Welcome to part two of our annual year-end metal list, where we count down our Top 20 favorite metal albums of 2024. As I mentioned in the previous post this top 40 list culls together my personal favorite albums of the year. In no world would I pretend to have listened to enough new music over the last twelve months to say I could create a definitive “best of” list. With that said, I highly recommend every album listed below and suggest you spend as much time with each as you can afford. I hope you find one of your new favorite records as well.
For those who’d like to hear tracks off each record outside of the provided links make sure you check out the two year-end episodes of The Metal Dad Radio Show on Cygnus Radio.
20. Aptorian Demon – Liv tar slutt
I love, love, love Second Wave black metal, and while admittedly some of that love is the consistent tug of nostalgia, there were always musical elements that made the music so alluring (even despite low production values and occasionally low talent levels as well). So when a band puts out a record that sounds like it could have been lifted from the vaults of early ’90s Scandinavia my attention has been grabbed. When they can hearken back to that mighty scene and add their own personal touches to it? Sold. This record is steep in atmosphere, razor-sharp in its delivery, and holds some of the more captivating vocals in black metal today. Aptorian Demon hadn’t put out a full length album in 12 years prior to Liv tar slutt dropping last month, and I’m not going to pretend to know what was keeping their members busy over that time. By the sounds of this record it probably had a lot to do with worshiping Satan.
https://aptoriandemon.bandcamp.com/album/liv-tar-slutt
19. Black Pyramid – The Paths of Time Are Vast
I stated in our previous post that 2024 wound up being an exceptional year for stoner/doom metal. Part of what made it so great was the number of bands who returned to the fold with full-length albums after long hiatuses. One such band was Massachusetts-based Black Pyramid. Outside of one single and a split release in 2020 this album was the first new Black Pyramid material in eleven years, and it has quickly become one of their best. Taking the stoner rock blueprint they perfected on their 2009 debut album and infusing it with even more psych rock and trad doom elements, this album finds Black Pyramid stretching their aural limits to new and exciting places. Filled with Sabbath-worthy riffs and songs that aren’t afraid to explore the nether regions of stoner doom, we may be calling this album Black Pyramid’s Sabbath Bloody Sabbath before its all said and done.
https://blackpyramid.bandcamp.com/album/the-paths-of-time-are-vast
18. Perchta – D’Muata
Some time ago their record label, Prophecy Productions, shared live footage of Austrian black/folk metal act Perchta and it wound up as a suggested post on my Instagram feed. I’ve been slightly obsessed with this band ever since. Built around the Perchta persona from Germanic/Slavic/alpine folklore, this band deftly combines black metal with various folk metal elements to create a theatrical brand of black metal. It’s a style and level of musicality that many have tried and miserably failed at attaining, yet Perchta has now come to perfect on two exceptional records, with D’Muata being the best thus far. Vocals wax and wane between tortured screams and gorgeous clean singing, with the occasional spoken word passage thrown in. The music often follows suit, going from traditional black metal brutality to atmospheric folk metal and back again. This album is an absolute journey and best played from start to finish when possible.
https://perchta-official.bandcamp.com/album/d-muata
17. Chained to the Bottom of the Ocean – Sisyphean Cruelty
For the second year in a row Massachusetts-based blackened sludge/doom act Chained to the Bottom of the Ocean dropped an album I was not expecting at all, and for the second year in a row they completely blew my doors off. (Resulting in a second year in a row in the Top 20 on this list.) This band writes music that’s meant to pummel the listener into submission and this album could be listed as Example A. Sisyphean Cruelty continues and seemingly perfects their absolutely sadistic blend of sludgy, heavy riffs, unholy vocals, and overall unsettling vibes. As the title suggests there is an element of cruelty here culled from the darkest recesses of humanity’s crumbling existence. There is no hope for those who attempt to pass through here.
https://chainedtothebottomoftheocean.bandcamp.com/album/sisyphean-cruelty
16. Curse the Son – Delirium
I love when a band from my home state of Connecticut is able to make this list. This year saw the return of one of CT’s absolute best metal acts, Curse the Son. For almost two solid decades Curse the Son has been delivering crushing stoner/doom metal of the highest order. Truly one of the most underrated bands in the entirety of the genre, Curse the Son dropped one of their best efforts yet back in September. Delirium contains some of their most memorable riffs and songs, and continues to add to a growing legacy of doom and gloom classics.
https://cursetheson.bandcamp.com/album/delirium
15. Ischemic – Condemned to the Breaking Wheel
I won’t pretend I was super familiar with Canada’s Ischemic prior to the release of this year’s Condemned to the Breaking Wheel. But after sitting with this record through multiple listens I certainly wish I was. Taking sludgy doom metal and running it through a blackened prism, Ischemic write music that just feels entirely suffocating. This record weighs on you and just stifles out any sense of hope the way few others did this year. Gritty riffing, a pummeling rhythm section, and dire vocals combine to send you on trip to a dark corner of the metal world where doom and black metal conspire to burn their dead and bury the ashes.
https://ischemic.bandcamp.com/album/condemned-to-the-breaking-wheel
14. Brume – Marten
This is easily one of the more interesting and unique albums I came across this year. How interesting and unique? So much so I was convinced I wouldn’t find them on Metal Archives because they most certainly would have been deemed not “metal enough” for the admins. (To my pleasant surprise they are indeed listed on the site.) Mixing doom metal with goth and even indie rock aesthetics Brume writes songs that are not only monolithic in nature but wholly accessible for fans who don’t necessarily partake in the extreme corners of the metal pantheon. On this album their sound expanded further with the addition of a full-time cello player, giving them even more ammo for the metal purists to get uptight about. Make no mistake, there are sections (and sometimes entire songs) on this album that will make you question what genre you’ve actually wandered into, like someone lost in a city they’ve never visited before. But when you do touch familiar ground it makes the entire journey all the more rewarding.
https://brumesf.bandcamp.com/album/marten
13. Winterfylleth – The Imperious Horizon
Now on their eighth full-length album, British black metal act Winterfylleth continue to make the case for ‘legendary’ status within the genre with newest offering The Imperious Horizon. Once again focused on being as atmospheric as they are heavy, Winterfylleth have delivered another set of tracks that transports the listener. Where and when they are transported to matters less than the actual trip itself. Few black metal bands seethe atmosphere and mysticism in their music the way Winterfylleth does and this album is another astounding testament to that fact.
https://winterfylleth.bandcamp.com/album/the-imperious-horizon-standard-edition
12. Unholy Altar – Veil of Death! Shroud of Night
Easily one of the best debut albums of 2024 came from Philadelphia-based black metal horde Unholy Altar. This is a raw, unrelenting album that fans of black metal’s storied second wave should be all over. The entire record is just beastly and unforgiving, yet there’s enough atmospherics here to make it feel like you’ve accidentally stumbled upon some secret, evil ritual. It’s a sonic ritual you have no right beholding, yet are gloriously welcomed to with cloven-hoofed arms. Frankly, I’m a little obsessed with this record and just how completely depraved it all sounds. I cannot wait for the follow up. Unholy Altar is a force to be reckoned with.
https://unholyaltar666.bandcamp.com/album/veil-of-death-shroud-of-nite
11. Hulder – Verses in Oath
No band over the last five years has risen up the ranks of the USBM scene the way Washington’s Hulder has. Prior to the plague times Hulder was a little known one-woman project who had grabbed the attention of the metal underground with a run of killer demos and a two-song EP. Fast forward to 2024 and when USBM bands are discussed one of the first names to cross many lips is Hulder. Second full-length album Verses in Oath is a huge reason why. Hulder is an act that continues to evolve with each release, and this album continues to see their sound move away from the lo-fi machinations of second wave black metal into something more atmospheric and all-around epic in its presentation. Released at the beginning of February this was one of the first truly great albums of 2024 and one that remains a perfect listen as we drift back into the cold embrace of winter.
https://20buckspin.bandcamp.com/album/verses-in-oath
10. Spectral Wound – Songs of Blood and Mire
If you were to ask me to name the greatest black metal scenes in the world today at some point early in the discussion I’d say Canada. If you were to in turn ask me about Canadian black metal one of the first bands to cross my lips would be Spectral Wound. Since 2015 this band has delivered majestic album after majestic album every three years like some ancient beast being summoned from the darkened abyss. And every three years I sit in awe of their songwriting prowess and ability to create some of the most crushing and unique black metal the world around. So when I say that Songs of Blood and Mire might be their best album yet you should take heed. Unafraid to mix in shots of melodic black metal, blackened death metal, and even the occasional black n’ roll aesthetic, Spectral Wound delivered an album that not only will appease long time fans, but should find them bringing even more followers into the cult. A majestic black metal triumph from start to finish.
https://spectralwound.bandcamp.com/album/songs-of-blood-and-mire
9. Neon Nightmare – Faded Dream
I’m fairly certain that Nate Garrett, mastermind of the outstanding Spirit Adrift, created Neon Nightmare as an homage for his love of all things Type O Negative. Yet why do I feel guilty for being the roughly one millionth person to liken this project to one of my all-time favorite metal acts? Probably because whether Garrett intended for this album to be a direct homage or not he actually wound up creating one of the best metal albums of 2024. Fans of goth and doom-infused trad metal should have this record on constant repeat. From the heavier, dreamier aspects that run throughout like a gloomy current to the downright catchy hooks of a track like “They Look Like Shadows” this is easily one of the most memorable releases of 2024 and one that I’ll personally be revisiting for a long time to come.
https://20buckspin.bandcamp.com/album/faded-dream
8. Tribulation – Sub Rosa in Aeternum
I’ve been completely infatuated with Tribulation since their inception, and even more so when their sound shifted to a more gothic black n’ roll style. There just aren’t any other bands in the world that sound like Tribulation and in the underground metal world that’s possibly the highest compliment I can offer. This is another album that I wish had released earlier in the year so I could have spent more time with it. Fans of previous efforts will agree that this record continues to add to an amazing legacy. Best listened to in the dead of night, possibly while trolling through town looking for haunted buildings or old cemeteries.
https://centurymedia.bandcamp.com/album/sub-rosa-in-ternum-24-bit-hd-audio
7. Slimelord – Chytridiomycosis Relinquished
If you’ve ever listened to The Metal Dad Radio Show on CygnusRadio.com you know that my co-host The Candyman prefers his death metal to be technical and somewhat progressive (think Human and Individual Thought Patterns era Death). While I’m a fan, I personally prefer my death metal to be sludgy and doom-crusted (think Slowly We Rot era Obituary). When I played a track from the new Slimelord album on our show we agreed that their debut full length may actually be the perfect record for us to meet halfway on. While Slimelord wade neck deep in the primordial pools of death doom there is a layer of technicality to this record almost unseen in these darkened corners of the death metal pantheon. At times the guitar work is completely unsettling as they bend and twist notes in interesting and often discordant ways, and you’ll be hard-pressed to ever find bass lines on a death doom record that dance up and down the fret board the way these do. Highly recommended for fans of death metal that refuses to paint by the numbers.
https://20buckspin.bandcamp.com/album/chytridiomycosis-relinquished
6. My Dying Bride – A Mortal Binding
I’ve been a My Dying Bride fan since the early ’90s and will freely admit that this was my most highly anticipated album of 2024 (especially after previous album The Ghost of Orion topped this very year-end list in 2020). Unfortunately, shortly after its release in April the band put themselves on indefinite hiatus. What? While they’ve announced a return to the live stage (with a guest vocalist?!?) I can’t help but think this might be the final My Dying Bride record. If so, they leave this mortal coil gifting us one of their better releases, which after 15 full-length albums over 30+ years is pretty damn impressive. I won’t bore you with trying to describe the gloomy beauty held within this release, especially if you’re a longtime fan like myself. Just go listen to this record post haste.
https://mydyingbrideofficial.bandcamp.com/album/a-mortal-binding
5. Apes – Penitence
I’ve been listening to hardcore music for more decades than I care to admit out loud but I’ll freely admit that my favorite hardcore bands have always been the heaviest, darkest, nastiest bands on the scene. (i.e. Integrity, Coalesce, Bloodlet, Acme, etc.) Quebec City’s Apes are exactly the type of hardcore band I still keep one eye on the scene for. Mixing in elements of grind and even some black metal aesthetics, Apes are the type of band that would be at home playing shows on almost any type of bill. While their 2017 debut album slipped entirely under my radar, Penitence is the type of album that will keep them firmly planted in my mind’s eye for as long as they are releasing new music. Gritty, violent, and with a nasty streak ten miles wide, this record will get you ready to run through whatever brick wall you need/want to.
https://apesqc.bandcamp.com/album/penitence
4. Iotunn – Kinship
I have to admit that sometimes I even surprise myself with certain albums that make this list and how high some of them climb. I think those who know me well know that the more progressive a band or an album get the less likely I am to tune in. Yet, every so often there’s an album that tap dances along progressive lines while incorporating other musical elements I value more and something really clicks. This years example is Kinship by Denmark’s Iotunn. Taking queues from melodic death and black metal and melding it with progressive, trad, and even doom puzzle pieces, Iotunn created an album that quite literally presents something new on every repeat listen. It’s an overall captivating experience and one that feels almost cinematic in scope and execution. Some of the best soaring clean vocals of the year, absolutely electric riffing, and enough melody to really dig its hooks in you make this album worthy of as much time as you are willing to give it.
https://iotunn.bandcamp.com/album/kinship
3. High On Fire – Cometh The Storm
It’s been six years and one Matt Pike solo record since the last High On Fire long-player and frankly that’s about five years too long for me. Now on their ninth full-length album High On Fire still don’t pull any punches and still don’t give a shit about simply pummeling their fans into sonic oblivion. Cometh The Storm is the type of record that comes out of the gates firing and doesn’t stop until the needle hits the end of the line. Matt Pike and the boys sound refreshed and ready for battle on this record and at the end of the day may have delivered one of their absolute best. For my money it’s the most engaging High On Fire record since 2012’s De Vermis Mysteriis, and one that I’ll continue to revisit.
https://highonfire.bandcamp.com/album/cometh-the-storm
2. Diabolic Oath – Oracular Hexations
Through the first half of 2024 this was hands down my most listened to record. We played multiple tracks on The Metal Dad Radio Show and every time we did it stood out from everything else we played and just hammered home how absolutely crushing this record is. Diabolic Oath play a brand of death metal with blackened and doomy elements and this record is pure, unadulterated death metal alchemy. It’s as captivating as it is brutal, just absolutely unrelenting in both its sheer heaviness and its ability to transfix you. On multiple occasions I found myself just stopping whatever it was I was doing and allowing this record to wash over me one vile wave after another. It would not be hyperbole to state that Oracular Hexations has vaulted Diabolic Oath to damn near the top of the current death metal pinnacle.
https://diabolicoath.bandcamp.com/album/oracular-hexations
1. Mother of Graves – The Periapt of Absence
My radio show co-host likes to try and guess what my top 20 albums are before the list is revealed and honestly he should have had his sights set on this one, not only because I’m a sucker for melodic/gothic death doom, but because I’ve been listening to this album practically non-stop since its release in October. Mother of Graves is the type of band that has no shame in hearkening back to their influences, but is also able to make something fresh and exciting out of the recipe. After the success of their 2021 EP and 2022 full-length it was really only a matter of time before this band took their rightful place atop the US melodic death doom scene and The Periapt of Absence announced their coming in mighty fashion. It’s as gorgeous as it is heavy and one of the few albums I will happily attach the sometimes overused “epic” moniker to. A truly magnificent record from start to finish.
https://motherofgraves.bandcamp.com/album/the-periapt-of-absence
The Metal Dad 