2023 has been a busy and vibrant year for artists and their fans. September has ushered in a surge of highly anticipated new album releases from musicians of all genres. As the leaves begin to change and the air carries a hint of autumn, musicians deliver their due offerings to the eager listeners.
Table of Contents
new album releases in September 2023
Let’s look at an eclectic list of new album releases in September 2023.
1. Steve Lehman & Orchestre National De Jazz (ONJ) – Ex Machina
Released: 15 September 2023
Ex Machina is an ambitious and visionary program by American composer and saxophonist Steve Lehman and Frédéric Maurin, director of the Orchestre National de Jazz (ONJ). Both have the common desire to venture further than the traditional limit of orchestral music, and this album bears proof of that.
Lehman and Maurin both have a strong interest in the theories of spectral music, which are noticeably present in French spectral composer Gérard Grisey’s music. Even the album name bears a resemblance to Grisey’s Tempus Ex Machina.
When it comes to a big jazz orchestral setup, this album is the first to explore the uncharted territory of interaction between instrumentalists and the machine.
2. Soen – Memorial
Released: 1 September 2023.
Memorial is the sixth studio album by Soen, a Swedish progressive metal group. After their fifth album, Imperial (2021), this follow-up album is another testament to their ability to produce fresh music with a heightened and evolved sense of musicianship.
Led by the founder and ex-Opeth drummer Martin Lopez, Soen has been noted and praised by fans and critics for the first album. Memorial has a powerful and aggressive sound. Compared to their previous releases, this album is heavier regarding the soundscape.
This album is a treat to both Soen’s fanbase and avid listeners of progressive music in general.
3. Tesseract – War Of Being
Released: 15 September 2023
War of Being is the fifth studio album by British progressive band Tesseract. This progressive djent band has a unique style among other progressive metal bands. War of Being showcases Tesseract’s full potential.
This is destined to mesmerize listeners with Daniel Tompkins’ voice and the technical yet tasty playing of the members. With the polyrhythmic riffs, odd-time signatures, and extensive use of ambiance in this album, Tesseract has outdone itself again.
The crunchy bass, phenomenal drumming, and top-notch production will not let you get bored even for a second throughout this album. It’s a masterpiece that summarizes this band’s every emotional frequency and style of songwriting.
4. Ed Sheeran – Autumn Variations
Released: 29 September 2023
Autumn Variations is the upcoming album by English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran. This will be the seventh studio by this pop artist. Sheeran has sold more than 150 million records worldwide, which makes him one of the world’s best-selling music artists.
The inspiration for this album came from Edward Elgar’s composition Enigma Variations, which includes 14 essays about a different one of Elgar’s friends. Sheeran stated that he and his friends had been going through, and at that time, the story behind Enigma Variations influenced him.
A fun fact about this album is that It is his first non-collaborative studio album with a title that is not a mathematical symbol.
5. Steven Wilson – The Harmony Codex
Released: 29 September 2023
The seventh album by English musician Steven Wilson is The Harmony Codex. As Steven said, this album is a real trip, a beautiful and experimental 65-minute labyrinth of a record.
Steven is known for his work with his band Porcupine Tree, an English rock band, and his solo endeavors with other notable artists. Like his other solo works, this album can be called a concept album, as it is intended to be a continuous musical journey in its entirety as a ‘cinema for the ears’.
The Harmony Codex is “a genre-spanning collection that opens up like a musical puzzle box” and is musically more complex than his previous album.
6. Laufey – Bewitched
Released: 8 September 2023
Bewitched is the second studio album by Icelandic singer-songwriter Laufey. She describes her music as “modern jazz”, which incorporates elements from “jazz pop” and “bedroom pop.”
Although she started her career in 2020, she has quickly impressed critics and fans worldwide. Her mother is a classical violinist, and her grandfather was a violin educator; Laufey has credited these two people as partly inspiring her love of music.
Bewitched received acclaim from critics. Critics remarked on how Laufey’s impressive technical ability shines throughout the album. She exhibits her confidence and musical ambition, incorporating jazz, pop, and modern classical into one fantastic album.
7. Cannibal Corpse – Chaos Horrific
Released: 22 September 2023
Chaos Horrific is the sixteenth studio album by Cannibal Corpse, an American death metal band. They are considered one of the most successful and biggest-selling death metal bands.
With this album, it is obvious how much Cannibal Corpse, as a band, has evolved in songwriting skills. This band also explored new territories and pushed the envelope.
Cannibal Corpse has been a top-tier death metal band for 35 years. This album is another proof of that. The dynamic and versatility of Chaos Horrific as a death metal album will leave the listeners in awe. This might become this band’s one of highly-praised albums in the upcoming days.
8. Olivia Rodrigo – Guts
Released: 8 September, 2023
Guts is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo.
Her first album, Sour (2021), accumulated critical and commercial success, winning various accolades, including three Grammy Awards. This album is Inspired by the time following her first album’s success and the process of maturity that she experienced as an artist and as a person who is at the end of her teenage years.
Guts, although an alternative pop album, experiments with rock influences, unlike the previous album, which was a pop album. This album has earned praise for lyrical wit, complexity, and overall musical aesthetics. This album is bound to be another stellar success in the career of Olivia Rodrigo.
Final Words
This concludes this article on the September 2023 new album releases. Hopefully, I have introduced you to some phenomenal albums by some of the most significant contemporary artists. Explore these newly released albums and the artists, and you might find your new favorites.
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