Best of 2023

 3) Ahab - The Coral Tombs

Ahab has been writing concept albums since they started and I've made a ritual of reading the book in the same year of their album so I can understand the lyrics, give everything context, create feedback loops between music and literature. 

This was by far the most painful of those experiences. Normally the pain would be as a result of the emotional weight of the experience, but this time was different, this time they picked a shit fucking book. I have no idea why 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is considered a classic. In it's 240 pages hardly anything happens. Nemo simply zooms from one end of the earth to the other speaking passively about the evils of man, but never giving us the source from which his hate is derived. He has such an unwavering command of his vessel he makes it clear no one is ever in any danger. Verne completely forgets danger is the fountain from which intrigue pours. His captive Aronnax watches as they zoom around and takes note of all the fish and vegetation at the bottom of the sea. That's 90% of the content of the book.

There are two compelling moments in the book. One Ahab dutifully covered, an underwater funeral complete with ritual and procession. I really enjoyed it when the images between mediums coalesced here. The other compelling moment was an experience near the south pole. The Nautilis is trapped beneath a gigantic iceberg and the crew slowly suffocates while trying to discover modes of escape. Ahab didn't include this as a track and I can't imagine why because they know how to write about suffocation (Aeons Elapse off the Giant is THE best song they've ever written).

Ultimately Ahab are fantastic songwriters, and they did successfully draw enough influence from this turd of a novel to create a compelling, charismatic, heartbreaking album. One can only imagine the quality of the resulting album if the next book is actually good.