BEST OF 2024 – Tom Cornell (Writer) 🏴
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)
The “As Always” Intro:
As always at CGCM all the staff are invited at end of year to name their 10 favourite albums for that year. Using “as always” (for a second time), it has been bloody hard work to decide! There have been some terrific albums out in 2024, in the rock, metal, prog and blues styles (they are all the ones that I love anyway). There were a few that were so close but for whatever reason (perhaps 1 track a bit weaker than the rest) they didn’t make the cut. I will say a few words about the ones that could have made it before I hit you with my top 10.
Just Missing Out:
Devin Townsend: Powernerd. It was a slow burner for me. First impressions were that it was nothing particularly new but that it was a solid album. After repeated plays I started to appreciate certain songs whether it be the harder edge tracks such as the title song, “Knuckledragger ” or the really haunting and beautiful ones like “Gratitude” and “Goodbye“. Topped off by the marvellously silly “Ruby Quaker” his latest ode to coffee.
Saxon: Hell, Fire And Damnation. Even after all these years Saxon are still recording great slabs of metal. Biff still has it vocally too. It seems drinking tea is good for you! Best tracks for me include the almost speed metal of “Fire And Steel“, the rollicking history storytelling in “1066“, and the title track itself. Not a duffer to be heard which is impressive this late in their career.
Nile: The Underworld Awaits Us All. Possibly my favourite death metal album of the year. Technically superb (as usual) with huge riffs and all those little moments of Egyptian melodies that make them unique. The title track is a fantastic slab of progressive death metal and in “True Gods Of The Desert” they recorded one of the best songs of 2024.
Beardfish: Songs For Beating Hearts. Classic prog rock with hints of early Genesis, Gentle Giant and the folk sound of the Canterbury scene. They have their heavier moments but they are mixed with folk and jazz. In fact some of the tracks even have a funk groove to them. The long “Out In The Open” suite is terrific coming in around 21 minutes. Also a great listen for those who love organs and keys in general.
The Commoners: Restless. I was late to the party not only to the album but the band. I went to see them and was rather blown away so had to get the album. They do remind me a lot at times of early Black Crowes but they have enough going on not to be seen as any sort of clone. Songs groove, there are Southern vibes aplenty. Best tracks include “Devil Teasin’ Me“, “Shake You Off“, the keys led “Who Are You” and the gospel-style ballads “Restless” and “See You Again“.
Opeth: The Last Will & Testament. I love this album. I love the concept, the delivery, the mix of old and new Opeth, the addition of Ian Anderson from Jethro Tull and the high standard of vocals. The songs are nearly all numbered as paragraphs (from a will) which adds to things nicely. Of course, those who know about these things will be aware that the growled vocals are back. Sadly it seems loads of folks are focussed on that rather than how interesting the album is. He uses the harsher vocals to portray one character so that works for the story. The only reason it is not top 10 is that it came out so late in the year and I want to see if I still feel the same about it in 4 or 5 months! I like to live with an album before it gets a top slot.
So Let’s Get To The 10:
#10 🇺🇸/🇬🇧
BEAUX GRIS GRIS & THE APOCALYPSE – Hot Nostalgia Radio
This is another band I was late to the party with. I went to see them when they played locally. They were outstanding. I had to get the album. The band who are part American and part British and play a mix of music so diverse it is a miracle that it works. Singer Greta Valenti has such a great voice and can cover a multitude of styles. Thankfully, UK-born guitarist Robin Davey is as versatile. What I love is how the title of the album makes sense to the music.
Much of the music is steeped in the 50s, 60s and 70s in particular and with the varying styles it is a bit like going through differing channels at points. They rock, but they play blues, country, psychedelic, funk and soul within that. From the rocking “Oh Yeah“, the grooving stomp of “Wild Woman“, the 60s psychedelic “I Told My Baby” to the wonderful 50s-inspired ballad “All I Could Do Is Cry” this is a joyous sounding album. The amazing thing is even with all that, they sound even better live! Great album, great band. Sorry for my tardiness here!
#09 🇸🇪
WORMWOOD – The Star
This Swedish progressive metal band never seem to let me down. Every album is well constructed with a well-put-together mix of heavy and light, brutality and melody. One of the things that I love is singer Nine has strong diction so even though they vocals are harsh I can still make out a good amount of lyrics before seeing a lyric sheet. Just as well as they write thoughtful lyrics.
This is the last of a trilogy of albums about death, each has had a different slant and vibe. There are sections of heavy blackened metal but merged with melodic death, some folk and some passages of utter beauty with solos that hint at both Dave Gilmour and Mark Knopfler. Melody and emotion over flash. This is an album of haunting atmospheres. The use of a childlike choir in “Stjarnfall” is clever and adds both an eeriness that is hard to define and a beauty to the darkness at the same time.
The chorus of “A Distant Glow” is lush, it sort of reminded me of Queen in the melody. “Ro” is outstanding. Deep, thoughtful yet at times uplifting with at one point a guitar part that had a very Alex Lifeson sound to it. I find Wormwood to be a band that sound even better with headphones on as they are quite cinematic in approach and the music is quite all-encompassing. This album is no different. Fabulous stuff.
#08 🇸🇪
LUCIFER – V
This Swedish/German outfit released this, their fifth album (the clue is in the title), earlier this year and I loved it. The mix of doomy Black Sabbath-type riffs with 60s psychedelic rock is a huge amount of fun to listen to. Their songs are excellent, very memorable. Even their pop sensibilities comes from the 60s, you could easily imagine watching these songs done in black and white in a TV studio.
Their “love” songs are deliciously twisted and of course FUN. Songs such as “Slow Dance In A Crypt” and “At The Mortuary” exude a certain danger or horror feel whilst being easy on the ear (or indeed commercial). Songs that are almost seductive, sounding so sweet, but there is an undercurrent that suggests if you follow you may never return from the clutches of this femme fatale! I did mention in my review that songs can go from “folksy to creepy to commercial at the drop of a hat” and I stand by those words. If you like your hard rock with a flavouring of gothic horror then this album is definitely for you. It was for me!
#07 🇩🇪
ORDEN OGEN – The Order Of Fear
This German power metal band is one that kind of passed me by before. I knew of them but never checked them out. That was a mistake. What amazed me was finding out that the albums are all part of one conceptual piece, or at least are based around a particular character called Alister Vale. Now despite not knowing all the backstory I still fell in love with the album. The album is full of great riffs, thunderous drumming, massive choruses and with plenty of melody.
There are loads of what I would call “chanty” moments which suggests live they should have plenty of audience participation going on. The story flows pretty well, or at least well enough that you do not need to know the rest up to this point, it stands alone, but as part of their canon, I am sure it works even better. The band have also managed that great trick when writing songs in a concept piece that the songs can work as part of the album or as stand-alone songs.
Always think that is clever! Songs such as “Kings Of The Underworld“, “Fear” or “Prince Of Sorrow” are stand-outs on this excellent album. There is some symphonic metal along with a little folk and even classical in the music too. “The Long Darkness” in particular has quite a bit of the latter. As a genre power metal can be a tad cheesy but these guys avoid that by being thoughtful in their writing and delivery. This was the best I heard within that genre this year!
BUY
#06 🇬🇧
ROSALIE CUNNINGHAM – To Shoot Another Day
This album is almost a one-person band with the lady herself playing just about everything on the album. This multi-instrumentalist from England used to be in the band Purson but went solo a few years ago. Rosalie is seen as “prog” to many folks, but she is actually much more than that. Some of the music is old-school pop music mixed with jazz and psychedelia.
The album is definitely a rock album but explores other genres too. The title track is the best James Bond theme tune in years, albeit for a movie that doesn’t exist, if it did then this would be a magnificent theme! Much of the album has a cinematic (check “The Premiere“) and indeed dramatic feel to it. It is also again a huge amount of FUN. For instance “Heavy Pencil” is like a jazzy theme tune to a 60s TV show that guess what, doesn’t exist.
One of my tunes of the year is “Good To Be Damned” which is sexy, alluring and ever so slightly evil sounding. This is so theatrical that “Smut Peddler” seems to take a little from Alice Cooper‘s Welcome To My Nightmare album. Although Rosalie does manage to make it sound as sweet as The Carpenters in places. Clever stuff. On “Return Of The Ellington” she even goes all 1960s Jethro Tull but with some soul music running through it. Did I mention clever? Did I mention FUN?
#05 🇬🇧
JUDAS PRIEST – Invincible Shield
After 50 years of making music, the Priest returned with another new album. If you haven’t checked it out and wondered it sounds like, well it sounds like classic Judas Priest! Loads of riffs? Check. Thunderous drums? Check. Screaming vocals? Check. Why change a formula that is so successful and indeed exactly what fans love?
Once again the band have managed to make some very metal music which also contains melody and choruses that can be screamed back by fans at gig. What could be better? At points almost heading into speed metal territory (opener “Panic Attack” has that vibe in the verses and is actually reminiscent of Painkiller) but still managing to drop things down with songs like “Crown Of Thorns” a ballad and “Escape From Reality” that is a grinder (ahem) that could have been on Nostradamus (don’t let that put you off).
The title track itself is almost progressive metal, in fact, it probably is with the intro being a rollercoaster ride of stops starts and changes. It is superb. Where many metal bands make some great music Priest have always managed to write SONGS, lyrics that can be sung with plenty of heart. Anthemic yes, but emotional. Not all bands have that in their locker. These do and on this new album, they show a remarkably high standard. I thought the last album was great but this is better. My favourite album by them since Angel Of Retribution (As a Scot I adore “Loch Ness” even though I know folks who think it is overlong).
#04 🇳🇴
IHSAHN – Ihsahn
On this his eighth album Vegard Sverre Tveitan who goes by the name Ihsahn has created his most cinematic album ever. Yes, there is black metal running through the album, but that is matched by the sweet and clever orchestral score that permeates the album. In fact you can also get the album as a standalone orchestral album which is actually really bloody good.
However, I will talk about the main version with the vocals and the guitars drums bass etc. Putting this in a pigeonhole is difficult (as is much of his output), yes it is progressive, it has black metal, it is symphonic, classical, it has death metal vocals along with some of the best clean vocals he has ever recorded. There are 3 short musical passages at the start middle and end, little interludes that are gorgeous and haunting (“Cervus Venator“, “Anima Extraneae” and “Sonata Profana“). One of the highlights for me is “Twice Born” which outside of some of the growled vocals could easily be music from an old Alfred Hitchcock movie. The tension, the scurrying, the feeling of imminent danger.
This is music from a black-and-white movie classic I tell you. “Blood Trails to Love” has the most pop or commercial chorus I have ever heard from Ihsahn. The build-up into the track is really good, dark and menacing then when you expect brutality this gorgeous melodic chorus comes in. This album is another which I have to listen to all the way through, preferably with headphones as it flows so well. This owes as much to Bernard Herrmann and John Williams as it does to black metal. Seriously it is stunning. On another day it would or could be my number one of the year.
03 🇸🇪
RITUAL – The Story Of Mr Bogd, Part 1
This Swedish band formed in the early 1990s. This was the first time I had heard of them. Like Orden Ogan, these guys have previous albums which I have been trying to catch up on. In Ritual‘s case, they only have 4 before this with the last being in 2007. Not exactly prolific. The album is a concept piece based on the children’s TV show The Moomins which I had no idea was created by a Swedish-speaking Finnish writer so is actually Nordic.
The album is so well constructed and flows beautifully. Musically it is traditional prog rock, owing much to say early Genesis as well as the folk scene of the late 60s and early 70s. The 4 piece use a good number of instruments meaning the soundscapes are really interesting and unique (even with the influences showing). Some of them are harmonium (either a reed or pump organ), harmonica, bouzouki, mandolin and flute.
Acoustic
There is of course bass, guitar and drums in there. The use of acoustic in both “The Inn Of The Haunted Owl” and “Dreams In A Brougham” made me think of particularly the “Trespass” album by Genesis. I do love the jauntiness of “The Inn” musically. “Mr Tilly And His Gang” sounds like circus music and is a lot of fun. “Through A Rural Landscape” is an instrumental which focuses more around piano and has a jazzy feel whereas “The Feline Companion” has lyric and sounds quite dark and is one of my favourite songs on the album. “Read All About It” leans towards jazz-rock fusion with weird syncopations that keep you off kilter a bit yet has a very catchy chorus.
Great track all round. The last track “The Three Heads Of The Well” sounds very Middle Eastern. The drop-down with just bouzouki (sure that is what is being used) with either bongos or just clever use of the toms sounds great along with the chanting vocals. This is an album which I have kept going back to, and when I do I have to listen to the whole thing. That is how good it is put together. Roll on part 2!
#02 🇺🇸
BLOOD INCANTATION – Absolute Elsewhere
I have to thank a friend here who messaged me asking if I had heard this album. He sent one YouTube link and from that, I wanted the album. The band from the USA have been around since 2011 although their first album was 2016. The lineup has remained the same since then. They mix death metal with psychedelic music which is a bit different.
At points, I thought of the soundscapes of Tangerine Dream and Eloy along with at least one track where there is some Floyd. The album, I say that as it is released in an old-school way, 2 sides, both around 21 or 22 minutes, each side given a title (like the 2 sides of say Tull‘s Aqualung) and each side containing 3 connecting tracks (or “tablets” as they call them) telling a story. Side 1 is “The Stargate” and side 2 is called “The Message“. It is an album that is best heard in its entirety.
Flow
Another album that flows, that is beautifully constructed. Some tracks focus more on the death metal side and others more on the melodic and spacy. Often there is a lovely mix of both, which certainly keeps me engaged as a listener. The first track is one of those that nods at Floyd, perhaps “Wish You Were Here” soundscape-wise in the mid-section. The larger part of it is technical death metal. Track 2 features Thorsten Quaeschning from Tangerine Dream on mellotron, synths and programming, so yes this is an atmospheric piece. In fact there are 3 guests on the album all who have been a part of TD, 2 adding synths etc and one doing extra vocals.
Track 3 of side 1 goes all Middle Eastern style-wise at one point, pretty doomy at another and is another track of heavy riffs and growls in the main. Side 2 starts again heavy, yet the guitar soloing is melodic and the piece is rather dramatic. Track 2 (side 2) has a touch of Devin Townsend about it at times with the wall of sound and the guitar work before heading more into Floyd territory with the echo-style vocals and melodies. The last track is the epic at 11 minutes and is quite a heavy track but with underlying melody. The whole album needs to be heard with headphones so you can appreciate all the different sounds and textures. It is an absolute treat on the ears whilst being heavy as fuck. Lovely!
#01 🇳🇴
MADDER MORTEM – Old Eyes, New Heart
I reviewed this album away back in January and spoke about how good it was and suggested it would likely be around when it came to the end-of-year top 10. I was right. Like both Ritual and Ihsahn‘s albums this is an album I went back to so many times throughout the year. As I said in my review these Norwegians were a new band to me, but had been around for years having 7 albums out before this.
They are under “technical/extreme metal” which is kind of right yet not. There is plenty of great musicianship on show but this is a band that focuses on SONGS! They also care deeply about melody too. Due perhaps to thoughtful and intelligent lyrics that have some soul about them (and they are sung with a great deal of passion) they and their album stood out for me. There is also plenty diversity on the album. Yes, there are heavier more intense musical passages on some of the songs, but no song is “extreme” due to how they construct their songs.
Jazzier
Songs like “Towers“, “The Head That Wears The Crown” and “The Things I’ll Never Do” (probably the heaviest track on the album) can get heavy, but a melodic line is never too far away. The band often head into jazzier fields, on songs like “On Guard” and “Cold Hard Rain” which is very cinematic, at one point they drop the sound down so quiet that you have to really listen to even hear Agnete‘s plaintive vocal which is rather brave. Really calls on the listener to be invested to want to hear what she has to say. “Master Tongue” is the wildest ride with great changes of style, pace, power and feel.
Melody
It is one of those songs that twists and turns yet again there is that all-important melody and vocal hook. After listening to this album god knows how many times I still absolutely love it. Picking a favourite song for me would be difficult as so many of them are standouts for me. Every song is excellent with some absolutely outstanding and utterly memorable. A worthy album for album of the year.
Just a thank you to everyone that has taken the time to read through my reasons for why certain albums made top 10 for me. I ask folks to please check out any of the bands that sound up your street. You may hopefully find a new band to love. My thanks also go to all the PR folks who supplied music, sorted out guest listings etc throughout the year.
To all the bands that took time to chat with me interview-wise I really appreciated that. A huge thank you to the admins on this site for their help and support. They are a great bunch all round. Here’s to hopefully a wonderful year of music (along with some health peace and prosperity) in 2025. See you all then.
Check out my other reviews and articles here. Tom.
