Suffering so you don't have to!
I should’ve asked Ixione to review Putred‘s Megalit al Putrefacției, since my Romanian is next to non-existent. Either way, you don’t listen to rancid, heinous Death Metal for the lyrics, right? What? You do? Please, go get some help if that’s the case. But I digress. We have our first “new” Old School Death Metal album of the year, and though my expectations are realistic, I’m more than ready to get destroyed by some nasty riffs from the land of horror.
With a band name like Cerebral Hemorrhage, you’d be inclined to think that Exempting Reality isn’t about being a teen trying to find your place in the world while dealing with your angst. You’d be right because this act is all about bringing old-school Death Metal to its real roots. I’m not talking about the retro-Death Metal we’ve had over the last 10 years. I mean Death Metal from the era before computers—when the USA and Sweden were battling to see who could produce the most poorly recorded piece of violent music. Enough with the history lesson!
Metalcatto
There’s no question that this has been an amazing year for Death Metal. Specifically, it’s been the year when Disso-Death totally took over. Though there were lots of enjoyable old-school albums, the level shown by the biggest innovators just couldn’t be matched. I know what you’re thinking looking at this list: “Where’s Pyrrhon? Where’s Blood Incantation?” To which I say, wait until tomorrow and the day after tomorrow! Today, we stick to the more death-focused material. It’s time for the best of the best!
Metalcatto
This is my weirdest top to date. Some albums can’t be easily pinned to a single label—not because they’re musically bizarre (though that happens, too), but because they combine subgenres so effortlessly that they feel like their own category. This list celebrates that creativity, highlighting some of the most inventive albums of the year. Let’s dive in!
Stargazer Scholar
While I would insist that some aspects of music are quantifiable and (oh! the horror) objective, art is not a competition, and the massive undertaking of compiling a year-end list should be all about fun and discovering new bands together. Right?
Right…
The Gothic Metalhead
My corpse-painted children! We have a special guest today—it’s The Gothic Metalhead, who will share their top 10 for 2024. So, in the spirit of this countdown, I won’t prolong this any longer. Let’s go!
SonikGoat
There are a couple of observations I can make about the albums I’ve chosen for my end-of-year lists. One relates to that most nebulous realm of terminology: the “progressive”. What this term means seems to vary from person to person and album to album, but the differences manifest in interesting ways. Take everyone else’s album of the year, Blood Incantation’s Absolute Elsewhere. The progressive element here lies largely in its bold combination of two distinct styles, blending Death Metal with what I’ll broadly call “vintage-flavored synth-driven Prog Rock”. Another album that adopts a progressive approach is Ontology of Nought by Ingurgitating Oblivion, but the results are markedly different. More on that below.
The other theme in my list this year is that several of the bands are well-established acts with multiple albums under their belts, yet I was either unaware of them or only barely familiar. I’m forever humbled by the sheer number of great musicians and bands I have yet to discover! Finding a band partway through their discography often feels like stumbling upon a treasure trove of musical riches.
Enough! On to the list. Eternal hails to the artists!
Lunart & Metalcatto
It’s time for yours truly to give you a proper top list of something! Since you’ve been asking for one a zillion times on social media, I couldn’t say no. However, being a fervent supporter of the division of labor and a total snob, I’ve teamed up with Lunart—someone with an actual arts degree—to judge the best album art of the year. So, this isn’t just my peasant opinion; it’s also supported by the refined taste of someone who knows the field. That means you’ve got to bend the knee, right?
Before you lose it, yes, we’re aware many of the best works this year are adaptations of classical paintings. But let’s be real—that doesn’t take away from the incredible worlds they transport us to, especially when combined with the music. Let’s dive in!
Part three of the endless search for albums we missed. This is a bit of a mixed bag. We have huge omissions, but also some underground darlings that we couldn’t let pass—regardless of our excuses (usually staff shortages). I’m thinking about opening a review factory in some country with no workers’ rights, of course! So watch out, USA—here we come! But I digress. Let’s continue our dive into some albums worth remembering.
Let’s keep reviewing our greatest omissions of the year. Some of these are older than MER Industries itself, so you can’t blame us too much for missing them. However, I suspect that they’re are going to end up on a few end-of-the-year lists, so it would be criminal to let them slip by without glory—even if this moment of honor feels insignificant. Alright, so here’s part two of our redemption rounds. If your favorite album is missing, relax—there will be more parts.
Metal Eclipse Reviews 