So yeah, 2024 was a weird ass year. I’m still scratching my balding head wondering WTF?!? but I’m also feeling grateful for the shit-ton of great music that crashed into my cashed cochleas. As always, I look at this year-end wrap up and wonder if I’m trapped inside a bubble of my own making, mostly paying attention to established bands, some decades old, that I’m already quite familiar with, at the cost of exploring newer music. While there’s probably some truth to that, I also know for a fact that I put plenty of effort into feeding my hungry ears plenty of new sounds, yet in 2024, many artists that have been kicking ass for years now happened to kick ass hard enough in 2024 to earn a spot on this list and a bit of your precious attention. So behold, 15 killer records from 2024 with the Noise for Zeros seal of approval…
Blood Incantation – Absolute Elsewhere (Century Media)
Along with Italy’s Ufomammut and Finland’s Oranssi Pazuzu, Blood Incantation pushed metal way out into the cosmos in 2024 with increasingly spaced-out twists to the heavysphere. And while Ufomammut’s spaciness is more implied, and Oranssi Pazuzu is as focused on the internal cosmos of the mind, Blood Incantation’s thing has always been about outer space. Interestingly enough, if it weren’t for the space-themed cover art, titles, and lyrics, the sound of early Blood Incantation records didn’t make their space-themed oeuvre all that obvious, what with the blasting double bass drumming, squealing death metal riffs, solos, and Cookie Monster vocals. That all changed with the infamous Timewave Zero EP in 2022 which dared to ditch the death metal entirely to reveal the band’s intense love of vintage prog rock and Tangerine Dream-inspired synthwave, as well as earning them a mention in this esteemed publication. 2023’s Luminescent Bridge hinted at how well those two disparate genres can actually work together. [Cue Reese’s “you got peanut butter in my chocolate!” ads of yesteryear.] Absolute Elsewhere is the ultimate culmination of this unholy amalgam, taking the listener on a journey from the guttural gut-churning depths of death metal to the heady drift of outer space in mere seconds. Witness the magical floating quality of that transition exactly 2 minutes into the lead track “The Stargate [Tablet I]” and you’ll understand exactly how well they’re able to weave these elements together and exactly how strong the strains of Colorado weed are. The band spent some quality time at Hansa Tonstudios in Berlin, famous for its landmark recordings by Bowie, Iggy, Eno, and most importantly for this record, Tangerine Dream, as the band’s leader Thorsten Quaeschning makes a guest appearances along with other Blood Incantation heroes Nicklas Malmqvist and Malte Gericke. Absolute Elsewhere is without a doubt one of the most finely-crafted metal records by next-level metal and electronic music nerds of the highest order. Still not convinced? Just check out the epic 20-minute video that includes all 3 tablets from side A of the record. Side B continues the fun with another 3-part movement entitled “The Message” which pairs nicely with the epic sci-fried gatefold album art. The path to Absolute Elsewhere is waiting for you if you’re daring enough to start the journey.
Chat Pile – Cool World (The Flenser)
It’s probably unnecessary to proclaim the excellence of this OKC group, as their fanbase seems to have expanded greatly since 2021’s Gods Country, with lots of coverage and anticipation for this followup album. And while I was able to casually stumble over to the Bottleneck for their show here in Lawrence in 2023, their October 2024 show was sold out months in advance. It probably had something to do with their not-so-secret secret opener (resurrected KC greats Coalesce) but the loud buzz for these dudes has been definitely been growing if your ears are at all tuned into their frequency. Cool World delivers the goods, those goods being thunderously heavy and gnarly noise rock, with masterfully discordant guitar work, methodically precise, plodding percussion, and Raygun Busch’s always amusing word play. While at times Chat Pile songs can feel like a grab bag of hooky ’90s grunge and punishing death metal heavyosity, their execution and overall effect make it clear why they’ve earned themsleves a wide fanbase.
Cuntroaches – Cuntroaches (Skin Graft)
Skin Graft is certainly having a renaissance, reminding genre clones and noise rock traditionalists that there are bands out there who truly push the limits and mutate their music into realms much wilder than your average underground noisemakers. Sample 2023’s Sounds That Make You Shudder compilation for a sampling of the range and weirdness of their current roster, or the recent releases by Hyper Gal, Buñuel, and Squid Pisser that keep Skin Graft on the cutting edge of whatever music genres haven’t been codified yet. This album got some coverage, but not a lot of love, at least not as much as I think it deserves, as its contents are as obnoxious and brilliant as their obnoxious and brilliant moniker. Just check out the insanity of their video for “Borborygmus” and you’ll get an idea of the festering visionary minds behind this tinnitus-inducing racket. At first listen, I thought Cuntroaches‘ audio audacity would eventually wear thin, but instead, its hideous dayglo green grooves have continued to beckon my wrecked ears throughout the year.
Full of Hell – Coagulated Bliss (Closed Casket Activities)
This band has consistently evolved and deformed, always keeping the listener on their toes and cooking up a dense sonic stew of squealing feedback, noise, and punishing grindcore. With a steady outflow of albums and collaborations, you can always recognize the band’s signature sound, and yet there’s always something new bubbling up making it obvious they don’t fall back on tried and true conventions of established genres and continue to push the envelope with each release. 2021’s Garden of Burning Apparitions hinted as a more accessible version of the band, with a few moments that had some memorable hooks — something that usually would get swept away with a fractured song structure or extended noise, essentially elements that’d wash over you and not seep into your bones. On Coagulated Bliss, however, nearly every track has something that roots into your memory or pushes you to re-examine the aural onslaught coming from your speakers. There are hooks-a-plenty, almost approaching composed, Converge-style heaviness, but there’s also alluring and innovative audio fuckery, such as the left/right stereo cymbal crashes on “Fractured Bonds to Mecca” or the fractured guitar and reverb on “Gelding of Men” that give the impression of a huge space. Album ender “Malformed Ligature” fades out with a totally unexpected, haunting sax riff that sticks with you and beckons you to start the 25 minutes of Coagulated Bliss over again. Sonically, this seems like their best-engineered record to my ears, making it a headphone record — quite a welcome rarity for grindcore. Add some guest vocals by Ross Dolan of Immolation and Converge’s Jacob Bannon, and you’ve got one of the best records yet from one of, if not the best, in the extreme metal/noise/hardcore genre.
Human Trophy – Primary Instinct (Iron Lung)
Say what you will about my tastes and/or brain chemistry, but I find the relentlessly bleak tones on this record soothing. 2021’s Corpse Dream was a masterclass in steering the darkest of punk’s forays into goth and death rock into a monsterously cold and negative space. The most distinct quality on Primary Instinct is the guitar tone that’s enhanced with the shimmering, dark light of Georgie Walker’s (R.I.P.) work on Killing Joke’s debut album, over a buzzing wall of distortion that plods along with detached, deflated vocals. Only a few tracks kick the pace up a notch, like desperate attempts to escape the crushing wave of depression that this music lives under. Otherwise, it’s a drag in the best way, without ever venturing into goth cheese or whine. And if I can be allowed to plagarize myself and update my thoughts from Human Trophy’s 2021 debut Corpse Dream: “… despite the straightforward sameness of the songs on this album, whatever alchemy is at work on Corpse Dream Primary Instinct fits 2021 2024 so perfectly that it easily became one of the most spun and savored records on my turntable this year.” Still true. Bummer punk to the people.
The Jesus Lizard – Rack (Ipecac)
Like many, I had some concerns that the reformed Jesus Lizard might drop another mess like their 1998 record on Capitol Records, Blue, which had maybe a couple decent songs on it but pretty much marked an unceremonious end to an incredible run by an incredible band with a rather lifeless thud. In one of the better surprises year, Rack turned out to be a solid record worthy of the band’s prime Touch & Go era. What’s particularly exciting is that this isn’t exactly Ye Lizard of Olde, but a distinctly fresh version of the band with a more spacious sonic palette that leans a bit more into the gothic tension that’s always been a thread in their sound. Let’s not call it an “evolved” sound, as that’s just a lazy critic’s coded term for good bands looking to pander to careerist urges. The Jesus Lizard has always been top shelf in terms of mood and musicianship, and they keep things way too real and visceral to be considered evolved by any textbook context. For example, drink in the creepy Yow whispers on “What If” that pulls your ear in and gets under your skin with buried vocal echoes before Duane Dennisons’ guitarwork peels through with a tubed-out off-kilter riff that rips through the steady Sims/McNeilly rhythm section that’s a twisted anomaly of their ’90s sound. It’s a fine addition to the discography of one of the truly great bands of the ’90s, dripping with sweat, great ideas, and a spotless production that allows all it’s gnarled glory resonate for eternity. Praise Jesus (Lizard)!
J.C.R.G. – Grim Iconic (Sadistic Mantra) (Sub Pop)
Grim Iconic has that particular characteristic of a truly great album where the musical references are recognizable enough to almost pin to a particular band, song, or genre, yet somehow wriggles free from being securely pinned to anything that’s come before it. Grim Iconic reveals that Justin R. Cruz Gallego has hungry ears and a sick record collection or deep musical memory. Zooming in on just the track “Cholla Beat”, you can hear the scrappy guitar textures that evoke the dual guitar play of Fugazi and the hypnotic hooks of Loop, forcefully being pushed along with a rocksteady beat before the bottom drops out into a sparse creeper that lives near Bauhaus’ most harrowing interludes. Elsewhere on the album, polyrhythmic Latin-influenced beats and vocals ranging from Guy Picciotto-esque wails to the stoner mumble of Oasis to the tranced out chants of the Animal Collective all echo the unexpected twists and turns of the instrumentation and samples. The lead title track gives no indication of what’s to come, and that element of surprise remains throughout the record as it unfurls exciting, loosely stitched together passages with excellent percussion, worthy of inclusion on a Cherrystones postpunk compilation. One of the funnest rides I found in 2024 and one that I expect to ride many times in years to come, as the details in all its twists and turns are endlessly sublime.
Lord Spikeheart – The Adept (Haekalu)
This debut solo release from Lord Spikeheart of the Kenyan grindcore duo Duma (whose lone LP earned inclusion in the ever-prestigious Noise for Zeros Best of 2020 list bee tea dubs) extends the incredible discographical quality of the Nyege Nyege Tapes label into his upstart Haekalu label. Whereas Duma was a unique beast in and of itself, Lord Spikeheart’s The Adept paints with an astoundingly wide palette, albeit a mostly loud and untamed one. From growling pounders, thrash beats, whaling Hendrix freakouts, Lynchian Twin Peaks calls from the void, in-the-red-buzzing power electronics, drone, crocodile gurgles, and a slew of choppy MCs and collaborators, The Adept is as thrilling and intense a record as you’ll find in any extreme music genre. Haunted, howling, and hot, Lord Spikeheart has made his mark on music. May we bask in its brilliance from 2024 forward.
LoveSickPuppy – Carousel from Hell (Self-Released)
There’s a persistent misconception from people of my vintage who dismiss electronic music as “easy” in the sense that its creators require little talent and simply push a few buttons to make their music. OK, fine, there are certainly many instances that prove that point, but it’s just annoying when “punks” take this stance while totally missing the point that most of the music that defines their ideal of “talent” are mostly one-chord wonders. That was kinda the point, right, no need to be a virtuoso to express yourself? Anyway, with that gripe out of the way, let’s make it clear that LoveSickPuppy is no one-chord wonder and possesses an incredible amount of talent that exemplifies electronic music that is not easy music to make and also more punk thank punk, making most punk sound like soft rock hits of the ’70s. Carousel from Hell is a bouncing, bonkers beatdown that’s an unstoppable audio assault, brilliantly stitching together a patchwork of hyper beats, samples and rapid-fire rapping that’s undeniably great, masterfully composed, and the work of a truly inspired artist. For loose references, you could take the fast techno of Kid 606, the punch of Atari Teenage Riot, blend it with the nastiest 12 inches in the rap bins, and present it with the insane theatrics of Die Antwoord. Of course, those reference points barely capture the delirious, head-spinning effect of Carousel from Hell, so just jump on board and hold on to experience it yourself.
Missouri Executive Order 44 – Salt Sermon (Learning Curve/The Ghost Is Clear)
The performative antics of this Kansas City powerviolence quartet belies a dark and fucked up bit of Missouri history, which basically condoned Mormon genocide and has particular significance for the area. After a making an impression in hardcore spaces with live shows dressed up like the clean-cut missionaries commonly seen roaming the summer streets of suburban KC on bikes, handing out literature to the annoyance of the heathen hordes, M.E.O. 44, the band, built a following with a sonic ferocity that hasn’t been seen since Coalesce was tearing up house shows in the mid 1990s. Salt Sermon clocks in at 15 minutes for 11 songs, many of which have intro clips and samples, indicating just how compact and intense a listen it is, one that sits right up there with The Dillinger Escape Plan’s Under The Running Board EP in terms of screaming hardcore with mathy precision and force. The full throttle mastering from Will Killingsworth at Dead Air Studios further notches the quality up to make this one of the most neck-snappingly ferocious records of 2024. Helmets on!
Oranssi Pazuzu – Muuntautuja (Century Media)
It’s been interesting to see the parallels between Denver death metal band Blood Incantation (see above) and this Finnish black metal band as they’ve each charted a course towards the cosmos within the realm of extreme metal. While Blood Incantation’s earlier releases more thematically reached outwards into the cold abyss of space, later releases actually brought more spacey elements into their music. Meanwhile, Orannsi Pazuzu’s spaced-out psychedelic guitar sounds have been woven into their layered sound pretty much from the beginning and even featured an astronaut on the cover of the 2009 debut LP Muukalainen Puhuu. On Muuntautuja, their industrial synth-enhanced riffs get bent into even darker labyrinths of shapeshifting menace, from the muted piano plings of the first track “Bioalkemisti” to the haunting piano on “Voitelu” to the synthetic doom of “Ikikäärme” that suggests what a doom metal band in the Star Wars cantina might sound like. The entire record is a dense recording teeming with whispered chanting, unnerving vocals, and an atmosphere that’s as mysterious and murky as its cover art. One highlight is “Valotus”, which at 5:19 turns a wash of harp/keyboards into a lumbering digital-age version of Einstürzende Neubauten covering a damaged song by Swans. The final track “Vierivä Usva” is a monumental synth drift that could be an updated version of the Bladerunner soundtrack with the feeling of dread mixed up into the red and haunted by the menace of the Clockwork Orange soundtrack.
Osees – SORCS 80 (Castle Face)
John Dwyer’s Osees project continues a stellar run of buzzing synth punk that’s charting new territory for the band as well as the garage punk genre — if we still really feel like that’s a thing. As evidence, behold the synth barf and unholy ’70s no wave skronk on “Drug City” or the hooky protest punk righteousness of “Cochon D’argent”, both proving to be relevant musical outbursts for the year 2024 that sound both nostalgic and totally fresh at the same time. The band’s current double drummer lineup is put into great use on tracks like “Also The Gorilla”, as it falls into a nasty polyrhythmic pocket that feels unlike any of their previous songs while also feeling 100% at home in the Osees’ ouvre. There’s an accompanying live version of the record out there as well, which has a few interesting variables from the studio version and a few “weird notes” that are worth a listen. And in case you missed out on the bonus bundle deal for it, like me, it is available on streaming services. While it may be tempting to write off the Osees for their prolific outpouring of releases, you’d be a full-on dumbass not to recognize the magnificent rewards their copious discography provides.
Shellac – To All Trains (Touch & Go)
With the sudden passing of Steve Albini mere days before the release of this LP, it’s been tricky to detach those feelings of gratitude for the incredible body of work the man left behind and truly listen to it objectively. So yeah, that gratitude certainly weighs into how this record has been received, but I’m convinced that it’s also true that it’s one of the highlights of the band’s already essential discography. If I had to pick, I will still say that 1994’s At Action Park is my favorite, mainly because it’s served me so well for so many years (thirty!) and it’s hard to not get the feels for an album you’ve known and loved for so long. That said, To All Trains is getting as many spins as Dude Incredible did when it came out in 2014, which has edged its way to the top of my Shellac pile, right after 2000’s 1000 Hurts. Ah, fuck it. Let’s just admit that all Shellac’s records are great and To All Trains is no different. It is easily one of the most savory vinyl slabs to materialize in 2024. Long live Albini.
S.H.I.T. – For A Better World (Iron Lung)
It’d been a few years since these Toronto hardcore ragers left us the outstanding Hidden Eternity 7″, so it was welcome surprise that they blessed us with For A Better World in 2024, a follow up that stokes the blazing flames they ignited with 2018’s What Do You Stand For? album. As with those previous smokers, For A Better World features an Arthur Rizk mastering job that forcefully blasts the band’s top-shelf D-beat from your speakers while keeping the fidelity sharply defined, allowing the listener to hear the hissing snarl in Ryan Tong’s voice while unstoppable 1-2-1-2 drums and heavily distorted bass propels the buzzing roar of the band’s dual guitar attack through killer tracks like “Terminal Democracy”, “Haunted” and “Imminent Destruction”. And unlike many circulating in the crusty D-beat hardcore punk scene, the S.H.I.T. squad aren’t content in creating music that often conforms to a fairly rigid formula. Right from the wailing sound FX that kick off the roaring album opener “Corporate Funded Killing Technology” through the slowly building volume on “Imminent Destruction” that drops one of the sickest D-beat riffs of 2024, all the tracks on For A Better World ensure that all these long-awaited ragers have been honed with deadly precision. The final track “Captive (In The Mutilated Vista)” mixes things up with a mid-paced pounder that nicely wraps up the 14 minutes.
Total Sham – Total Sham (Under the Gun)
After a steady churn of cassette demos and digital singles, and a midway name change from D.Y.E. to Total Sham, Kansas City’s most raging punkers have nearly reached terminal velocity with this, their vinyl debut for LA’s Under The Gun records. In the modern hardcore punk format that’s fashionable today, this 45rpm 12″ peels off 13 speedy outbursts of dizzying in-the-red rage in just under 17 minutes. It’s the most focused recording yet of the band, showcasing how tight and mean they’ve become from all the years they’ve been shredding “1-2 fuck yous” throughout KC area punk houses and spaces. It’s about as fierce and fun as this punk rock thing gets folks. Time to shell out for some Sham…
ALSO NOTEWORTHY:
Arcwelder – Continue (Self-Released)
Fugitive Bubble – Delusion (Sorry State)
Human Impact – Gone Dark (Ipecac)
Lasso – Parte (Sorry State)
Nails – Every Bridge Burning (Nuclear Blast)
Necrot – Lifeless Birth (Tankcrimes)
Omit – InSec (Siltbreeze)
Orphans of Doom – Realms (Self-Released)
Phelimuncasi and Metal Preyers – Izigqinamba (Nyege Nyege Tapes)
Psychic Graveyard – Wilting (Artoffact)
Public Acid – Deadly Struggle (Beach Impediment)
PyPy – Sacred Times (Goner)
Sexpill – In Dust We Trust (Beach Impediment)
Ufomammut – Hidden (Neurot)
Voice Imitator – Of How Hits (12XU)