2024 – A YEAR IN REVIEW(S): THE GREAT

(Andy Synn continues his ongoing round-up of the year with his selections for the top tier albums)

We’re halfway through the week now and it’s time to take a look at the albums I thought represented the creme-de-la-creme of the year.

Before we get into it, however, it’s worth stating that if you don’t see an album listed here, or on yesterday’s “Good” list, then the most likely explanation for its absence is… that I simply didn’t get around to hearing it (or, alternatively, I didn’t have time to listen to it enough to form a proper opinion).

Case in point, I bounced off the new Inter Arma pretty hard when it was released, and never found time to go back to it, so you won’t be seeing that here (some people seem to love it, while others hate it, which is pretty par for the course with the band, actually), and I still haven’t heard a single note of the new Fleshgod Apocalypse (so I’m going to be relying on DGR to let me know more about that in his list).

Similarly, while I’m still enjoying immersing myself in the Hardcore scene all over again (musically, at least) I have to say that – while I don’t begrudge the band their ongoing success – for some reason everything by Knocked Loose just goes in one ear and out the other with me, and never seems to stick around long enough to keep my attention, and when it comes to Nails… well, they’ve just never really done it for me (and get more than enough press elsewhere anyway, so I doubt they’ll be harmed by their omission).

I am, however, particularly mad at myself that I never found (or made) the time to properly dive into the new one from Thy Catafalque, and I just realised that The Foreshadowing have a new one out as well… and I’ve completely overlooked it.

When it comes to what did make the final cut, however, I think you’ll find a lot to love here, from phenomenal first albums from brand new bands to riveting new releases from a variety of exceptional artists from across the Death/Black/Doom spectrum… and beyond (with members of the 20 Buck Spin and Transcending Obscurity rosters putting in a particularly good showing, both here and in the “Good” list, this year).

BOLD NEW BEGINNINGS

When it comes to fresh new faces already putting out some absolutely killer music, I have to tip my hat to both Aberration (who blew me away, both on record and live at North West Terrorfest, earlier this year) and Phenocryst, who are two of the most promising new Death Metal bands on the planet in my opinion, along with the absolutely outstanding Prog-Tech wizardry of Noxis, whose stunning debut album, Violence Inherent in the System really has to be heard to be believed.

The Black Metal also had at least two (as I’m sure there’s many other examples I’ve missed out on) new bands (or creative collectives) step up and plant their black flags for all to see – though I’d argue that both were massively under-exposed – in the form of Parfaxitas and Ultra Mundum Nostri Assembly, while you’ll no doubt be hearing a lot more in the future from the latest (and greatest) additions to the expanding, evolving, Disso-Death scene… Eye Eater, Mind Mold, Resin Tomb, and Sacrificial Vein (though I didn’t see anywhere near enough written about the last band).

Aberration – Refracture
Engulf – The Dying Planet Weeps
Eye Eater – Alienate
Mind Mold – Erosive
Noxis – Violence Inherent in the System
Parfaxitas – Weaver of the Black Moon
Phenocryst – Cremation Pyre
Pillar of Light – Caldera
Resin Tomb – Cerebral Purgatory
Sacrificial Vein – Black Terror Genesis
Ultra Mundum Nostri Assembly – UMNA I: Mistaken by the Hegemonic Monotheism

THE BEST (OF THE BEST) OF BRITISH

The number of British bands on the “Great” list may be significantly less than on the “Good” list (although there were several of them on said list that were definitely on the borderline) but what this section may lack in quantity it more than makes up for in overall quality, with the likes of Prog-Doom prodigies Lowen and abrasive artistes Still taking a quantum creative leap with their respective second albums, while both Slimelord and Urzah made their long-awaited, highly anticipated, debuts with Chytridiomycosis Relinquished and The Scorching Gaze.

And I’d be remiss if I didn’t at least mention Dvne‘s stunning third album, Voidkind, which makes me think I might have slightly overrated its predecessor… because this one is even better!

Ante-Inferno – Death’s Soliloquy
Dvne – Voidkind
Lowen – Do Not Go To War With the Demons of Mazandaran
Slimelord – Chytridiomycosis Relinquished
Still – A Theft
Swamp Coffin – Drowning Glory
Urzah – The Scorching Gaze

ONLY DEATH (METAL) IS REAL

When it comes to this year’s rich and ripe crop of Death Metal records the best of them can, roughly, be separated into a series of general sub-categories.

First there’s those bands taking a proggier approach to the “classic” Death Metal sound, with the likes of Blood Incantation (whose new album was, in my opinion, the first to really live up to all the hype… and then some), Swelling Repulsion, and Typhonian (whose latest album was a personal favourite of mine, especially that phenomenal final track) all proving that “Old School” influenced doesn’t have to feel dated at all (with Witch Vomit doing much the same thing, only with less progginess and more blackened hookiness).

Blood Incantation – Absolute Elsewhere
Swelling Repulsion – Fatally Misguided
Typhonian – The Gate of the Veiled Beyond
Witch Vomit – Funeral Sanctum

Then there were the bands who pushed the genre even further towards its more brutal extremes, from the gut-wrenching, increasingly grind-influenced new one from Benighted (which is on the short-list for my “Personal Top Ten”) and the crushing “comeback” album from Brodequin, through the lethal technicality of living legends like Defeated Sanity and Nile, to the blast-propelled brutality of Vitriol and Wormed.

Benighted – Ekbom
Brodequin – Harbinger of Woe
Defeated Sanity – Chronicles of Lunacy
Nile – The Underworld Awaits Us All
Vitriol – Suffer & Become
Wormed – Omegon

And, of course, we can’t forget about those bands who took this year as an opportunity get even wilder and weirder with their sound, with the resurrected Gigan and Job For A Cowboy both pushing their twisted technical talents to a whole new level, while Pyrrhon delivered what is perhaps their most accessible (yet still wildly unconventional)… and possibly best… work yet with Exhaust, even as Defect Designer continued to question the very idea of what Death Metal actually is.

Defect Designer – Chitin
Gigan – Anomalous Abstractigate Infinitessimus
Job For A Cowboy – Moon Healer
Pyrrhon – Exhaust

DISSONANT, DISCORDANT, DEVASTATING

I noted in yesterday’s list that the field of Dissonant Death Metal continued to bear some fantastic fruit this year (some of which I’ve already mentioned in this article), but if you needed more proof of the increasing vitality and variety of this particular sub-scene then look no further than the contrast between the writhing riff-craft of bands like Devenial Verdict and Replicant (both of whom produced their best work yet in 2024) and the darker, moodier methods of Ceremony of Silence and the still-unparalleled Ulcerate.

And if you’re still not convinced? Then prepare to have your minds melted by the experimental extremism of Ingurgitating Oblivion and the uncompromising, unconventional comeback album from Mitochondrion.

Ceremony of Silence – Halios
Devenial Verdict – Blessing of Despair
Ingurgitating Oblivion – Ontology of Nought
Mitochondrion – Vitriseptome
Replicant – Infinite Mortality
Ulcerate – Cutting the Throat of God

DEATH COMES ON BLACK(ENED) WINGS

Less overtly “dissonant” and more… disgustingly heavy… 2024 saw a bevy of bands plumbing the blackened depths of their sound (and their souls) even further, with the claustrophobic cacophony of Black Curse, the absolutely scorching (yet unexpectedly divisive) Solar Clorex by Pestilength, and the oppressive, occult assault of Veilburner all proving to be major highlights.

That being said, my personal preference is for the discordant density of Verberis and the gut-churning, bone-grinding nastiness of Diabolic Oath… though you really can’t go wrong with any of these picks!

Black Curse – Burning In Celestial Poison
Diabolic Oath – Oracular Hexations
Pestilength – Solar Clorex
Veilburner – The Duality of Decapitation
Verberis – The Apophatic Wilderness

BLACKEST OF THE BLACK

Variety and vitality were the name of the game when it came to the Black Metal scene this year, as while not many of the “big” names made the cut – Panzerfaust and Spectral Wound being arguably two of the “biggest” (and best) – a significant number of less well-known artists (such as Deadspace, Lvme and Kalt Vindur) did.

And speaking of the varied shades of black on offer this year… if you’re looking for seething intensity (Acathexis and Tempestarri, who I’ll be writing more about at the end of the month, being prime examples) or harrowing emotional extremity (both Naxen and Selbst diving deeper than ever into darkness), or you want to explore the depths of outer (Vorga) or inner (Vastigr) space, or are keen to bring the past to hideous blackened life (whether that’s in the form of Griffin‘s revolutionary fervor or Kanonenfieber‘s infectious anti-war anthems) then there’s definitely going to be something for you here.

Acathexis – Immerse
Deadspace – The Dark Enlightenment
Gaerea – Coma
Griffon – De Republica
Kalt Vindur – Magna Mater
Kanonenfieber – Die Urkatastrophe
Lvme – Of Sinful Nature
Naxen – Descending Into a Deeper Darkness
Panzerfaust – The Suns of Perdition IV: To Shadow Zion
Selbst – Despondency Chord Progressions
Spectral Wound – Songs of Blood and Mire
Vastigr – The Path of Perdition
Ὁπλίτης – Παραμαινομένη
Tempestarii – A Constellation of Dead Stars
Vorga – Beyond the Palest Star

BEYOND THE BLACK HORIZON

Continuing in this bleak and blackened vein… yet moving more towards the outer limits of the genre… 20204 saw the release of ambitious and expansive double albums from both Amiensus and Krallice (though that’s where the similarities end, as the two bands couldn’t be much more different in their approaches) as well as captivating new creative expressions from Borknagar, twisted Dodheimsgard-offshoot Doedsmaghird, and those artful antagonists in Schammasch (whose new album, in my opinion, is their most consistently awesome work since Contradiction).

But it was lesser-known, but no less gifted, artists – and I use that word on purpose – like Cult of Erinyes, Czernina (a personal favourite of mine), Dystopia, Folterkammer, and Laudare who really stood out the most this year, by incorporating elements, influences, and ideas from across the musical spectrum in ways which continued to challenge the entrenched orthodoxy of what is, and what isn’t, “Black Metal”.

Amiensus – Reclamation, Part 1
Amiensus – Reclamation, Part 2
Borknagar – Fall
Cult of Erinyes – Metempsychosis
Czernina – Na Pograniczu Usidlenia
Dystopia – De Verboden Diepte I: Veldslag Op De Rand Van De Wereld
Doedsmaghird – Omniverse Consciousness
Folterkammer – Weibermacht
Krallice – Inorganic Rites
Laudare – Requiem
Schammasch – The Maldoror Chants: Old Ocean

YOUR DOOM AWAITS YOU

The USA seemed to dominate the Doom scene this year (though there’s lots of exceptions to this to be found on yesterday’s list) with both the almost overwhelming weight of Amarok and the arcane majesty of Huntsmen in strong contention for this year’s “Critical Top Ten” list, closely followed by the gloomy grit and metallic melancholy of Mother of Graves and the grisly Death-Doom of Spectral Voice.

But don’t miss out on the cosmic ambience and crushing presence of the new Monolithe either, which is a real dark horse, or the phenomenal debut from Föhn!

Amarok – Resilience
Crypt Sermon – The Stygian Rose
Föhn – Condescending
Huntsmen – The Dry Land
Monolithe – Black Hole
Mother of Graves – The Periapt of Absence
Spectral Voice – Sparagmos

IN SLUDGE WE TRUST

Some of the year’s heaviest music – both sonically and emotionally – came from the Sludge (and Sludge-adjacent) scene, and while I don’t have time to mention all of them (though you should probably expect to be seeing and hearing a lot more about Uniform‘s uniquely ugly, yet undeniably moving, examination of the human condition on American Standard very soon) I’m going to urge you to make time, if you can, for the abrasive Post-Doom of Alkymist, Blóð’s bleak, blackened misery, and the spellbinding sorrow and savagery of Cowardice‘s colossal double-album Atavist.

Alkymist – UnnDerr
Alta Rossa – A Defiant Cure
Blóð – Mara
Cowardice – Atavist
Doodseskader – Year Two
Oryx – Primordial Sky
Uniform – American Standard

EXPLORING THE EMOTIONAL SPECTRUM

The ever-versatile, hard-to-define, Post-Metal scene also delivered its fair share of gems this year, running the gamut from brooding, atmospheric introspection (A Swarm of the Sun) to bruising, unforgiving intensity (Norna), and from visceral, yet vulnerable, fury (Glassing) to dynamically doomy, yet delicate, expressions of melodic melancholy (Sinistro)… and beyond (Cave Sermon, My Diligence).

A Swarm of the Sun – An Empire
Cave Sermon – Divine Laughter
Glassing – From the Other Side of the Mirror
My Diligence – Death.Horses.Black
Norna – Norna
Sinistro – Vertice

THE UNSTOPPABLE MARCH OF PROG…RESS

The albums I’ve selected to represent the proggiest highlights of the year are all based in different styles, yet have all evolved beyond their roots, from the majestic mind-trip of Anciients and captivating Death-Doom creativity of Hamferð (whose new album is definitely being considered for my “Critical Top Ten”) to the always mind-bending, unapologetically genre-blending output of Oranssi Pazuzu (whose latest is easily up their with the best work of their career) and the outlandish, anything goes extremity of Orgone‘s fantastic third album, Pleroma.

Anciients – Beyond the Reach of the Sun
Hamferð – Men Gu​ð​s Hond Er Sterk
Ihsahn – Ihsahn
Iotunn – Kinship
Oranssi Pazuzu – Muuntautuja
Orgone – Pleroma
Piah Mater – Under the Shadow of a Foreign Sun

YOU’RE NOT HARDCORE UNLESS YOU LIVE HARDCORE

And, of course, we can’t end things without acknowledging how thrillingly vital, and endlessly varied, the ‘core scene continues to be, running the gamut from the anxiety-inducing intensity of Mathcore-inspired acts like Blind Girls and Detach the Islands, to the blisteringly blackened Post-Hardcore influenced assault of Frail Body or Infant Island and the gnarly, boundary-pushing Grind of Knoll and Full of Hell.

And that’s not even mentioning Candy‘s confrontational, purposefully provocative It’s Inside You, the brooding darkness of Sect‘s Plagues Upon Plagues, or the utterly devastating, Death Metal fuelled heaviness of Underneath‘s From the Gut of Gaia, all of which demonstrate that there’s more than one way to live Hardcore!

Blind Girls – An Exit Exists
Candy – It’s Inside You
Detach the Islands – A Highly Magnified History
Frail Body – Artificial Bouquet
Full of Hell – Coagulated Bliss
Giver – The Future Holds Nothing But Confrontation
Infant Island – Obsidian Wreath
Knoll – As Spoken
Sect – Plagues Upon Plagues
Tenue – Arcos, bovedas, porticos
Underneath – From the Gut of Gaia