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1.
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Cave Sermon - Divine Laughter
Cave Sermon wins 2024 for me. No other album has had such an impact on me this year - it's a genre I dislike, I've replayed it countless times, and it even displays traits I often criticise in music. It's helped me pay more attention to specific sub genres I often ignore, and above all it's a small and local artist. |
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2.
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Devin Townsend - PowerNerd
Not the release I expected to become one of his best, from his initial concepts to the first singles. I assumed I'd more appreciate The Moth, but every song on his newest album is fantastic, and it tells an ambiguous story I can relate to. |
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3.
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Wintersun - Time II
Delivers on every promise Time I made (except the release date). Some aspects are less good, some are better, and possibly has my favourite song of the year in "The Way Of The Fire" (if that counts - the song's technically been out for ages). |
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4.
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Nightwish - Yesterwynde
The terrible "The Day Of" and mediocre "The Weave" really bring down an excellent album which rivals a similarly trimmed Endless Forms Most Beautiful as their best album. |
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5.
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Illumishade - Another Side Of You
A huge surprise early on in the year (albeit smaller than the no. 1 on this list), one with less staying power though. Pop-leaning metal is never something I'm too keen on, but this album's varying songs, beautiful vocals and fantastic sense of melody carry it, not to mention its generally charming songwriting. |
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6.
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In Vain - Solemn
Bring innovation to a genre in dire need of it - the song structures and approach to harmony are incredibly unique while still being pleasant to listen to. Instruments such as trumpets and saxophones make tasteful appearances in songs which master the tonal balance between dark and light. |
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7.
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Solbrud - IIII
Whilst dragging on a little to long to be appreciated fully in one sitting, IIII is a textbook example of what atmospheric black metal should be. The drawn out, dynamic song structures and emphatic tremolo picking across a journey-like soundscape of storms, vistas and peaceful beaches - yeah it's atmoblack. |
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8.
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Ghosts Of Glaciers - Eternal
Another surprising album in a genre I usually don't bother with - the songwriting is so great here it took me a couple songs to realise it was instrumental. The production stands out as exceptionally heavy whilst remaining clear and balanced. |
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9.
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Dragony - Hic Svnt Dracones
Whether its their best effort is up to debate, but this reliable band returned with a bunch more bangers in line with their last two albums. |
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10.
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Fellowship - The Skies Above Eternity
Honourable mention, it is a step up from the debut. |
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11.
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Poppy - Negative Spaces
Honourable mention, really liked some of the songs here. |
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12.
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Iotunn - Kinship
Honourable mention, a phenomenal step up from the debut, with fantastic lengthy song structures particularly in the opener and closer. |
