My Top 10 Albums Of 2024

 
This years list practically picked itself with a clear distinction of eleven records above the rest, so special mention for Erang's The Kingdom Is Ours. A truly novel record, uniting a scene of isolated, anonymous musicians together for a love letter to the strange and wonderful worlds they have individually created.

(10) Billie Eilish "Hit Me Hard And Soft" (2024) link

Still on top of her game, Billie and brother Finneas continue to explore their musical passions. Not as experimental or impactful as prior adventures, the merits of her soft voice carry these great instrumentals to soothing places on a breezy record that's all too easy to enjoy and hard to forget.

(9) Boston Manor "Sundiver" (2024) link

Despite reveling in the echo's of 90s Alternative Metal, these songs transcend their inspirations, making anthemic strides fit for the big stage. Grabbing and infectious, big riffs and soaring vocals ascend. Its been hard to ignore this fresh crop of tuneful ear worms, often wriggling out my subconscious.

(8) Chaosbay "Are You Afraid?" (2024) link

Having firmly grasped my attention and consistently delivered memorable Metal for a few years now, Chaosbay return with one of their best efforts to date, continuing to wrap Pop sensibilities into punchy aggressions that sway from the extremes of rhythmic brutality to tuneful melodies, all within a distinct dystopian capsule.


(7) Sabrina Carpenter "Short N' Sweet" (2024) link

At thirty six minutes, Short N' Sweet is an apt title. Without a touch of filler, Sabrina navigates the current context of revivalist Pop music, weaving in soothing flavours of Country between flashes of Synthpop arcitetchure. She has the voice the match the mission, elevating these instrumentals to another level.

(6) Marilyn Manson "One Assassination Under God - Chapter 1" (2024) link

Although fresh in memory, Marilyn's latest offering has shudders of greatness. Its lyrical anger and relevancy to his recent legal proceedings channels something real through the filter of his cunning juxtapositions. Always one for clever lyrics provoking thought and reflection, his routine has felt somewhat played out over the years. Turning to personal woes with The Pale Emporer resurrected his career and although this chapter hasn't resonated on a broader scale, it feels like another signficant growth.

(5) Tyler The Creator "Chromakopia" (2024) link

Tyler's longevity is already impressive. Chomakopia just marks another chapter where he channels inspirations into grabbing music. The personal themes and intimate nature gives one a lot to chew on as he walks us through some of life's deeper challenges. Of course, its all backed by banging instrumentals to get stuck in your head alongside the topics he brings to light.

(4) Willow "Empathogen" (2024) link

What a voice! So expressive and dexterous, I love how Willow ventures around the flow of the music, complimenting and swaying with its candor. Given its her Sixth album, the maturity of a growing musician who's been at it since her teen years really shines bright on Empathogen.

(3) Knocked Loose "You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To" (2024) link

Metal album of the year, no doubts. The non-linear nature of its sporadic outbursts of frothing frustration had me questioning how long this magic would last. The verdict is in, these songs stick. Knocked Loose continue to refine and elevate their focus and bring us a horrifying indulgence in frenzied aggression, the soundtrack to all your woes.

(2) Kyros "Mannequin" (2024) link

Forging somewhat of a modern Prog masterpiece, Kyros put together a dazzling record. Indulging in musical dexterities, bombarding us with animated melody a rhythmic chops. The band dance through a love of Metal, Rock and Synths, all dressed up in big playful theatrics. Its bold, ambitions and delivers on its promise set by the mighty Showtime.

(1) Aurora "What Happened To The Heart?" (2024) link

Despite a stunning voice, this was somewhat unexpected. As a musician who does music for her fans, more so than herself, it was quite the shock to get such an emotionally resonating album. With Folk-like roots and world music inflections, Auroa's latest record reflects Pop music trends. Taking the care and craft of modern production, the lean towards these more ancient musical vibes resonates deeply with the journey her voice ventures on, routinely finding fantastic upheavals of emotion as the music flows into swells of intensity from soothing settings. Its a magic that's unforgettable.

Knocked Loose "A Different Shade Of Blue" (2019)

 

Ever evolving, plunging deeper into metallic influences, Knocked Loose follow up their debut Laugh Tracks with this menacing beast of a sophomore record. Sinister in tone, its shouted angers and growled frustrations lurch within a darkly atmosphere well encapsulated by its album cover. A Different Shade Of Blue leans into discomfort, bleeding unsettled tensions into rhythmic groove and bounce. Dissonant, angular, shady guitar licks play interim on a stifling path to release. Strings of muddling riffs craftily pivot into thudding grooves and stomping halftimes, gratifying upon arrival.

Its thirty eight minutes entertain thoroughly. A consistent, non-linear onslaught of aggression. With dreary mood, the music seemingly stumbles its way into the wild throws of beat down magic over and over. A simple concept for release that somehow never unshackles its dingy looming dread. This characters the record with a sense of artistry where typical ideals are twisted to the will of this hallowed, enraged vision.

The metallic influences present are unshakable. In both tone and composition, these echos of Sludge, Groove and Melodic Death Metal ripple through more obvious Metalcore stylings. Many riffs and moments have an uncanny reminiscence but to what or who specifically I am never quite sure. This is testament to their creative expression. Influences heard all over yet never encroaching generic plagiarism.

My ultimate takeaway is my favorite sort, a solid record. Something that plays in service of its next song. Barely a peak or valley, just a consistently exciting venture along its meandering foray of gratifying aggressive oddities. Mistakes Like Fractures jumps out at the mid point but other than that its really hard to pick favorites as each track delivers on both its wretched mood and punchy spurts of head banging bliss.

Rating: 8/10

Knocked Loose "Laugh Tracks" (2016)

Entertained yet unimpressed by Pop Culture, this follow up debut album showcases a distinct shift in approach. Illuminating an unhinged magic to blossom fuller on You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To, the Beatdown oriented Hardcore outfit dazzle with tangents and derivatives leaning into the umbrella of Metal sub-genres. Occasionally overt but often subtle, to a seasoned Metalhead, guitar riffs shift gears with metallic thrashings between the onslaught of gritted Hardcore Punk aggression.

 

The band chew through struggling terrain, challenging music to endure. Addictive within its angered outburst, abrasive refrains, aesthetic dissonances drag one along with a touch of chaos. Wading through a swamp of discontent, each track eventually arrives with a gratifying stomp of mosh friendly groove. An awkward balance to achieve but Knocked Loose grasp it with a masterful strangulating grip.

Laugh Tracks plays in constant anticipation of whats to follow, barely lingering in any arrangement for more than four bars, its swiftly navigates non-linear writing promises a romp to follow. I think only Last Words opts out of a throw down as its final palm mute chug diverts expectations as the guitars take on an uglied Black Metal aesthetic. Its swiftly remedied as No Thanks lunges straight into the dance floor chops.

Without sensationalizing their own material, remaining grounded to the frustrated howls of Garris', Knocked Loose offer up a whole work worthy of listening front to back. I've found it hard to pick out a favorite song, This one plays complete, consistent and cunning as something vicious always lies in wait, all the way up to a sudden outburst of menacing, high society pompous laughter at its ending.

Rating: 8/10

Knocked Loose "Pop Culture" (2014)

 

You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To has become a recent obsession of mine. Its been years since a band has pushed the envelope on the extremes of "heavy" music. Logically its time to do the deep dive, starting with bands first release, a five track EP.

 Entertaining but far from memorable, Pop Culture only has retroactive flickers of a genius yet to unravel. Playing like typical beat-down Hardcore, the group barrel through angered stampedes of syncopated rhythmic assault. All roads lead to Rome, each song finds climax through slam grooves fit for hardcore dancers swinging limbs.

With knowledge of whats to come, one can hear their subtle rejections of typical song structure flow. Taking apt opportunities, linear strings of dissonant riffs often divert from anticipated grooves. Lacking the gravitas to rip up the rule book, they sound off-kilter but yet to evolve into the unhinged beast frothing anger at the mouth.

Aesthetics and production suffer too, dulling their intensity, a amateurish affair typical of debut low budget records. The ending of All My Friends offers a whiff of textured atmospheric chaos to come but its brief. Most of the time, power chord guitars fall into cushioned palm muted distortions that lack teeth for a sharper bite.

Its lyrical themes mostly hinge on conflict with religion, unanswered questions stiring deep unrest. Garris' high pitched shriekish bark is still jarring but yet to encapsulate that livid frustration put forth later. Its clear he and his band mates have much maturing to do but their is no denying the foundations of whats to come were laid here. I'm seeking a tipping point in their evolution! However this didn't win me over.

Rating: 4/10

Knocked Loose "You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To" (2024)

 

With frantic demeanor, pointed jittery bombardments unleash bottled up agitations. Furious spurts of frenzied anger erupt, spewing forth a fierce menace, rattling the cage, as unwavering intensity decimates structure. Brevity carries a weighty burden, form flees as directionless lashes of hurt strike impulsively. From this wounded posture, dissonance reigns supreme, splicing aesthetic discomfort and rhythmic assault into an uglied abomination, dizzying in its relentless pursuit of filth.

In other words, the record plays like a sporadic riff-fest, somehow satisfying in where this formless chain of spiteful distortions lands. Currently embracing increasing attention, Knocked Loose capitalize on their Coachella exposure, dropping ten cuts across a brief twenty seven minute stint that barely repeats itself with any semblance of comfortably. Their breed of adrenaline soaked Metallic Hardcore loosens its beat-down shackles, expanding texture and craft as disgruntled horizons expand.

The often gratifying loop of obvious throw-downs gets challenged, the group elongate sludgy thuds of rhythm guitar into unpredictable sleuths descending into depravity. A clear victory, aided by intriguing arrangements between that suffer from an attention deficit disorder. One moment collapses into the next, exploring ranges of aggression and leveraging moments of respite with creepy shadowed melodic dissonance.

All that said, a couple of songs do conform. Suffocate lands a digestible punch, featuring an evolving Poppy. Her screams are mustering more intensity. This still dazzles after many spins. Its sporadic nature wrestles successfully with predictability, unhinged yet effective. I'm left with a sense that time will tell if these songs stick. Despite knowing these numbers well, that unstructured charm has kept it fresh.

The only blemish is Garris' shrieking howl. Resembling a crows dying squawk, its likely a love hate sound I simply have to tune out. The rest of the aesthetic is fantastic. In this era of music production, bands can load depth into the clarity which may go overlooked as the romps of metallic fight music will likely take center stage.

Rating: 9/10

Knocked Loose "A Tear In The Fabric Of Life" (2021)

 

My excitement and appetite for the cutting edge of brutality in the world of Extreme Metal as diminished severely with time. Most bands I encounter seem to be locked in the Post-Deathcore and Djent overlay which tends to recycle the same ideas found at their origins. Alongside a Metalcore backbone, some of that bore is to be found here too with with a shimmering of Mathcore in places also. The reason I mention this is because Knocked Loose have spun that formula into a short and pacey affair of pummeling intensity. On this EP, six tracks blaze through the many tropes and un-original ideas common to the genre on the heels of an adrenaline shot of excitement. Their song structures continually race ahead, leaping from one moment of bludgeoning to the next, leaving you with little time to recover from each metallic blow. Its a fun experience as the chops come quick and fast, rarely looping back and often jumping into sludgy palm muted break downs with barely a moments notice.

The production is stellar, a show of strength, an aesthetic treat of modem engineering that has its instruments frothing with a rage shared by front-man Bryan Garris. Initially I found his shrill, high pitched bark a bit rash but I warmed up to it as his energy fell inline with the unrelenting march of aggression the band set out on with these songs. Not only do the instruments bring intensity, the moments of texture embellished in its discordant riffs take up the pauses for breath with expansive moments of tense atmosphere as on occasion the music blossoms into something more than the meat grinder it initially seems to be. With quite a few spins in the past weeks, A Tear In The Fabric Of Life is a short experience that's delivered much gusto as its rapid approach brings continual waves of excitement that last the initial explosive impression created.

Rating: 6/10