Best of 2024

The revered Alan Averil, of Primordial fame, said referring to his AOTY list - “ It’s what every cool kid has been waiting for, all year…”

Well, that’s probably not going to be my case, but if you’ve been following this blog or my posts in social media, then you’d know that I enjoy summarizing my year with a list of my favorite heavy metal albums. See #AOTY for my past lists. In the last two years, I’ve also been aiming to acquire the said albums on vinyl, without paying through the nose for them.

Here’s a disclaimer with how I pick my favorite albums. They are based on a combination of how often I’ve listened to particular albums, my bias towards to heavy music subgenres, my inclination towards clamouring support for the proverbial “underground” and of course if I feel I can help promote a severely underrated band or album, while fulfilling most of the aforementioned criteria. The only non-negotiable criteria is that it is deemed “metal” as per metal-archives.com.

Without further ado, here are my top heavy metal albums of 2024 ✨

10. Vafurlogi - Í v​ö​kulli á​þ​j​á​n

Full album stream - https://vafurlogi.bandcamp.com/album/v-kulli-j-n

Icelandic black metal band Vafurlogi was born out the ashes of the infamous Svartidauði, with founding member, Þórir Garðarsson at the heart of this new band. Coincidentally, Vafurlogi’s debut is the only “pure” black metal album on my list. Í vökulli áþján is raw, atmospheric and blends cold, tremolo-picked riffs with haunting melodies and feral vocals. It’s not surprising that this album sounds very Icelandic when it comes to how popular that (incestuous) scene has become. But Vafurlogi stands out in my opinion and they’re bringing something new and fresh, standing on the shoulders of the pioneering bands like Svartidauði. The songs are well paced and at times very catchy! Í vökulli áþján will resonate with fans of atmospheric black metal and “nowadays” black metal.

9. Grendel's Sÿster - Katabasis into the Abaton / Abstieg in die Traumkammer

Full album stream - https://grendelssyster.bandcamp.com/album/katabasis-into-the-abaton-abstieg-in-die-traumkammer

Grendel’s Sÿster have been hyped by the self-proclaimed heavy metal nerds of the scene. The band plays a very unique blend of heavy metal, doom and folk rock, while almost getting into whimsical territory but still maintaining an aura of sombreness. The band released Katabasis into the Abaton in both English and German, with the same song structures and only changing the lyrics. The band creates an otherworldly soundscape that feels both ancient and contemporary. Tracks like “Chamber of Visions” and “Descending Shadows” feature ethereal melodies, somber vocals, and intricate arrangements that weave a spellbinding narrative. If you’re not into bands like Slough Feg or Skyclad, then this might be slightly challenging to get into but if you persevere then it’ll be worththe effort!

After an EP and a string of singles, the London-based heavy metal outfit Coltre make a striking impression with their debut album To Watch With Hands...To Touch With Eyes. Along with Judas Priest’s Invicible Shield, this was probably one of my most played albums of 2024. Rooted in NWOBHM influences, the band crafts songs that are both nostalgic and forward-thinking. It does seem like this album was lifted out a time capsule from the late 70s, just at the brink of the NWOBHM movement. My favorite tracks on the album are "Rat race” and “Temptress”, which I’ve listened to umpteenth number of times. The entire album is brimming with dual-guitar harmonies, infectious hooks, and impassioned vocals. To Watch With Hands...To Touch With Eyes is a very promising debut that firmly establishes Coltre as a band to watch in the heavy metal scene!

Savage Oath is one of the rare super-groups whose output is either at par with the individual bands’ work or even surpasses it. The band consists of members who’ve been part of Visigoth, Sumerlands, Magic Circle, Manilla Road and more. Although formed in 2018, they have only just released their material in the form of an EP (2023) and their debut Divine Battle this year. Divine Battle feels like an epic journey through the realms of myth and heavy metal. The grandiose soundscapes, galloping riffs, majestic melodies, and commanding vocals make this album such a winner on all fronts for the heavy metal listener! I was lucky to catch their live performance at Hell’s Heroes (Houston) this year. It was quite an experience especially when everyone’s shouting out the lyrics to “Wings of Vengeance”. Divine Battle is a masterclass in epic heavy metal, appealing to fans of Eternal Champion, Manilla Road and Blind Guardian.

Obnoxious Youth was one of my best discoveries of the year. The band is everything what I’d like from mixing heavy metal with punk, speed and thrash. Burning Savage is fiery, chaotic and chock-full with explosive tracks that deliver maximum impact. For example, the opening track of "Imminent Evil" starts off with a very catchy riffy intro and then morphs into this relentless assault on all your senses. That just sets the scene for the rest of the album. The production feels very raw and unfiltered, which captures the live energy of the band. I cannot wait to see them live in 2025 at a show or festival near me. Fans of Discharge, Motörhead, Venom will find much to love here!

Swiss heavy metal band Amethyst released their debut EP Rock Knights in 2022, which very soon put them on the heavy metal map. I’ve been lucky to see the band twice, first at Muskelrock and then opening for Metalucifer. With many accolades and extremely positive reviews under their belt, I approached their debut album, Throw Down the Gauntlet, with a bit of caution. How does a band surpass or even meet the expectations of the ever-hungry old school heavy metal fan?! Thankfully, I think Amethyst have produced a stellar record. It is nostalgic, it feels like a collection of heavy rock anthems, it pays homage to the 70s and 80s and it kicks ass! Amethyst, more than anything else, showcase their maturity as very respectable song-writers and not just relying on infectious guitar hooks or catchy choruses. Throw Down the Gauntlet is a testament to the enduring appeal of heavy metal, blending nostalgia with fresh energy.

Blood Incantation have become a name who have now pierced through the underground cosmos of death metal to create their magnum opus which has gotten the nods of the likes of the Time magazine. Absolute Elsewhere sees the Denver-based death metal innovators exploring new dimensions of sound. Known for their cosmic themes and progressive compositions, this album pushes their boundary-defying ethos further. The album features just two tracks (“The Stargate” and “the Message”), which unfolds as a 45-minute journey through ambient soundscapes, celestial melodies, and crushing heaviness. This album is slowly becoming a favorite of mine, maybe just slightly behind Starspawn. But overall, Absolute Elsewhere feels like a logical culmination of everything they did with their signature death metal style and their ambient experimentation with Timewave Zero. The band showcases their ability to weave atmospheric elements into their technical prowess. Love it or hate it, Absolute Elsewhere is ambitious and since I’ve been following the band members and their associated acts quite closely for the last decade, I think this album perfectly represents their individual tastes and influences. I reckon this is an album that will be remembered for years ahead into the future.

Demon Bitch are a heavy metal band hailing from Detroit. They’re just not any heavy metal band but a band who have produced probably (arguably) the best album of the 2010s in Hellfriends. I discovered them a bit too late but suffice to say if I were to re-do my 2016 list, I’d put Hellfriends as my number one album of that year. But here we are now, with the band’s sophomore album titled Master of the Games. To be honest, I wasn’t sure whether the album would make the cut because it came out only at the end of November but like petrol to fire, this has caught on so quickly and rose through the ranks of my list. This is yet another high-octane album with a very raucous, unfiltered and NWOBHM-inspired sound. It’s overly theatrical and Logon’s vocals are off the charts. The album has it all - galloping riffs, searing solos, and anthemic choruses that beg to be screamed along with. This is unbridled heavy metal passion and Master of the Games is a triumphant return for the band after eight long years.

Spectral Voice edges over Blood Incantation for me, and if you are unaware, the band shares most of its members with the only exception of Eli handling dual drums and vocal duties. I love my doom/death and if it’s in the vein of diSEMBOWELMENT or Winter, then it immediately perks my ears up! One of my highlights of 2023 was seeing Spectral Voice live (albeit through some technical issues), but it was a moment I will relish forever. At that time, the band released a split with Undergang, so I was extremely surprised to see Sparagmos release in February early this year. With the four tracks on Sparagmos, the band brings back the suffocating atmosphere and cavernous production which they are known for. It’s bleak, oppressive and the occasional bursts of blasts and eerie melodies provide that sweet contrast that fans of this genre will devour quite happily. What more can I say, Sparagmos is yet another feather in the hat of these talented musicians from that Denver circle!

Inconcessus Lux Lucis who?!

This band can be described as my best discovery of 2024. The band is signed on the very reputable and the very arcane label, I Voidhanger Records. That’s how I primarily discovered them. Musically, the band stands at the crossroads of black metal and traditional heavy metal - the dial of it being more black metal or heavy metal changes as you traverse through Temples Colliding in Fire. What won me over with this album is the song-writing and the intricate guitar work (from the riffs to the solos). They are just exceptional and hooked me instantly. The album production is fairly modern but not to the point of it being squeaky clean, but good enough to hear every instrument and it being accessible enough for the normie metalhead. If you’re a fan of Maiden, 80s Bathory or even more underground acts like Negative Plane or Malokarpatan, then this is an album for you. Front to back, Temples… keeps you glued to your seats and there are jaw-dropping moments where you’re in awe of the musicianship and song-writing of Baal and Maphos, the two members of Inconcessus Lux Lucis. The album feels like an absolute essential for fans of both genres and more people need to know about this band. I’m getting a feeling of déjà vu from when I discovered Malokarpatan in the late 2010s and I wanted everyone to check them out! Inconcessus Lux Lucis rules hard!

With that, 2024 comes to a close. Up the irons and may 2025 bring us more heavy metal! ⚔️⛓️