BEST OF 2024 – BenSCORZ (Radio host/Contributor) 🇨🇦
You can find the Collective List as well as all our Best of 2024 content including contributors’ individual lists and radio DJ shows here: CGCM’s Best of 2024 (Year in Review)
Ben Hamel hosts the MixFix here on CGCM Rock Radio. Going by the handle of BenSCORZ! our DJ recently did a massive series of radio shows encompassing his top 200 songs of the year! You can now listen to those via on-demand streaming through the CGCM Rock Radio MixCloud page.
BenSCORZ! has also contributed some written articles to our website. Check out his other articles and reviews here. BenSCORZ!
Ladies and Gentlemen here are Ben’s Top Ten albums of 2023!
#10 🇺🇸
HALL AFLAME – Amplifire
Released: May 3rd, 2024
What got me: It was not until I started compiling and slotting songs for my 2024 MixFix Blitz top 200 song year-end countdown that I realized how much I enjoyed the Amplifire album by Hall Aflame. To think that this band happened by accident only makes me appreciate it more. The mindset for these guys going into the studio was to just play music that they liked, be it heavy, grungy or whatever. I’d say that this formula worked pretty damn well. Four excellent tracks scored for me at #151, 133, 99 and 35 on the 2024 MixFix Blitz top 200 song year-end countdown. Thank goodness my connections at CGCM Rock Radio put these guys on my radar cause this album is a can’t live without one for sure.
#09 🇺🇸
RIOT V – Mean Streets
Released: May 10th, 2024
What got me: I knew RIOT V sounded familiar as they were originally known as Riot during my prime time metal years. Like so many others, their path was unfortunately marked by many events of fate which led to a great number of lineup changes. Despite that, they decided to continue the legacy and came up with an idea out of respect to add the Roman numeral “V”, as 5 for the fifth chapter of the group. That’s the history of the band. The content of their Mean Streets album, however, is as reliable as a power chord. It was love at first listen when my CGCM colleagues talked about it. Three tracks from it earned spots 166, 155 and 120 of my 2024 MixFix Blitz top 200 song year-end countdown and a couple of my friends have even reached out to me to share their appreciation for this album.
#08 🇸🇪
LIPZ – Changing the Melody
Released: March 15th, 2024
What got me: LIPZ have been packaged up as Glam Rock with a contemporary twist. I DON’T CARE! All I know is that this album made me happy and look forward to hearing its great tracks. Even though only three tracks out of eleven from it made it to my 2024 MixFix Blitz top 200 song year-end countdown (#171, #119 & #42), does not mean those tracks are the only good ones. Nope, those three just managed to keep my attention the most. Changing the Melody is an album that will fit very nicely in any Metal Head’s collection.
#07 🇺🇸
THE OFFSPRING – Supercharged
Released: October 11th, 2024
What got me: I may be biased here, but I’ve been a huge fan of The Offspring since 1994, but even I was really impressed with the whole Supercharged album ranking it as one of their best. It was a long wait, as I knew a new album was coming from these guys and although only two tracks figured into the 2024 MixFix Blitz top 200 song year-end countdown at #56 & #9, it does not mean the album sucked… Not at all. I peg it as an album best listened to in its entirety. Basically, cue it up, and just press play. I missed out on the opportunity of seeing them live in my hometown this summer and trust me, I’m still kicking myself for missing out.
#06 🇺🇸
GREEN DAY – Saviors
Released: January 19, 2024
What got me: Like is often the case, singles played on the radio are released before the album is and that was my intro to Saviors. And then, Green Day played the Canadian Football League Grey Cup halftime show and added the first single of it to their three-song set just to show how confident they were with their new track. I got to see Green Day live in Toronto, ON CANADA and afterwards, no less than 6 more great tracks had me hooked, of which 4 of them ranking in the 2024 MixFix Blitz top 200 song year-end countdown at #s 125, 105, 61 & 14. Proving that so much can be done with only 3 chords, Green Day came through again with another great album.
#05 🇳🇴
SUICIDE BOMBERS – All for the Candy
Release: February 2nd, 2024
What got me: A word of advice in googling this band; make sure to type Suicide Bombers band or music because you may get undesirable results rather than this truly underappreciated sleaze rock band out of Norway. I got to know these guys through a new friend connected to them. Little did I know, they have many albums before this one worthy of a listen. This LP, however, was as good of a starting point as any because I think it is their best album. Their stand-out tracks caught my attention and kept my attention all throughout. The riffing, the call-out back-up singing and overall feel of the songs are fun and full of energy I was glad to re-discover within me. Four tracks blew me away and they ranked at #197, 183, 89 & 43 in the 2024 MixFix Blitz top 200 song year-end countdown.
#04 🇨🇭
KING ZEBRA – Between the Shadows
Release: April 12th, 2024
What got me: This is another album I got to know through my connections at CGCM Rock Radio. I knew nothing about this Zurich, Switzerland band and when I sampled their Between the Shadows LP, I still remember having to stand up in order to comprehend the amazing music I had just heard. I won’t bore you with what makes this album so amazing. I’ll only advise and recommend all hard rockers and metalheads to listen to it and hear its sheer brilliance. Four tracks stand out and they got #188, 169, 132 and #37 just to show us how diverse and versatile it is.
#03 🇺🇸
KICKIN’ VALENTINA – Star Spangled Fist Fight
Released: April 19th, 2024
What got me: I knew the band Kickin’ Valentina but, I got word of their new album long before its release, from my CGCM Rock Radio colleagues. Many were totally gushing over it so I checked it out and sure enough, it earned a big fat SCORZ! There are 6 tracks that stick out to me on Star Spangled Fist Fight, with three of them locking up #195, 157 & 116 of the 2024 MixFix Blitz top 200 song year-end countdown. From the song structures, the production to how they would perform these live, really got my attention. I haven’t felt a connection to an album and/or artist like I did for Kickin’ Valentina since I discovered Hardcore Superstar a few years back. I’m looking forward to anything and everything from Kickin’ Valentina.
#02 🇺🇸
THE BLACK CROWES – Happiness Bastards
Released: March 15th, 2024.
What got me: I came to find out about the release of the new The Black Crowes LP via Blabbermouth. I have to admit that my first listen to the lead single didn’t grab me like I thought it would; it was too much sounding like “Jealous Again” from their debut album. Although the Robinson Bros were criticized for not involving any former members in the new project, it must be said that they were on the same page to keep influences who were negative to their relationship out of the band. What we got is their best album ever if you ask me. Four tracks from it slotted into the 2024 MixFix Blitz top 200 song year-end countdown, ALL in the top 100 claiming #97, 82, 66 & 34. I can’t get over the excellent riffs on this release.
#01 🇺🇸
THE DEAD DAISIES – Light ‘Em Up
Released: September 6th, 2024
What got me: The release date of this album was circled for me and I was expecting it. The powerhouse rockers released their 7th studio album 10 days before I saw them live at the Brass Monkey in Ottawa, ON CANADA, and their first since John Corabi came back to the band, so right there, it made this album very special for me. Furthermore, I met and hung out with Doug Aldrich at that gig. A fun fact about this LP is that it took The Dead Daisies only 19 days to make it, from beginning to end. No less than 5 songs earned spots 182, 143, 127, 115 & 90 of the 2024 MixFix Blitz top 200 song year-end countdown making it the album with the most entries. Hard rock albums ain’t what they used to be… except this one. The rush of hearing a full excellent album was achieved with Light ‘Em Up.
