Written by Kep, Westin, and Kirk
After a little break in June for our midyear Best of 2024 lists, we’re back again with another monthly roundup. July was PACKED with good shit, some of which we reviewed, previewed, and premiered, and now we’ve compiled a nifty list of some of the best, just in case you missed anything.
Quick links to our reviews of July releases:
Mothman and the Thunderbirds – Portal Hopper
Void Witch – Horripilating Presence
Laceration – I Erode
And now on to our other July faves!
Ceremony of Silence – Hálios
Blackened death metal from Slovakia
That album art – whistles. Blackened death metal is a subgenre that I should like but often feel bored by because it’s so oversaturated. Ceremony of Silence are anything but boring. This album is a crushing and swirling soundscape of riffs and pounding drums with some really excellent lead work when it crops up. They’re also capable of mood and atmosphere, such as on “Moon Vessel”, which adds some appreciable dynamics to the record. Hálios actually feels like I’m listening to the glorious battle depicted on the cover, which is a testament to a vision for something a little more impactful.
– Westin
Conglaciation – Conglaciation
Dissonant/technical death metal from the US
Do you enjoy techdeath but wish it were a whole lot uglier and fucking weird as shit? This New York three-piece is here to oblige with their self-titled debut, a massive hunk of mindbogglingly complex technical death metal ripped straight from another universe. Guitarist/bassist Cotter Champlin puts together one of the wildest performances on a record yet this year with a display that’s equal parts frenetic, black hole heavy, and utterly alien. Throw on second track “Atramentous” and listen to these motherfuckers go to work: the constant interplay between unresting guitar and deliriously hurried bass, the seething growls of vocalist Andrew Gonzalez, the nimble punishment doled out by drummer James Knoerl (who you may know from The Anchoret or Thūn), that FUCKING solo near the end. If you like complicated, challenging death metal that’s still fun to listen to, drop what you’re doing and get on this.
– Kep
Ashenheart – Faded Gold
Atmospheric black/death metal from the US
The saying goes “bands have their whole life to write their first album”. Ashenheart certainly rings that true, with instrumentalist and songwriter Amanda Kauffman having worked on the album for roughly a decade. Many projects might wither in that span but Faded Gold stands ever stronger for the dedication. This is a killer debut record, absolutely vicious and heavy while retaining that essential magic that lets black metal slither into your body and chill you from the inside. That the record is themed around Elden Ring is a bonus that adds that extra layer to feel like a post-boss fight level up.
– Westin
Through Mists – Branches
Blackened death/progressive metal from Canada
I don’t know about you, but I get a little excited whenever I get a promo email for a new Through Mists release. James Aniston is, in my opinion, one of the most consistent artists in underground music right now, and I’ve been a fan ever since I first heard Cloudshredder back in 2022. And having traversed through the entire Traveler saga, it’s been a pleasure hearing how James has not only honed and sharpened the sound of Through Mists into a sharp blade but how he has grown as a musician and developed a sound that is both comforting and exciting (at least for me). Free from the trappings of an in-depth storyline, James has been able to explore new themes and styles in this new phase of his project. Eschewing an elaborate, intricate storyline as a means of narrating experiences from his personal life, Branches sees a more deliberate, direct approach to songwriting for James. Having recently become a father, he explores the meaning of family and how these new responsibilities have changed his life. This is a new chapter not just for Through Mists but for James himself, and we’re going to celebrate it the right way: WITH GUITAR RIFFS.
– Kirk
Diskord / Atvm – Bipolarities
Progressive death metal from Norway & the UK
I finally have an excuse to talk about Diskord! This “weird death metal” band from Norway is easily one of the best modern death metal bands, and their last record Degenerations from 2021 was super underrated. These four tracks are a great highlight of everything good about the band – slanted song structures, jazz influence and fat bass. Being a split is great because any band weird enough to split with Diskord has got to be good, and Atvm deliver. While certainly a little more conventional, they do feel like they fit the progressive death metal field perfectly. This is a very strong split that lets each band shine enough to stand out but also feel like they’re connected on some musical level that they’re in conversation together.
– Westin
Wraithfyre – Of Fell Peaks and Haunted Caverns
Melodic black metal from the UK
Some things in metal are a sure bet, and one of those things is that if the album has a mostly purple cover with a castle on it, you can put money down the music of said album being an icy blast of melodic black metal. And so it is here on this project’s debut, a heady trip into wind-whistling darkness with nothing but the moon and cackling devils to keep you company. From Tom O’Dell, the man behind Dwarrowdelf (he’s also one half of delightfully silly instrumental slam project Gimli, Son of Glóin, and in Battle Born), this album feels oh so familiar but not even slightly stale. Majestic synth lines wail like crying spirits while tremolo riffs fly to and fro in compelling melodies that burn into your memory, spurred on by merciless blasting. O’Dell’s scouring screams tell gripping tales of incantations whispered and magicks of the blackest, most sinister sort. It’s a whole purple black metal vibe.
– Kep
Obscene – Agony & Wounds
Death metal from the US
The most immediately noticeable thing about Obscene is that vocalist Kyle Shaw sounds a lot like Tomas Lindberg in early At the Gates. For me, that’s a selling point – it’s visceral, sounds killer and most importantly distinct. The band leans into this, incorporating elements that sound a little like early melodeath and the thrashier side of the first wave. In a sea of hardcore bands playing death metal, that stands out. I was a big fan of this band’s last album and I continue to love everything they’re doing on Agony & Wounds.
– Westin
Death Racer – From Gravel to Grave
Blackened speed metal from Austria
Dying Victims continues to find the cream of the crop for black thrash/speed bands and my head perks up every time I see that label name attached to a band. Death Racer is straight forward and raw in the vein of early German thrash and Venom. The band are super energetic and can actually change up the tempos enough to never feel like they’ve got their foot stuck on the pedal. “Traumatized in Traffic Jam Ejection” is also one of the funniest song titles I’ve heard in a while – it helps to remember that metal can be fun as hell!
– Westin
Dødskvad – Krønike III
Death metal from Norway
Just before the world shut down in early 2020, something magical happened in Norway: Dødskvad released Krønike I. Two years later came Krønike II, and now we’ve finally got Krønike III. FUCK these EPs are so damn good. Spanning 21 minutes across only three tracks, III is a the most impressive outing yet from the three-piece, a testament to their remarkably progressive songwriting chops. The raw and noisy production is as fitting for war themes as ever it was, but you’ll find their deft mixing touch at keeping the riffs clear remains as well. It’s pummeling but surprisingly cerebral, old school authentic but in no way simple imitation. Final track “Ved Manas Bredd” (“By Mana’s Bank”) is their longest and most remarkable song yet, a ten-minute multi-phase journey that has to be heard to be believed. You’ll catch new things on every repeat listen.
– Kep
Respire – Hiraeth
Post-blackened screamo from Canada
Hiraeth is one of the best records I’ve listened to in 2024. If I’d had the time I would have given this record the full review it deserves. A collective of musicians writing political screamo about hope and the human spirit. This record is spine chillingly beautiful, the sounds of a hundred voices crying out in anguish and love. The black metal influence adds an incredibly vicious edge that belies the equally abnormal folk elements like violin, trumpet, glockenspiel, and more, fused together with an orchestral sense of grandiosity that feels otherworldly. The vocals both clean and harsh are gripping and the instrumentals feel like a mine cart careening dangerously close to the edge of the rails but never quite reaching the tipping point. This is an album with unbelievable artistic vision that genuinely pushes screamo forward as a genre. If you listen to no other album I recommend to you today – listen to Respire.
– Westin
Summoning the Lich – Under the Reviled Throne
Techincal/melodic death metal from the US
St. Louis, Missouri’s Summoning the Lich wear their influences on their sleeve: a healthy dose of The Black Dahlia Murder’s type of scorching melodic death, the unceasing angles of frenetic techdeath, a dash or two of chugging deathcore. But that’s not to say they’re simply retreading paths already worn in by others; rather, they bring an infectious energy to a balanced blend of things we already know and love. And Under the Reviled Throne will sell you on their sound, if you weren’t sold already: 11 tracks in 40 minutes, one interlude, a billion riffs, energy set to max. It absolutely whips and lashes you to pieces, guitars flying in constant motion, drums racing and battering, frontman David Bruno’s arresting screams delivering a metric shit ton of loquacious dark fantasy lyrics. It’s one of the most fun listens I’ve had this year, and I’ve been compelled to revisit it multiple times in the few short days since its release.
– Kep
Mayhemic – Toba
Blackened thrash metal from Chile
We’re lucky to have a month with two phenomenal blackened thrash/speed albums. Toba is named for and themed around a massive pre-historic volcanic eruption that is believed to have nearly wiped out the entire young human race. This album feels appropriately explosive and deadly, with ripping riffs and gnarly vox. Mayhemic are clearly heavily influenced by the sounds of early Kreator, sounding like an homage to the thrash ancestors. The album is a furious 36 minutes that simply caters to repeat listens.
– Westin