2023

In 2023 the earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria left up to 62,000 people dead, and Storm Daniel killed at least 5,300 in Libya. Silicon Valley Bank and First Republic Bank collapsed, Credit Suisse was bought out by UBS, and generative AI began writing text, music and images that looked convincingly human. In May the WHO ended the COVID-19 global health emergency, which felt like permission to go back to gigs.

Metal's big names kept the year busy. Metallica put out 72 Seasons in April, and the Leftovers From the Black Album Box Set gave the old Enter Sandman era another airing, while Motörhead's version of the song also turned up in May. Foo Fighters returned with But Here We Are in June, and Slipknot followed days later with Adderall, then Live at MSG in August. Linkin Park marked twenty years of Meteora with an anniversary edition, Pearl Jam released Give Way, and Def Leppard's Pour Some Sugar on Me was back in circulation. Reunions were everywhere: Creed, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Savatage, Agalloch and Forbidden all returned.

The drama was heavy. Kiss played their last shows at Madison Square Garden on 1 and 2 December. Slipknot lost Craig Jones in June and Jay Weinberg in November. Mike Portnoy rejoined Dream Theater after thirteen years, Kiko Loureiro left Megadeth, and Jeff Loomis left Arch Enemy. Deaths included Jeff Beck, David Crosby, Tom Verlaine, Jim Durkin of Dark Angel and Bernie Marsden of Whitesnake.