Many of us at Boolin Tunes consider ourselves “album people”. There’s nothing we love more than losing ourselves, or even finding our own lost souls, in the albums we come to cherish. Album reviews are now part of our routine, but we know just how many listens it takes to make an album a part of you, thus every single piece is the result of careful examination. Even as the year reached its mid-way point, we began to pool our experiences towards this list. Rest assured that we thought very carefully about the LP list, and that every placement is deliberate – even spot number 25 was an agonising discussion, with so many records missed out yet deserving of recognition in 2024. Having said that, we all agree that this is the happiest we’ve been with an LP list since we started Boolin Tunes.
Our approach considers, first and foremost, the quality of each album in its own right. No art exists in a vacuum, so it is important to also consider an album’s present and future cultural impact. For example, for our top pick, these align perfectly – 2024 will be remembered as the year of [spoiler removed]. Considering both quality and cultural impact should be no surprise, but there are some reasons that we want to highlight the practical relevance for our criteria. There are several records and trends that are running up numbers in the worldwide heavy scene that you won’t find in our list. In some cases, they come from projects that lend a voice to less heard sentiments. This is worthy of praise, and it’s being heaped on elsewhere, so there’s been no need for us to cover them and reveal just how bad we think the underlying music is. Other publications may feel swayed to follow these trends – perhaps they are rushing to keep up with some wave that started far beyond their own vision, or listening to numbers over their own ears – but that is not us.
On a completely separate note, pieces of shit make shit music, a fact that is conveniently almost always true. If you want us to feel the power and emotion within your music, that force has to come from the right place. We’re proud that our lists represent the cutting edge, good eggs of the alternative and DIY scene. These are the records that give voice to our frustrations with modern society and the human experience, and offer us reasons to keep going beyond simple catharsis. These are the best albums of 2024.
25
The Black Dahlia Murder – Servitude (Metal Blade Records)
Ed: After a period of uncertainty in the two years after the death of beloved frontman Trevor Strnad, The Black Dahlia Murder return with their newest album Servitude, that doesn’t simply continue the rock-solid melodic death metal the band is known for. It also shows that they are as determined as ever to continue onwards, and make their fallen brother proud. I’m sure that if Trevor got to hear Servitude, it would no doubt make him smile in glee.
24
ERRA – Cure (UNFD)
Jonathan: On their sixth full-length, CURE, ERRA distill their expansive sound into a groove-focused, atmosphere-heavy form. Casting a wide net with their 2021 self-titled album, the band chose to hone in on a specific, cohesive sound for CURE, creating for a satisfying full album experience that hides its meticulous details under the surface. The album captures the feeling of the liminality of life and the often uncertain melancholies and frustrations of existence. Blending past and present with songs like “Rumor of Light”, to swinging into ominous, despondent heaviness on “Crawl Backwards Out of Heaven”, and ultimately ending on an intricately progressive sliver of hope with closer “Wave”. CURE presents ERRA at their best yet again, a testament to the continual growth of the progressive metalcore titans.
23
Wristmeetrazor – Degeneration (Prosthetic Records)
Joe: Degeneration is the record that Wristmeetrazor seemed destined to make. They’ve taken all their strongest elements from previous records with a touch of added flair and refinement which has naturally led to their finest work to date. The intent to write their heaviest riffs comes across right away, and Fornof putting in a hell of a performance, delivering visceral vocals that capture the mind. Degeneration proves that Wristmeetrazor are a force that define melodic metalcore, and should be considered a key part of the new wave of acts taking over the scene.
22
Crucifiction – Will To Power (Rise Records)
Shane C: If 2024 was the year of the MySpace-era deathcore revival, then Crucifiction must take the crown with the pinnacle of its releases: Will To Power. Backed with Hunter Young‘s exceptional composition, Will To Power feels like thirty minutes of having a bag draped over your head while Satan uses your ear drums as a speedbag.
21
Respire – Hiraeth (Dine Alone Music)
Tim: Four years after the triumph of Black Line, Respire levels up again with the “post-everything” Hireath. Both on a track-by-track and album basis, Respire touches upon every label bestowed to them and more. Even as opener ”Keening” telegraphs what’s to come, each subsequent track comes alive with its own flourishes. Rich in atmosphere throughout, coming back to this album after some time apart is a warm embrace, even if a bit dark and distant.
20
Graphic Nature – Who Are You When No One Is Watching? (Rude Records)
Joe: With their blade sharpened by the success of their debut A Mind Waiting To Die, Graphic Nature wasted little time to prove their ability by delivering their sophomore Who Are You When No One Is Watching? this year. They refine what they had previously delivered on key singles “Human” and “Fractured”, but when the record reaches its title track and “For You”, Graphic Nature ascend to another level, creating moments that will sit in the memory for years to come. Harvey Freeman delivers a vulnerable and human performance unlike nothing else in recent memory.
19
200 Stab Wounds – Manual Manic Procedures (Metal Blade Records)
Emily: Known for their hostile blend of old school death metal and hardcore, Ohio-based death metal band, 200 Stab Wounds, re-emerged this year with the release of their sophomore album, Manual Manic Procedures, via Metal Blade Records. As a follow-on from their grotesque debut, this album explores a more mature and experimental version of their uniquely vile sound, with tracks such as “Led to the Chamber / Liquified” delving into a variety of production styles and distorted soundscapes. Filled with brutal vocals, squealing pinch harmonics, grinding drum rhythms, and relentless gritty riffs; Manual Manic Procedures is truly a perfect example of what the modern death metal scene has to offer.
18
SeeYouSpaceCowboy…. – Coup de Grâce (Pure Noise Records)
Jack W: Do you like post-hardcore? How about scramz? Maybe you enjoy theatrical choruses? If you’re a fan of these to any extent then this album is probably for you. SeeYouSpaceCowboy have always blended an eclectic selection of genres, but Coup De Grâce feels like the realisation of the band’s artistic vision. Lead vocalist Connie Sgarbossa’s impressive signature shrieks litter this album, with three of the other four members also showcasing their vocal prowess on various occasions. A must listen, Coup De Grâce is a showcase of the band’s abilities, and feels like they’ve finally achieved the sound they were destined to make.
17
Job for a Cowboy – Moon Healer (Metal Blade Records)
Shane C: Ten years absent yet back like they never left, Job For A Cowboy takes listeners on a psychedelic-laced odyssey of beauty and brutality with Moon Healer. It’s the perfectly balanced culmination of their near twenty-year run, as if the death metal titans have been packed into a crushing Pandora’s box.
16
Splitknuckle – Breathing Through The Wound (DAZE)
Joe: Released in the opening weeks of 2024, Splitknuckle set the bar for the year with the empathic Breathing Through the Wound. Biting lyricism cuts through across tracks such as “Fuck Your Whole Life” and “We Share Blood (Not Love)”, and the reveal of the record’s inner thoughts on its title track and “Gethsemane” bite even deeper. Backed with furious and snappy riffs and a vicious performance, Splitknuckle showed the world what Essex can deliver, while launching Splitknuckle to the forefront of bills across the UK and abroad.
15
Foreign Hands – What’s Left Unsaid (SHARPTONE)
Kath: Foreign Hands are a band that have fully capitalized on their ability to make you nostalgic for an era of metalcore years past. Capturing the raw energy and emotion of the early 2000s sound, the group has garnered attention from long-time fans of the genre and newcomers alike. Standout releases like their Bleed the Dream EP and Lucid Noise singles made Foreign Hands’ full-length debut record What’s Left Unsaid a highly-anticipated one and the Delaware natives more than delivered, with pep in their two-step and their hearts on their sleeve.
14
Outlander – Acts of Harm (Church Road Records)
Dobbin T: It takes skill to produce art that delivers on the full promise of a genre. It’s harder to meet a genre halfway, avoiding its clichés and give its audience experience their first breath of it again – ultimately, what they’re really searching for. Acts of Harm has clearly been written in both reverence and opposition to the tropes of its connecting genres. Sonically, it’s everything you love about shoegaze and post rock, with heavy blankets of noise and tender, barely spoken passage. When it comes to the compositions, less really is more, including many pulled punches and no moment wasted in its runtime. They’ve been picked up by Pelagic Records following the success of Acts of Harm, but we must give a strong applause to their original label, Church Road Records, whose roster has had an incredible year (particularly Lowen, Hidden Mothers, Iress, and Blanket who all were strong contenders for this list).
13
Infant Island – Obsidian Wreath (Secret Voice)
Dobbin T: We proudly crowned a screamo record as our 2023 album of the year, and the decade continues to deliver – the likes of Bloom Dream, Frail Body, State Faults, Respire (above), Heavenly Blue and Blind Girls have all knocked it out the park. Winning here are Infant Island who started the year very strong with Obsidian Wreath. It’s a maliciously beautiful record that’s been stuck in our minds since January, capturing an almost unmatched level of desperation and tragedy. A masterclass in album structure, it starts out savage and intense, working in its dynamics later with “Veil”, “Kindling”, and the amazing closer “Vestygian”. We don’t imagine that screamo will experience the same growth that’s been enjoyed by hardcore in the last few years, but it’s exciting to see that international recognition is growing for the Secret Voice scene and its contemporaries.
12
Trauma Ray – Chameleon (Dais Records)
Tim: Trauma Ray continues to prove why they’re considered one of the most exciting acts in shoegaze today. Their debut full-length album wears its influences on its sleeve, channeling equal parts Whirr and Slowdive while still maintaining a light-as-air style buoyed by Uriel Avila’s dreamy vocals. Throwing in heavier riffs as on the title track and “Bishop” for levity, Chameleon brings a wider array of tools to the genre than most. Closing with a textured one-two punch of “ISO” and “U.S.D.D.O.S.”, Trauma Ray has delivered on years of promise with an overall stellar record.
11
Fit For An Autopsy – The Nothing That Is (Nuclear Blast)
Max: Showing a clear progression and intent going from 2022’s stellar Oh What The Future Holds, this year genre veterans Fit For An Autopsy have leaned further into all aspects of that record. They’ve discovered a new-found sense of melodicism, all the while re-embracing the more acutely deathcore-adjacent sound of their earlier years, with some added new tricks that they’ve learned along the way. It may not have as many blurbable one-liners as its predecessor, but with some of the most fierce riffing I’ve heard all year, alongside some truly biting lyricism all the same, The Nothing That Is stands as one of the most airtight releases the wider metal genre as a whole has to offer in 2024.
10
Chat Pile – Cool World (The Flenser)
Sophie: Building off the brutality and violent walls of noise found in 2022’s God’s Country, Chat Pile’s sophomore album pushes their sonic horizons, being both more technical and melodic than previous releases, while retaining their crushing, dark atmosphere. As much as this can be attributed to the frankly bizarre guitar and bass tones, credit must be given where it is due to frontman Raygun Busch’s vocals, which range from pained whimpers to guttural screams. Lyrically, the album has a wide scope, moving past the band’s home state of Oklahoma, exploring a (not so cool) world filled with depravity, war and hatred.
9
Foxing – Foxing (Grand Paradise & Miscellaneous Recordings)
Tim: Foxing returns with a blistering, ambitious, and above all dynamic effort for their self-titled. This record seamlessly dances between towering wall-of-sound blowout segments and sparser passages to staggering effect. From the dizzying blitz of “Hell 99” to the progressive decay of “Greyhound” and the desperation of “Gratitude”, it stays punchy and tight. While a number of comparisons can be made depending on when you happen to tune in, to showcase this many distinct genres within a unified package and to pull them off with this level of excellence makes for Foxing’s best total effort yet.
8
Poppy – Negative Spaces (Sumerian Records)
Jonathan: The eccentric, multigenre artist known as Poppy makes her foray into modern metal on Negative Spaces, backed with production from Jordan Fish. With fresh eyes on her following her collaborations with Bad Omens and Knocked Loose, Poppy’s return to metal has been well anticipated, and Negative Spaces does not disappoint. She puts a unique spin on a well-trodden style, producing effective earworms like “the cost of giving up” and “vital”. She still retains her experimental nature on songs like “crystallized” and “push go” and displays her vocal versatility on the standout heavy-hitter, “the center’s falling out”. Negative Spaces sets a gold standard for arena metalcore, while also showcasing a more vulnerable side to the enigmatic artist.
7
Boundaries – Death Is Little More (3DOT Recording)
Kath: Hartford County metalcore titans Boundaries have fully hit their stride with the release of their third full-length record Death Is Little More. While the group’s sound has been redefined by embracing a more melodic slant over the years, the end result is something sharper and much more poignant that never sacrifices on heaviness. Armed to the teeth with hard-hitting lyricism, razor-sharp riffs, and punishing breakdowns, as well as a choice selection of features from Lochie Keogh, Marcus Vik, and Matt Honeycutt, the record has all the makings of a modern metalcore classic and proves to be an emotional reckoning that hurts just as much as it heals.
6
VOLA – Friend Of A Phantom (Mascot Records)
Max: One of the brightest-shining beacons in the world of prog, Danish metallers VOLA deliver a stellar fourth LP in Friend of a Phantom that feels like an encapsulation of their many storied eras rolled into one. Tracks like “Cannibal” and “Bleed Out” demonstrate the heavier, darker and riffier side to VOLA that reared its head in parts of Inmazes and Witness, whereas brighter cuts such as “We Will Not Disband” and “Glass Mannequin” hearken back more to the subdued serenity of the Applause of a Distant Crowd era. This is not all to say that VOLA are simply resting on their laurels and retreading old ground, but instead are looking back as a passage of moving forward by forging a new-found strength in each beloved corner of their back catalogue, whilst meaningfully progressing their sound in a way that feels natural and intentioned.
5
Opeth – The Last Will And Testament (Nuclear Blast)
Nick: Legendary Swedish prog outfit Opeth hardly require any introduction. From the mid-90s right through to late 2010s, the acclaimed act led by progressive metal maestro Mikael Akerfeldt have been responsible for some of my favorite metal releases of all time, such as Blackwater Park and Ghost Reveries. After a string of 1970s prog rock adjacent records spanning throughout the 2010s, their brand new masterpiece The Last Will and Testament doubles down on these eclectic prog intricacies while simultaneously paying homage to the band’s death metal roots. Put simply, it is Opeth‘s magnum opus, and fans both new and old will be in equal appreciation of this one for years to come.
4
Hereisaropegoodluck – NOTHING TO WRITE HOME ABOUT (WAX VESSEL)
Joe: Each year, a record comes out of leftfield that takes you completely by surprise. 2024 put forward Hereisaropegoodluck, whose debut NOTHING TO WRITE HOME ABOUT delivers one of the most maddening records of this year, with riffs that will tear your ear off, and a vocal performance that is up there with one of the strongest of this year too. For those who choose to scratch beneath the surface of what Hereisaropegoodluck offers, their lyrical offering is just as crushing and intense as their blistering sound.
3
156/Silence – People Watching (SHARPTONE)
Kath: People Watching crept its way into Album of the Year discussions like an insidious, intrusive thought – wholly unexpected, lingering in the shadows, and haunting long after it fades. Despite a steady string of releases since signing with SharpTone in 2020, 156/Silence have managed to remain on the periphery of the scene at large until now. But everything about People Watching demands your attention—its larger scope compared to past releases, the undercurrent of tension and anxiety permeating each second of its runtime, and most notably, frontman Jack Murray’s monumental vocal performances that have become a hallmark of 156’s unique and ever-evolving sound. While the latter half of 2024 saw 156/Silence on a supporting run for Signs of the Swarm, all eyes will be on the Pittsburgh natives as they set to embark on their own co-headlining tour with VCTMS early in the new year.
2
HERIOT – Devoured by the Mouth of Hell (Century Media Records)
Jack CG: Moving forward through doors opened by the Profound Morality EP under Church Road, Heriot seemingly knew that they’d have to go above and beyond with their first full-length in order to favourably cement themselves within metal history. Thus, Devoured by the Mouth of Hell was born, a record that utilises a myriad of influences and styles to create an experience equal parts fresh and deliciously heavy. From the steadfast crushers like “Siege Lord” and “At the Fortress Gate” mowing down your defences, to disturbingly ascendant hymns such as “Opaline” and “Visage” helmed by top-notch ambience alongside Debbie Gough’s hair-raising cleans – the range on display is nothing short of peak. Even at its most basic, Devoured by the Mouth of Hell eclipses your average metal record with layers and layers of groove, dark ambience, and cinematics certain to catch ears and scrunch nearby faces into a twisted grimace.
1
Knocked Loose – You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To (Pure Noise Records)
Max: Undoubtedly the biggest metal ‘moment’ of 2024, Knocked Loose’s third full-length is a prime example of how far metal can break into the wider cultural consciousness without compromising its core. On You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To, the now-superstars double down on all angles: more intensity, more wanton belligerence, and a hell of a lot more atmosphere; the genre’s big mainstream break of the year somehow feels even bigger when contextualised. This is not only a watershed moment for heavy music in general in the 2020s, but a record that will surely go down as one of the all-time greats of the genre on its own merits. Tracks like “Blinding Faith” and “Suffocate” demonstrate that the band’s grasp on writing heavy, balls-to-the-wall bangers is stronger than ever, whilst more subdued and artistic cuts like the funereal “Sit & Mourn” seek to show that Oldham County’s finest are far more than a one-trick pony. A dense, 10-track, 27-minute affair, You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To has a clear intention from start to finish, and offers up one of the most stellar listening experiences that heavy music has seen in a long, long time.