The end of the year gives music fans a chance to reflect on and celebrate all of the artists, albums and songs that we loved over the past 12 months. However, we should also take a moment to remember the bands that we lost and thank them for all they gave us. Whether they were genre forefathers or more recent additions, every single band affects the shape of rock and metal in some way and leaves a hole when they split up. So here, Hammer recounts 10 of the biggest, saddest and most shocking band splits of 2023.
Herod
With a guitar tone that could crack a mountain in half, French quartet Herod gave us the superb Iconoclast this year. But, it was 2019’s exquisite Sombre Dessein album where they emerged as one of post-metal’s most exciting and experimental prospects and set a new bar for the genre.
Kix
Although some may consider them a one-hit wonder (1988’s Don’t Close Your Eyes is a stone-cold classic), Kix exemplified the cross-section between hard rock and glam metal. Despite starting out as an Aerosmith and AC/DC cover band, their hard work paid off when their own work went platinum.
Dark Fortress
In May this year, these black metal melody-makers nailed the coffin shut on almost 30 years of darkness. In that time they released eight studio albums, including 2004’s Stab Wounds, which defined their dramatic sound and revealed them to be a truly gifted group of composers.
Betraying The Martyrs
The French metalcore outfit just seemed to be getting into the shape of their lives before disbanding due to the rising cost of touring. They left us with a pool of solid albums, including the stupendous Breathe In Life, as well as the sickest cover of Frozen’s Let It Go.
Ohhms
Ohhms imbued their potent sludge/post-metal blend with real-world issues like animal rights, veganism and environmental destruction. As a result, their sudden implosion was a great loss to both the scene and the planet. “No drama to report – just riffs” read their short announcement, ensuring they stayed consistent right to the end.
Dawn Ray'd
The anti-fascist anarchists shocked us all when they announced their immediate split: To Know The Light was released in March to critical acclaim and solidified their place as a new hope in the scene. Still, they continue their fight and have raised over £6,000 for radical causes since September.
Sharptooth
This hardcore crew seemed to be shooting straight for the top. 2020’s Transitional Forms was an utter revelation, and Sharptooth’s ability to make their political messaging so catchy and brutal was a rare treasure. Sadly, an apparent negative working environment triggered two vocalist changes and the band quietly fell apart.
Russkaja
The “Russian turbo polka metal” troupe first emerged as the house band for an Austrian late-night comedy show, but their wickedly fun songs soon broke them to a global audience. Unfortunately, their tongue-in-cheek politics and mockery of Soviet tyranny became unpalatable in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Palisades
Taking the melodies of Linkin Park and giving them the crunchy breakdowns of modern metalcore and the electronics of Eurodance and dubstep gave Palisades a far-reaching appeal. Wit anthems like Erase The Pin and Get Down, they were instrumental in opening the door for bands like Electric Callboy to dominate.
Urfaust
After 20 years of black metal brutalising, this Dutch duo called it quits with no explanation – just a vague Instagram post with the hashtag #goodbye. That Urfaust had just unloaded the lo-fi blitz of seventh album Untergang only made their break-up all the more heartrending.
