We wrap up 2024 with some top 10 lists of the best of metalcore, post-hardcore/screamo, grind, noise rock, and deathcore.

14 days ago

Given the broad range of styles covered under this column, rather than individual lists, we've decided to come together to make a few top 10 lists broken down by sub-genre, with input from multiple staff for each one. Most of these are relatively unranked, but we've highlighted one release per sub-genre that stood out. All of these lists are unranked except for number 1, and as it's hard to narrow down to 10 we've thrown in some honorable mentions.

Thank you for spending time with us this year, I hope you found some joy from our writing and the bands and albums we've covered throughout the year brought some delicious cacophony and stank-face inducing reactions to your senses and maybe made you feel something. We'll probably take a little break and be back late February or early March with a wrap-up of the best of early 2025.

-TB

Top 10 Metalcore (including mathcore, metallic hardcore) Releases of 2024

  1. Weston Super Maim - See You Tomorrow Baby

I didn’t expect to be covering what is ostensibly a djent album as a top pick in 2024, but here we are. The style, sub-genre, guitar technique, whatever you want to refer to it as, has whether you like it or not become ingrained in the evolution of metalcore as a genre. For a while there in the 2010s it was almost synonymous with it, as seemingly every new band in the scene was incorporating the staccato-syncopated down-tuned rhythms, often to the sacrifice of more conventional riffing and song-writing. I can’t deny this wave brought with it a ton of great music, especially the bands that truly embraced the “progressive” side of things beyond just the djent tones. Over time however the more and more I listened to this niche of metalcore, the less excited I got about it. While it’s generally accepted that Meshuggah pioneered the djent sound, it’s always been something of an elephant in the room in how few of the new wave of djent bands actually sounded like them. It seemed to be the more “groove metal” oriented bands, and refreshingly, mathcore, who seemed to actually try to replicate some of their overall sound. One of the latest of which is Weston Super Maim, a newer project consisting of two members stretching across the ocean from London to Oregon. 

When thinking of a fusion of mathcore and djent, most people in the know would rightly point to Car Bomb and maybe Frontierer, but with See You Tomorrow Maybe, Weston Super Maim firmly belongs in that conversation among the best doing it. Within this album are many of the laser sounds and tones that push the boundaries of what guitars can do that you’d expect from the aforementioned bands, but the complexity of things are toned down just a little bit. That  complexity however is replaced by something arguably equally as important, fun. Mathcore and the musical concept of fun have always synergized well, and the element of djent and some tasteful melodies add a groovy dance-ability to the album throughout, without sacrificing on the heaviness front. They definitely lean more into that djent angle than Car Bomb, mixing in those bending black-hole inducing riffs that Vildhjarta and Humanity’s Last Breath have made a name after (thall, etc). 

This particular sound has continued to be popularized lately by the likes of Mirar, but often bands that make their whole identity around one idea can induce some ear fatigue. WSM avoids this through embracing the unpredictability and eclecticism of mathcore in their songwriting, along with some standout guest features. The first of which are guest vocals from two members of the RTTC-approved Blindfolded and Led to the Woods, a wicked guitar solo from Ian of tech death group Soreption, and finally more guest vocals from none-other than Chad Kapper himself of Frontierer on the album’s closer

While the bar may be low for some, this is without a doubt one of the best djent albums in a long time. Despite a moderately down-year, mathcore continues to thrive. Yet, many of the newer bands are more embracing the throwback sassy side of the subgenre. See You Tomorrow Baby however takes things in a heavier direction, an ode to the best of the Danza’s, Ion Dissonance’s and Glass Cloud’s of old, showing there’s still room for both of these often at-odds styles of metalcore and technical metal to truly thrive together.     

-TB

156/Silence - People Watching

Knocked Loose - You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To

The God Awful Truth - All That Dark & All That Cold

Better Lovers - Highly Irresponsible

Boundaries - Death Is a Little More

Foreign Hands - What’s Left Unsaid

Heriot - Devoured by the Mouth of Hell

Lockslip - Lockslip

Duhkha - A Place You Can’t Come Back From

Honorable Mentions:

No Cure - I Hope I Die Here, Yellfire - Dear Gods, Officer Down - ...All Due Respect, Frontierer - The Skull Burned Wearing Hell Like a Life Vest as the Night Wept, Sorcerer - Devotion

Top 10 Post-Hardcore/Screamo Releases of 2024

  1. State Faults - Children of the Moon

Every column we ran this year seemingly had a standout screamo or post-hardcore release to offer. Some death metal and grind fans might disagree, but it really was the year of skramz. I personally went back and forth between Frail Body, Infant Island and State Faults all year as a trio for “album of the year” and any of them could have been picked for top spot here. Certainly an argument for any of the albums in our top 10 and even honorable mentions, this genre is in such a good place right now and there’s really something for anyone. 

It feels fitting however to highlight State Faults under this wide umbrella of sub-genres. Beyond Children of the Moon being one of the best albums of the year in general, it encapsulates a lot of what makes both of these styles great. Combining the emotional catharsis and fervent energy of screamo, the dynamic song-writing of post-hardcore with the tension building-and-release mechanics of post-rock. From moments of uplifting euphoria to devastating heartbreak and everything in between, both the instrumentation and vocals are given space to shine and come together for something greater than their parts. 

As great a year as it was for the genre, Children of the Moon still feels distinct from its peers, a testament to its range and eclectic, flowing song-writing throughout. Wouldn’t be surprised if this was equally influenced by the likes of progressive screamo legends Gospel as it was by The World Is A Beautiful Place and I Am No Longer Afraid to Die (whose guitarist actually produced the album). This reflects the accessibility of this album; the bright production and moments of contemplative reprieve from slicing vocals and furious wails of guitar adding to that, which should appeal to a wider-audience beyond the strictly screamo community. Whether this was the watershed album that introduced you to this world of emotionally charged hardcore or just a stepping-stone on your journey, State Faults have set a benchmark for this era of screamo that will be looked back on fondly for years to come.

-TB

Frail Body - Artificial Bouquet

Infant Island - Obsidian Wreath

Terry Green - Provisional Living

As Living Arrows - Hope and Ruin

Bloom Dream - It Didn’t Have to Be This Way

Tenue - Arcos, bóvedas, pórticos

Touché Amoré - Spiral in a Straight Line

Heavenly Blue - We Have the Answer

Ben Quad - Ephemera

Honorable Mentions:

Respire - Hiraeth, Demersal - Demersal, Blind Girls - An Exit Exists, Febuary - February

Top 10 Deathcore Releases of 2024

Underneath - From the Gut of Gaia

The album that never was:

Underneath's debut full length, From The Gut Of Gaia, had been on my AOTY list since it was released last January. An early doors contender that fought off stiff competition to keep its place, and rightly so. This album spits and snarls like a rabid pit bull that’s seen a particularly juicy steak. Their take on deathcore felt fresh whilst being insanely dark and punishingly heavy. 

Then one day in October it just vanished. The album couldn't be found on any streaming services, including Spotify, Amazon, Bandcamp, and pretty much anywhere else you can think of. It had even been erased from YouTube. We later learned that Underneath had asked their record label, Syrup Moose Records, to take it down from Bandcamp and these other platforms.  

This disappearing act coincided with the release of a new Underneath album (yes, two albums in one year) called It Exists Between Us, with a new take on their sound and a fully fledged lineup as opposed to it being a solo project. There are discernible differences, with more of a grindcore edge coming through in the drumming and vocals, plus a focus on speed instead of those mosh inducing hardcore beatdowns. None of these are bad things, I just miss the unhinged nastiness of the prior release. From The Gut Of Gaia was gloriously unpredictable, which seems to have been lost in the new material. 

The band's bold yet somewhat unusual decision to remove their previous work (including their debut EP, Nothing Here Is Held Sacred, which was also excellent), meant I felt I had to reluctantly delete this brutish gem from my overall end of year list. However, we are keeping it in our RTTC Deathcore list, because, why the fuck not. I'm hoping those of you that got to hear this album appreciate its inclusion, and those that didn't…well, let's hope they decide to re-release it at some point in the near future.

-PK

Black Pegasus - Midnight Room

Fit For an Autopsy - The Nothing That Is

Umbra Vitae - Light of Death

Enterprise Earth - Death: An Anthology

Within the Ruins - Phenomena II

Vulvodynia - Entabeni

Synestia & Disembodied Tyrant - The Poetic Edda

Assemble the Chariots - Unyielding Night

Killing of a Sacred Deer - Killing of a Sacred Deer

Top 10 Grindcore (including powerviolence, goregrind, mathgrind, deathgrind, etc.) Releases of 2024

Unranked except for #1

1. Missouri Executive Order 44 - Salt Sermon

Perhaps it’s at least a little unfair to place Missouri Executive Order 44’s (MEO44) debut album as the grindcore album of the year. After all, there are very few blastbeats on Salt Sermon. Granted, the band does often attribute the “false grindcore” tag to themselves on their Bandcamp page. Regardless, given the broad swath of related subgenres that we are covering in this list, where the hell else would we put this album? Genre purity be damned!

At first glance, MEO44 may seem like a novelty act. The members perform in matching uniforms that people generally attribute to Mormons who go door-to-door spreading their message: white dress shirts, black pants, black bike helmets, and…pantyhose over their heads to obscure their identities (to be clear, I have never actually seen a Mormon wearing pantyhose over their head). MEO44 have adopted stage names such as Malachi Hatch and Esau Fullmer. The band’s lyrics promote, ironically if nothing else, Mormon lifestyle choices and scripture. However, there is a method to this Mormon madness.

The whole MEO44 project conceptually coalesces around a critique of state power using the very real Missouri Executive Order 44 of 1838 in which the state’s governor at the time essentially ordered the extermination of Mormons living in Missouri. Specifically, the band explained that they are using this project to shine a spotlight on the state government’s willingness to impose “racist, bigoted, and prejudiced policies against those that don’t fit among its status quo, a practice that continues heavily to this day.” 

If you’re still convinced that MEO44 is purely some gimmick band, then one listen to Salt Sermon should have you thoroughly persuaded otherwise. The tracks on Salt Sermon are brief, typically ranging from 30 to 90 seconds, but the songs are dense. The raucous riffing, replete with minor second and major seventh intervals as well as an abundance of hammer-on and pull-off phrases, quickly sequences through multiple sections. Drummer Malachi Hatch rarely stays in the pocket but instead elects to play a seemingly endless series of technically precise fills, which adds to the immediacy and drive of every track. Jarom Johnson’s vocals fluctuate between throaty howls and unhinged shrieks, often giving the impression of a raving mad apocalyptic preacher. 

Sprinkled between the blasts of noisy sasscore and the self-proclaimed “false grind” are discomforting ambient interludes. These often feature spectral, pitch-shifted voices of preachers, presumably reading from Mormon scripture, while subtle but unsettling synths or feedback pulsate underneath (the vaporwave version of Petra’s “Get On Your Knees and Fight Like a Man” is a noteworthy and hilarious exception). It’s these interludes, that have the effect of making scripture sound ominous. The combination of these interludes and the satirical lyrics suggests that the project is not just a vehicle for anti-fascism but also a magnifying glass held over religious dogma.

Despite how you feel about the band’s outfits, lyrics, or general concept, know this: these sassy Midwesterners are taking the aggression and complexity of multiple styles of heavy music to create a unique project that is just as aggressive and complex in its themes. And you shouldn’t take that with a grain of salt.

-JD

AK//47 - Menari Dalam Abu Algoritma

FØES - Endless Exile

Exorbitant Prices Must Diminish - For A Limited Time

Groin - Paid in Flesh

Squid Pisser - Dreams of Puke

Sawtooth Grin - Jabberwocky

Resin Tomb - Cerebral Purgatory

Hereisaropegoodluck - NOTHING TO WRITE HOME ABOUT

Shock Withdrawal - The Dismal Advance

Honorable Mentions

Moisturizer - Dumb and Burnt Out Already?, Beaten to Death - Sunrise Over Rigor Mortis, Controlled Existence - Out Of Control, APES - Penitence, Septic Vomet - Real Life Insanity, Extortion - Threats, Deterioration - Paranoia & Violence

Top 10 Noise Rock/Sludge Releases of 2024

Unranked except for number 1

1. Crippling Alcoholism - With Love From A Padded Room 

If you’d have told me last January that my favourite album of 2024 would be a noise rock/synth pop concept album, I’d have probably laughed in your face and pointed out that High On Fire and Nails were releasing new albums (both of which sadly failed to live up to expectations). I simply was not expecting Crippling Alcoholism’s complex sophomore album to take hold of me like it has done. With Love From A Padded Room blew me away on the very first listen, then proceeded to sink its teeth in deeper with each outing and keep me utterly hooked. I didn’t know I needed an album where a Leonard Cohen-esque crooner sings about murderers and cannibalism but turns out I needed it in my life very badly!    

Synth pop is not usually my bag. That’s an understatement. I’ll usually run a mile when the word synth is mentioned or reach for the skip button if a Moog raises its head in a song. However, the synth used here just feels right. It helps construct an eeriness throughout the record that is utterly captivating, and every song reels you into the twisted world they’ve meticulously created. I should also mention that it’s damn heavy in places too, with some brilliantly inventive drumming and intricate yet haunting guitar work. “Ottessa” is probably the heaviest moment on show, with its doom-laden opening peppered with double kick and piercing keyboards, which gives way to some elegant piano, before the pounding drums come back in. 

For the uninitiated, With Love From A Padded Room is a concept album about prison and the people that end up there, with each song focusing on a different prisoner being held in solitary confinement. In the bands own words, “The album is supposed to feel as though you’re walking down the halls and peering into each cell, track by track. The characters range from vulnerable street addicts to confused career criminals to sadistic monsters. We used the gothic, noise-rock and ’60s/’70s singer/songwriter elements to weave together each character’s specific beliefs and mental state.” The quarantine and unease really come through and frequently make for uncomfortable listening, but that is also part of the appeal. In fact, I started to feel a bit strange that I was enjoying this album so much when the subject material is this dark and cruel.  

The lyrics are stark, menacing and often outright disturbing, made even more jarring by the fact they are very discernible and at times sang in a troubadour style. Opening track “I’ll Pay More If You Let Me Watch” doesn’t pull any punches as it fixes it’s gaze on the world of contract killers. One of the verses that stands out for me is “Shoulda thought about your little ones. Now they're gone. Sent straight to the oblivion”, a terrifying thought, especially for those of us that have kids. However, there are also lighter, tongue in cheek moments where you can’t help but smile or chuckle…even if you’re not sure you should. “Evil Has A Babyface” is about a dark web predator, with one line defiantly spitting “You can call me "bitch" but I get more pussy than you. I know you know it's true”. Juvenile perhaps, but it’s all done with great purpose and helps to paint a picture of the troubled individual we’re surveying.

Whilst there are standout tracks like “Red Looks Good On Him”, “Ottesa” and “Sav”, I recommend listening to the entire album in one sitting to truly immerse yourself in all it’s disconcerting glory. Yes, it is an hour long, which may seem excessive for some, but believe me, it flies by when the album gets going and you’ll soon feel like you’re walking down that prison corridor peering into these offenders’ souls. I guarantee you’ll be humming some of these tunes for weeks on end and maybe even singing some of the so-wrong-yet-so-catchy lyrics out loud…ideally when nobody else is around. 

Crippling Alcoholism have been my stand out discovery of 2024, but as they’ve just signed to Portrayal Of Guilt’s record label and already released a new single, it seems that 2025 could be a big year for them too.        

-P.K

Couch Slut - You Could Do It Tonight 

Almanac Man - Terrain 

Human Impact - Gone Dark 

Thou - Umbilical 

Chat Pile - Cool World

Generation Of Vipers - Guilt Shrine 

Meth - Shame 

Coilguns - Odd Love

Eye Flys - Eye Flys

Cell Press - Cages

Honorable Mentions:

Prostitute - Attempted Martyr

Sentries - Snow as a Metaphor for Death

Buñuel - Mansuetude

Published 14 days ago