Metal in 2024
For various reasons I haven't bothered with as much new stuff as I would usually in the last couple of years, so thought I would apply myself to new release tracking a bit more this year and started this thread, hopefully as a talking shop for others who like to seek out the latest releases to discuss their finds and thoughts on the state of new metal in 2024.
So let's hear what you think of 2024's slate of metal releases. Is there anything in particular you are looking forward to? For me, there are a couple of chilean thrashers from Critical Defiance and Pentagram that I am eagerly anticipating.
Here are my top 10 new releases that hit the shelves in January:
1. Mourning Dawn - "The Foam of Despair" [Atmospheric Sludge Metal]
2. Hauntologist - "Hollow" [Atmospheric Black Metal / Post-metal]
3. Narbeleth - "A Pale Crown" [Black Metal]
4. Sovereign - "Altered Realities" [Technical Thrash / Death Metal]
5. Deconsekrated - "Ascension in the Altar of Condemned EP" [Death Metal]
6. Inquisition - "Veneration of Medieval Mysticism and Cosmological Violence" [Black Metal]
7. Malist - "Of Scorched Earth" [Black Metal]
8. Lair - "The Hidden Shiv" [Sludge / Doom Metal]
9. Saxon - "Hell, Fire and Damnation" [Heavy Metal]
10. Sepulcher - "Veins of the Void EP" [Thrash Metal]
#1-4 are solid 4/5s and the rest are respectable 3.5s.
A good month for black metal and some love from me for a couple of post-metal-ly efforts. January isn't usually the best month for new stuff, but this has been a reasonable start to the year and there are a few albums out in February that I have my eye on, with the new Darkspace having already jumped to my new #1 and well worth checking out for anyone who hasn't yet.
I haven't found a lot of new releases in 2024 so far, but I have enough for a top 5, all in a solid range of 4 to 5 stars:
1. Ryujin - Ryujin [melodic death/power metal]
2. Madder Mortem - Old Eyes, New Heart [progressive metal]
3. Drown in Sulphur - Dark Secrets of the Soul [deathcore]
4. Dead by April - The Affliction [alternative metal]
5. Persefone - Lingua Ignota: Part I [progressive metal]
Quite an amazing start for this year of metal for me! And there's a lot more that I look forward to getting. Here are some releases coming out later in 2024 that make my wishlist:
Amaranthe - The Catalyst
Bruce Dickinson - The Mandrake Project (I've listened to Iron Maiden vocalist Bruce Dickinson's solo material before, so I thought, why not catch up?)
DragonForce - Warp Speed Warriors (can't forget about the band that started it all for my metal interest)
While She Sleeps - Self Hell
Erra - Cure
Northlane - Mirror's Edge
The Ghost Inside - Searching for Solace
High on Fire - Cometh the Storm (their Bat Salad EP is so fantastic for me that I want more of this band)
Pestilence - Levels of Perception
Gothminister - Pandemonium II: The Battle of the Underworlds
Knocked Loose - You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To
Trail of Tears - Winds of Disdain
Wintersun - Time II (how can I not look forward to one of the most anticipated albums in all of metal?)
I did check out the Persefone EP, Andi, and, despite it initially failing to impress, I found it grew on me with further listens. It is quite densely written and there is a lot going on during it's 26 minutes. I have yet to feel confident enough in my opinion to review it though.
I actually just experienced the opposite when reviewing that Persefone EP, Sonny. When I initially gave that EP some listening, I thought I was hearing their melodic deathly progressive metal in full force, enough to give it 4.5 stars. But now that I've listened more thoroughly for the sake of reviewing, let's just say, the rating dropped a full star. With that, I've made a couple small changes to my new releases list and upcoming releases wishlist (see above).
An update to my Top 10 January 2024 releases:
1. Mourning Dawn - "The Foam of Despair" [Atmospheric Sludge Metal]
2. Departure Chandelier - Satan Soldier of Fortune [Black Metal]
3. Hauntologist - "Hollow" [Atmospheric Black Metal / Post-metal]
4. Narbeleth - "A Pale Crown" [Black Metal]
5. Sovereign - "Altered Realities" [Technical Thrash / Death Metal]
6. Deconsekrated - "Ascension in the Altar of Condemned EP" [Death Metal]
7. Drown in Sulphur - Dark Secrets of the Soul [Deathcore]
8. Inquisition - "Veneration of Medieval Mysticism and Cosmological Violence" [Black Metal]
9. Malist - "Of Scorched Earth" [Black Metal]
10. Lair - "The Hidden Shiv" [Sludge / Doom Metal]
Saxon and Sepulcher drop out.
My Top 10 releases for February 2024:
1.Darkspace - Dark Space -II [Atmospheric Black Metal / Drone Metal / Industrial Metal]
2. Spectral Voice - Sparagmos [Death / Funeral Doom Metal]
3. Necrowretch - "Swords of Dajjal" [Black Metal]
4. Contaminated - "Celebratory Beheading" [Death Metal]
5. Fange - Perdition [Industrial Metal / Sludge Metal]
6. The Obsessed - Gilded Sorrow [Stoner / Traditional Doom Metal]
7. Obsidian Tongue - The Stone Heart EP [Atmospheric Black Metal]
8. Monovoth - Pleroma Mortem Est [Funeral Doom Metal]
9. Unaussprechlichen Kulten - Häxan Sabaoth [Death Metal]
10. Morbid Saint - Swallowed by Hell [Thrash Metal]
Update to my list:
1. Ryujin - Ryujin [melodic death/power metal]
2. Madder Mortem - Old Eyes, New Heart [progressive metal]
3. Amaranthe - The Catalyst [trance/symphonic/melodic metalcore]
4. Drown in Sulphur - Dark Secrets of the Soul [deathcore]
5. Dead by April - The Affliction [alternative metal]
And my wishlist:
DragonForce - Warp Speed Warriors (can't forget about the band that started it all for my metal interest)
While She Sleeps - Self Hell
Erra - Cure
Imminence - The Black (I enjoy the pre-release singles from this band so much and I want more of them)
Linkin Park - Papercuts (compilation of their greatest hits plus a couple demo tracks)
Northlane - Mirror's Edge
The Ghost Inside - Searching for Solace
High on Fire - Cometh the Storm (their Bat Salad EP is so fantastic for me that I want more of this band)
Pestilence - Levels of Perception
Gothminister - Pandemonium II: The Battle of the Underworlds
Knocked Loose - You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To
Like Moths to Flames - The Cycles of Trying to Cope
Pain - I Am
Trail of Tears - Winds of Disdain
Wintersun - Time II (how can I not look forward to one of the most anticipated albums in all of metal?)
NEW DARKTHRONE ANNOUNCED
Titled "It Beckons Us All" it is due for release on 26th April.
Tracklist:
01. Howling Primitive Colonies
02. Eon 3
03. Black Dawn Affiliation
04. And In That Moment I Knew The Answer
05. The Bird People Of Nordland
06. The Heavy Hand
07. The Lone Pines Of The Lost Planet
I've posted this here, because I don't know which clan it will sit in. As Nocturno Culto reportedly says "I have no idea what genre we are, and have really not cared much about it, but I know for sure it's metal."
And that's good enough for me.
Nice! I really dug "Astral Fortress" so will be keen to see what this one offers too.
Agreed that this will be a highlight for the year.
A short trailer for Darkthrone's "It Beckons Us All". The track featured on the trailer sounds awesome. I'm stoked for this one!!
According to the releases pages, 31.3% of new releases added to the site have been rated by at least one member, compared to 24.5% for the site as a whole. So it looks like metal is alive and kicking and people are still stoked to get into new releases.
Update to my list:
1. Ryujin - Ryujin [melodic death/power metal]
2. Madder Mortem - Old Eyes, New Heart [progressive metal]
3. DragonForce - Warp Speed Warriors [power metal]
4. While She Sleeps - Self Hell [alternative metal]
5. Amaranthe - The Catalyst [trance/symphonic/melodic metalcore]
And my wishlist:
Erra - Cure
Imminence - The Black (I enjoy the pre-release singles from this band so much and I want more of them)
Linkin Park - Papercuts (compilation of their greatest hits plus a couple demo tracks)
Northlane - Mirror's Edge
The Ghost Inside - Searching for Solace
High on Fire - Cometh the Storm (their Bat Salad EP is so fantastic for me that I want more of this band)
Pestilence - Levels of Perception
Gothminister - Pandemonium II: The Battle of the Underworlds
Knocked Loose - You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To
Like Moths to Flames - The Cycles of Trying to Cope
Pain - I Am
Trail of Tears - Winds of Disdain
Wintersun - Time II (how can I not look forward to one of the most anticipated albums in all of metal?)
I am falling behind a bit on my new music listening, so I've only just got to ten releases for last month.
Anyway, here's my top 10 for March (so far):
1. Critical Defiance - The Search Won't Fall [Thrash Metal]
2. Altar of Betelgeuze - Echoes [Doom Metal]
3. Coffins - Sinister Oath [Death Metal]
4. Saturnalia Temple - Paradigm Call [Traditional Doom Metal]
5. Hamferð - Men guðs hond er sterk [Doom Metal]
6. Above Aurora - Myriad Woes (Black / Doom Metal)
7. Grey Skies Fallen - Molded by Broken Hands [Epic Doom]
8. Skeletal Remains - Fragments of the Ageless [Death Metal]
9. Exhorder - Defectum Omnium [Groove Metal]
10. Etoile Filante - Mare tranquillitatis [Atmospheric Black Metal]
There is a packed slate of releases for the coming Friday with albums from Darkthrone, Deicide and Pestilence being joined by releases from lesser known, but still great, acts like Inter Arma, Pentagram Chile, Ard, Morgul Blade and Fluisteraars.