Best Songs of 2024 (Part 5)

 Cemetary Skyline - In Darkness (Century Media)

This project really has me excited.  The first single Violent Storm was good but In Darkness takes this to a whole nother level of frickin fantastic.  Mikael Stanne - Doing clean Vocals (DT) , Markus Vanhala - Guitars ( Insomnium, Omnium Gatherum), Santeri Kallio - Keyboards ( Amorphis ), Victor Brandt - Bass ( Dimmu Borgir), Vesa Ranta - Drums ( Sentenced ). Wow Wow Wow. One of the best songs of the year to these ears.

Snow White Blood - Nevermore (recordJet)

Germany and Female fronted Symphonic Metal don't usually go hand in hand but that's the case with Snow White Blood. Another fantastic song that's really getting a lot of great press and for good reason.  

Octoploid - The Dawns In Nothingness (Reigning Phoenix Music)

Octoploid is a new project from Amorphis bassist Olli-Pekka Laine who wanted to do a project that blended some of this favorite music styles.  This song blends Black, Death and Metal into a mix of very catchy music.  

Pain - Push The Pusher (Nuclear Blast)

It would seem as though Peter Tagtgren, the brainchild behind Pain, can do no wrong these days. This is thier 9th album and a new single and it the Pain Train just keeps on rolling along

Ranthiel - I Won't Let You Go (Independent) 

I Won't Let You Go is a solo single from Argentina soprano vocalist Ranthiel.  It's a beautiful song about someone who's struggling with life and the message is I understand your pain and I won't let you go.  What a powerful voice, what a powerful message and what a beautiful song.  

Best Songs of 2024 (Part 4)

 Freedom Call - Supernova (SPV Entertainment

I typically find Freedom Call really boring...first Power Metal song of theirs that I've truly enjoyed.  

Thornbridge - I Am The Storm (Massacre)

Another great Power Metal tune from a band I just recently discovered.  

Smash Atoms - Down

And here we have a new song from Alice in Chains...wait, it's not Alice In Chains...shit.  Well it's a pretty good song that's heavily influenced by AIC.  

Best songs of 2024 (Part 3)

 Catagory 7 - In Stitches

This song has some serious firepower at every instrument and is led by vocalist John Bush (Armored Saint).  With an all star band you expect something top notch and they deliver. 

Cavalera - Escape to The Void 

Cavalera has re-recorded the very early Sepultura classic Schizophrenia and Escape to the Void is the first single.  

Exit Eden - Femme Fatales (Napalm)

Exit Eden really step up their game on this 2nd single from their new album.  If you like Female fronted Symphonic Metal check this out. 

Velveteen Queen - Dreamer (Independent) 

Another up and coming sleazy rock band.  Not totally enamored with some of the other songs but this Power Ballad has a Gun n Roses vibe ala November Rain.  One of my favorite songs of 2024 so far.  

Lionheart - V Is For Victory 

One of my favorite songs from one of my favorite releases of the year.  Enough said. 

Best Metal Songs of 2024 (Part 2)

 Picking up where I left off but that doesn't mean the quality of music is lesser.  The first post I wanted to get a sampling of different genres and again this time I'll post some songs that made my "best of 2024" so far. 

Sick Century - End Times (Ion Disguise Music)

They compare themselves to Disturbed, FFDP & Breaking Benjamin.  99% when bands make that comparison they fail to deliver. Sick Century are the 1% that live up to the hype. 

Ivory Tower - 60 Seconds (Massacre)

I admittedly haven't really enjoyed Ivory Tower past music. I found it bland and cookie cutter Power Metal but something with them really clicked on the first two tracks they released as singles. 

Etwas - Bloodmoon Invocation (Independent). 

This one totally caught me off guard, starts out like a black metal song then the female vocals kick in.  Really interesting song from a French band that labels themselves as Symphonic Occult Metal. 

Bodyfarm - Retaliate (Edge Circle Productions)

I don't admittedly listen to a lot of death metal but sometimes something comes along that stands out from the crowd.  Bodyfarm from the Netherlands fit that bill quite nicely.  Technical, brutal and yet palatable.  

Crossbone Skully - I'm Breakable (Better Noise Music) 

I really want to like these guys, they've got an AC/DC meets Def Leppard vibe going on.  I'm not sold on some of the other music I've heard but this is a good place to start. 

Best Metal Songs of 2024 (Part 1).....

 2024 has been an interesting year. There's been some great great singles released but then some of the albums as a follow up have been good to mediocre.  Right now there's only 1 or 2 releases that might compete for my year end best of 2024 list but lots of singles that have continued to get regular airplay on my list.  Here's what I've been listening to  

 

Dominum - We All Taste The Same (Napalm)

Ok technically this came out like the last week of 2023 but they are still releasing singles for it.  Truth be told, this was one of my favorite releases of 2023 so any single released is going to get lots of regular listens.  This is no exception. 

After Infinity - Crown of Clowns (Independent)

After Infinity is one of those bands who releases a great single in an otherwise inconsistent album.  This was definately the highlight for me even though it was the 4th single.  In my opinion it should have been the first

Mick Mars - RIght Side of Wrong (1313)

Leaving Motley Crue (or being fired) may have been the best thing to happen to Mick Mars. Right Side of Wrong is a breath of fresh air.  He's got a vocals who can sing and music that sounds fresh.  On an album full of great music this is one of my favorites. 

Billy Morrison - Crack Cocaine (TLG/Virgin)

Are you fucking kidding me....how is this song not all over the radio?  It's got Ozzy and Steve Stevens working with Billy Morrison.  It's brilliant and should have been a hit single.  I love Ozzy and this song is right up his wheelhouse.  Great song. 

Devastator - Black Witchery (Listeanable)

I'm a sucker for a thrash throwback to the glory days of Venom, Iron Angel & Destruction and Devastator deliver the goods with a heavy dose of ass whippin and in your face guitars riffs.  They did the late 80's and 90's thrash fans proud.  Great song. 

Lionheart - The Grace of A Dragonfly (2024)

 

Lionheart have been around since 1980 and are one of AOR best kept secrets.  They released a single for the Heavy Metal Heroes Vol 2 in 1982, then did a abrupt style change for their 1984 release Hot Tonight.  After that the band didn't release another cd til 2017's Second Nature.  With each release the band has polished thier sound and refined their harmonies and chops.  The Reality of Miracles, released in 2020 had some stellar cuts like Thine is the Kingdom and Still It Rains on Planet Earth which should have been a break out radio hits for them.  Fast Forward to 2024 and Lionheart return with a new release and continue to pick up where they left off with The Reality of Miracles.  

I dare say that The Grace of A Dragonfly may be the album that finally puts Lionheart on the map with other hard rock greats like Eclipse, H.E.A.T and Brother Firetribe.  The CD opens with Declaration which showcases the bands harmonies and hooks, a great song to be sure but it's the next 3 songs that really sinks its teeth into the listener and draws them in.  Flight 19 which is about a bomber that was lost in the Bermuda Triangle, was the first single of this release.  It's such a great track but honestly my favorite was the second single V Is For Victory.. It's an uptempo catchy tune that speaks to the grief and loss that war takes.  The harmony is so catchy and a fantastic choice for a single and worthy of radio airplay.  The Grace Of A Dragonfly is far from a 1 or 2 hit wonder.  This Is A Womans ware tells the tale of how the woman supported the cause working to keep the house and family together while the men were fighting the battles.  It's such a fantastic tune...such a toe tapper of a chorus.  The Longest Night continues with a tale about the air raids over London during the War.   The Eagles Nest seems to be the obligatory "slow song" and honestly I felt was the "weakest" track on the release.  Every song that was more uptempo just rocked and were all made for Radio hits and I felt that Eagles Nest just lacked that memorable chorus and staying power to my ears.  Luckily it was the only song I felt that way about.  Little Ships and Just a Man continued with two more stellar tracks.   UXB and The Grace of A Dragonfly round out the rockin portion of the CD followed with an outro called Remembrance, Praying For Peace.  

My honest opinion, I think The Grace of A Dragonfly is going to be a serious serious contender for Album of the Year in the Hard Rock world.  The band is just on fire write hit song after hit song. They could legitimately have 8 or 9 singles on this release.  Lee Small just sounds fantastic and the band really know how to harmonize the bring out the best of the catchy choruses.   Highly recommend for fans of AOR/Hard Rock music. This is one of the favorite albums of 2024 and will be the standard to which all are compared to.  Rating 99/100

Kardang - Rizky Biznizz (2023)

When I first heard Kardang my first impression was, they are a really fun rock and roll band.   And after several more listens nothings really changed that attitude haha..I think this release is not only a really fun listen, I can imagine the band being a blast in a live setting.  Coming to us from the frigid northern Scandanavian country of Norway, Straight ahead rock isn't what you'd expect, but happily that is what we got.  I hear a lot of different influences in each song, some stand out more than others.  Don't Let me drive was an outstanding song that has that bluesy rock vibe that reminds me of the Four Horsemen (an American rock band who's claim to fame was Rockin is Ma Business).  The band is far from a one hit wonder, Man Eater takes that Four Horsemen meets AC/DC and is catchy as well.  If this song had been released when MTV was actually relevent it could have been a hit.  We're Gonna Be Alright is a little slower and has that Bryan Adams feel and would be a great choice for a single.  It's got that memorable chorus and I found my self singing along to it by the third listen. Scandanavian Girls is another really catchy song, I can imagine there being a naughtly little video for this haha.  When The Water Runs Dry has that Cult/Bryan Adams vibe. Dream Fever starts out with just Chris Williams singing accompanied by an acoustic guitar and you can really hear the emotion in his voice and get a real appreciation for his talents.  Putting yourself out there can really expose one's flaws or talent and thankfully it really showcases his raw raspy voice.  (I read another review who used Rod Stewart as a comparison and you can definately hear some similarities in Chris's voice, which is an incredible compliment in it's own right.  This is such a solid piece of work front to back.   There are no filler tracks and truth be told it might have made my year end best of list for 2023 had I heard it sooner.  I'd give it a solid 9.5/10. Now excuse me while I go back and listen to We're Gonna Be Alright for the 5th time.  [Independent]