2023 has lastly wrapped and I discover myself grateful for that. Persevering with an unlucky pattern, this previous 12 months as soon as once more offered many challenges and much an excessive amount of stress, though this time of a enterprise nature, moderately than a private one as within the years earlier than.

If you happen to’ve heard of the Canada On-line Information Act, you then may concentrate on the repercussions Canadian content material publishers confronted (and proceed to face) from choose platforms in response to that invoice.

In April I discovered the location caught in a pissing contest between the Canadian Authorities and the likes of Google and Fb. In flip Theprp.com’s put up attain on mentioned platforms acquired decimated for months as ‘testing’ and sanctions noticed 30-40% of Theprp.com’s month-to-month site visitors evaporate in a single day.

Whereas a deal was reached with Google within the fall, and numbers have slowly begun to bounce again, the monetary sting and stress/anger of being collateral harm took a heavy toll, all for one thing I had no stake in to start with.

Onward we march nevertheless and Theprp.com will hit its twenty fifth anniversary this coming summer time, which is astonishing to me. This was initially meant to be a pastime and a automobile to unfold music I assumed was cool.

In fact it developed into much more over time. It’s wild to suppose that every one this time later, an trade outsider managed to perform a lot from his bed room. I’d be remiss to not look again at those that helped set up the muse although, as Pedro and Defweb and several other others had been definitely key elements in serving to set up what this entire loopy trip has turn out to be.

There’s a number of irons within the fireplace to mark the twenty fifth anniversary, which formally isn’t till June, so examine again round then. Trying again, I simply need to say due to all of the readers, followers of the location, bands and labels who gave me the time of day and all of the artists, corporations, and so forth. who’ve marketed on the location over time, maintaining this journey in movement.

The purpose was by no means to be the most important web site or a model. There was by no means any company backing or sufficient cash to go round for all that. The purpose was and stays to shine a lightweight on deserving bands that had been exterior the mainstream and assist construct them up and unfold the phrase, whereas maintaining followers of heavy music up to date with the newest happenings within the scene.

Whereas the extra direct approaches to the unique purpose (opinions, studying curve, and so forth.) took a backseat as life’s obligations stacked up lately, that mission nonetheless stays the identical.

And with all that mentioned, right here’s the highest 25 most considered tales on Theprp.com in 2023: