Metalligator’s Favorite Albums of 2024

The year of the 2024-Dragon has raised this Gator up in the sky only to douse me in flames, offering positive personal development in concert with backhanded “Nothing is for free” demands of painful payment. In short, I’ve moved to a new apartment for the first time in 13 years and actually have room to do shit at home now. But 2024 was also a demanding year at my day job, where I stepped up and took on responsibilities that were leading to a new career step, until it wasn’t and I got absolutely nothing in return for massive effort wasted. Such is life, and that is why we have metal. 2024 was fortunately stacked with good releases, and eventually also GREAT albums. I chomp on many different kinds of food, some sweetly melodic and some harshly bitter mixed with broken glass. As such, this list is varied. Is it confused or is it just confusing? WHO CARES, FUCK EVERYTHING, AND LET’S BREAK SOME SHIT TO GREAT FUCKING MUSIC.

EP
Polterguts - Nobody Likes You 01
Polterguts - Nobody Likes You Independent ~ Metallic Hardcore

If you haven't been pummeled by Polterguts yet then what are you even doing with your life? The only downside of the 10 minute Nobody Likes You EP is that it isn't a new album from this Missouri hardcore band. While it sounds a bit similar to the material on Gods Over Broken People, that's not really a bad thing as that album absolutely rips. Polterguts' style is very down to earth with lyrics detailing urban human misery — courtesy of some seriously gravelly vocals. Songs whiplash back and forth between pounding drums and angry riffs in a way that's perfect for breaking shit. Use this EP as an appetizer then shove that main course in your face.

EP
Writhen Hilt - Ancient Sword Cult 01
Writhen Hilt - Ancient Sword Cult Jawbreaker Records ~ Heavy Metal

Our latest, as of yet, spirit of a writer that has yet to take form whispered in my ear on a discord call that I should check out Writhen Hilt's debut EP. As I'm usually skeptic of modern heavy metal's ability to write songs that doesn't merely lick the boots of greater bands, I can't say I was excited to press play. But Writhen Hilt quickly show that they know their way around a good melody. The production is vintage but chunky, bringing with it a live feel. Intriguingly, "To Rival the Sun" reminds me a lot of what the guys in Lör are doing and hints at some potential. The riffs are there with feeling, and it makes me curious to hear how these guys will tackle their first full length. My hilt is twisting in excitement to be drawn to Ancient Sword Cult's sequel.

HM
Doedsmaghird - Omniverse Consciousness 01
Doedsmaghird - Omniverse Consiousness Peaceville Records ~ Black Metal / Electronica

What is an Omniverse Consciousness? It is a state of mind where you take the least of your ideas and make them good? Because that is what Dødheimsgard doppelganger Doedsmaghird does with gusto. Only the year after dropping my album of the year in 2023, Vicotnik (here credited as Mr. Vicxit Baba Maharaja, because of course) and his co-conspirator split a rib of the more classic Dødheimsgard sound into a spin-off that is no less weird than its main body. What results is a second wave black metal album that uses electronica to jerk the compositions out of the hazy gloom of the Norwegian forest and into the club, stabbing anyone that dares dance next to it. Telling myself that this stupid trick wouldn't work twice didn't help, as when I was writing Omniverse Consciousness up for our year end articles, the album sunk its teeth in, and drew blood.

HM
Madder Mortem - Old Eyes, New Heart 01
Madder Mortem - Old Eyes, New Heart Dark Essence Records ~ Progressive Metal

Old Eyes, New Heart is a much darker album than I initially thought. The more I've listened to it the more it's sunk in how much personal misery and vulnerability it deals in. For a band that isn't a stranger to these themes, that is quite something. Siblings and co-composers Agnete and BP Kirkevaag embody the progressive spirit on all of their albums, meaning no Madder Mortem song ever feels drawn from a template, an increasingly rare feat in a stale genre. I can think of few other bands that manage to combine Rush-like progressive rock with Soulfly-like riffs and come out on the other side sounding as good as they do. Old Eyes, New Heart might not be my favorite Madder Mortem album, but when a band stays true to themselves even their lesser works are worth hearing. Let's hope this new heart beats stronger for each passing year.

HM
Fatso 01 Cover
Arthouse Fatso - Sycophantic Seizures: A Double Feature Horror Pain Gore Death Productions ~ Deathgrind

How can you NOT instantly smash the play button when hearing about Orson Welles-themed deathgrind? Sycophantic Seizures: A Double Feature goes off like a bomb of sarcasm in today's political climate. Arthouse Fatso's debut oozes character and presents a cohesive whole of angular riffs and satire that should reach more ears. Influences range from Discordance Axis to Terrorizer, with some surprisingly rocking twists. The industrial leaning production leans into the programmed drums, voice samples and there's even a slam or two. Importantly, Sycophantic Seizures... flows just like deathgrind should. In just over 25 highly re-playable minutes, The Director howls his displeasure over songs that are varied and very cohesive at the same time, with a more lighthearted A-side making way to the searing anger of the B-side. Politicians, royals, Twitter-celebrities, the film industry, pundits, comedians, cheaters at video games and clothed breasts — no one is safe from this rabid Fatso.

HM
Couch Slut - You Could Do It Tonight
Couch Slut - You Could Do It Tonight Brutal Panda Records ~ Noise Rock / Sludge

When I was a kid, there was always something going on in the neighborhood. Someone killed another with an axe over a stolen washing room time just a block away from where I lived. A friend of the family smashed the window of a car and showed up with his bloody arm on the beach. It's stories like this that Couch Slut capture in vivid fascination on You Could Do it Tonight. With a great sounding bass recalling that of KEN mode, and slow moving sludge-fueled noise rock songs that leave the floor open for the vocals, Couch Slut's fourth album might not be the most exciting in its writing. But the ballads and lyrics are hypnotizing in the same compelling way listening to a good story is. Also kudos for getting President Trump to narrate the best interlude I've ever heard. Didn't know you guys were tight like that.

HM
B2D_Sunrise-over-rigor-mortis
Beaten to Death - Sunrise Over Rigor Mortis Mas-Kina Recordings ~ Deathgrind / Post Grindcore

Beaten to Death make dying from violence sound fun, as they have over the last 14 years. On their sixth album, Sunrise Over Rigor Mortis, the puns are going strong and this sometimes technical, sometimes progressive deathgrind band returns to the heavier post metal sound that littered Dødsfest. It's a sound I've missed and here, Beaten to Death go the extra mile parodying Scandinavian folk songs and Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It" like these were always part of their sound. There is a sneering disdain of nostalgia hidden in these tracks that adds an extra layer of meta humor to these songs about having "aged horribly". At 18 minutes, it's a great shot of malignant positivity. Whether you're keeping your hair long till you die, moshing for Mika or dying the dream, try not to let your bones snap while Sunrise Over Rigor Mortis happily punches you around.

10
Thy Catafalque - A gyönyöru almok ezutan jönnek 01
Thy Catafalque - XII: A gyönyörü álmok ezután jönnek Season of Mist ~ Progressive Metal

Támas Kátai has impressed me lately (not that being a multi-instrumentalist and composing albums on his own didn't impress before). I have been waiting for Thy Catafalque's songwriting to develop enough to bring all of the disparate influences together into a package I actually enjoy listening to, and with Alföld and now XII: A gyönyörü álmok ezután jönnek, the signal is appearing from the folksy noise. This new album is many things, but the key that makes all of the details complete the whole rather than detract from it is that it's a folk album at heart. With a strong direction, fantastic vocals and a lush sound complemented by a large ensemble of guests, Kátai navigates folk, death metal and electronica in a way that is all his own. This progressive folk sausage has me tempted to make more cuisine jokes, but maybe I'm just hungry. XII satiates, either way.

9
Cancer Christ_God is Violence
Cancer Christ - God Is Violence Seeing Red Records ~ Mettalic Hardcore / Powerviolence / Industrial

The idea of being offensive to Christians in heavier music is no longer a novel concept, and that religious horse has long been beaten to death. That's why it's such a surprise just how caustic and offensive Cancer Christ's witches brew of powerviolence, punk, thrash metal, industrial and grindcore manages to be. God is Violence clothes itself in religious fervor, and as if possessed by a dirty leftie demon straight out of university hell, it attacks the fundamentalist right's sacred institutions with a howling laugh. The police? FUK 'EM. The believers in heaven? FUK 'EM. Pedophile priests? FUK 'EM AAAALL. After learning that frontman ("Saint") Anthony Mehlhaff recently went on a drug-fueled rampage, God is Violence stands out even more for capturing a mad intensity of experimental and creative expression. While I don't condone his actions, God is Violence is art more than the sum of its insane parts.

8
Borknagar - Fall 01
Borknagar - Fall Century Media Records ~ Progressive Black Metal

I should not like this album. But no matter how I rationalize it, it's been spinning frequently in the Gator household since February and it ropes me in each time. Like a deep breath of fresh air on a sunny winter day with blue skies above, or a deep drink from a water bottle after a heavy workout, Fall is invigorating. Some might scoff about its proclaimed love for nature and history, but what is exclaimed in the lyrics is excellently mirrored in the vocal arrangements and progressively building instrumentation. The epic sword swinging nature of metal can at times put me off, but Borknagar instead aim for the grandeur of a mountainside view, a different kind of epic worshiped by bands like Agalloch. They do just that with progressive rock writing and tension building tremolos, like the two were always meant to find each other.

7
replicant - infinite mortality - 01
Replicant - Infinite Mortality Transcending Obscurity Records ~ Technical Death Metal / Progressive Metal

Infinite Mortality is a masterclass in marrying dissonant tension with the release of calculated grooves aimed at snapping your neck. The songwriting Replicant are dealing with on their third album is dynamic, walking the line between a doom crawl and bludgeoning death metal. And yet it somehow finds the time to take atmospheric detours that make a rare kind of sense. Special mention goes to the vocals, which sound like the ghost of a weightlifter dropping something heavy on their foot and proceeding to smash everything in sight. It's one of the most unhinged vocal performances I have heard all year. It took some time for me to get along with Infinite Mortality, but the grooves pulled me in and I learned to appreciate its finer details as it smashed me like a piñata in its barbell-swinging rage.

6
Opeth - The Last Will and Testament 01
Opeth - The Last Will and Testament Reigning Phoenix Music ~ Progressive Death Metal

Opeth need no introduction. Yet the idea that they therefore need no praise is a flawed one. Sure, they're popular, but for a popular band they are still oh so odd. After years away from their established death metal sound, it returns rejuvenated with streamlined songwriting and a solid concept. Sorceress and In Cauda Venenum had me worried we were witnessing the end of Åkerfeldt's grasp on songwriting and album construction, but here he returns to his strengths, with new quirks, and it sounds like the whole band is having fun. The Last Will and Testament sounds like old school progressive rock in construction, yet it hits with deathly precision, its vocals and new drummer being its weapons of choice. If you've ever had the thought "Make Åkerfeldt Growl/Great Again", join the #MÅGA movement and revel in how addictive this new album is, despite the "best of"-nature of its sound.

5
Gigan - AAI - 01
Gigan - Anomalous Abstractigate Infinitessimus Willowtip Records ~ Technical Death Metal / Progressive Metal

With a name like Gigan, you have a lot to live up to already, and boy does Anomalous Abstractigate Infinitessimus smash that target at light-speed. Mixing dissonant death metal with brutal death metal is nothing new, but there is an edge of noise to Gigan's sound that takes this album to terrifying zero-G heights. As if strapping a recorder to a space ship exiting a planet's atmosphere and then listening in on mysterious radio waves echoing across space, this album paints an uneasy picture with sound. Not content to merely bludgeon, Gigan even have the balls to inject minutes of noise into a 10-minute song and use it to build up the next neck-snapping moment. It's excellently executed and a great example of how to actually create a rich atmosphere in music. When your feet land on earth again, it'll be hard to look at space the same way as before.

4
Crypt Sermon_Stygian rOSE
Crypt Sermon - The Stygian Rose Dark Descent Records ~ Doom Metal

The Stygian Rose might be one of 2024's most accurate descriptions of what you're getting when pressing play. It's an album that successfully captures the feel of old doom metal acts while standing out for its ability to create the exact dark fantasy atmosphere you would imagine from its lyrics. It reminds me of 80's fantasy films, where the world is hostile and where a flawed protagonist meets his end because of an inability to overcome his obsession. But Crypt Sermon as a band develops to something amazingly cohesive here: the guitar tone is excellent at accenting the wonderfully rough vocals, the songs always feature a core direction that oozes mood and occasionally, it fucking rips you open with its aggressive riffing. Like its doomed protagonist, it's hard to resist getting drawn in like a moth to the flame, shrieking in moribund delight as the music moans of your misfortune.

3
huntsmen - thedryland 01
Huntsmen - The Dry Land Prosthetic Records ~ Progressive Sludge Metal / Americana

The Dry Land dropped during the most stressful part of the year for me, so it didn't get covered on our site. But make no mistake, Huntsmen have created something special here. Mixing sludge metal with americana, this is an album that details hardship, both in lyrics and in its tense sound that the band suggest derives from harrowing years of bad luck. It's rare for a metal band to use its complementary genre influence better than the metal itself, but that's exactly what makes this release special. The contemplative americana collaborates with the dual vocal attack of both male and female cleans to build up to huge sludge metal crescendos with growls, blackened shrieks and intense drumming. Another rarity lies in how smooth these songs go by and transition despite their length and acoustic nature. It leaves this Gator dry and thirsty for more each time.

2
Ingurgitating Oblivion - Ontology of Nought 01
Ingurgitating Oblivion - Ontology of Nought Willowtip Records ~ Progressive Dissonant Death Metal

The experience of Ontology of Nought is like drinking great whiskey. It burns your insides as it goes down and reveals its dense character with varied colors in between scorching your organs. Trends in dissonant music can be particularly bad nowadays, with bands going the dissonant route simply because they think the jarring effect makes up for poor, uneventful songwriting. Ingurgitating Oblivion are something else entirely. The massively distorted wall of sound on Ontology of Nought is a step towards a more industrial-tinged blackened death metal style not unlike Imperial Triumphant, rather than the clean precision of their previous album, coming off as a proggier Gorguts. Classical music compositions and the uniquely tasteful jazz drumming by brutal maestro Lille Gruber sound like they are trapped in the darkest of desert storms. The privileged few who brave that storm will be treated to drink from the clearest of waters.

1
Pyrrhon - Exhaust - 01
Pyrrhon - Exhaust Willowtip Records ~ Technical Death Metal / Noise Rock / Hardcore

From only the first few seconds, something sounds like it's breaking on Exhaust. The smell of Pyrrhon's sound, once like a garbage dump of technical death metal mixed with caustic sludge is now more akin to opening your compost garbage bin at home and smelling the sweet scent of grind and noise rock among the rotting leftovers. It's less a play for accessibility and more a re-evaluation of their style into something lean, yet no less mean. Since Exhaust released, I've been unable to stop stuffing myself with mouthfuls of its waste way past where its expiry date should be. What more could you ask from a record of the year?

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