{"id":209191,"date":"2025-01-29T15:34:58","date_gmt":"2025-01-29T14:34:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.angrymetalguy.com\/?p=209191"},"modified":"2025-01-30T13:53:18","modified_gmt":"2025-01-30T12:53:18","slug":"angry-metal-guys-top-tenish-of-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.angrymetalguy.com\/angry-metal-guys-top-tenish-of-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Angry Metal Guy’s Top Ten(ish) of 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Starting 2025 with a bang was always important, and I elected the “being 26 days late with your Record o’ the Year post” as the best possible way to give everyone that patented Angry Metal Guy feeling of waiting and waiting only to be smacked in the face with 5000 words that you disagree with entirely. Welcome to the Wonderful World of Executive Dysfunction! Let’s make a list!1<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

Fifteen years of Angry Metal Guy<\/a> and year 15 will be remembered as a genuinely good year for metal. There were several excellent releases I was genuinely excited about and as the year went on, things got even better. For the first time in a while, I felt like I had a glut of options and felt guilty about what was and wasn’t making the list. In terms of total performance, year 15 at AMG stayed roughly on par with 2023. We wrote 691 posts (mostly reviews), which, in terms of raw numbers, dropped to lower than 2023 and was once again the lowest since 2015. We made up for it in girth, however, with the average post sporting a whopping 955 words! This might be a case of the self-fulfilling prophecy biting me in the ass for consistently yelling at everyone for being overwriters at which point they see themselves as overwriters and begin to overwrite. Or, maybe it’s because we had fewer reviews to balance out the longer posts. Regardless, we finished with a “big-boned” 660,024 total words in 2024. We averaged 38,617 views a day, leading us to our second-highest annual readership numbers ever at 14,129,320 total page views; a tick down from last year, but that’s not surprising when we’re writing fewer posts.<\/p>\n

The readership of AMG is as global as ever, but the USA, UK, and Canada retained their spots as 1, 2, and 3 on our Top 10(ish) Biggest Readerships. Germans continued to flock here in droves, maintaining their position at number 4 on our list with Australia coming in at healthy 5. I’m a bit surprised at Australia for not taking umbrage at getting beat by the Germans last year, but when you live in constant fear of your absolutely frightening environs, I guess that’s the least of your worries.2<\/a><\/sup> Spots 6-9 are the same as last year with Netherlands, Sweden, France, and Spain. But coming in at number 10 was Finland! Our strategy of lauding Finnish bands is finally paying off. “How” you ask? Well, if I can get to celebrity status in Finland, I intend to go there so I can be awkwardly ignored in social situations by an entirely new population of Scandinavians. I was happy to see Poland sneak up to the coveted “ish” spot on the list, but that means Brazil dropped out of the Top 10(ish) and that sucks.3<\/a><\/sup> We were once again visited a single time by a mysterious robed reader from the Vatican City and I want to extend a warm Angry Metal Guy welcome to the lone citizen of Micronesia who found their way to our sacred halls.<\/p>\n

The biggest, coolest thing that happened in 2024 (following one of the shittiest things to happen in 2024) was, of course, helping Kenstrosity<\/strong><\/span> deal with the catastrophe that was his life following Hurricane Helene. It was so cool and gratifying to see just how generous and amazing the fans of AMG were and we’ll never forget your generosity. We also added n00bs\u2014welcoming Alekhines Gun<\/strong><\/span>, Tyme<\/strong><\/span>, and Killjoy<\/strong><\/span> as new blood for the Bloodgod (with more coming, we promise)\u2014and saw the return of the illustrious Mark Z<\/strong><\/span>. We lost\u2014at least for the time being\u2014Ferox<\/strong><\/span> at the end of the year and that sucks for all of us. But losing him to a burgeoning career as a showrunner and movie director seems like the kind of thing that isn’t such a bitter pill to swallow. Personally, alas, 2024 was pretty much the worst year of my life. The reason I equivocate is because every time I think something like that I can only think of Homer Simpson saying: “So far! The worst year of your life so far<\/em>!” But 2024 was marred by a breakup I did not want and struggles with both my physical health and the obvious consequences thereof. I re-read my Top 10(ish) of 2023 and was amused in that “oh, sweet summer child<\/em>” kind of way when I read:<\/p>\n

On a personal note, this year [2023<\/em>] was supposed to be one of the best of my life. It has been an unmitigated pile of shit, with only a few bright spots. As usual, I\u2019ll try to make 2024 a better year, where I am Angry Metal Guy<\/strong><\/span> in practice, not just in spirit. A new year always brings unreasonable and unrealistic goals that get broken in shame by April, doesn\u2019t it? Well, that\u2019s mine.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Alas, that ended up being quite a bit more prescient than I could’ve anticipated given that it was the 31st of March when the Behind the Music voiceover guy had to step in: “Then tragedy struck…”<\/p>\n

So, 2024 turned out to be significantly worse for me than 2023. That said, I did, in fact, work a lot more on AMG than I have in previous years and it’s helped me to create a map of how that’s possible for the future. Furthermore, I’m finally<\/em> starting to understand the things at the root of my BS\u2014beyond unfortunate and frustrating life circumstances or the fact that I’m a big worthless loser4<\/a><\/sup>\u2014and I hope that results in some real progress. Because, when all is said and done, Angry Metal Guy has stood the test of time for a reason and I’m proud of it and want to be involved in it. I like the music, I like most of the people, I like hazing n00bs, and I like arguing incessantly about opinions. Even if I feel a little out of lockstep with metal trends in recent years, I still think that my voice is important here and I want to have it here. And it’s thanks to everyone here, particularly Steel Druhm<\/strong><\/span>, Dr. Grier<\/strong><\/span>, and the other helpers, as well as the writers and of course, the readers, who have kept this all afloat while I am trying to solve the mystery that is my brain.<\/p>\n

To moderate expectations for 2025! Here’s the Top 10(ish) of 2024.<\/p>\n

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\"\"#ish 2: Dawn Treader<\/strong> \/\/ Bloom & Decay<\/em><\/a> [August 24th | Liminal Dread Productions | Bandcamp<\/a>] \u2014 I’m relatively certain that if you had polled the writers and readers of AngryMetalGuy.com and asked them to predict this list, Dawn Treader<\/strong>’s Bloom & Decay<\/em> would not have come even remotely close to placing on my Top 10(ish). And it makes sense. Dawn Treader<\/strong> traffics in a genre of black metal that I rail on at every chance. At this point, my personality is basically constructed of jokes about how calling something atmospheric just means they use a lot of reverb. And yeah, Bloom & Decay<\/em> uses inordinate amounts of reverb, I can’t deny it. But better, Ross Connell subverts the \u2018one-man black metal project\u2019 tropes by being good, actually. The record is emotionally poignant, musically rich, and laden with pathos\u2014causing that aching bloom in my chest while listening to what feels at times like sad songs playing in major keys. If there’s one reason I haven’t been back to this album as much as other things, it’s because it’s hard to listen to at times. The messages contained here and the way they are delivered can be challenging at times; long discursive samples that are hard to have repeated back at you time and again in a time of a lot of despair. Still, that’s hardly a knock against Dawn Treader<\/strong>’s work, there are a lot of people who would suggest that it’s exactly that which makes Bloom & Decay<\/em> art. And there’s no question in my mind that Bloom & Decay<\/em> is a work of art.<\/p>\n

\"\"#ish 1:<\/strong> Verikalpa <\/strong>\/\/ Tuomio<\/em><\/a> [April 19th, 2024 | <\/strong>Scarlet Records | Bandcamp<\/a>] \u2014 But then again, who needs serious emotionally poignant works of art when you can listen to Finnish guys writing amazing blackened melodeath that heavily features faux accordion and lyrics, presumably, about drinking? I feel a bit guilty that these guys have yet to make a number on the list\u2014having previously been relegated to an -ish\u2014but they are getting better and better and Tuomio<\/em> has been a joy to listen to in a year where almost nothing else brought me joy. In a way, Verikalpa<\/strong>’s sound is a form of nostalgiacore for me\u2014with its 2004 production, its 2004 riffs, and my 2004 urge to drink beer and headbang. But, as Steel Druhm<\/strong><\/span> would argue out of pure self-interest, some things are timeless and change is bad, so this isn’t a critique. And while the metal-listening public lost its taste for folk metal after the glut that was released in the late 2000s, I find Verikalpa<\/strong> avoids the pitfalls of the sound, delivering only the highest quality riffs and blasts. Loaded with groove and chunky riffs, Verikalpa<\/strong> knows how to write solid, speedy, fun, and brutal metal that will make you want to drink a beer and lift some weights. And again, what more can we truly ask of any metal band? If you aren’t listening to and loving Verikalpa<\/strong> by now, you’re missing out. Of all the Finnish releases with dated sounds<\/a> this year, Tuomio<\/em> is the best.<\/p>\n

\"\"#10: Grendel’s S\u00ffster<\/strong> \/\/ Katabasis into the Abaton<\/em> [August 30th, 2024 | Sur Del Cruz Music | Bandcamp<\/a>] \u2014 If there was a major “I did not see that coming” moment in 2024, it was that Grendel’s S\u00ffster<\/strong> never left my playlist once I heard it for the first time. An addictive record, I summed it up best when I wrote that “this German four-piece drops metal that reeks of patchouli and ‘Atomkraft? Nein, Danke!<\/em><\/a>’ to surprising effect. The core of Grendel\u2019s S\u00ffster<\/strong>\u2019s sound is the combination of fuzzy guitars, bubbly p-bass, and boxy drums into something that will undoubtedly call to mind the \u201970s hard rock of your choice: Wishbone Ash<\/strong>, Jethro Tull<\/strong>, Thin Lizzy<\/strong> or nostalgia merchants like Gygax<\/strong><\/a>.” And that sound\u2014not a sound that I spend my free time chasing down\u2014could be directly shot into my veins and I couldn’t be happier. There’s something pure and honest and beautiful about this music. It is both poppy and niche, both pretentious and utterly not; it breaks down binaries and exists in the interstices. And goddammit, it’s what one roadie for Porcupine Tree<\/strong> once said of Blaze<\/strong>’s first three records, “it’s good, honest heavy metal.” And that’s it. The cream rises to the top; good songwriting always wins. And Katabasis into the Abaton<\/em> is loaded with great songs, fun ideas, and idiosyncratic vocals. It’s surprising in all the right ways.<\/p>\n

\"\"#9: Oceans of Slumber<\/strong> \/\/ Where Gods Fear to Speak<\/em><\/a> [September 13th, 2024 | Season of Mist | Bandcamp<\/a>] \u2014 Some experiences are unforgettable, and getting to see Oceans of Slumber<\/strong> in the summer of 2024 and really hear<\/em> Cammie Beverly live was one such experience. There are few people in the world who truly have a Voice with a capital V and Cammie is one of them. The band’s performance was entrancing and her presence was commanding. It was literal goosebumps. I had been enjoying Where Gods Fear to Speak<\/em> for a few weeks at that point, but seeing Oceans of Slumber<\/strong> live transformed my entire understanding of the unique strengths contained herein. Between her voice, genuinely progressive\u2014and at times challenging\u2014songwriting, and the fantastic performances, Where Gods Fear to Speak<\/em> sounds like the culmination of the band’s career. Having learned from the past and meshed it all, listeners are left with something transcendent, beautiful, and the perfect balance of heavy and delicate. If there’s one knock on this record, it’s that people may struggle with a flowing relationship to song structure and hooks. But for the sophisticated listener, each song on Where Gods Fear to Speak<\/em> is a beautiful step on an unforgettable journey.<\/p>\n

\"\"#8: Iotunn<\/strong> \/\/ Kinship<\/em><\/a> [October 25th, 2024 | Metal Blade Records | Bandcamp<\/a>] \u2014 Hard truth time: I was never super enamored in Access All Worlds<\/em><\/a>. While the blog and the commentariat were busy heaping praise upon the best band to come out of Denmark since Mercyful Fate<\/strong>, I held my tongue and gave them the spotlight they deserved because I was in a definite minority. But the record never inspired me. So, I approached Kinship<\/em> with skepticism. I love J\u00f3n’s voice\u2014this is no secret\u2014but at 68 minutes long with 10-minute songs and one record in the bag I hadn’t felt… you know how it goes. I was happily surprised when Kinship<\/em> hooked me hard. J\u00f3n’s voice brings everything together, but the blackened undercurrent spicing up the melodeath riffing (pretty sure Amon Amarth<\/strong> called their lawyers about a couple of the riffs in “The Anguished Ethereal”) matched with an epic scope that could be carried only by someone with the brass timbre and Grond<\/a>esque vocal power of Aldar\u00e1. I have been back to this again and again since I broke down and dropped it on the proverbial turntable. It is deep enough to keep me coming back, it’s hooky enough to kick that dopamine into high gear, and it’s beautiful and well-crafted with that aching Scandy melancholy that I crave. Bravo, Iotunn<\/strong>, this is a real first step towards me forgiving your spelling of ‘jotun’ and the Stockholm Bloodbath.<\/p>\n

\"\"#7: Fellowship<\/strong> \/\/ The Skies above Eternity<\/em><\/a> [November 22nd, 2024 | Scarlet Records | Bandcamp<\/a>] \u2014 I am hardly the first person to note that it’s difficult to follow a beloved record. I think it’s even harder to follow a beloved debut. And I doubt there’s an album that’s been released in recent years that is as beloved as Fellowship<\/strong>’s debut, The Saberlight Chronicles<\/em><\/a>. Putting the hopes and fate of the Europower scene in the hands of these tiny pastoral persons and sending them off to Mordor was never a good idea. But surprise, surprise, they survived!5<\/a><\/sup> And they’re back with an album that has inspired the kind of dedication that only the rare band ever gets close to, landing super high on people’s lists despite being a late November release. And you can hear why. The Skies above Eternity<\/em> is yet another 45ish minutes of fantastic, guitar-driven melodic power metal that simultaneously rules and takes itself seriously enough to have good, interesting, relatable, and at times inspiring lyrics while also <\/em>embracing the fun and natural, inherent silliness of power metal. That’s a hard balance to strike and Fellowship<\/strong> nails it with aplomb. They say you don’t want to be the guy who follows The Guy, you want to be the guy who follows the guy who follows The Guy. I suspect The Skies above Eternity<\/em> will always be slightly underrated because it isn’t The Saberlight Chronicles<\/em>. But fuck me if it isn’t excellent.<\/p>\n

\"\"#6: Devenial Verdict <\/strong>\/\/ Blessing of Despair<\/em><\/a> [October 4th | Transcending Obscurity Records | Bandcamp<\/a>] \u2014 I knew that these kids from Finland were alright when I jokingly called them “Morbid Angel<\/strong>core” on Instagram and they took it with grace.6<\/a><\/sup> Honestly, of all the stuff that the “No Fun, Only Reverb and Feels!” flank of AMG has dredged up and dumped hyperbolic praise on, Devenial Verdict<\/strong> is one of the bands to which I feel the most grateful to have been exposed. Often sold as either “dissodeath” or “atmospheric death metal,” because they’re both wildly popular subgenres of death metal, both feel like misnomers. Rather, Blessing of Despair<\/em> is an album loaded with memorable moments and melodies, and while it does, indeed, employ a lot of “atmosphere,”7<\/a><\/sup> I was not prepared for the elite-level Azagthoth-on-LSD riffs that litter Blessing of Despair<\/em>. I wouldn’t say that Blessing of Despair<\/em> is OSDM, but the riffing evokes the masters in ways both direct and subtle and it gives the record an impeccable vibe. Devenial Verdict<\/strong> has wrought a brilliant death metal album where riffs abound, the atmosphere is set on the “Cathedral” setting, and every song is better than the last. Maybe the best word to use to describe their x factor is gravitas. But whatever it<\/em> is, Devenial Verdict<\/strong>’s got it in spades.<\/p>\n

\"\"#5: Octoploid<\/strong> \/\/ Beyond the Aeons<\/em><\/a> [July 5th, 2024 | Reigning Phoenix Music | Bandcamp<\/a>] \u2014 The amount of love that Beyond the Aeons<\/em> isn’t receiving is one of the scandals of 2024, in my opinion. This started with our own positive\u2014but tepid, if I’m honest\u2014review of Beyond the Aeons<\/em> and has continued through Listurnalia. As a passive, but legitimate, autocrat of Angry Metal Guy, I have half a mind to shut this place down over this deep disrespect for Amorphis<\/strong>core. Honestly, it pains me not to make Beyond the Aeons<\/em> the #1 album,8<\/a><\/sup> because I have listened to these 33 minutes of extreme metal\u2014occasionally tremmy and black, but mostly just solid melodeath\u2014more than almost anything else this year. Tracks like “Coast of the Drowned Sailors” feed my need for new Amorphis<\/strong> and my secret wish that they were heavier. And that’s one thing I’ll give Octoploid<\/strong>, unlike Barren Earth<\/strong>, Beyond the Aeons<\/em> doesn’t dwell too long on anything. It kicks off and speeds along, hitting you with catchy leads in the key of Moomin and doubled with synth\u2014as one does<\/a>. Don’t sleep on Octoploid<\/strong>. Beyond the Aeons<\/em> is energetic, fun, catchy, and worth at least a couple of spins a week six months after it was released.<\/p>\n

\"\"#4: Opeth<\/strong> \/\/ The Last Will and Testament<\/em><\/a> [November 22nd, 2024 | Moderbolaget] \u2014 What Opeth<\/strong> has accomplished on The Last Will and Testament<\/em> is remarkable. Unlike so many bands, Opeth<\/strong>’s reimaginations of its sound still speak to me. The Last Will and Testament<\/em> is a smart, coherent, and melodramatic record that does Mikael \u00c5kerfeldt and crew credit. The reason that this record elevates itself above the ceiling that most Newpeth<\/strong> lived under, however, is that they are finally able to turn the music up to 11<\/a> again compositionally. After more than a decade without the emotional and compositional peak (and release) of a guttural growl released from the diaphragm over a particularly chunky riff or heavy drums, The Last Will and Testament<\/em> continues the band’s development but gives them a release valve\u2014”\u00a74″ being the highlight for me, where they transition from Opeth<\/strong>ro Tull\u2014a jazz flute solo\u2014to Deathro Tull with some operatic, but dour, death metal. And it simply feels good to hear them doing both of these things simultaneously. Having gone through and relistened to the discography<\/a> at length, it is striking how Opeth<\/strong> circa 2024 sounds very little like the band I fell in love with in the late-’90s\/early aughts. To be able to both<\/em> be markedly different and <\/em>feel like the same band is a deeply underrated trait. This could have been higher if I’d had longer with it.<\/p>\n

\"\"#3: Fleshgod Apocalypse<\/strong> \/\/ Opera<\/em><\/a> [August 23rd, 2024 | Nuclear Blast Records | Bandcamp<\/a>] \u2014 I knew almost immediately that Opera<\/em> was going to be a controversial record. I was not prepared for the hyperbolic pushback that Opera<\/em> garnered from fans of Italy’s death metal answer to [Luca (Turilli \/ Lione)\u2019s] Rhapsody [of Fire]<\/strong> for being, as I wrote myself, “undeniably poppy.” Sometimes I think that we fans of the extreme metal scene have lost sight of what pop music really<\/em> is. The fact that people have been heaping scorn on Fleshgod Apocalypse<\/strong> for writing operatic death metal because Veronica Bordacchini doesn’t only<\/em> sing using proper operatic technique and the band simplified some of its compositional tendencies is, to put it lightly, patently absurd. Opera<\/em> is fun! It’s energetic and well-crafted, and it has a better excuse for writing more palatable and less grandiose music that uses more traditional pop and rock compositional structures than Nightwish<\/strong> ever had,9<\/a><\/sup> and it literally<\/em> has dramatic choirs arpeggiating in Latin behind grinding blast beats and death metal growls as I’m writing this blurb! Fucking get over yourselves. Go enjoy the shit out of Opera<\/em>. No one sounds like Fleshgod Apocalypse<\/strong> and when they hit, they fucking hit. And Opera<\/em> hits! It is thematically interesting, deeply personal, and cohesive in the way that the best albums are while featuring a diverse and excellent performance from Bordacchini. Easily one of the best records of 2024.<\/p>\n

\"\"#2: Kanonenfieber<\/strong> \/\/ Die Urkatastrophe<\/a> <\/em>[September 20th, 2024 | Century Media | Bandcamp]<\/a> \u2014 One of the things that makes the work at Angry Metal Guy interesting after 15 years is editing other writers’ work. It’s a pleasure to get to talk to, work with, and help guide the brilliant writers that we have working here. And because I want to hear what I’m reading about at the same time, I listen to a lot of music I would not necessarily have chosen to listen to myself. Noise’s work\u2014such as 2023’s #5 record Lei\u00fea<\/strong><\/a>\u2014has come to my attention because of the work that Carcharodon<\/strong><\/span> has done in covering his projects. So, when I went to edit Die Urkatastrophe<\/em>, well aware of the impending 5.0, I was edified to read a well-argued analysis that highlighted for me exactly what it was that appealed to me so much about Kanonenfieber<\/strong>’s critically acclaimed10<\/a><\/sup> platter. Die Urkatastrophe<\/em> is a powerful album that walks the line between black and death metal, with surprisingly polished and smooth<\/em> production and artfully crafted songs. Like so many of the best albums, it is both thematically coherent and full of standout moments. Arresting moments like the gunshot at the end of “Der Maulwurf,” the best-placed samples since Velvet Darkness They Fear<\/em>, and a superb flow make Die Urkatastrophe<\/em> a triumph that we’ll return to for years.<\/p>\n

#1: Hamfer\u00f0 <\/strong>\/\/ Men Gu\u00f0s hond er sterk<\/em><\/a> [March 22nd, 2024 | Metal Blade Records | Bandcamp<\/a>] \u2014 The best album of 2024 was an undeniably easy choice this year. Released the day after my life started falling to pieces, Hamfer\u00f0<\/strong>’s third masterpiece is a tale of tragedy (with a smidgen of hope), driven by strong songwriting and stronger performances. There are plenty of things that one can point to that help to differentiate Men Gu\u00f0s hond er sterk<\/em> from the field this year: the band’s sound is expertly crafted, and with pristine production, and the band\u2014who apparently records without a click track?!\u2014carries the emotional weight of their music perfectly despite the largely opaque language in which it’s presented.11<\/a><\/sup> Furthermore, enough cannot be said about the powerhouse of a vocalist that Hamfer\u00f0<\/strong> is fortunate enough to have. J\u00f3n Aldar\u00e1’s vocals carry the day with a brassy baritone that evokes the mourning that all doom peddlers are chasing but so few nail<\/em>. Men Gu\u00f0s hond er sterk<\/em> is tight, it’s heavy\u2014though not as heavy as its predecessor, which I missed\u2014but more importantly it’s complete and brilliant and my Record o’ the Year for 2024.<\/p>\n

\"Cover<\/p>\n

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Honorable Mentions:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"\"In Vain<\/strong> \/\/ Solemn<\/em><\/a> [April 19th, 2024 | Indie Recordings | Bandcamp<\/a>] \u2014 Having been released when I was in the moment of absolute denial and despair as my life fell apart, you’ll forgive me for not having heard this album until the last couple months of 2024. And I suspect that if I had been able to spend more time with it, it would have worked its way onto the list proper (though, man, it’s hard to know what would go). Once again, In Vain<\/strong> does such an outstanding job of balancing all the different sounds and influences, and I will never get sick of any clean vocals from the brothers Nedland (RIP Solefald<\/a><\/strong>). These guys are great and Solemn<\/em> keeps them batting 1.000.<\/p>\n

\"\"Ulcerate<\/strong> \/\/ Cutting the Throat of God<\/em><\/a> [June 14th | Debemur Morti Productions | Bandcamp<\/a>] \u2014 Another album that should’ve been higher on my list (but where would I have put Verikalpa<\/strong> then, guys!?). Ulcerate<\/strong> has been awesome and it’s almost unremarkable that they continue to be awesome in new and different ways. The thing that I keep coming back to Cutting the Throat of God<\/em> for is the fact that these are probably the band’s most addictive and hypnotic riffs. Their sound has always had a fluidity that made them unique, but there are times when I feel like a snake being charmed as I’m listening to Ulcerate<\/strong> pump out fascinating, liquid riffs that seem to morph in scope and feel without ever breaking stride. Another record that is getting the shaft on this list.<\/p>\n

\"\"Sonata Arctica<\/strong> \/\/ Clear Cold Beyond<\/em> [March 8th, 2024 | Atomic Fire Records] \u2014 I started out skeptical about Clear Cold Beyond<\/em>, and then I ended up loving it. The problem is that this was another record caught up in the Great Dumping o’ 2024 and got lost in the mix. This album has the benefit of having some really fun “we’re sorry we wrote Talviy\u00f6<\/em> and then released two fucking acoustic cover records in a row” moments, but it’s not just an apology tour.12<\/a><\/sup> The strength of Clear Cold Beyond<\/em> is watching Kakko do the things he’s best at: write about creepy dudes with seriously bad boundaries (“Dark Empath”); write awkward lyrics about social topics that are kind of funny but also maybe not (“California”); and most importantly is his transformation into Dad Rocker (“The Best Things”). This record didn’t ever threaten to be Top 10, but it also deserves a nod for bringing me a ton of joy, even if I can’t listen to “The Best Things” without getting choked up.<\/p>\n

\"\"Anciients<\/strong> \/\/ Beyond the Reach of the Sun<\/em><\/a> [August 30th, 2024 | Season of Mist | Bandcamp<\/a>] \u2014 I have been a little back and forth with Anciients<\/strong>, but Beyond the Reach of the Sun<\/em> was an absolute banger that got snubbed for a Record o’ the Month spot, despite receiving an excellently written, laudatory review from Saunders<\/strong><\/span>. And perpetual self-editing complaints aside, Anciients<\/strong> is one of those bands whose ability to craft Riffs is unmatched. Every single song on this album has one of those Riffs\u2014not just riffs, gotta capitalize that R so everyone knows that we’re talking about iconic stuff here\u2014and I am, frankly, jealous of the feel and groove that these guys seem to have as second nature. This album clicked for me when I put it in the cans on a flight and just sat and listened to it and man, we are spoiled with an absolute embarrassment of riches in metal. These guys are an honorable mention? It’s unfair.<\/p>\n

\"\"Caligula’s Horse<\/strong> \/\/ Charcoal Grace<\/em><\/a> [January 26th, 2024 | InsideOut Records | Bandcamp<\/a>] \u2014 After it was summarily 3.0’d by the guy who brought you the Angra<\/strong> list<\/a> everyone thought was absolute crap, I feel like everyone just forgot about Charcoal Grace<\/em>. But I’m going to be honest with you, this record deserved a lot better than it got at the hands of the traitorous reviewer who poo-poohed it and then, allegedly, went on to kick his dog and demand his wife make him a sandwich. This is a more subtle Caligula’s Horse<\/strong>, I admit. How they seem to be swapping places with Haken<\/strong> becomes more manifest with every release. But this record is a true headphones album that deserves a hi-def version of the release, serious cans, and a dark room. It’s loaded with great riffs and fantastic songs and has a particularly poignant and powerful closing. Also, the level of detail here is unreal. Appreciate what you have while they are still putting out amazing albums.<\/p>\n

\"\"Noxis<\/strong> \/\/ Violence Inherent in the System<\/em><\/a> [June 28th, 2024 | Rotted Life Records | Bandcamp<\/a>] \u2014 One of the surprises of the year is an album named after one of the funniest jabs at the anarchosyndicalists in our lives. Noxis<\/strong>’ brand of frantic, technical death metal\u2014complete with my favorite snare of the year\u2014has swept through the Angry Metal Guy staff for a reason. The reason? It’s fucking great. At 45 minutes, Violence Inherent in the System<\/em> is a record with the energy and addictiveness of Gorod<\/strong>, even if the songwriting chops aren’t quite<\/em> on that level yet. But you don’t have to be Gorod<\/strong>-good to be good and Noxis<\/strong> is good. I’m looking forward to their sophomore release Scimitars Lobbed in Farcical Aquatic<\/em> Ceremonies,<\/em> due Q4 2025\/Q1 2026.<\/p>\n

\"\"Madder Mortem<\/strong> \/\/ Old Eyes, New Heart<\/em><\/a> [January 26th, 2024 | Dark Essence Records | Bandcamp<\/a>] \u2014 In my Record o’ the Month blurb for Old Eyes, New Heart<\/em>, I wrote “What Old Eyes, New Heart<\/em> does is show Madder Mortem<\/strong> as alive and creative as ever, showcasing a more vulnerable, introspective side of themselves. Tracks like ‘Here and Now’ and ‘Cold Hard Rain’ weep with power and raw emotion, giving fans all the feelz they yearn for, and there\u2019s simmering anger girding the material as well. As GardensTale<\/strong><\/span> noted, regarding the very personal, intense feeling of the new music: ‘Old Eyes, New Heart<\/em> will stand as one of the most intimate and therapeutic albums we\u2019re bound to get this year.’ And who isn\u2019t going to need a little bit of therapy in 2024?” Yeah, I found myself listening to this album a lot<\/em><\/strong> this year because it expresses what I couldn’t. Again, prescient.<\/p>\n

\"\"Blood Incantation<\/strong> \/\/ Absolute Elsewhere<\/em><\/a> [October 4th, 2024 | Century Media Records | Bandcamp<\/a>] \u2014 Yeah, it’s fine I guess. A little overhyped in the comment section, though. Remember that time when it got released and everyone who hadn’t heard it yet was like “RECORD OF THE YEAR!!!!!!1!” five minutes later? Pepperidge Farms remembers. In all seriousness, this record is great and I enjoyed it which is why it’s here. But while it threatened to hit the list as an #ish, it never really felt like RotY material to me. Still, give these guys their due. They are unique and cool and you love to see the enthusiasm about weirdo progdeath.<\/p>\n

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Top 10(ish) Songs o’ the Year:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

#ish: Karol G<\/strong> \/\/ “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” \u2014 Fuck you.<\/p>\n