Written by Kevin McSweeney, Mick Sutherland, Tom Wilke, McKauley Kitterman, Joe Evin, Graham Burke, Christy Lee, Tristan Cardinelli, Michelle O’Rance and Caine Blackthorn
As the final hours of 2024 tick away, the air crackles with anticipation. Not just for the turn of the calendar, but for the moment you’ve been waiting for all year. The definitive Best Albums of 2024 list!
This year has been nothing short of monumental for heavy music. From bone-crushing riffs that shook the very earth to boundary-breaking albums that redefined genres, 2024 has proven once again why metal is a force to be reckoned with. Whether you live for blistering solos, atmospheric soundscapes, or guttural roars that send chills down your spine, this list is your roadmap through the chaos of the past 12 months.
Enjoy the gift of pure metal excellence and join us as we celebrate the albums that left us in awe, headbanging, and hitting “repeat” all year long. Crank the volume, and let’s dive into the best of the best.
Fierce Cacophonist’s Cattle Decapitation are a five piece metal faction. Their niche is death-grind with a lyrical emphasis on activism. Their career encompasses almost 20 years of consistant mastery. The band have released a brand new album, Terrasite Via Metal Blade Records. This album falls at number one on our list. From total annihilation to rebirth, “Terrasite”takes you on a journey from anthropogenic ecocide, (Death Atlas) to a new beginning, (Terrasite). Terrasite is an intense and provocative album that continues Cattle Decapitations tradition of exploring environmental and animal welfare issues through their music. The bands unique signature blend of death metal, grindcore, and progressive metal is on full display. Their sound on this album is so unique, its as if they’ve spawned a new genre altogether. From the opening moments the listener is immediately plunged into a world of unrelenting brutality and unyielding aggression.
Blood Incantation’s new album Absolute Elsewhere Redefines the Boundaries of Extreme Music. Prepare to be transported. Denver’s Blood Incantation has crafted an album unlike anything you’ve experienced. Absolute Elsewhere spans two sprawling compositions over 45 minutes, blending the cosmic soundscapes of ’70s prog pioneers like Tangerine Dream (featuring Thorsten Quaeschning on “The Stargate [Tablet II]”) with the crushing weight of death metal legends like Morbid Angel. Known for their genre-defying approach, Blood Incantation are masters of progressive death metal. Now, with Absolute Elsewhere—inspired by the they’re obliterating the concept of genre entirely, creating a bold new language for extreme music.
Rotting Christ, the Greek pioneers of unapologetically anti-Christian black metal, have returned with their latest offering, “Pro Xristou” (Before Christ), challenging conventions and igniting controversy once again. With their distinct sound and fiercely provocative lyrics, Rotting Christ’s newest opus is sure to ruffle feathers. Yet, amidst the dissent, black metal enthusiasts are bound to embrace it wholeheartedly. “Pro Xristou” sees the band continuing their trajectory, embracing clean, melodic baritone vocals infused with their distinctive signature Greek dialect, Benedictine chants, and a plethora of pinch harmonics. If you’ve found resonance in Rotting Christ’s later works like “Rituals” and “The Heretics,” this album will undoubtedly captivate you. The journey begins with the slow, atmospheric title track, setting the stage for what’s to come.
Founded in 2007 in Italy, Fleshgod Apocalypse swiftly rose to prominence in the symphonic death metal genre. They have released five highly praised albums and toured extensively across the globe. Fleshgod Apocalypse’s new album Opera is dripping in decadent opulence. Listening to Opera, makes me feel like the Monopoly man sporting a top hat and monocle while grooving to each track. Let’s dive into this album before I start planning my next move on Boardwalk. As soon as the first track, “Ode to Art” (De’ Sepolcri), began, I was captivated by Francesco Ferrini’s beautiful piano composition, his impressive string arrangements and orchestral effects. A theme repeated throughout the album. The song also features Veronica’s haunting vocals, which set the stage for the arrival of Paoli’s ferocious death metal growls and dramatic symphonic music. My excitement built as I eagerly anticipated the next track and I was not disappointed. Paoli’s vocals and lyrics conveyed an intense emotional depth that kept me hooked. Italian composers like Verdi and Puccini is as evident as any metal influences in Opera.Veronica Bordacchini’s operatic vocals bring a theater of emotions to every chapter of the album, offering diverse perspectives on Francesco Paoli’s story both musically and lyrically. Her voice masterfully conveys a range of emotions. Love, drama, and tragedy. By integrating her vocals into their music, Fleshgod Apocalypse has broken new ground in death metal, pioneering a genre they’ve dubbed “opera metal.”
Opeth’s Last Will And Testament.
The growls are back!!! Swedish progressive death metal band Opeth’s heavy new album reveals a sound that harkens back to their heavier material reminiscent of the old days boasting their signature progressive sound. The guitar riffs feature a tone that resembles their more proggy side but with a heavier dose of gain while the keyboards sweep chromatically, shifting between the chords to create a dissonance thats pleasing to the ear. Drummer Waltteri Väyrynen delivers a syncopated onslaught that blends seamlessly with the music. And to everyone’s delight, Mikael Åkerfeldt’s gutteral vocals are in top form. The fans have been dripping with sweat and anticipation for this day to come. It’s invigorating to revisit the greatest death metal vocals ever recorded. This album definitely falls in the top five best releases of 2024.
The Black Dahlia Murder Honors Trevor Strnad with Servitude
The Black Dahlia Murder faced an unimaginable challenge after the loss of beloved frontman Trevor Strnad in 2022. Rather than bringing in a new face, the band turned inward: co-founder and guitarist Brian Eschbach stepped up as vocalist, with Ryan Knight returning to fill Eschbach’s place on guitar. The result is Servitude, their tenth album, which channels TBDM’s signature Gothenburg-inspired melodeath sound while honoring Strnad’s legacy. Packed with blistering riffs, searing solos, and a rhythm section that hits like a freight train, Servitude delivers exactly what fans love about the band, while Eschbach’s precise and powerful vocal performance offers a fresh yet familiar dynamic. Clocking in at 35 minutes, Servitude doesn’t reinvent TBDM’s formula but refines it, showcasing standout tracks like “Evening Ephemeral,” “Mammoth’s Hand,” and the jaw-dropping solos of “Transcosmic Blueprint.” While it may play things safe in some respects, the album excels where it matters most, songwriting, execution, and honoring the band’s storied legacy. It’s a testament to their resilience and a heartfelt tribute to one of metal’s most cherished voices.
When contemplating geographical locations that inspire great music, one might think of Florida for death metal, or Norway for black metal. Seattle might come to mind for grunge or perhaps Birmingam in the UK as the birthplace of metal in general. Few would look to the Faroe Islands, yet this small group of islands in the North Atlantic has given us at least one great band in the form of Týr. In April, they delivered their ninth studio album, Battle Ballads, via Metal Blade, a tremendous example of folk metal at its finest, full of fist-pumping anthems to liven up even the most uneventful longboat voyage.
One of the most iconic names in Norwegian black metal returned to the fore in April, as the legendary Darkthrone released It Beckons Us All, their 20th studio album, via Metal Blade, with astonishingly little fuss for such a legendary name in the metal world. The band that gave us Transilvanian Hunger all the way back in 1994 could be forgiven for resting on their laurels; their place in metal folklore is certainly secure, so it is to their credit that they are still seeking to release new music on such a regular basis.
It’s often said in England that it’s grim up north. It should be no surprise therefore that the city of Bradford has inspired the career of one of the originators of doom metal, and such is the case with the legendary My Dying Bride, who released their 14th album, A Mortal Binding, on the Nuclear Blast label in April. Their dark, funereal dirges are as compelling as ever, augmented with mournful, plaintive melodies juxtaposed with crushingly heavy riffs and death growls from mercurial vocalist Aaron Stainthorpe.
Florida was the epicentre of death metal in the late 20th Century, having given us such luminaries in the subgenre as Obituary, Morbid Angel, Nocturnus and, of course, the innovators of the sound, Death. It also gave us the band that, more than any other, instilled terror in God-fearing parents, scared of losing their children to Satan, the devilishly good Deicide, led by Glen Benton, the living embodiment of the Satanic panic in that era, complete with inverted cross burned into his forehead. They released Banished by Sin in April, and, as ever, their music is as dark, murky and ominous as a twilight stroll through the Everglades, even if the aforementioned panic has waned somewhat in the intervening years.
Vancouver band Anciients put Beyond the Reach of the Sun firmly within our grasp in August. The third album from the Canadians, released on Season of Mist, is full to the brim of lengthy and atmospheric progressive numbers that occasionally veer into black metal territory. It must be the cold weather.
Arkansas doom metal band Pallbearer treated us to Mind Burns Alive. Their self-produced fifth studio album, in May, courtesy of Nuclear Blast. It was an album that was two years in the making, possibly due in part to the sheer length of some of the songs. It’s a restrained and melodic affair, compared to previous output, and is strikingly experimental for a subgenre that rarely lends itself to such, incorporating synths and even saxophone into the mix.
May saw the welcome return of Bay Area legends Babylon AD, who delivered some classic 80s-style hard rock with the release of Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day on Perris/Apocalypse records. It captures the band sounding every bit as fresh and vital as they sounded in their heyday, and is a bittersweet serving of nostalgia for those of us like myself who wish we still had the hair for hair metal.
The world would be a much duller place without Devin Townsend. The mercurial Canadian has covered a lot of ground over the course of his illustrious career, from the grandiose stadium rock of Vai’s Sex and Religion to the pummeling industrial metal of Strapping Young Lad by way of the lavish melodies of Addicted and so much more besides. He was one of those performers who could soothe you and scare you in equal measure, long before such multifaceted vocalists were commonplace in metal. PowerNerd gives us it all in abundance. The epic choruses, the experimentation, the hopping from one style to another with the speed and agility of a superhero. The October release, his twenty-second album, is another gem from a true one-off in the music industry.
Cleveland death metallers 200 Stab Wounds drove Manual Manic Procedures deep into our flesh in June, courtesy of Metal Blade records. It’s every bit as subtle as the band’s name suggests. It is the musical equivalent of a violent assault: 29 minutes and 26 seconds of furious chromatic guitar, frenetic double-kick drumming and demonic death growls. Plus, there’s some seriously gory cover art.
Swallow the Sun released Shining in late October, a title that, especially when taken in conjunction with the band’s name, suggests music of a more summery disposition than one might expect from a death-doom band from Finland. Thankfully, this is misleading, and while this album might be more melodic, polished and less heavy than previous releases, it is reassuringly gloomy, leaning in the direction of gothic metal at times, and occasionally being reminiscent of their famously melancholic compatriots Him.
Dååth has returned after a 14-year silence with The Deceivers, a ferocious statement of intent that cements the band’s evolution and technical mastery. With a revitalized lineup—including Kerim “Krimh” Lechner on drums and Rafael Trujillo on guitar—the Atlanta-based group has crafted a melodic death metal juggernaut that feels both fresh and familiar.
From the blistering opener to the crushing finale the album maintains relentless energy without sacrificing nuance. Every track balances melody and groove while delivering intricate builds and jaw-dropping guest work. The album maintains Dååth’s roots while bolstering sharper songwriting and dynamic drumming.
This isn’t just a comeback album, it’s a complete reinvention. Every riff, solo, and breakdown is meticulously crafted, resulting in an album that feels cohesive and exhilarating from start to finish. The Deceivers is a career defining triumph, proving that Dååth has not only returned but risen to new heights.
Another highlight came in the form of Merciless, the eighth studio album from LA crossover trash icons Body Count. It was a long time in the making, having been recorded between February 2022 and May 2023, but it was worth the wait. The album features guest appearances from such luminaries as former Killswitch Engage vocalist Howard Jones, Sepultura and Soulfly legend Max Cavalera and Cannibal Corpse frontman George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher. David Gilmour and Roger Waters of Pink Floyd also appear on the surprisingly credible cover of Comfortably Numb. We acknowledge the remarkable achievement of Ice T in having established himself as a legitimate artist in two separate genres, and thank him for not restricting himself to rap when it results in gems such as this.
Another great 2024 release thats a monolithic album arising from the primeval sea, IOTUNN‘s Kinship is a mythological journey through eight tracks that span immense spheres both musically and lyrically, exploring the deep roots of human nature, its connection and disconnection with everything and everyone, and how our choices have always defined ourselves and the lives lived.
From the depths of personal adversity to a force that transcends individual experience, VESTIGE emerges as a vessel for raw emotion and collective resolution. Their music orchestrates nostalgia. Born from the creative mind of Théodore Rondeau, the French band blends the towering intensity of modern metal with the atmospheric haze of shoegaze and post-metal, crafting a sound that’s both haunting and redemptive. With their debut album Janis, Vestige is pulling listeners into an emotional revolution. One that weaves through dark despair, delicate beauty, and a rebirth through music.
One of the earliest albums of note came from The Last Ten Seconds of Life in early February, with the release of No Name Graves, their seventh studio album. The band from Mansfield, Pennsylvania, delivered an album of the most intense deathcore, notable in particular for exceptionally lucid growled vocals from frontman Tyler Beam.
Sybreed‘s reissue of Slave Design is a master class on how to remaster an already great album for the modern era. This record stands the test of time in the current slate of metal as they have for two decades. They also placed a couple goodies in there for us hardcore fans, and these goodies don’t disappoint! This record is a well-balanced mix of many things – bounce from the intense grooves, slick electronic breaks and extremely atmospheric with some electronics behind the instrumentation. Nominet’s signature accented singing and screaming voice (not a slight at all, I love this just as much as I headbang to these records and my favorite lyrical themes.
Two-time Hungarian Grammy winner Tamás Kátai, the mastermind behind Thy Catafalque, a band that has become synonymous with pushing the boundaries of extreme metal. Known for blending black metal with symphonic and avant-garde elements, Kátai’s music creates a rich, atmospheric landscape that speaks not only to the raw intensity of metal but also to deep themes of nostalgia, history, and personal introspection. With their latest album XII: A gyönyörű álmok ezután jönnek, translated to The Beautiful Dreams Are Yet to Come, Kátai takes us on a surreal journey through the night, blending his Hungarian heritage with his unique vision. In this interview, we’ll delve into his creative process, the evolution of the band’s sound, and the themes that continue to shape his music.
Texan crossover thrash outfit Life Cycles released Portal to the Unknown in February. It’s a slender volume, but more than makes up for its brevity in quality, at times being reminiscent of early Machine Head and peak Suicidal Tendencies.
In mid-February, we received a belated Valentine’s Day gift in the form of Die Laughing by the fabulously-named ZOMBIESHARK! The Philadelphia-based cybergrind outfit blast through 16 songs in about half an hour, guaranteed to keep you smiling like a shark in a seal colony as you bang your head uncontrollably.
German thrash metal band Dust Bolt released their fifth album, Sound & Fury, in February, signifying something very special indeed. It continues the fine tradition of German thrash and upholds the quality we came to expect from such luminaries as Kreator, Sodom, Destruction and Tankard. There is no shortage of fury in the sound, but there is also a melodic element to it. The hooks are catchy, but big and sharp enough to tear your flesh to shreds.
Speaking of thrash metal, the second month of the year saw the return of OG thrashers Morbid Saint, with the release of Swallowed by Hell, their first album in nine years. The Wisconsin band first formed in 1984, and their latest offering is as brutal and uncompromising as ever, and so too is the gory cover art.
Another notable early release from a legendary name in metal was Hell, Fire and Damnation by British stalwarts Saxon. Generally well received by critics, the esteemed members of the old guard proved that the next band to be mentioned were not the only British legends still able to mix it with the younger bands in 2024. Speaking of which…
March saw the release of, incredibly, the nineteenth studio album by the British metal titans Judas Priest, Invincible Shield. It debuted at number two on the albums chart in their native UK, and was almost universally well received by critics. It is remarkable that a band with such a storied back catalogue and a contribution to this genre that eclipses almost all others is still able to make relevant music some 55 years into their career, and it is equally remarkable that Rob Halford is able to perform such astonishing vocal gymnastics at 73 years of age. They are deities to whom we at Metal Lair happily pay homage, and they must be cherished while we still have them.
Also in March, the supergroup Glyph unleashed Honor. Power. Glory. Featuring members of Gatekeeper, Greyhawk, Hjelvik, and Ravenous, the Seattle-based power metallers dared to be epic and delivered the goods, with blistering riffs, intense drumming, and anthemic choruses galore.
Greek Thrash metal band Suicidal Angels released Profane Prayer on Nuclear Blast in March. Their eighth studio album might not break new ground, but it’s fast, heavy and full of face-melting solos, and what more do you really need?
Aborted released Vault of Horrors, their tenth album, in March. The Waregam-based band have been around since 1995, and seem to have more members, past and present, than the entire population of their native Belgium, but are still releasing top-notch death metal on the eve of their thirtieth anniversary.
May saw the release of Mean Streets by Riot V, the seventeenth album from the legendary New Yorkers. It’s a glorious offering of anthemic power metal, featuring strong melodic vocals, highly technical drumming and duelling lead guitars from absolute masters of the craft.
In June, we were treated to Conquerors, the second album by Sweden’s New Horizon. With artwork strongly reminiscent of Iron Maiden, as well as a tendency to delve into historical and mythological lyrical topics, this bold and anthemic release will be likely to appeal to anyone with a fondness for the iconic NWOBHM stalwarts.
Also in June, the innovative Candy released It’s Inside You, an ambitious blend of metalcore, hardcore punk, industrial, nu metal and electronica, with dissonant lead guitar, eerie Fear Factory-style synths, and turntable work reminiscent of Sid Wilson playing out over brutal riffs, pounding drums and throat-shredding shouts and screams.
Nails certainly weren’t messing around in August when they unleashed 17 minutes and 47 seconds of glorious grindcore in the form of Every Bridge Burning. The musical equivalent of a squash match in professional wrestling, they climb between the ropes, pummel your ears senseless in a brief burst of explosive fury, and leave you staring at the ceiling in a state of battered bemusement as they depart in triumph. It’s fast, frenetic, and hard as, well, nails.
The Swiss avant-garde metal band Zeal & Ardor also lit up August with Greif, their fourth studio album. While less heavy than previous releases, it nonetheless continued to push the envelope with their daring and innovative blend of styles, with influences ranging from Scandinavia to the American Deep South.
A number of albums awaited us in August, not least of which came from South Carolina death metal veterans Nile, in the form of The Underworld Awaits us All, released on Napalm Records. Their tenth studio album was received favourably by critics, and displays a level of brutality and technical proficiency that few of the younger bands can hope to match.
Representing the newer breed of death metal bands in the eighth month of the year was Oxygen Destroyer, with their third full-length album, Guardian of the Universe. The Washington/Oregon-based band served up 33 minutes and 28 seconds of sheer brutality, with dissonant, Cannibal Corpse-style riffing, furious blast beats and a sound so heavy and immense, it perfectly reflects the rampaging Godzilla-type creature adorning the cover.
No less a celestial figure than that of metal god Bruce Dickinson bestowed the divine gift of The Mandrake Project upon us. His seventh solo album, and his first since 2005’s Tyranny of Souls. It was as lofty and ambitious a project as one might expect from the erudite Iron Maiden frontman, being a concept album with an accompanying comic book series. The subject matter is esoteric, the presentation is grandiose, and those legendary pipes are as breathtaking as ever.
Arizona death metal doyens Job for a Cowboy unleashed Moon Healer upon us, courtesy of Metal Blade records, at around the time of the snow moon. It was the band’s first release in over nine years, making it the longest gap between albums in their history, and it was certainly worth the wait, with most critics putting it on a par with their widely celebrated Sun Eater album.
The welcomed return of Finnish folk metal maestros Korpiklaani, with the release of Rankarumpu, their twelfth studio album, via Nuclear Blast records. The band continued to march to the beat of their own beautifully ragged drum, combining full-blown metallic gusto with deference to Norse folklore and musical heritage, and a sense of boisterous beer-soaked fun.
One of the bastions of thrash metal returned to the fore as Flotsam and Jetsam released I am the Weapon, their fifteenth studio album, via AFM records. They might not have achieved the same levels of commercial success as some of their contemporaries, and may be known only to some as the band Jason Newstead left to join Metallica, but in this era when old-school thrash seems to be enjoying a bit of a renaissance, it was great for one of the legendary names to return and show the young pretenders to the throne how it’s done.
Amaranthe treated us to their seventh studio album, The Catalyst courtesy of Nuclear Blast records. To their immense credit, the Swedes are a difficult band to pigeonhole. They don’t fit comfortably into any particular subgenre. They have been referred to at various times as power metal, symphonic metal, metalcore, melodic death metal, and even pop metal. The catchy and anthemic nature of their music has occasionally led your humble scribe to refer to them jokingly as Eurovisioncore on numerous occasions, which is not the pejorative statement some might perceive it to be. Their bombastic choruses, vibrant synths and triple-headed vocal attack makes them difficult not to enjoy and damn near impossible to ignore.
Anthemic German power metal was very much the order of the day in July when Powerwolf released their tenth sumptuous slab of sonic splendour, Wake up the Wicked, on Napalm. It’s fists-in-the-air stuff from start to finish, with soaring vocals, stirring church organs and shredding guitars, certain to appeal to anyone with even the mildest fondness for Sabaton.
April saw the return of the founding fathers of German heavy metal, when the almighty Accept released what, incredibly, was their seventeenth studio album, Humanoid, via the Austrian label Napalm. One wonders how it might be possible to pay tribute to them in a manner that has not been done to death already, but, suffice to say, they are the source from which the fine tradition of heavy music in central Europe has sprung, and the fact that they are still going strong so close to their fiftieth anniversary is simply astonishing.
Our good friends at the Season of Mist label delivered the goods again in September when the Japanese death metal band Defiled released the deliciously-titled Horror Beyond Horror, their eighth full-length album, via the label. The Tokyo-based band have been around since 1992, and the intensity and ferocity of their sound has not diminished over the course of the last three decades. The songs are short, with only the title track exceeding four minutes, and only just. It’s blistering, no nonsense stuff, and the sound is as immense as a rampaging Godzilla.
The fantastically-named Fit for an Autopsy – Lord knows this particular writer isn’t far off that status himself – released The Nothing That Is via Nuclear Blast in October. It;s a monumental slab of deathcore from the New Jersey natives, produced by the band’s guitarist, Will Putney, and it’s packed to the gunwales with huge breakdowns, guitar hammer-ons that get you right in the gut, and vocals seemingly emanating from the bowels of Hell.
Few bands can claim to have been instrumental in the development of more than one subgenre, and even fewer can claim to have a simply staggering twenty-seven albums under their belts, but Melvins are no ordinary band. The horrifically-titled Tarantula Heart was released in April, and contains just five songs, with the opening track, Pain Equals Funny, accounting for almost half of the album’s entire length. It’s a bold and typically innovative approach from the grunge and sludge metal pioneers.
Finnish symphonic metal gods Nightwish released Yesterwynde, their tenth studio album, on Nuclear Blast in September. We’d dare to say it is one of the best albums of the Floor Jansen era, and though it is heavier than previous albums, and deals with themes of loss, it is a beautiful and uplifting experience, and constitutes a staggering return to form.
Though there was over a month to go until Halloween, things got decidedly gothic in September, with the release of Never, Neverland by Unto Others. The band from Portland, Oregon, combined the best traditions of classic metal with strong influences from early post-punk/gothic rock bands such as The Cure, The Sisters of Mercy and Joy Division, and even treated us to a cover of Pet Sematary by the Ramones.
Continuing the gothic theme in September, Oceans of Slumber immersed us in sonic splendour with the release of their sixth studio album, Where Gods Fear to Speak, via the Season of Mist label. Cammie Gilbert-Beverly shines in particular, lulling us to rest with haunting, ethereal singing, then shocking us awake with demonic howls and bestial growls.
We also had a monumental slab of old-school thrash to contend with in September, courtesy of Relentless Force, from Pittsburgh thrashers Vicious Blade. The album is replete with crushing riffs, blistering blast beats and vocals straight from the set of The Exorcist, courtesy of Clarissa Badini.
UK’s dark progressive rockers celebrating 20 years with new double album. Since banding together in 2004, Crippled Black Phoenix haven’t played around when it comes to shedding light on our troubled existence. This year, Justin Greaves (ex Iron Monkey and Electric Wizard), long-time vocalist Belinda Kordic and their many collaborators are celebrating their 20th anniversary with a new two-part compilation. Horrific Honorifics Number Two (2) and The Wolf Changes Its Fur But Not Its Nature. Their upcoming double album commemorates two decades of relentless introspection and unyielding rebellion.
Vol. I: Hymn of the Hunters by Voraath Via Exitus Strategem Records
Voraath, an extreme metal force from the Carolinas, combines science fiction, horror, and death metal into an immersive storytelling experience. With their debut album, Vol 1: The Hymn of the Hunters which released June 17, 2024, via Exitus Stratagem Records, the band unveils a dark, dystopian universe populated by god-hunters and alien horrors. Packed with intricate riffs, haunting solos, and visceral vocals, the album serves as both a sonic and narrative odyssey, inviting listeners into a brutal multiverse of raw emotion and mythic lore. Fans of Fleshgod Apocalypse, Cattle Decapitation, and Dimmu Borgir will find much to savor in Voraath’s grim, futuristic soundscape.
After this list was posted Joshua Nassaru Ward tragically lost his life on December 31st to a drunk driver. We at Metal Lair send our condolences to his bandmates, family and friends during this difficult time.
October was a busy month, It saw the release of Sunraven, the tenth full-length album by Swedish stoner metal crew, Grand Magus. Unapologetically old-school, the Stockholm- based trio exuded pure class, with their traditional metal riffing, bluesy vibes reminiscent of early Down, and strong, soulful vocals that evoke memories of the late and dearly-missed Chris Cornell.
Also in October was the release of More Insane by Undeath, a particularly brutal slice of old school death metal from the group from Rochester, New York, with some gloriously gory cover art!
The tenth month of the year was made all the more epic by the release of Ensiferum’s Winter Storm. The Finnish folk/death metal band produced an album of exhilarating melody juxtaposed with crushing brutality, particularly in the vocals, where Petri Lindoos provided growling gutterals interspersed with clean vocals, and high notes worthy of Rob Halford.
Also in November, we had melodic “Hellenic” black metal in the form of Blazing Inferno by Yoth Iria, the second album from the Greek band, and their first with new vocalist Rustam Shakirzyanov. Favourable comparisons have been made with early Rotting Christ, and for good reason.
Then we had Faded Dream by Neon Nightmare. Strongly rumoured to be the handiwork of Nate Garrett from Spirit Adrift, the whole project comes across as a love letter to the much-missed gothic metal masters Type O Negative. Some might question the inclusion of what is essentially a tribute project, and it is true that, like October Noir before it, Neon Nightmare has borrowed both sound and aesthetic wholesale from the Drab Four. Hell, you can exhume your copies of October Rust and Life is Killing Me and play spot-the-riff if you’re so inclined. But, ultimately, we just want some new Type O Negative music, and this is the closest we’re going to get to it. We might not be able to rouse the late and greatly-missed Peter Steele from the endless sleep he prophesied so poignantly in Bloody Kisses (A Death in the Family), but the fact the Faded Dream exists makes us, if not happy, then at least less miserable.
“While it may be cheating to include a remaster on this list, Ne Obliviscaris’ Citadel is a masterful mix of beauty and brutality, still retaining its powerful sound after a decade. The opening melancholic atmosphere in ‘Painters of the Tempest’ slowly morphs into overwhelming confidence in ‘Devour Me, Colossus’. Xenoyr’s screams don’t drown out the instruments compared to the original release, allowing every technicality of the guitars and violins to be fully appreciated. Every single riff is distinct, and they are all earworms.”
“As Darkness Falls”, the new album from The Obsidian Resurrection, is a brutal, energetic release that encapsulates the early beginnings of the bands musical career from twenty-five years ago up to now. A collection of songs reimagined from their 2003 demo, “Enslaved By Nightmares”, all reworked and given new life alongside tons of brand new material to complete the album that began it’s journey for them over two decades ago. The Obsidian Resurrection returns from their arduous journey with their new single, “Prophecy’s Will” off their upcoming debut album, “As Darkness Falls” to help set the stage for the albums upcoming January 10th release, and delivers a vicious attack on your senses.
We are somewhat surprised that Veilburner chose the eleventh month of the year, and not the seventh, to unleash The Duality of Decapitation and Wisdom upon us, given that, intriguingly, all seven songs of the album are exactly seven minutes long. That anomaly aside, the Pennsylvania band delivered precisely 49 minutes of sumptuous blackened death metal on what was, appositely enough, their seventh album.
SALTWOUND Released Debut Album, The Temptation Of Pain Via SharpTone Records Northern Californian deathcore juggernauts SALTWOUND have released their eagerly-awaited, debut full-length album, The Temptation Of Pain, today with SharpTone Records. A colossal beast, seething with furious brutality that roars to life with the most ferocious riffs metalcore fans will hear this year, The Temptation Of Pain, rears its head with intense chaos, fusing elements from deathcore and metalcore on tracks like ‘Walking The Blade,’ ‘Hollow‘ and ‘Severance‘.
LURKING TERROR brings the classic death metal sound with their new album A World In Darkness. Their sound has rumbled in the underground for decades. With heavy down-tuned guitars, blistering riffs, grinding blast beats and guttural death metal vocals, the band is everything death metal was meant to sound like. The slow, pounding heavy sounds are reminiscent of bands like Autopsy and the classic Stockholm Swedish sound of Entombed, while the downbeats hit your ears with the aggression brought forth by bands like Napalm Death and Terrorizer, leaving the listener wanting more after every assault.
So that was 2024, a year with many great albums in all manner of subgenres, and there’s plenty to look forward to in 2025, with new albums from Dream Theater, Arch Enemy, Killswitch Engage and Lacuna Coil, amongst many others, due for release in the new year. And with that, Metal Lair wishes you a 2025 full to the brim of happiness, healthiness and, most of all, heaviness. Happy New Year, metalheads!
