OpEd

Greekbastard's 2024 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. More...

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Exalted Sigil Premiere New Single & Lyric Video

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Check out "Grotesque Inception" streaming via YouTube and Spotify for you now below.

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Check out "Bulletproof Broken Hearts" streaming via YouTube for you now below.

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Headline News

Drummer Joshua "Nassaru" Ward (Voraath, etc.) Dead

Joshua "Nassaru" Ward, vocalist and drummer known for his contributions to Voraath, Xael, and Olkoth, tragically passed away on December 31st. Reports from Lambgoat and Ghost Cult indicate that Ward was a victim of a drunk driving accident. Local news from the Greenville County area has confirmed the names of two victims—Audrey Marie Ross and Amanda Lynn Leroux—but further details are still emerging.

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From A Second Story Window Premiere New Single

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A music video accompanying the track has also been unveiled both available for streaming via YouTube and Spotify for you now below.

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