LISTMANIA 2024: A TOP 20 LIST FROM DIDRIK MEŠIČEK

(As our year-end LISTMANIA series proceeds, what we have for you today is the Top 20 list of NCS writer Didrik Mešiček.)

I’m pretty sure I said about how the world is horrible at the moment in this intro last year, and this year I feel a bit more optimistic, as the world is still horrible but at least we have consistency. That’s… good, right?

Anyway, what about the metals? I reckon it’s been a really solid year, perhaps the best since like 2021? Ironically, the pandemic years are some of my favourite in regards to new musical releases and there’s something to be said there about artists and suffering.

Most of all, I think 2024 has been phenomenal for black metal. I’ve included quite a few albums who are more or less a part of the aforementioned genre and there’s at least three or four more that have been considered but just missed, partly also because I did try to keep it a bit varied in regards to the subgenres. After all, I could easily switch the 19th and the 17th (for example) best album in these lists just based on my mood, the position of the moon, the number of cats currently trying to be in my lap. and whether I’ve eaten a croissant today.

But without further ado, here are the albums!

As per usual, here’s also a short seven-hour (it’s not my fault most of the best songs are like ten minutes long, okay?) playlist of the best songs of the year, in case reading isn’t really your thing:

 

20. Ten Ton Slug – Colossal Oppresor

We’re starting this list real heavy this year…Get it? Because ten ton…? Nevermind. This is actually a debut by the Irish sludge metal lads, which surprised me because I feel like I’ve been hearing about this particular slug for years. Admittedly, it’s a cool and memorable name.

Anyway, this is actually a heavy album musically as well, and what I find most impressive about it is how consistent and relentless it is. There’s a good amount of solid riffs, while the vocals have the middle approach of not being clean, but also not really growled. It’s what I imagine a ten ton slug would sound like, regurgitating neverending ooze through its soft but massive fleshy corridors.

But let’s not dwell on our fantasies, Ten Ton Slug have presented a strong debut and a disgustingly slimy release in Colossal Oppressor and even show further promise with their almost ten-minute closer “Mogore the Unkind” which shows further exploration of their sludgey sound.

Songs to listen to: “Ancient Ways,” “Mogore the Unkind”

 

19. Srd – vragvmesiton

Did you know Slovenian metal exists? Well, we have at least one great band who I’ve seen eight times now, twice this year after the release of their new album. Srd play a pretty distinct type of black metal that we mostly refer to as black’n’roll. Their live shows are very dramatic due to their vocalist, Goran Slekovec, who has brilliant on-stage charisma, and despite seeing many bigger bands, they continue to be amongst my favourite live performances.

Their new album went into a slightly different direction than I expected, and it’s a unique take on the old Satanic black metal, but there’s a bit of a philosophical note to it as it deals with subjects like danse macabre and in general seems to evoke the feeling of some sort of a demonic possession. Slekovec has over the years developed his growls into becoming very decipherable, making vragvmesiton a lot catchier than one might expect. The album offers a fair bit of variety, some punkish influence, and ends with a surprisingly tame song in “Kaštiga” in which most of the lyrics are more spoken than sung.

Songs to listen to: “Kačji mašeljn,” “Mora,” “Mrtvaški ples”

 

18. Kvaen – The Formless Fires

Another representative of the new artistic force in black metal and another one-man band. It seems those are working quite well lately. The Formless Fires is a great example of how melodic black metal can seamlessly be united with a sort of vikingy influence. There’s not that many great stand-out moments on this album but it’s very consistent, even if a bit short, clocking in at just under 40-minutes.

I really enjoy the primal feeling of Jacob Björnfot’s vocals which sound very uncompromising and crazed in their delivery. Some of the songs are in the band’s native Swedish, which is, of course, a bonus, and on the song “Traverse the Nether” Necrophobic and In Aphelion make a guest appearance. Overall, a really strong black metal release and another in the line of great albums from the subgenre this year.

Songs to listen to: “The Formless Fires,” “The Ancient Song” “De Dödas Sång”

 

17. Blood Incantation – Absolute Elsewhere

It feels like everyone in the scene has been amazed by this album. I was definitely not a Blood Incantation fan before but it’s hard to deny there’s something special hiding in this record. I sometimes find albums that I don’t quite understand, but I can tell they’re quality and this is the stage Absolute Elsewhere is at for me currently. Will I ever love this album? Maybe. Is it a quality release? Indubitably.

It’s really a record that gives you everything, space-themed death metal, wild Pink Floyd vibes, many weird things I probably don’t even pick up on yet, things that really shouldn’t go together but somehow it’s all seamless – this album is therefore either genius or utter madness and it’s one of those records you just have to listen to, even if it’s sounds like it’s not something you’re usually into – it’s definitely an experience.

Songs to listen to: “The Stargate [Tablet 1],” “The Message [Tablet 3]”

 

16. Odious – Equilibrium Tool

This may actually be the only African album I’ve heard this year but luckily it’s a great one. Odious are an Egyptian symphonic death metal band and with Equilibrium Tool they lean really heavily into the symphonic part, more so than any Septicflesh or Fleshgod Apocalypse album you may have heard.

Naturally, having basically an entire orchestra in your sound can quickly be too much, but the Egyptians managed it impressively well and also included some folkier Arabic rhythms as is customary with middle Eastern or northern African bands. The growls sometimes switch more into spoken word, making the album sound rather ritualistic at times, although it’s rarely done in a dark and ominous way.

Songs to listen to: “Halo Slave,” “Apophenia,” “Ghostwriter”

 

15. Opeth – The Last Will and Testament

You may know Opeth as that band you kinda stopped listening to in about 2011, or maybe the godfathers of prog death – opinions on that are rather divided. But I bring good news as Mikael Åkerfeldt has finally decided to involve growling again and even though I’m far from someone who demands growls at all costs, they sure do elevate Opeth’s releases.

The Last Will and Testament is a bit of a concept album talking about exactly what you’d assume given the title – the family patriarch has died and his last will is made known. The band does this with the help of their well-known prog metal style and – while I’m not claiming this is Ghost Reveries or Blackwater Park quality – it’s still a return to the Opeth most of us wished we’d get back and it’s bloody great.

Songs to listen to: “§1,” “§2,” “§5”

 

14. Gaerea – Coma

I had the pleasure of seeing this Portuguese beast live this year for the first time and their performance is truly mesmerising. With their latest album, however, the band have taken a step forward and their black metal takes a few steps towards post-black metal. Coma starts unexpectedly, with cleans and tame rhythms and – while the majority of the album is still growled and harsh – these moments only highlight the band’s otherwise aggressive nature.

It’s a great evolution of the band’s sound and something that will help cement them as one of the driving forces of today’s modern black metal. Gaerea’s consistency is truly impressive with this record, and I do believe Coma is their best release yet.

Songs to listen to: “The Poet’s Ballet,” “Hope Shatters,” “World Ablaze”

 

13. Wormwood – The Star

This Swedish band turned ten this year and they continue with their impressive streak of really good albums. This is now their fourth release and they’ve managed to be innovative on each of them, going slightly into post-metal on the previous ones and adding some folky touches here and there. Meanwhile, The Star is a pretty typical example of melodic black metal, but it does at times get experimental, involving sounds that allude to outer space, which is, of course, also the overall theme of the album itself. It’s an album that hides more aggressiveness within it than it would seem, with raging blast beasts and frontal growls that accompany the riffs well. Towards the end, the band also adds some female vocals in “Suffer Existence” but where they really shine is in the closing 10-minute piece “Ro” that concludes the album in a terrific way.

Songs to listen to: “Stjärnfall” “Liminal,” “Ro”

 

12. Borknagar – Fall

There’s a sort of hidden beauty in every release by the Norwegians that takes me a while to uncover and then I fall in love with it. The vocals are soothing and morose, the riffs melodic, and altogether Fall sounds like Scandinavia made into sound. Of course, the band continue to involve some prog elements into their otherwise viking metal sound, which is again reflected in the songs mostly being above five minutes in length, something quite necessary in this type of music to let the sound develop naturally. ICS Vortex as the vocalist is one of the big reasons why this band works as well as it does and this album is no exception.

Songs to listen to: “Summits,” “Nordic Anthem,” “Northward”

 

11. Munarheim – Heimkehr

The state of folk metal is a bit worrying lately, but there are some promising bands and Munarheim has been one of those newly discovered bands for me this year that made me go, “Oh hey, there’s hope for this yet.”

The Germans aren’t exactly new on the scene, as the band was founded in 2007 but this was an album recommended to me as it was supposed to have that “old Equillibrium” sound – and it does in some parts, but it also has more than that. A nice mix of growls and some softer female vocals, atmospheric parts mixed with blast beats, some (but not too much!) symphonic elements and, rather interestingly, some classic heavy metal influence.

Heimkehr has a fantastic start and a solid amount of diversity throughout to make it engaging, and all of that means this is the album I’m calling the best folk metal release of 2024 and I’m not at all unhappy about it.

Songs to listen to: “Sei du das Licht,” “Under der Wind sang”

 

10. Ihsahn – Ihsahn

Ihsahn has been experimenting by himself since 2005 and while Emperor hasn’t officially disbanded, it seems all of his focus is now on his solo project. His new self-titled album is a culmination of many years of musical experimentation and I think it’s his best album yet.

The record has an abundance of orchestral and symphonic elements, while also having a good amount of extreme metal influences as well as Ihsahn’s growls and clean vocals, which are used sparingly but usually at just the right moment to create a memorable chorus. This is another great example of a solo project and one of the best progressive projects in metal right now and I can only imagine it’ll keep getting better – and also keep getting weirder.

Songs to listen to: “The Promethean Spark,” “Pilgrimage to Oblivion,” “The Distance Between Us”

 

9. Iotunn – Kinship

Wow, this is not what I expected from this album! Iotunn’s debut album received a lot of praise for its innovative way of combining some power metal elements with very technical playing. Kinship, however, slows things down immensely and goes in a completely different direction, ditching the power metal and going into something like proggy melodeath, but be prepared as there’s not too much growling in here.

The album opens with a nearly 14-minute-long piece and gives a bigger role to their vocalist, Jón Aldará, who brings this record to life. This album is an absolute monster with a 68-minute running time, yet I wouldn’t cut that time down.  Iotunn is one of the most interesting new bands on the scene right now and “Iridescent Way” is one of the most captivating songs of the year, if you ask me. Definitely a band worth keeping an eye of because I’m sure the next release will be a surprise as well.

Songs to listen to: “Kinship Elegiac,” “Iridescent Way,”

 

8. Panzerfaust – The Suns of Perdition – Chapter IV: To Shadow Zion

I think it’s usually a good sign when an album title is about as long as an average novella and this album is no exception. This is a release that mixes its dissonant sound with an absolutely uncompromising sense of violence very well, and that vocal collaboration between Brock van Dijk and Goliath is fantastic. Having recently seen them live with Kanonenfieber, I can also add that they absolutely deliver in a live setting, with Goliath standing behind the rest, truly living up to his name with his massive frame.

The Suns of Perdition – Chapter IV: To Shadow Zion is another in the long list of this year’s great black metal releases while also being one of the bleakest, most hopeless pieces of music I’ve heard – and that’s fantastic.

Songs to listen to: “Where Even the Ground is Hostile,” “Occam’s Fucking Razor”

 

7. Oceans of Slumber – Where Gods Fear to Speak

Some bands just never disappoint and force me to keep ranking them very highly on these lists, and Oceans of Slumber are probably more guilty of this than any other band. It took me a while longer, however, to understand this album than their last few, and I still think I’m not exactly a fan of some of the choices, but when the band are strong they’re really strong, and this is especially exemplified in the brilliance of their vocalist, Cammie Beverly.

This record is a touch heavier than its predecessor but it’s also a bit more experimental, while not being as proggy as, for example, The Banished Heart but it’s an emotional journey, just as we’re used from the Texans, for which the band travelled to Colombia and recorded the album there. Of course, Oceans of Slumber continue to offset Beverly’s vocals with surprising heaviness and deep growls at times, which actually lets her shine even more as we travel through this album and then eventually end with a cover of one of the most iconic romantic songs – Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game.”

Songs to listen to: “Run from the LIght,” “Don’t Come Back from Hell Empty Handed,” “The Given Dream”

 

6. Houle – Ciel Ciendre et Misère Noire

You’d think a country as big as France would have more metal bands, but I doubt I can list more than ten. Yet one of my biggest new finds from 2024 is a French band and they even sing in their native language – not typically a kvlt language at first listen, but it lends itself remarkably well to the ocean-themed black metal of Houle.

Ciel Ciendre et Misère Noire translates as “ashen sky and black misery” and it is the band’s debut, which makes it that much more impressive. The uniqueness of the band doesn’t stop with the language as the band is actually female-fronted, and having seen a few live performances I can say Adsagsona is very impressive in her role and follows the recent black metal trends of more drama and polished performances. The album itself, however, also knows when to slow down and offers atmospheric elements where needed, and that combined with the the band’s melodic riffs makes for a genuinely great album.

Songs to listen to: “La Danse du Rocher,” “Mère Nocturne, “Sur les Braises du Foyer”

 

5. Psychonaut 4 – …Of Mourning

I love that I can add a Georgian band to this list, and this high as well. P4 are the band you might know due to their insanely high screams but there’s almost none of that on this album, which was something that I missed at the beginning until I realised this is their best work yet.

At first glance it seems that desperation is gone, but it’s actually just matured, it doesn’t need to be screamed out anymore, there’s depth and thought in it; it’s grown roots, if you will. …Of Mourning can’t even really be classified as a black metal album anymore, as there’s quite little black metal in the guitars and the drums. It’s more of a depressive rock album for a decent part of it, which makes me that much more surprised that I enjoy it as much as I do. The vocals often being layered with the cleans being frontal and then in the background is actually a great allegory for the lingering grief the album presents and just one of the awesome artistic choices the Georgians made with this release.

Songs to listen to: “Fiqrebi Mtuskhrisa,” “Vai Me,” “Dzilis Tsameba”

 

4. Hamferð – Men Guðs hond er sterk

With a title like Men Guðs hond er sterk (but God’s hand is strong) I was sure I was going to love this album before I even heard it. The Faroese play a fairly melodic doom/death, switching between cleans and growls, and this is actually the second band on the list in which the frontman is Jón Aldará.

The album delves a bit into the life on the Faroe islands, a cruel and harsh life, and the album is appropriately haunting but also possesses a lot of beauty, thus providing an allegory for the islands themselves. All of this is brought to a satisfying conclusion with the last track on the album, which isn’t even a song but a retelling of tragic events where several fishermen lost their lives to the sea. God’s hand is strong, whatever that god may be.

Songs to listen to: “Ábær” “Í hamferð” “Marrusorg”

 

3. In Vain – Solemn

The band who brought you one of the best albums of the 2010s, Ænigma, is finally back after six long years and my high expectations of this record were not unfounded. Solemn is a fantastic and rather sorrowful melodeath/prog-death release with a surprising amount of classical influences, as a violin, a viola, a cello, a saxophone, and a trombone all make an appearance. The songs are really well constructed, keeping the flow of the hour-long album engaging and intriguing, even though the songs are mostly around the 6-7-minute mark.

Sadly, the band’s vocalist, Sindre Nedland once again received a diagnosis of cancer a few months after the release of the album and I really hope he can manage to return to performing and I get to see In Vain play this brilliant album live.

Songs to listen to: “Shadows Flap their Black Wings,” “Season of Unrest,” “At the Going Down of the Sun,” “Watch for Me on the Mountain”

 

2. Kanonenfieber – Die Urkatastrophe

It’s weird to say this was one of the most anticipated albums of the year, not only for me, but from what I gather for quite a decent portion of the extreme metal crowd. Noise has elevated his project massively in the last few years and the second full-length release is reflective of all the work that’s gone into it. While the album can seem a bit simplistic at first, it also straddles the line between easily palatable and extreme beautifully. Kanonenfieber is the ultimate example of modern black metal (although the album sonically steps away from it) and its ideas and I can’t really find any faults with it.

One thing that I rarely see mentioned is the band’s inclusion of an acoustic and tragic war song at the end – something that really concludes the album fittingly, and I hope it’s a feature on every future release as well. Combined with an amazing live performance, all the praise the band and the record are getting is absolutely justified.

Songs to listen to: “Menschenmühle,” “Lviv zu Lemberg,” “Ausblutungsschlacht,” “Als die Waffen kamen”

 

1. Lord Dying – Clandestine Transcendence

We end as we began – with a sludge album. But much more than just a sludge album, this record combines so many different subgenres of metal, including prog, doom, melodeath, and some classical heavy metal influences. It was the first album I wrote about this year and I knew it was going to be very hard to beat; as it turns out, it never was beaten.

Clandestine Transcendence is one of those albums that reveal something new with each listen; it’s a vast and complex world of hidden gems and nuances within itself. From the madness of “I Am Nothing, I Am Everything,” the morose but hopeful “Dancing on the Emptiness”, and the conclusive and charming “The Endless Road Home,” this album simply impresses on every step of the road, even when that road has been walked on many times before.

Songs to listen to: The entire album, of course.