It’s the last day of 2024, so I guess I ought to post my album list for the year.
There is one important thing to keep in mind – I honestly did not have time to check out a whole ton of stuff. I was very busy this year with house hunting that got put off, a job that was going off the rails and an eventual job change, and all of the assorted stress and turmoil along with stuff like that. Things are moving forward but even now I’m still adjusting to a different job, way different hours and stuff like that.
It’s the unfortunate part of this site – I’m a hobby blogger, I’m not a music journalist of any sort so I don’t have near as much time as I would really need to investigate new releases. Week after week went by with albums of interest to me, some of them I got to hear once and others not at all. Given that I spent a good chunk of the year on this site in remembrance of 1984, keeping up with today’s music wasn’t nearly as much on my radar as I would have liked it to be. Add in to that the issue that more new music is released than ever before, and it’s just impossible to keep up.
But even if my evaluation of this year’s music is woefully incomplete, I can still offer up a top ten list. Even if 2024 albums weren’t’ the focal point of my year, there are still ten out there I can nail down to compose the pretty well mandatory year-end list.
Blaze – Circle Of Stone
In a year when every Iron Maiden singer released a solo album of some sort, it’s Blaze that came out on top for me. This album is a great follow-up to his excellent prior album War Within Me. This one brings a few touches of power metal along. Blaze has had a great solo career and this is another wonderful release in the series.
Chat Pile – Cool World
The Oklahoma outfit generated a lot of buzz on their 2022 full-length debut God’s Country. The follow-up also delivers a woeful brand of noise and doom, with just a touch of nu-metal thrown in. This one shapeshifts in places to keep it from sounding like a clone of their prior work and keeps the band on everyone’s radar, much to the chagrin of some. I’m here for it.
illuminati hotties – POWER
In 2021 I happened on this indie/punk/alt act on kind of a whim and the album Let Me Do One More nearly ran off with my album of the year award. Sarah Tudzin has done production and engineering work to everyone from Logic and Slowdive to boygenius, and her own project rivals those. This album is overall pretty chill and satisfying and I look forward to much more to come.
Rotting Christ – Pro Xristou
I did not check out a ton of extreme metal this year, which is a shame as I’m led to believe there was a ton worth a listen. But I will always make time for the veteran Greek outfit and their blend of atmospheric black metal. This is their 14th album and they sound just as great as they did when I first heard them in the early ’90’s.
Waxahatchee – Tiger’s Blood
Katie Crutchfield’s project got notice in 2020 with the critically praised Saint Cloud album and this is the long-awaited follow-up. It’s a fantastic blend of indie rock and country that was pleasing on first listen and then made itself at home with subsequent plays. It’s nice to see Waxahatchee continue to gain notice, including with a Grammy nomination for this record.
Transylvania – Windrider
Up next is something a bit different – this is the debut full-length from an act local to Springfield. We’ve been waiting awhile for this release as it was done sometime a few years ago in the midst of the pandemic and took some time to come to light. Transylvania have been one of the mainstays of the local scene here for years and it’s great to finally have this album in hand. While there’s no doubt the band bears comparisons to Iron Maiden, they have definitely made their own stamp on things here.
I will cover this album in more detail in the coming weeks.
Grand Magus – Sunraven
It’s never a bad year when Grand Magus release an album. This is another fine blend of doom and traditional heavy metal. I’ve been following Grand Magus since pretty much the beginning and it’s hard to believe we’re now over 20 years and 10 albums in.
Saxon – Hell, Fire and Damnation
Saxon showed up right at the start of the year with their 24th album and yet another excellent entry in their catalog, which has been on fire for a few decades now. There’s a bit extra behind this one that lifts it up another level. It didn’t hurt that I got to see them on tour this year in one of the very few shows I was able to attend.
I did previously review this album as an Album of the Week feature.
High On Fire – Cometh The Storm
The heavy as hell noise merchants took over five years off, with founder Matt Pike dealing with some health issues and releasing a solo album in that time. But the band returned better than ever with this slab of metal that combines their trademark Motorhead meets stoner metal vibe with Middle Eastern music influences. As usual, High On Fire transcend all category labels and delivered a quality offering once again.
Album of the Year 2024
Judas Priest – Invincible Shield
Priest arrived earlier in the year with their 19th album and they mopped the floor with everyone from the word go. The band have been in fine form on their past few releases despite line-up turmoil and advanced age. Everyone else had most of the year to top this and were unable to do so. It’s amazing just how great Priest sound in 2024 – it isn’t just that they sound “better than they should for their age,” it’s that they were once again able to conquer the heavy metal realm.
That does it for 2024, at least the stuff I was able to give spins to. I’m sure there’s more great stuff out there that I missed, but sadly that’s how time works, I don’t have near enough of it. Let’s see what 2025 has in store.
The Crooked Wanderer 