BEST OF 2024 – Eric Lussier (Radio Host) 🇨🇦
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)
Well hello there folks!!! Dr. Tardis at your service here!! You may know me better as Eric Lussier from CGCM Rock Radio show, The French Connection!
Well, it’s that time of year once again! Once more all of us at CGCM do massive research on finding what the top ten albums of the year will be! In the end, we couldn’t agree with each other. We all have different tastes! I would like to think my picks are the best though!! hahahaha, kidding! NOT!!
So let’s get this thing going!!!
#10 🇺🇸
ELECTRIC TEMPLE – High Voltage Salvation
This album for me is like getting a last-minute Christmas gift. So you probably wonder who is Electric Temple! They are fairly new. In fact, they formed in 2024. They are basically a supergroup.
Featuring: Guitarist: Tony Childs formerly of the band Shanghai. Lead Vocals: Andrew Freeman from Last in Line, Lynch Mob, Offspring. Bass: Mike Duda bassist from WASP. Drums: Matt Starr from Ace Frehley, Mr. Big, KIX.
Tony Childs is the brains behind this project. He’s the songwriter, guitarist, producer. This band delivers a sonic experience grabbing sounds from modern rock, post-grunge and the great ones such as Sabbath, Dio, and Priest. These guys together deliver music magic! It is an incredible album, just through and through amazing! This is the reason they start at Number 10. Their sound is tight and flows perfectly! There’s a deep sound and powerful. The album High Voltage Salvation carries 8 songs to bless your ears! I guarantee you that you will enjoy it!
#09 🇩🇪
FEUERSHWANZ – Warriors
Feuerschwanz is a power, medieval, folk metal band from Germany. The band members are Peter Henrici on vocals and guitar. Benjamin Metzner on vocals guitar and flute. Stephanie Pracht on violin. Hanz Platz on electric guitar. Rolf Hering on drums. Jam Jamaszyk on bass. Jenny Diehl, performer. Mieze Musch-Musch, performer. Together these guys are insanely good! They sure do deliver a unique sound that just makes you smile, you don’t hear this every day. I absolutely love it.
Their latest album Warriors, delivers a powerful sound that is both aggressive and soft at the same time. This album would fit perfectly in a medieval movie. The album has 12 songs ready for war!
This album is an absolute must for fans of power metal. They are my Number 9 for that very reason!
#08 🇺🇸
TUK SMITH AND THE RESTLESS HEARTS – Rogue to Redemption
What can I say about Tuk Smith and the Restless Hearts? It is a piece of the American Pie. Hailing from Nashville Tennessee I have met the man himself and it was a tremendous honour, this guy has charisma coming out of his ears. On stage, he is a true professional and knows how to get the crowd going.
His band has been around since 2020 but the evil Covid put a stick in his wheels and held his dreams of superstardom for a bit. But in 2024 Tuk released his latest album Rogue to Redemption and it is simply an outstanding album. Tuk’s band members are Matthew Curtis, Nigel Dupree and Tobin Dale.
Together they bring back that amazing sound that guys like Tom Petty, and Bruce Springsteen used to play, with a touch of modern rock. Tuk brings the magic to this this album. It is nowhere as heavy as what I’m used to but it just brings me to a place of peace of mind and I imagine driving for miles and miles with his music blaring from the speakers of my car. I can’t wait for Tuk to go on tour and cross my fingers that he will do some Canadian dates.
If you are all looking for that Pure Americana Rock style well Tuk Smith and the Restless Hearts is for you. The album Rogue to Redemption has 10 amazing tracks for you to listen to, you won’t regret listening to his band. This is near perfection as far as music goes.
#07 🇸🇪
VELVETEEN QUEEN – Consequence of the City
From Gothenburg Sweden comes a godsend! A band so freaking good that once you listen to them you will put them on repeat over and over. These guys are heading for the big times for sure. Their sound is very inspired by Guns n Roses. This band kicks ass to the next level.
They formed in 2021 and from there the ball started rolling and like a snowball going downhill, the ball keeps on getting bigger and bigger. These guys average age is between 20 and 24 and yet they sound like they have been creating music for decades. Samuel Nilsson is the lead vocals, Lukas Axx is the lead guitarist, Noah Mardh is the rhythm guitarist, Isac Borg on drums and Vilmer Fall on bass. Together they create a magical sound straight from the late 80’s and 90’s They sound like Guns n Roses, Aerosmith and Velvet Revolver all mixed into one.
Velveteen Queen is heading for stardom, it is literally impossible with that sound that they can’t get there. They are too good. This band is next level.
#6 🇩🇪
ACCEPT – Humanoid
What can I say about Accept that has not already been said? I finally got to see them live and it was everything I was expecting and more! Their last 2 albums have been out of this world. When Too Mean to Die was released a few years back, I didn’t think they could repeat the success of that very album. Alas, I was wrong, Humanoid is equally as amazing. The years of experience really show on their new album.
Through and through every song is good. These guys have been around since 1976. I got to know them when I heard Balls to the Walls in 1983. Throughout the years many musicians passed through Accept. They stood the test of time and still kick ass today.
Accept has always been one of my top bands and it is wonderful that they are still around pleasing people with great heavy metal songs, incredible riffs, powerful vocals, great beats.
Humanoid is proof that even after all these years they still can bring out amazing music to please the masses. If they are in your town you owe it to yourself to attend one of their live shows
Another highly recommended album. Get yourself a copy and enjoy!!
#05 🇩🇪
DARTAGNAN – Herzblut
Founded in 2015 this band gave me goosebumps when I first heard them, This medieval folk metal band is unbelievable! Like Feuerschwanz they are a high-energy high-octane rock band.
Featuring Benjamin Metzner of Feuerschwanz, playing the mandolin, bagpipe and flute for the band, Along with Tim Bernard who also plays guitar and lead vocals. Sebastian Baumann on bass, Matthias Bohm on drums, Gustavo Strauss on guitars and violin and Haiko Heinz on guitar.
DArtagnan’s style follows closely Feuerschwanz but for some reason, I find them better. There is just more power to this band, maybe it has to do with Tim singing in German, There is a more pronounced folk style. The album Hezblut is just an amazing album. Its high-octane-fueled up sound is such a pleasure to my ears, it brings me somewhere else and this is so important in today’s world we live in when we need an escape. This is another band where their album is perfect for a medieval movie.
This is a must for anyone who loves this type of music, it is simply amazing!
#4 🇩🇪
DOMINUM – Hey Living People
Well this band, the second I heard the first note I was sold. Dominum has been playing on repeat on my playlist over and over and over! I absolutely love their style of music. Just when you think the world of music is saturated here comes Dominum!
This is one of the best bands to come out of Germany since Kissin’ Dynamite and Rammstein. Of course, it’s not for everyone I guess they are like coffee and they are an acquired taste. But once you love them you won’t let go! The album’s production is near perfection. Their unique sound is soul-absorbing!!
Band members are: Dr. Dead on vocals, Tommy Kemp on guitars, Patient Zero on bass and Victor Hiltop on drums.
Hey Living People is a concept album about the living dead that was released in late December of 2023 (So it counts as a 2024 album). The album contains 13 songs 3 of them are cover songs, and they have a killer cover of “Beds are Burning” (Midnight Oil cover). I will admit I don’t like their cover of Billie Eillish’s “Bad Guy”. They could have left it out. But the rest of the album is near perfection and such a refreshing sound that I baptized it Broadway Metal.
If you are looking for something different get yourself a copy of Dominum’s Hey Living People, I can’t wait for their upcoming album The Dead Don’t Die for 2025.
#03 🇺🇸
THE DEAD DAISIES – Light ‘Em Up
Well Well Well!! Who knew this would happen? This album came out of left field and blew my mind!! Pure volatile NOS Booster hard rock at its purest. The Dead Daisies have outdone themselves, I saw them live in 2023 and they were way better than I expected. John Corabi is an amazing frontman and a great vocalist.
Doug Aldrich is an outstanding lead guitarist and he has the credentials to prove it. David Lowy creates amazing guitar riffs, and Michael Devin’s bass work along with Tommy Clufetos’s drum beat have the perfect rhythm section. This band is so tight so well put together they are hard to beat. To think that 4 years ago I never heard of them… They have become one of my favourite bands.
Light ‘Em Up is a perfect album through and through pure high-energy hard rock, every song on this album is a banger. This album will raise the hair on your arms! It’s so damn good. I can’t find one weak point in any song The production is A1. Every instrument comes out clean and crisp. This is a must-buy for your collection at home. I will be bold enough to say that Light ‘Em Up is their best album yet and I truly believe that rock and roll is coming back and it’s thanks to bands like The Dead Daises that make it possible.
I can’t wait to see them live once more.
#02 🇺🇸
GREEN DAY – Saviors
Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tre Cool together are Green Day! Formed in 1987 in Rodeo California this band reached superstardom in no time! They have released 14 albums in their life span and more to come. Not every album were big hits along the way. But holy shit what a career they had and still going.
Green Day is hands down one of my favourite bands next to Rammstein. Throughout their existence as a band, they have delivered and satisfied their fans. Their style has changed since American Idiot which was a monumental success, followed by 21st Century Breakdown.
Although they released Uno, Dos and Tre albums in 2012, Revolution Radio and Father of All Motherfuckers I didn’t get into them, this left me disappointed and disconnected from the band. But in 2024 Green Day are back!!! Oh My God are they ever back!!! Saviors is a masterpiece! Mixing the old school and new school Green Day, they created the perfect formula for a perfect album. This album is so electrifying it can charge one hundred thousand Teslas for months!!!
Saviors is so much fun to listen to. You just want to get up and dance and party, it contains 15 songs and all of them are amazing. I can listen to this album all day long and not get bored.
Green Day is also one of the best live bands you will ever see. Billie Joe has so much charisma pouring out of him it is incredible. He knows how to reel you in. You will have a blast at their live shows.
This album was released very early in the year and got to see them play some of their new songs live at Osheaga, after a third time seeing them live they still bring on that high-energy electrifying show. If you have not purchased Saviors yet… What are you waiting for!!!!!
#01 🇩🇪
KISSIN’ DYNAMITE – Back with a Bang
From Burladingen and Munsingen Germany comes one of the best bands I have ever listened to since Rammstein. Anyone that knows me, knows that I have an obsession for German hard rock and heavy metal bands! Formed in 2006 these guys have been kicking ass.
They may be commercialized a bit but hey guess what? I don’t care !!!! The band I’m talking about is none other than KISSIN’ DYNAMITE!!!!!!!! YEAH BABY!!! These guys are so freaking good! They have not faltered. Their songs are so powerful, that they fuel the bullet trains in Germany with their songs.
Kissin’ Dynamite have been one of my favourite bands ever since I started following them a few years back. I just love their sound. It is the one band that I would buy a ticket for and fly over the ocean to go see live (If I had the money). They are Johannes Braun on vocals, Ande Braun guitars, Jim Muller on guitar, Steffen Haile on bass and Andi Schnitzer on drums.
Their album Back with a Bang, truly represents the band’s successes. The album was released this past summer. It charted number 1 in Germany and they sell out wherever they go! Spitting out 12 wonderful songs you will be entertained enough to want to play it again. My personal favourite song off this album is “My Monster”. It’s one of the best songs I have heard in years by any band, I just love it. The album doesn’t let you down. Even the ballad is very powerful.
It’s a shame that not many people on my side of the world don’t give them the time of day! these guys are better than most bands.
Ladies and Gentleman My number 1 album BACK WITH A BANG BY KISSIN’ DYNAMITE
Check out my other reviews and articles here. Eric.
