OpEd

Greekbastard's Top 5 Albums of 2024. The Anti-List.

Is there anything more annoying these days than someone else’s opinion? Stolen from quotes anonymous, I think the old adage goes… “Opinions are like assholes, everyone has one, and they all stink.” And if you’re not opinioned out yet regarding every bloggers 2024 top albums lists, It’s my turn to drop my top 5 albums for 2024 upon your bored and bloodshot corneas.

Before I begin, I need to point something out. I don’t check the release calendar with intense vigor to seek out new albums to listen to. My listening choices for the most part happen haphazardly. Quite often, it’s just a band I’ve always liked and happen to notice that they released some new material. Other times, there’s a buzz about an album and I want to see what the fuss is about. So, without further ado, this is my top five albums list for 2024.

Honorable Mentions:

Testament – The Legacy (Remaster 2024) and The New Order (Remaster 2024)

Testament’s first two albums were instant classics, I’m not going to review them because that’s old news. However, the remasters make them relevant again because they sound sonically superior to the original 1980’s releases. These re-releases reaffirm that Testament is one of the top thrash bands to ever exist and still sound relevant in today’s metal “metalverse.”

Electric Wizard – Black Magic Rituals & Perversions Vol. 1

Just dropped like free LSD in mid-December, this live album deserves a shout out. When it comes to contemporary doom metal, Electric Wizard is the benchmark and you can take your Black Sabbath comparisons and smoke them. That’s old news. “Black Magic Rituals & Perversions Vol. 1” is the ultimate Electric Wizard compilation album when it comes down to track selection. In fact, it was actually a live setlist from 2020 when live music was put on pause in order to keep their live chops up to par. The sound of this album is deliciously raw and lo-fi for fans of unpolished Doom and Stoner Metal

The Actual Top 5 List:

5. Necrot – Lifeless Birth

If you ask me, this is the best Death Metal album of 2024, not that trendy Blood Incantation album. Necrot makes THAT band sound like Celtic Frost did during their Cold Lake era. “Lifeless Birth” is guttural, grisly and induces grave digging. That other band makes me want to take a nap. This is TRVE Death Metal!

4. Shining – The Helsinki Tapes

When not popping up in not so favorable click bait headlines on other metal blogs, Shining has consistently put out excellent releases. “The Helsinki Tapes” is another example of this. Shining pushes the boundaries of Black Metal musically and this album is no different. As unstable as Niklas Kvarforth may seem at times, his musical prowess should never be discredited.

3. Cavalera Conspiracy – Schizophrenia

Before you start your insolent complaints that this release was a money grab and was stolen from the original members of Sepultura, let me stop you right there. This release in actuality prolongs their legacy. The original “Schizophrenia” was way ahead of its time. The masses finally took hold of the badassery of Sepultura during “Arise” and the albums leading up to it never inherited the respect they deserved. “Schizophrenia” 2024 gives the original release a much-needed makeover and prolongs the legacy of early Sepultura.

2. Atrophy – Asylum

Atrophy is back! It only took 34-some-odd years for this OG thrash band from Arizona to release their 3rd full-length album, but it was totally worth the wait. “Asylum” sounds current and has catchy riffs for days. Don’t sleep on them just because they’re older than 75% of the bands in their genre.

1. High on Fire – Cometh the Storm

It’s incredible how new blood can inject new life into a band that’s stuck in a creative rut. Coady Willis joining High on Fire is a perfect example of this. I’m not saying that the several previous High on Fire albums were skat, I’m saying that they bored me. “Cometh the Storm” is a punch to the balls. It levels you sonically and shows no mercy. High on Fire with Coady Willis behind the kit has re-energized this band. Mr. Matt Pike, we salute you.

And that’s my list. If you haven’t noticed, there’s some sarcasm sprinkled with snark throughout my blithering. And if you have a better album list, well, that’s just your opinion man…But we can both be excited that there are some heavy hitters releasing new albums in 2025 and we’ll both be looking forward to listening to them!