Tales from the Jugular

Staff Year End Awards for 2024!
Our Annual Year End Edition of Metal that Hit Our Radar!

We've gathered up our thoughts on the hard rock/metal releases of 2024! There are so many releases put out in this age of do-it-yourself creation that you may see names you missed, older bands you forgot existed or unknowns to look up and sample. It's all about getting the word out and supporting the music!

Eric's 2024 Best of List * - designates best album of the genre

Best of Power Metal
*Unleash the Archers - Phantoma
Stryper - When We Were Kings
Scanner - The Cosmic Race
Nightmare - Encrypted
Frozen Crown - War Hearts
Astral Doors - The End of It All

Best of Traditional Metal/NWOTHM
Toxikull - Under the Southern Light
Iron Curtain - Savage Dawn
Overlorde - Awaken the Fury (released very late 2023)

Best of Doom/Stoner
The Quill - Wheel of Illusion
Grand Magus - Sunraven
Emergency Rule - The King of Ithaca
Early Moods - A Sinner's Past
Grim Colossus - Descent Into Madness

Best of Rock/Goth
*Unto Others - Never, Neverland
Blue Oyster Cult - Ghoststories
Hawkwind - Stories from Time and Space
Pain - I Am
Cemetery Skyline - Nordic Gothic

Best of Death/Extreme/Core
*Dark Tranquility - Endtime Signals
*Deceased - Children of the Morgue
Darkest Hour - Perpetual Terminal
Darkthrone - It Beckons Us All
Upon Stone - Dead Mother Moon
Borknagar - Fall

Best of Hard Rock
*Revolution Saints - Against the Winds
Whitecross - Fear No Evil
The End Machine - The Quantum Phase
Russel Guns - Medusa
Ace Frehley - 10,000 Volts
Mick Mars - The Other Side of Mars
David Reece - Baptized by Fire
Smokin Dame - Revelations from the Gun

Best of Thrash
Rage - Afterlifenes
Austrian Death Machine - Quad Brutal
Dust Bolt - Sound & Fury
Rifforia - Axeorcism

Ready for the Woodchipper
Kerry King - From Hell I Rise
Bruce Dickinson - The Mandrake Project

Biggest Suprises of 2024
*Paul Di'Anno physically meeting Bruce Dickinson
Iron Maiden's Nicko McBrain retirement
Blue Oyster Cult releasing Ghost Stories
Black Sabbath releasing Anno Domini
As I Lay Dying imploding
The Sword reunion
Skid Row parting ways with Erik Gronwall
Corrosion of Conformity parting ways with Mike Dean
Cirith Ungol retirement
"Reach for the Sky" single released by RATT

Notable Deaths
Paul Di'Anno (ex-Iron Maiden)
C.J. Snare (Firehouse)
Jack Russell (Great White)

New to Me/Personal Discovery
Saga
Kill City Kills
Motherfaster
Hebi Katana
Blood Lightning
Mort Garson
Planet P Project
Sky
Michael Grant and the Assassins

Most Anticipated Albums of 2025 Savage Master, October 31, Deceased (movie), Bloody Hammers, Shadows Fall, The Sword, Paradise Lost, Corrosion of Conformity, 3 Inches of Blood, The Pretty Reckless, Sahg, Warbringer

E f'n C

Top Hard Rock/Metal Releases
Unleash the Archers - Phantoma
Flotsam and Jetsam - I Am the Weapon
Traveller - Prequel to Madness
Judas Priest - Invincible Shield
Iotunn - Kinship
Eclipse - Megalomanium II
Striker - Ultrapower
Frozen Crown - War Hearts
Tarot - Glimpse of the Dawn
Freeways - Dark Sky Sanctuary
Seven Kingdomes - The Square (EP)

Looking Forward To New Stuff From: Crimson Shadows, Savatage

Discovered/Rediscovered Bands: Flotsam and Jetsam, Iotunn, Traveller, Jenner

Top Picks for 2024
Black Sabbath - Anno Domini 1989-1995 (box set)
Borknagar - Fall
Blood Incantation - Absolute Elsewhere
Dark Tranquillity - Endtime Signals
Deceased - Children of the Morgue
Exhorder - Defectum Omnium
Flotsam and Jetsam - I Am the Weapon
Gatecreeper - Dark Superstition
Grand Magus - Sunraven
Ignitor - Horns and Hammers
Impellitteri - War Machine
Jerry Cantrell - I Want Blood
Judas Priest - Invincible Shield
My Dying Bride - A Mortal Binding
Opeth - The Last Will and Testament
Paragon - Metalation
Sebastian Bach - Child Within the Man
Striker - Ultrapower

Top Metal Albums of 2024
1. Gigan - Anomalous Abstractigate Infinitessimus
2. Rendered Helpless - From Nothing Comes All
3. Blood Incantation - Absolute Elsewhere
4. Leprous - Melodies Of Atonement
5. Opeth - The Last Will And Testament
6. Darkthrone - It Beckons Us All...
7. Werewolves - Die For Us
8. Ulcerate - Cutting The Throat Of God
9. Oranssi Pazuzu - Muuntautuja
10. Klone - The Unseen
11. Deceased - Children Of The Morgue
12. Xasthur - Disharmonic Variations
13. Anciients - Beyond The Reach Of The Sun
14. Agrypnie - Erg
15. Paysage d'Hiver - Die Berge

Rock/Metal Albums of the Year 2024
1 Myles Kennedy - The Art of Letting Go
2 Linkin Park - From Zero
3 Opeth - The Last Will and Testament
4 Judas Priest - Invincible Shield
5 Falling in Reverse - Popular Monster
6 The Black Crowes - Happiness Bastards
7 Bring Me the Horizon - Post Human:Nex Gen
8 While She Sleeps - Self Hell
9 Devin Townsend - PowerNerd
10 Nothing More - Carnal
11 Spiritbox - The Fear of Fear EP
12 Highly Suspect - As Above, So Below
13 Major Moment - Staged
14 Jerry Cantrell - I Want Blood
15 Sebastian Bach - Child Within the Man
16 Nightwish - Yesterwynde
17 Pearl Jam - Dark Matter
18 The Funeral Portrait - Welcome to Suffocate City
19 DragonForce - Warp Speed Warriors
20 Sonata Arctica - Clear Cold Beyond
21 Green Day - Saviors
22 Vanden Plas - The Empyrean Equation of the Long Lost Things
23 Bruce Dickinson - The Mandrake Project
24 Unleash the Archers - Phantoms
25 Ghost - Rite Here Rite New Soundtrack
26 The End Machine - The Quantum Phases
27 Poppy - Negative Spaces
28 Slash - Orgy of the Damned
29 Mick Mars - The Other Side of Mars
30 Revolution Saints - Against The Winds
31 Dirty Honey - Can't Find the Brakes
32 Kerry King - From Hell I Rise

2024 was a fun year for new hard rock and metal albums. It is always a challenge to find the time to get as deep into some of these albums as I would have liked!!

Myles Kennedy is remarkable. I love his work with Alter Bridge and Slash. He crushed it this year with his best solo work to date. Great album!

Best Live Show: While not on my albums list, the show I enjoyed most this year was Needtobreathe.

Discovery: Nothing More. I knew a few of their hits prior to Carnal, but this album is a rocker that for me never gets old. Good stuff.

Best New Artist: Spiritbox. Their EP is excellent and Courtney LaPlante is both a great vocalist and a great front woman in metal!

Surprise of the Year: Judas Priest & Linkin Park. We knew the Judas Priest album was coming and that their last album was excellent, but I cannot believe how good Invincible Shield is 50 years into their career. Of course, there will always be people who say ":It's not Linkin Park without Chester - their new album is great and Emily starts a whole new chapter for the band.

Guilty Pleasure: Yungblood. Something about the catchiness of his songs and melodies caused me to listen to several songs over and over.

Non-Metal Album of the Year: Beth Hart - You Still Got Me. One of the best artists around and amazing live too.

One Song for 2024: I know I said one song but I have two songs. According to my Spotify Wrapped, I listed to "Wanting and Waiting" by the Black Crowes the most. Great return to form. And while it is not metal, the first new Billy Joel song in 30 years "Turn The Lights Back On" was a real thrill and a great song.

Wish for 2025: Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson get together and record some new music or tour for R50!!!

Top 10 Heavy Metal/Rock albums of 2024 (in order)
Deceased - Children of the Morgue
Richie Kotzen - Nomad
Traveller - Prequel to Madness
Satan - Songs in Crimson
Attacker - The God Particle
Stone Whiskey - Scream for Rock
Judas Priest - Invincible Shield
Nasty Savage - Jeopardy Room
Opeth - The Last Will and Testament
Blood Incantation - Absolute Elsewhere

Honorable/Arguably dishonorable mention:
Bruce Dickinson - The Mandrake Project
Warlord - Free Spirit Soar (RIP William J. Tsamis)
Anvil - One and Only
Tribulation - Sub Rosa in Aeternum

Best debut release:
Nuclear Tomb-Terror Labyrinthian
Chain Code - Synthetic Outcomes (digital only)

Best demo:
Pentecost - s/t (cassette only)

Best Box sets:
Black Sabbath-Anno Domini
Eric Carr-Unfinished Business

Best Tour:
Deceased - Children of the Morgue (Mike Smith returns to the stage after 18 years!)

Best of '24 Metal and Rock Albums (order based on mood)
Judas Priest - Invincible Shield
Knocked Loose - You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To
Erra - Cure
Alpha-Wolf - Half Living Things
Body Count - Merciless
Poppy - Negative Spaces
Kerry King - From Hell I Rise
Opeth - The Last Will and Testament
Make Them Suffer - Self-Titled
Northlane - Mirror's Edge
Pearl Jam - Dark Matter
Chat Pile - Cool World
Melvins - Tarantula Heart
Wage War - Stigma
Windwaker - Hyper-Violence

Honorable Mention
Bring Me the Horizon - Post Human: Nex Gen
Cavalera Conspiracy - Schizophrenia
Kubali Khan - Exhibition of Prowess
Linkin Park - From Zero
Incubus - Morning View XXIII




Best Metal Albums of 2024:
1. Djiin - Mirrors
2. Slift - Ilion
3. Opeth - Last Will And Testament
4. Thy Catafalque - XII - A gyonyoru almok ezutan jonnek
5. Satan - Songs In Crimson
6. Castle - Evil Remains
7. Bleakheart - Silver Pulse
8. Castle Rat - Into The Realm
9. Jenner - Prove Them Wrong
10. Tanith - Voyage
11. Grendel's Syster - Katabasis
12. Brume - Marten
13. The Jesus Lizard - Rack
14. Heavy Temple - Garden of Heathens
15. Blood Incantation - Absolute Elsewhere

Best Metal EP's:
Daxma - There Will Come Tomorrow
Coma Hole - Hand Of Severance
Big Mess - Heroic Captains Of Industry

Best Not-So-Metal Albums:
La Horsa Bianca - Polymosphy
Mdou Moctar - Funeral For Justice
Kalandra - A Frame Of Mind
Los Bitchos - Talkie Talkie
Ash And Bone - Wounds

Great Live Shows Seen:
Elder, Swamphead @ Middle East, Cambridge, MA
Slift, Meatbodies @ Brighton Music Hall, Allston, MA
Hatebreed, Carcass, Harm's Way, Crypta, Umbra Vitae @ House Of Blues, Boston, MA
Opeth, Tribulation @ Palladium, Worcester, MA
Cirith Ungol, Night Demon, Sanhedrin @ Sonia, Cambridge, MA
Girlschool, Lillian Axe, Alcatrazz @ Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA
Somergloom @ Arts At The Armory, Somerville, MA (Feat. Royal Thunder, Black Pyramid, Oldest Sea, Kira McSpice, etc.)

New Talent To Watch: Jenner, Castle Rat, Grendel's Syster, Lowen, Kvaen

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Deaths in 2024 (from Wikipedia):
January 4 - Jan Nemec, engineer and producer of numerous metal bands including Celtic Frost, Grave Digger, Helloween, and Running Wild, died from lung disease.
January 9 - James Kottak, former drummer of Scorpions, Kingdom Come, and Warrant, died from undisclosed reasons at the age of 61.
January 17 - Martin Lacroix, former vocalist of Cryptopsy, died from undisclosed reasons.
February 2 - Craig Simmons, former drummer of Famous Last Words, died from undisclosed reasons.
February 16 - Greg "Fritz" Hinz, drummer of Helix, died from cancer at the age of 68.
February 20 - Vitalij Kuprij, keyboardist of Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Artension, and Ring of Fire, died from undisclosed reasons at the age of 49.
March 6 - Tarmizi "Miji" Mokhtar, former drummer of Cromok, died from liver cancer at the age of 58.
March 10 - Blake Harrison, bassist of Hatebeak and former sampler of Pig Destroyer, died from heart failure at the age of 48.
March 10 - T. M. Stevens, former bassist for Steve Vai, died from undisclosed reasons at the age of 72.
April 2 - Jerry Abbott, father of Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul and producer of Pantera's first four studio albums, died from undisclosed reasons at the age of 80.
April 5 - C. J. Snare, vocalist of FireHouse, died from cardiac arrest at the age of 64.
April 15 - Reita, bassist of The Gazette, died from undisclosed reasons at the age of 42.
April 19 - Eddie Sutton, vocalist of Leeway, died from cancer at the age of 59.
April 26 - Robin George, former guitarist of Thin Lizzy and musician, engineer, and producer of numerous artists, including Robert Plant, David Byron, Quartz, Witchfinder General, and Glenn Hughes, died after a long illness at the age of 68.
May 8 - Tommy Viator, former drummer of Disincarnate and former keyboardist of Acid Bath, died from undisclosed reasons.
May 18 - Jon Wysocki, former drummer of Staind and Soil, died from liver issues at the age of 56.
May 29 - Brad Raub, bassist of Eternal Champion, died from undisclosed reasons at the age of 36.
June 4 - Simone "Yorga S.M." Amicucci, former vocalist and multi-instrumentalist of Aborym, died from undisclosed reasons.
June 24 - Shifty Shellshock, vocalist of Crazy Town, died from an accidental drug overdose at the age of 49.
June 30 - Peter Collins, engineer and producer of numerous artists including Rush, Queensryche, Suicidal Tendencies, Alice Cooper, Bon Jovi, and Gary Moore, died from pancreatic cancer at the age of 73.
July 17 - Ciriaco "Pinche Peach" Quezada, sampler and vocalist of Brujeria, died from severe heart complications at the age of 57.
July 24 - Bill Crook, former bassist of Spiritbox, died from undisclosed reasons.
July 26 - Tomas "Monster" Vendl, former bassist of Master's Hammer, died from undisclosed reasons at the age of 52.
August 1 - Pieter Verpaalen, former vocalist of Textures, died from undisclosed reasons.
August 7 - Jack Russell, former vocalist of Great White, died from Lewy body dementia at the age of 63.
August 9 - Dave Sweetapple, bassist of Witch, died from undisclosed reasons at the age of 58.
August 16 - Tore Ylvisaker, keyboardist of Ulver, died from undisclosed reasons at the age of 54.
August 19 - Erik Barrett, bassist of 100 Demons, died from undisclosed reasons.
September 2 - Peter "P.K." Kubik, guitarist and bassist of Abigor, died by suicide at the age of 49.
September 18 - John "Juan Brujo" Lepe, vocalist of Brujeria, died from a heart attack at the age of 61.
September 19 - Andreas "Samson" Samonil, former drummer of Vendetta, died from undisclosed reasons.
September 20 - Fernando Ponce de Leon, former flutist of Mago de Oz, died from multiple organ failure at the age of 59.
September 27 - Pedro "Pit" Passarell, bassist and former vocalist of Viper, died from pancreatic cancer at the age of 56.
September 30 - Dave Allison, former guitarist and backing vocalist of Anvil, died from cancer at the age of 68.
October 7 - Curtis Beeson, former drummer of Nasty Savage and Massacre, died from undisclosed reasons at the age of 60.
October 14 - Karl Naslund, former guitarist of In Flames, died from undisclosed reasons at the age of 51.
October 21 - Paul Di'Anno, former vocalist of Iron Maiden and Gogmagog, died from heart disease at the age of 66.
October 27 - Hayden Lamb, former drummer of Red, died from undisclosed reasons.
November 4 - Mykola "Amorth" Sostin, former drummer and keyboardist of Drudkh, was killed in action during the Russian invasion of Ukraine at the age of 39.
November 13 - Edgard Brito, keyboardist of Tuatha de Danann, died from undisclosed reasons at the age of 50.
December 5 - Mick Moore, former bassist of Avenger and Blitzkrieg, died from undisclosed reasons.
December 20 - Casey Chaos, vocalist of Amen, died from a heart attack at the age of 59.
December 29 - Eric "Sickie Wifebeater" Carlson, guitarist of Mentors, died from cancer at the age of 66.





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