing The Pink Envelope’ for weeks after it burrows its way into your brain. This is a spectacular effort in every sense of the word. – Chris Earl