Remade, Reworked, Resurrected: The Best Metal Re-releases of 2024

It’s that time of the year when you, me, and every Metalhead feel this irrational urge to declare certain random works of art better than others. It’s a depressing attempt to find identity and meaning through the cultural products we consume (enjoy capitalism, kiddo!). This year, we’ve had some interesting “remakes”, and I have, as any benevolent tyrant would, decided to share my favorites with you. It’s not exactly a ranking, but I’m placing them from “Oh, that’s a lovely change” to “Wow! This album went from sounding like chimp noises to La Traviata“. Extreme? Yes, that’s the name of the game. So, without further ado, here are my favorite re-whatevers of 2024.

I hope she didn’t get too cold

Sylvaine – Silent Chamber, Noisy Heart (10th Anniversary Edition):
Sylvaine! I’m your biggest fan! Okay, not really—I have a friend who would kidnap one or two school buses for you, but you get the point! Ever since her debut, not many artists have blended this sense of peace, vulnerability, and spiritual healing. While Nova is my personal favorite, it’s refreshing to return to a simpler, more underground time. Back then, Sylvaine was clearly defining her writing style and playing with different ideas to find her own identity (those drums are still cute, but hey! She did them herself, so don’t be a butthole!). Also, don’t ask me why, but the art makes me think of Hamlet‘s Ophelia. This edition offers new art, a bonus track, and an acoustic version of a classic. If you’ve never given this one the attention it deserves, now’s your chance!

The plants are doing better than the owner

Ellende – Todbringerin: Time for something less subtle. It’s no secret that Ellende has become a darling in the Post-Black Metal underground. The band has achieved a level of quality many others would envy, all while working in German, which adds another layer of difficulty (like, my German isn’t that good!). Ellende decided to redo its almost flawless debut, and the results are excellent. As the Stargazer Scholar said, “The compositional foundations remain intact—it is the nuance that matters. The beautiful longing of the original remains, but this version benefits from years of refinement and experience without sounding overly polished“. So basically, it’s all the heartbreak you love, but with more years of sorrow behind it. I was convinced by the review and just purchased this and another Ellende album (talk about ruthless self-promotion). What more proof do you need?

An extra banner on the right—is that it?

Ne Obliviscaris – Citadel (Remaster): This one makes me feel a bit conflicted because I love this album to death. I never cared about the over-compressed production that made some snobs angsty or annoyed. When it came out, I thought it was at least a 4.6/5.0, so I was nervous that NeO might butcher its baby. Fortunately, the changes are subtle but noticeable when the band pushes the gas. Gone is the mud; now, those vocals and drums sound much cleaner. The guitars and bass remain amazing, but you can hear everything more clearly—no more unwanted chaos. I’ll be honest, though: if you’re listening on cheap AirPods, you might not notice much (but why are you listening to Metal like that in the first place? What a sin!). Either way, I’m satisfied. Now, I can confidently give this album a perfect score and enjoy it even more for decades to come.

You know it’s better, because it looks darker and grittier than before

Fallujah – The Flesh Prevails (10-Year Edition – Remixed & Remastered): I’m going to say it: The Flesh Prevails is one of my favorite Tech Death albums ever. Nothing sounded like it before or after. However, the original production could be described as being blasted by a jet turbine—impactful, but too freaking loud! It kept the album from perfection. Now, 10 years later, one of my dreams has come true! (and I don’t have many left) The Flesh Prevails has been re-everything-ed, and it sounds amazing. It’s tight, deep, and clean. Most importantly, this new version feels restrained in a good way. Every instrument now has a better chance to shine. I usually struggle to pick a favorite re-release, but no other “remake” this year comes close to the vast improvement here. In my book, Fallujah can finally claim at least one perfect album in its catalog.

So, what are you doing with your life? Go get one of these albums! Not many get a second chance to be reborn meaner, faster, and better. I’m blessed that some of my personal favorites made it this year. I’m sure it’s a statistical anomaly, and soon we’ll be back to horrendous remasters that just sound louder (cough, In Flames, cough!). Maybe if we pay more attention to these retro-releases, more bands will revisit classics that were constrained by crazy budgets and give them the love and respect money and hindsight can now buy (did that sound cynical? Oh, I’m sorry!).