So.....didn’t expect that we’d end 2024 on such a rough note fellow Otaku & Metalheads.
Didn’t expect a certain cheeto to get back into power in my home country. Didn’t expect further reich-wing bullshit spreading all over the world in recent months, and I definitely didn’t expect just a degree of hopelessness & despair (I admit that I’m a little bit responsible for that). I don’t know what the next 4 year will be like, but I know that it’s not going to be good. None the less, I have my annual end of year lists to release, and some extra goodies as well. To start things off, it the top 5 albums of this year, and I have quite the assortment for 2024. The no. 1 one spot is jam-packed with some goodies this year, but no early spoilers. With that out of the way, here are my top 5 albums of 2024. Enjoy!
5) Ziggurath - True North (Song)
I’ve mentioned this since about 2022 or 2023, but I’ve been getting into a lot of Ambient music in recent years. Cyberpunk & Fantasy ambient mainly, with a few others on the side. It’s honestly been helping me sleep in the afternoon, and is a greater counter to how I was feeling this year, so color me surprised when I found this little number at the start of 2024 (The 15th of January, to be specific). I wasn’t necessarily sure if I wanted to put this here at first, but after listening to it once or twice, it was ultimately a done deal. Like the record that inspired the artist, True North is ethereal, atmospheric, beautiful, mesmerizing, and tells a surprisingly good story without the need for vocals. I can understand why some might find this release a little tedious in that regard, but if you’re willing to put that aside, you will find that this album is audio art of the highest degree. One of the best of 2024!
4) Turmion Katilot - Reset (Song)
At this point, one of Finland’s most notable Industrial Metal bands is practically a staple on these lists. Not since 2017/2018 have we had these guys release albums back to back, but 2023/2024 seems to be another go around in that regard. A little more stacked than Omen X from last year, Reset simultaneously goes by just a little faster when it comes to song times (With the exception of the final track). Regardless of that, the music that these guys put out on this release is still just as intense as it usually is, and coming in on almost 20 years since their very first release, it’s a testament that Turmion Katilot still manages to be one of little Finland’s iconic exports. With more & more exposure in the United States, it is only a matter of time that they’re really big here. Despite it’s name, this is one reset button you should press!
3) Marilyn Manson - One Assassination Under God – Chapter 1 (Song)
Welcome back Manson!
The last time we heard from one of the most infamous of Shock artists, it was back in the plagued year of 2020 with We Are Chaos. While it was a fine record, the up-in-the-air nature of it’s content & quality left a lot to be desired in the minds of many listeners. Coupled with the false allegations that practically destroyed him, along with some personal issues, it’s easy to see why he would never come back. Then, just a few weeks ago on the 22nd of November, he came roaring back into the spotlight (After cleaning himself up & other things) like a meteor with One Assassination Under God: Chapter 1. Unlike his output in 2020, One Assassination Under God is better produced, better recording, and the music on here is stronger than what came out 4 years prior. On top of that, but there’s a feeling of venting one’s negative emotions across many of the tracks on here, and shows that Manson is reinvigorated in a way that he probably hasn’t felt in a while. Time will tell whether he can be a behemoth like he once was, but if anything after this record is just as good as One Assassination Under God, then it’s a safe bet to say it’s likely.
2) Myrath - Karma (Song) & Hammerfall - Avenge The Fallen (Song)
It’s been almost a decade since I took a look at one of the biggest acts of North Africa. Not since 2016 did I shed a spotlight on the Oriental Metal icons Myrath, and that year’s release Legacy. For whatever reason I didn’t listen to anything from Shehili, but the moment that singles for 2024's Karma began coming out, I definitely was paying attention. Karma is an incredibly powerful record: full of beautiful vibes, powerful emotions, triumphant sounds, and vocal work from Zaher Zorgati that shows he’s got it after being in the band for nearly 20 years. There’s a hint of politics in one or two tracks, and while it’s not offensive, it will catch you off guard if you’re not expecting it. Regardless, with the kind of year we’ve all had, I think we all need some Karma our way.
And then there’s the return of Hammerfall! Twice I have place them on this list: Dominion in 2019, and Hammer Of Dawn in 2022. Lo & behold, it seems that 2024 welcomes these Swedish legends back to my lists, and I’m thankful they came back! Where as Myrath had a little more realism when it came to their music, Joacim Cans & the rest of the band go for a fun route that still has a hint of seriousness to it, but still keeps quite a bit of Power Metal fluff in the forefront. The band really do feel like a group of crusading knights: fighting evil, obtaining glory, and rescuing the princess or whatever innocent soul that passes their way. While some Power Metal fans may be turned off by the complete lack of keyboard (Hammerfall is one of the few groups in the style that doesn’t use any, btw), only listeners who don’t like fun with their metal, or are just assholes, will be turned off by the band’s 13th release. With the kind of year I had, I was glad I could avenge the fallen.....if only in my mind.
Before we get to my no. 1 album of 2024, I wanted to go over some honorable mentions. This was weirdly hard to do this year, as I wasn’t exactly sure who was going here. One of the bands showed up out of nowhere, and the other I just randomly picked to be here. So with that said, here are 2024's honorable mentions.
HM1) Neon Nightmare - Faded Dream (Song)
April the 14th of 2025 is going to be a somber day for fans of Type-O Negative. On that day next year, it will be 15 years since legendary frontman Pete Steele passed away, and the hole where the wound was inflicted after his death is still bleeding in the hearts of his fans. In the near decade & a half since, there have been at least a handful of bands that have tried to bring the sound of the legendary Gothic Metal band back into the limelight, but only a small few have succeeded in any capacity (October Noir & Denis Pauna immediately come to mind, and A Pale Horse Named Death as well). It almost seems as if the legacy of the Drab Four would be kept on the shelf.....then this odd curiosity appeared out of nowhere.
Released on the 1st of November from a month ago, this highly mysterious Doom & Gothic Metal act has brought back the energy and vibes of Pete Steele in a massive way. I’m not kidding about the “Mysterious” descriptor, btw: there is practically nothing known about the musician (Assuming it’s just one guy) that’s behind the music on this release. Regardless, this is perhaps one of the most sincere homage to the Green Man my ears ever experienced! Not just a simple collection of cover songs, this inaugural release brings the sounds, vibes, and emotions of Type-O Negative to a modern audience that may not have listened to such a legend. Coupled with a personal symbol that harkens back to the Drab Four’s iconic glyph, and a pallet swap from green to blue shows that whoever is behind this music is doing his own thing, yet paying nothing but deep respect to the band that inspired them. If whoever made this can keep it up, they might just become a legend in their own right.
HM2) Stryper - When We Were Kings (Song)
In all of the years that I’ve maintained this blog, I am shocked that I never put these clean cut Christian metalheads on one of my lists. I’ve been listening to them since 2017, and in the near decade that I’ve been listening to them (It’s 7 years in 2024, and exactly a decade in 2027), it’s surprised me that I never put the band on here. That ends this year, and what a hell of an album to pick for this list! When We Were Kings marks something of a significant milestone for Stryper, as it marks just over 40 years since the release of their EP, The Yellow And Black Attack. Like a fine wine, the band has aged quite well in the time since then, and WWWK shows off this aging process quite well. Not only that, but it also shows the band continuing to adds slivers of Power Metal to their music, and while they’re still not all the way into that subgenre, it has become more obvious since 2015 that they’re definitely walking down that path for sure. If you’re of the faith, you will like When We Were Kings for sure, and even if you don’t believe, it’s a musical experience you should feel at least once.
1) Ministry - Hopium For The Masses (Song) & Judas Priest - Invincible Shield (Song) & Devin Townsend - Powernerd (Song)
More so than 2018, and more so than 2021, we needed Al Jourgenson & his merry band of misfits over in Ministry. The political climate of 2024 wouldn’t feel just right without Uncle Al and his opinions on the politics of the day, and Hopium For The Masses has plenty to say. You’ve got the slamming of incels, the evisceration of far-right militias, and the impalement of the cult that is MAGA. However, to back up these statements is some of the best vocal work & instrumentation the band has done so far since after AmeriKKKant. So good in fact, that they actually managed to conjure their old selves in a song or two! In a year with so much political crap from both sides being flung, it felt only right that we all got a little Hopium.
However, it wasn’t just 1 legend that made it to no. 1. We had Judas Priest make a return! It’s been 6 years since the last time that one of their albums made it onto a top 5 list of mine, but in the year 2024, which is 50 years since their very first record, it would have be wrong to exclude them, and Invincible Shield was too good to ignore. Some minor fluctuations here and there, but the overall experience is fantastic. Rob Halford, despite being 73, still has an incredible voice on this release, and still knows how to screech once in a while. The rest of the band is putting in work as well, as the drumming, guitar work, and bass all sound exceptional. Coupled with some great recording & production quality, and you have quite a nice release. If Rob Halford passed away at any point in 2025 or beyond, then Invincible Shield would be a worthy final chapter to one of the best Heavy Metal bands in history.
And we got a 3rd legend in Devin Townsend! Not too long ago, I had Lightwork at no. 1, and for good reason (Read Here). It was well-made, it was varied, and it was highly unique. However, just because HevyDevy released such a nice album, didn’t mean that he would take a break, and Powernerd is proof of this! While it doesn’t do anything that much different than what his prior 2 releases did, and it goes by faster than Lightwork did, it’s biggest strength lies in it’s balance. All of the tracks on here aren’t too soft, but they’re not too hard either. Devin seemed to shift tracks to a more middle-of-the-road route when it comes to vibes, mood, and atmosphere, & the end result is great! If you found his last two records to be a bit extreme, then this Powernerd is a perfect alternative!
And those were my top 5 albums of 2024. A surprising bunch of records, and given how 2024 is ending, perhaps some yin & yang was needed again. So, I’ll see you all in a few days, when I’ll talk about the best movies of the year. Until next time, take care!
