Bobo Dupla’s Favorite Albums of 2024

There is nothing better than an EP filled with heavy and groovy death/doom of the filthiest kind. Bocc use longer tracks to convey their message of disgust, but it always pays off. I can never say no to a fine blend of crushing slow and energetic fast parts, and La forja dels cranis didn't need much persuasion to hook me.

New Yorkers Hospital Bomber describe themselves as a new wave of pants shitting death metal and they are absolutely right. This little EP is a blast. There is no foreplay in this, just borderline psychotic death metal onslaught. While the music itself is not reinventing any wheels, it is executed with a maniacal conviction in brutality.

Sometimes an album is so good, it doesn't matter how long or short it is. Danes Sewer Haul (they changed their name from Slovgh) released one of the swampiest, filthiest EPs of this year, and only needed 7 minutes to deliver brilliance. Self-labeled as "hardgore", this tag fits the music perfectly. It is one of the best goregrind sounds in my recent memory and can't wait for any upcoming full-length release.

The new Sedimentum EP is still a filthy slab of death/doom, just as crushing as ever, but this time there’s an eerie, melancholic edge woven within the chaos. The atmosphere is thicker, more suffocating, and yet hauntingly beautiful in moments—kind of reminds me of Worm’s ability to seamlessly meld despair and brutality It’s a bleak, mesmerizing journey I keep coming back to, even as it pulls me deeper into the abyss.

Groovy death metal vibe pulled me in on this EP, with rhythms so catchy they felt almost alive. The bass lines? Absolutely crushing—like a heartbeat driving the whole thing forward. And then there’s the cowbell. Who knew something so unexpected could work so perfectly in this chaos? It’s raw, heavy, and strangely fun, balancing brutality with hooks that stick in your head for days. This is a groove-laden journey through madness that I can’t stop revisiting.

Bleed on My Teeth completely floored me. It’s pure chaos—relentless, aggressive, and impossible to ignore. The mix of blackened death and thrash is intoxicating, with riffs that swing between crushing heaviness and razor-sharp ferocity. The solos feel like land mines, detonating without warning and sending the whole experience into overdrive. Melissa Gray’s vocal performance is absolutely unhinged: screams that tear through the mix, clean shouts that hit like a battle cry, and moments of eerie, clean madness that left me stunned. Even when things slow down it feels like the calm before another storm. This album doesn’t just demand your attention — it grabs you, shakes you, and leaves you gasping. Bleed on My Teeth is destruction in sonic form, and I couldn’t look away.

Selbst create a kind of black metal I usually like — melodic, depressive, and deeply affecting. Despondency Chord Progressions weaves together catchy riffs, sorrowful passages, and an undercurrent of progressiveness that keeps the experience dynamic and unpredictable. The melodies are haunting, but they never overwhelm the atmosphere; instead, they complement the bleakness in a way that feels almost cathartic. Each track carries a weight that lingers long after it’s over, leaving a mark on my soul that’s hard to shake. It’s not just sad for the sake of being sad—it feels purposeful, like every note is reaching toward something just out of grasp. The balance between melody and despair is stunning, and the atmosphere is so rich it’s almost tangible.

Temples Colliding in Fire has that perfect balance between traditional heavy metal and black metal, and it absolutely nails it. It reminds me of Malokarpatan in the way it incorporates black metal elements, but wraps them in this incredible traditional heavy metal cloak. The riffs are savage and sharp, yet layered with melodies and rhythms that evoke the spirit of classic heavy metal. There’s a fiery energy running through every track—raw and grim, yet triumphant and epic. The duality here is masterful; neither style overshadows the other, creating a sound that feels fresh and timeless all at once. For fans of both genres, this is a revelation—feral yet refined, eerie yet anthemic. It’s rare to find something that captures this kind of magic, and I know I’ll be coming back to it again and again.

Echoes of Light enchanted my ears with the first notes. Chapel of Disease have mastered the art of creating long, immersive tracks that build toward monumental guitar climaxes—each song ending with a solo so soaring it feels almost surreal. While the format might sound predictable, they pull it off with such finesse that it never gets old. I love how the band embraces “less is more” with just six sprawling songs; it’s the perfect approach for this kind of music, giving each track space to breathe without dragging. Tracks like “Selenophile” stand out, balancing catchiness and grit with a rock edge that nods to Blue Öyster Cult, cowbell and all, but still stays rooted in death metal’s darker tones. The velvety blend of rock-sweetened metal and adventurous songwriting makes this album feel timeless—like death metal reimagined through a 1970s lens. It’s an absolute joy to get lost in.

What I love most about Infinite Mortality is how Replicant make the album sound both intricate and simple to follow. They deliver jagged, dissonant riffs and crushing passages with an intensity that hits hard, yet there’s a surprising accessibility to their sound. Instead of drowning in a music theory lecture, the album feels carefully constructed, with a sensitivity that sets it apart from other dissonant sounding metal. It’s powerful and punishing, but never alienating—even for listeners who might not typically gravitate toward this style. Replicant have a way of making dissonance inviting, crafting a gripping experience that’s both challenging and rewarding. Each listen reveals new layers of intricacy, and I find myself coming back to it again and again. This is dissonant death metal at its best—unrelenting, masterful, and impossible to ignore.

I didn’t expect this album to grab me as much as it did, but it turned out to be one of Thy Catafalque’s best works yet. It’s more melodic and folky than Alföld, with a broader, dreamlike atmosphere that feels both refreshing and familiar. The incredibly catchy melodies and choruses caught me off guard—in the best way—and have a way of sticking with me long after listening. While it’s not as tight or direct as its predecessor, there’s a warmth and expansiveness here that makes it stand out. The album feels like a grower, unfolding its beauty with every listen, and it quickly earned a last-minute spot on my favorites list. It’s a perfect blend of Thy Catafalque’s avant-garde sensibilities and a more immediate, melodic approach, making it a truly captivating experience.

Bipolarities is exactly the kind of release I wish we’d see more often. Splits are so often overlooked, but this one proves how special they can be. Both bands deliver progressive death metal with an abstract twist, offering two distinct sides that somehow fit together perfectly. Diskord expand on the chaos they unleashed in their last album, pushing their sound into even stranger and more intricate territory. Meanwhile, Atvm continue to prove they’re one of the best unconventional death metal bands around, combining technical brilliance with a wild, unpredictable edge. What I love most about Bipolarities is how it highlights both bands’ unique approaches while still feeling cohesive as a whole. It’s a rare example of a split release where both sides are equally compelling, and it’s a reminder of how powerful and exciting this format can be when done right.

Punished by Nemesis is everything I love about vintage-sounding death metal done right. It’s raw, simple, and unapologetically old-school, but it never feels like a cheap imitation of the classics. Instead, Stress Angel blend early death metal and proto-thrash influences into a sound that’s distinctively their own. I love how the band alternates between faster, ferocious passages and slower, heavier moments, creating a devilish atmosphere that feels both dark and captivating. Tracks like “Ritual Debt,” with its melodic touches, really stand out and show off their ability to keep things interesting. Admittedly, I didn’t connect with this album right away, but I’m glad I gave it another shot—it’s been on regular rotation ever since. Stress Angel aren’t just nodding to the past; they’re carrying it forward, refining their sound into something timeless yet fresh. It’s straightforward, effective, and just plain fun to listen to.

Chytridiomycosis Relinquished is a sonic journey. It goes beyond the traditional confines of death-doom, blending suffocating heaviness with moments of ethereal psychedelia, progressive twists, and haunting atmospheres. Each track feels like a carefully crafted experience, pulling me into vivid, otherworldly landscapes while still hitting hard with crushing riffs and guttural intensity. What I love most about this album is its emotional depth and dynamic range—it shifts effortlessly from feral aggression to moments of contemplative beauty. It's rare to find a debut that feels both ancient and forward-thinking, but Slimelord manage to achieve it flawlessly. This record cements their place as true pioneers in modern extreme music, and I can’t get enough of it.

This year has been very fruitful when it came to death metal releases. It might be one of the most varied genres in metal, and it still thrives. There has been a somewhat recent wave of filthy, steadfast death/doom variety which adores nasty mid-tempo riffs and heavy distortion. And Stenched delivered the best album of this kind this year. Filled with audible mold, this murky one-man project from Mexico greatly surprised me and I immediately fell for their sound. It doesn't just feature flesh ripping riffs, it adds little details here and there and elevates the gloomy sub-sub-genre to a higher level.

I've already gushed about Seth's latest album in a dedicated review, but since it is so good, I will gush a bit more now. La France des Maudits might be one of the best sympho-meloblack album I heard. Sure, there were other French meloblack albums released this year like Griffon or Moisson Livide, but none of them delivered that kind of heartfelt and emotional music like Seth did. With Seth it's akin to witnessing all the glory and brutality of French revolution as if I experienced it myself. It adds layers on layers of musicality to explore with each listen and never fails to entertain me.

There is a fine line between good and bad war metal. Sometimes the line is so blurry even the bad ones are somewhat good. Black Curse however never even looked at that line. Their brand of war metal is a premeditated act of violence, executed in a ruthless manner. Burning in Celestial Poison, their second full-length, hit me from the very first note and didn't vacate my mind since. It's an enormous album which lays all of the violent aspects of their music in front of me in neatly packed longform tracks. It expects me to pay attention to it otherwise it could blend into a never-ending wall of sound. Luckily Black Curse are really good in what they're doing and result is one of the most intricate war metal albums of this year, if not the past few years.

Waiting for a particular release is very rarely a matter of yearning for me. I usually don't even know who is going to release new music only until a relatively short time in advance. Call it apathy. News about an upcoming Blood Incantation album somehow reached my den and doubts gripped my brain. Will it be good or ambient? Fortunately, Blood Incantation delivered. And they delivered a progressive masterpiece filled with wonderful ideas taken from a wide universe of influences. There is still death metal with space riffs, they also still like to play with ambient music and they now worship Pink Floyd. All these aspects are tightly knitted into a cozy space suit which provides me with a much needed comfort. Absolute Elsewhere is a stunning mix of three musical words that absolutely can't be found elsewhere.

I have to be honest here. I completely forgot about Brodequin and no wonder, it took them 20 years to release a new album. But from the moment I hit play on Harbinger of Woe, I was in. This is a brutal manifestation of violence only and it doesn't even hide it. From the first to the last note, Harbinger of Woe is a constant onslaught which offers only little breathing time. And when it does that, it showcases one of the best sample utilization in recent memory. Brodequin recorded a monster of an album and the more I listen to it, the more I like it. It's brutal, it's fast, it's simple - it's all I can ask for.

My relationship with technical branches of extreme metal was always difficult. On one hand I appreciate the musicianship, on the other hand I can rarely digest it. For a tech band to click with me, they need to do it very well and have to present it in palatable format. Defeated Sanity managed all of that perfectly. Their blend of tech brutal death metal features a remarkable amount of wank wrapped in a thick layer of perfect production. It's a sonic assault in which you know exactly what is currently bludgeoning you. Chronicles of Lunacy is a lecture on quantum physics, but somehow I understand everything perfectly and have no further questions. Truly a work of art.