Top 20 of 2024

2024 was a pretty damn good year for music of all styles, here's my favorite 20 albums I bought.

1) Demon Bitch - Master of the Games (Gates of Hell Records) / Heavy metal

 

 Eight years after Hellfriends (an album in my top of the last decade), their debut album, the boys from Detroit come back with a bang with their sophomore effort. They weren’t exactly inactive or a break, covid happened, some members moved away and they also released the excellent debut album of White Magician (composed entirely of members of Demon Bitch) but I’ve been waiting for their return for years. Master of the Games takes everything that made their previous endeavors successful and improves every single area. It’s super spastic traditional heavy metal retaining the influences of olde metal but at the same injects a dose of bravado and intensity fueled by the evolution of metal since the 80s. Just masterful songwriting, lead guitar songwriting and idiosyncratic vocals. This is like when Gandalf returned. Incredible.

2) Fontaines D.C. - Romance (XL Recordings) / Alternative rock

I liked the previous albums from these Irish boys but I think Romance is their best one yet. The evolution of their sound is interesting and they manage to make it more accessible without losing their bite or compromising too much on their identity, something Idles kind of failed at. Some post punk still remains here but it’s alternative rock with pop hooks for the most part. Grian Shatten’s vocals and lyrics are incredible. It’s pretty much the only album I listened to for a week straight when I got back to work in late August. It’s catchy, memorable, dense and intelligent.



3) Crypt Sermon - The Stygian Rose (Dark Descent Records) / Epic doom metal/Heavy metal

Now a sextet with the addition of Tanner Anderson (mainman of medievalist black metallers Obsequiae), Crypt Sermon released their best album yet. I usually think that epic doom is creatively bankrupt or at least that too many deviations from its core identity creates something else but the Philly band proves that it’s not totally the case. Brooks Wilson’s vocal delivery and well written lyrics elevate the band while the instrumentalists remain some of the best in all of modern doom, especially Steve Jansson’s lead guitar chops. The title track loses some steam towards the end or else this could have been my metal album of the year. Strong year for epic doom with releases from Scald, Capilla Ardiente, Stygian Crown or Vendel. Crypt Sermon are the current kings of the sub genre though.

4) The Cure - Songs of a Lost World (Polydor/Universal) / Gothic rock

I’ve always liked Robert Smith and The Cure, I’ve heard the classics but not their entire catalog and I’ve always told myself that I should embrace them more. Their first album in almost two decades convinced me that there’s good reasons people have been worshipping ‘em for decades. Songs of a Lost World has to be one of the best records by a band that far into their career. It’s hard to think of another contender except perhaps Rush’s swan song album Clockwork Angels. The album is sad but there’s a lot of hopeful and beautiful moments as well. It proves that Smith is still the master of melancholia. Almost as essential as Pornography or Disintegration.

5) Godspeed You! Black Emperor - No Title as of 13 February 2024 28,340 Dead (Constellation Records) / Post-rock

The masters of post rock come back with a politically charged title and deliver what I consider their best album since 2012’s Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!. It’s not as dark as some of their most recent material and there’s plenty of their usual crescendo buildups and guitar/violin interplay. Despite the dark title, there’s lots of hope to be found in their sound, they’re not as bitter as I was expecting. If you didn’t like GY!BE before, the new album won’t change your mind at all but it’s an album I went back to often when I needed instrumental music.

6) Chelsea Wolfe - She Reaches Out to She Reaches Out to She (Loma Vista Recordings) / Electronica/industrial/gothic rock etc

The seventh album by the goth queen Chelsea Wolfe is a fantastic spooky trip in electronica or industrial landscapes. I alternate between really digging her stuff and being a bit uninterested in it. I'm a big fan of her metallic explorations in Hiss Spun and Abyss but I wasn’t crazy with her Converge collaboration or Birth of Violence. She Reaches… still sounds like her but it’s a continuation of her more metallic sound or what she did on Pain With Beauty with an added focus on synth drenched moods. In the end, I just love her voice, her aesthetics and her dedication to musical exploration.

7) Spectral Voice - Sparagmos (Dark Descent Records) / Death/doom metal

I didn’t care for Blood Incantation’s newest album but Spectral Voice’s second album was the first truly great album of 2024. They play this style of condensed, intense, atmospheric death/doom with some spooky funeral doom moments. Their take on those genres is still super interesting and fresh to me unlike many current bands vomiting sixty plus minute records with no good riffs whatsoever. While Pestilence’s brainless Patrick Mameli defends his decision to use AI artwork, Spectral Voice and their label commissioned the creation of a sculpture for the cover. This shows the level of dedication and care the band has for their craft.

I’m not going to a lot of gigs nowadays but I didn’t miss ‘em last summer, they were incredible. No lights anywhere except from some candles on stage, entracing and exhilarating performance. A proof that death metal can still push a few boundaries.

8 ) Mount Eerie - Night Palace (P.W. Elverum & Sun) / Indie folk, avant folk etc

I’m not that familiar with Phil Elverum’s extensive discography but I certainly loved what I heard from either Mount Eerie or The Microphones. Back with a long album after a few years, Elverum’s new opus feels like a summary of everything so far and while it’s 26 songs, it never feels bloated or too much. It’s lo-fi folk for the most part with his usual great and poetic lyrics. He has the ability to make sadness a tangible emotion through his music and this record is no exception. There’s a lot to say but I haven’t fully assimilated the whole thing yet!

9) Amyl and the Sniffers - Cartoon Darkness (B2B records) / Punk, Rock

Comfort to Me was one of my favourite albums from 2021 so I was pretty stoked about a new one from the Aussies. They've been getting a lot of press but I can say that I got into them when they opened for King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard back in uhh pre pandemic times so eons ago. I like Amy's don't give a fuck lyrics, Declan's catchy hard rockin’ riffs and the overall mood of the band. They have this good balance between heaviness, hooks and abrasiveness.

 

 

 

10) High On Fire - Cometh the Storm (MNRK Heavy) / Stoner/doom/sludge metal

 

Matt Pike has been nothing but consistent throughout his career but I thought that after seven albums, things were getting stale for High on Fire. Death is this Communion, my personal favorite from the band, is almost two decades old already but Cometh the Storm happened to surprise me quite a bit. Maybe it’s the longer break than usual between releases (6 years) or the inclusion of Coady Willis (Big Business) on drums but this album feels fresh, exciting and it renewed my love for the band. It’s full of highlights like the title track, the instrumental interlude bringing back some middle eastern influences like on DITC or the ten minute closer “Darker Fleece”, a track encompassing their whole sound. What can I say except Matt Pike for president?

11) Yoo Doo Right - From the Heights of Our Pastureland (Mothland) / Post-rock, Experimental rock

Two Montréal post rock bands in my top 10? Sure thing! Obviously compared to GY!BE, Yoo Doo Right are no mere copycats. First of all, they’re a power trio and not like twenty members like their forefathers but this in no way impacts their sound. It’s rich, expansive and includes a lot of different influences from shoegaze, krautrock, experimental rock and they’re almost post metallic at times.One of my main complaints about post rock/metal is that the albums are always too long and nobody can reach the quality level of the masters (be it GY!BE or Cult of Luna) but that’s not a problem for Yoo Doo Right, this is a 42 minute long album filled to the brim with good shit. Super atmospheric, captivating and immensely varied for such a condensed record.

12) The Smile - Wall of Eyes (XL Recordings) / Art rock/progressive rock/experimental rock

Is Radiohead done? Are they on break? Well, who cares, The Smile are incredible and I love their first two albums. Thom Yorke and Johnny Greenwood are joined by jazz drummer Tom Skinner and they delivered interesting art rock as good as anything post Kid A. It’s jazzy, experimental, proggy and adventurous rock, you can feel that Yorke is as inspired and intriguing as ever.

13) Klo Pelgag - Abracadabra (Secret City Records) / Experimental pop

Klo is one of my favorite Quebec musicians and her fourth album continues to cement her legacy as one of the most important Quebecois songwriters of her generation. She’s been releasing a different album each time while retaining her essence, this one is self produced and feels intimate and restrained. Her vocals are sort of an acquired taste but they add to her idiosyncratic feel and fits her atmosphere. Abracadabra is some sort of chamber pop with influences from classical, new wave, electronica. There’s lots of catchy synths (see “Libre”) and also a lot of catchy simple yet intricate singalong moments (see “Triste ou méchante”). Pelgag delivers yet another unique record with a lovely and enchanting spirit.

14) Hexenbrett - Dritte Beschw​ö​rung: Dem Teufel eine Tochter (Dying Victims Productions) / Psychedelic black/heavy metal

I’ve been a fan of Hexenbrett since their debut EP and they’re continuing to deliver top notch material. Inspired by a lot of stuff such as old black metal, NWOBHM, Italian horror movie soundtracks (see Goblin), they play this blend of catchy, well composed psychedelic metal. There’s plenty of tasty melodic guitar leads, raspy tenebrous vocals and kitschy synths (see “La Plese de la Nuit”) creating a fun and varied experience that’s both tight and rich. I’m a sucker for black/heavy metal (see Malokarpatan, Demontage, Negative Plane) and Hexenbrett takes the subgenre, turns it on its head and adds a large serving of psychedelia, experimentation and European flair to it.

15) Tonnerre - La nuit sauvage (Cruz Del Sur Records) / Hard rock

With Cauchemar being pretty much done, Annick Giroux and her husband François Patry started a new band and it fucking rules. Patrick Pageau (Cauchemar’s first drummer and punDurs Coeurs’ frontman) and two other members joins the couple on this debut album. While retaining what made Cauchemar one of my favorite bands (the catchiness, the mystical and occult French lyrics and the same sort of guitar riffs), they easily transitioned to a hard rock band. Trading Pagan Altar, Pentagram or Witchfinder General for Blue Öyster Cult, AC/DC or classic Québec rock bands like Offenbach or Aut’chose, they composed a good vintage rock album full of hooks and charm.

16) Tire le Coyote - Dynastie (La Tribu) / Folk/Singer-songwriter/rock

I’ve always liked Tire le Coyote (the stage name of Benoit Pinette), especially 2017’s Désherbage (weeding) but his new album might be my favorite of his so far. His vocals are super peculiar and could be an acquired taste but I like ‘em, his lyrics are also extremely good but that’s something that will be lost on non French speakers. The album starts with an extremely potent adaptation of a Leonard Cohen song, it’s super emotional and sets the tone perfectly for the rest. Not quite a folk album, not quite a rock, an alternative or a pop one either, he’s able to mix everything into something interesting. You can hear that he’s a fan of 90s alt rock but also folk, country and all the other good stuff. 

 

 

 

17) Opeth - The Last Will and Testament (Moderbolaget) / Progressive Metal

 

Opeth is one of my most important bands. I often say that they’re my favorite band and I’ve been following their career since my high school days even though they’ll probably never reach the highs of their former glory. Regardless, I’ve enjoyed their post Watershed albums, albums leaning more into progressive rock without the famous harsh vocals of leader Mikael Akerfeldt. Surprisingly, harsh vocals are back on this concept album and it led to a lot of discussions. In the end, well, it’s a decent record. It mixes the prog metal leanings of Watershed with the dark prog rock of In Cauda Venenum and manages to sound somewhat fresh and not rehashed.I couldn’t care less about the story presented here, it’s a dramatic story of an old man and his testament, meh, who cares? Give me good riffs and solos. There’s some great guitar playing here and the veterans know how to craft an album. Still, it’s a tad short for their standards and I was left wanting a bit more.

 

18) Stygian Crown - Funeral for a King (Cruz Del Sur Records) / Epic doom metal

Los Angeles’ Stygian Crown are the second best American epic doom band right now after the previously picked Crypt Sermon. Both bands are super different though and that’s what's fun about the whole thing. Sure, they’re both Candlemass simps but the LA band includes a fair share of Bolt Thrower worship in their production and riff department. The band was formed by death metal veterans (Gravehill,Morgion, Divine Eve) so it’s not a totally surprising affair. I found Funeral for a King tighter and overall better than their self titled debut even though it’s pretty much the same type of music, they just improved their formula. What elevates the band though, is their singer. Melissa Pinion shines as this tough but operatic force. I’m a sucker for a good metal ballad and she’s incredible in Blood Red Eyes. Anyhow, solid riffs, great vocals, a great Kris Verwimp cover, a lot of cool things here!

 

19) The Last Dinner Party - Prelude to Ecstasy (Island) / Indie pop/baroque/rock

I was hooked the instant I saw the video for the song Nothing Matters. This group of English gals is super talented and full of oomph and charisma. Disciples of Kate Bush but also of intelligent timeless pop music (see St-Vincent), it’s impressive how good their debut album is. Sure, they have big label money and they were accused of being an industry plant but I do think they have the songwriting, aesthetic and talent to back things up. Their potential is high and I’m stoked to follow what they’ll do next. Their mix of semi prog rock mixed with baroque pop, fancy orchestration and pop hooks just worked super well.

 

20) Nails - Every Bridge Burning (Nuclear Blast) / Grindcore/Powerviolence/Hardcore

Nails’ second album Abandon All Life is one of my favorite albums of all time and while I think they’ll never reach the true level of aggression and anger it was, they’re still a top notch band. Released 8 years after You Will Never Be One of Us (one of the edgiest titles ever), it was a bit of a wait to get seventeen minutes of music from Todd Jones. Still, he’s super angry and he still delivers the goods.There’s thrash metal influences here, it’s added to their blend of styles, a true boiling pot of punches to the gut. I wasn’t a fan of the production at first but it grew on me. It's very sharp, like a nail that could be used as a dagger to stab the thief who stole your Amazon packages. If I only have 20 minutes of commute left, Nails remain a great option.