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Heavy Blog Guest List 2024 - Krystal Swords

You might recall that when I reviewed 2023 in the beginning of 2024, I mentioned that I have a more open, decentralized vision for what the blog might one day be. In light of that, enjoy this delightful, energetic list and make sure to follow Krystal Swords!

4 days ago

Editor's Note: if you're just here for the (excellent, really excellent) list then feel free to scroll past the next four paragraphs. The good stuff is down there!

You might recall that when I reviewed 2023 in the beginning of 2024, I mentioned that I have a more open, decentralized vision for what the blog might one day be. It would be less arranged around staff members and more fluid, a stage from which to amplify all sorts of voices. To be honest with you, that vision is quite far off; as you might know, the fact that we're still even posting is somewhat of a miracle. Nonetheless, I want to start doing something that's part of that greater vision - it shouldn't have to be a zero sum game.

And so, when planning our guest lists for 2024, I thought about why they're always from musicians. I mean, the basic concept is solid - people want to hear more from the artists they love, we have access to those artists, so we can give more of what they want. That's cool but it's also been done and while we certainly also have guest lists from musicians we've covered on the blog this year, I want to do more. Or not more, but different.

That's when I stumbled on Krystal Swords AKA Angelic Style AKA Angel Facts on Bluesky and knew that somewhere, some sort of star-group had aligned. I've been following Krystal Swords for a while now and absolutely adore the energy and passion she brings to the table when talking about music. Then you can add in the fact that we share many bands and styles that we love and, finally, the she made a really in-depth end of year summary with a truly admirable variety of amazing music and there you have it!

And here we are, posting Krystal Swords' list, hopefully one of many such posts where we highlight more voices from our community. It's a small step forward but one which I am excited about nonetheless. And hey, you know what? If you have a long, thought-out end of year list for 2024, why not email me at eden[at]heavyblogisheavy[dot]com and we can chat about posting it?

Anyway, enjoy this delightful, energetic list and make sure to follow Krystal Swords. The facts are pristine and, indeed, angelic.

-Eden Kupermintz

Hi! I'm Krystal Swords, a musician, composer, and producer from the greater New York area. I've been listening to metal and playing guitar for more than half my life. I love all kinds of power, prog, tech, and death metal! You can find me online on bluesky at @angelic.style and on instagram at @krystalswords, as well as finding my tunes on Bandcamp or any streaming service as Krystal Swords.

2024 is the best year for music since I’ve been alive. I’ve been saying it repeatedly throughout the year and now that it’s over I am one hundred percent confident in that statement. This year was absolutely tremendous pop-wise, with Sabrina Carpenter, Charli XCX, and Chappell Roan all having incredible rises to fame, and the Kendrick/Drake feud dominating the media so much that even I paid attention. 

But that’s just set dressing to what I really want to talk about: 2024 was a year of monumental prog releases. This year has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that progressive music is not only still breathing, but thriving, with both established artists releasing career-defining albums as well as new up-and-comers making commanding statements. And that’s to say nothing of the metal side of things, along with the occasional dance/electronic banger as well! And yet, all of that buries the lede even further: my number 1 from this year is the best album I have ever personally heard. If you’ve been following me on social media you already know what it is, and I hope you’ll at least give it a chance to captivate you like it did me.

FIVE ALBUMS I HAD FUN WITH

Transit Method - Othervoid

Despite the album cover looking like some sort of torrential death/doom, this is a bluesy hard rock record in the vein of a lot of classic rock that’s jam packed with riffs and soaring choruses and the occasional progressive moment to keep things livened up. Something you can put on for your friends who aren’t really about that whole “metal” business.

Throne of Exile - The Endless Sky

Excellent tech-y proggy death metal that really pushes on the experimental, avant-garde aspects. This thing breaks into jazz sections, piano leads over brutal riffing, and more that has to be heard to be believed. It’s also got strong enough composition to prevent it from becoming a genre mashup mess, which can be a rarity for these experimental bands! 

Battlesnake - The Rise and Demise of the Motorsteeple

Straight up Hell Yeah of a record. The stupid cover grabbed me and it ended up being a hell of a ride. This album has riffs to spare, with classic heavy metal vibes befitting such a ridiculous concept. Speaking of which… it’s the fucking MOTORSTEEPLE. How can you pass this up??

Editor's Note: holy fuck that band photo, please click through to see it!

Mothman and the Thunderbirds - Portal Hopper

Hey, remember Torche? Remember how much ass they kicked? Mothman and the Thunderbirds bring a lot of that energy on Portal Hopper, with more than enough of their own flavor to carve out something truly unique here. At times power metal, at times psychedelic, this record deserves a lot more attention than it’s getting.

Mega Colossus - Showdown

A little bit Slough Feg, a little bit Iron Maiden, a little bit Gamma Ray, and a whole ton of fun. These are some big fat chunky tunes, with more than enough guitar acrobatics to go around: the dueling guitar work in this record is truly a spectacle worthy of attention. Woven in between all that, however, are some eminently singable choruses and soaring vocal lines, elevating this from a fun guitar record to an all-around party of an album.

FIVE HONORABLE MENTIONS

Assemble the Chariots - Unyielding Night

For the first time, Fleshgod Apocalypse has a direct competitor. Lush orchestral arrangements sit atop blisteringly fast blast beats and thick downtuned riffing, but Assemble the Chariots brings a deathcore vibe to the table that helps set them apart. I’m a huge fan of albums with a story, and they weave it in well here, with some grand narration and interlude tracks to really help set the tone. As this is the first installment of the “Ephemeral Trilogy”, I’m incredibly excited to hear where they go from here.

Sungazer - Against the Fall of Night

A strong jazz fusion acumen combined with modern electronic sound design and a focus toward complex yet groove-able rhythms? This is such a delicious album from tip to tail. The vast array of guest musicians lend a lot of diversity to the melodic lines and solo work, and the core team of bassist Adam Neely and drummer Shawn Crowder has such a knack for making otherwise complex and technical music very accessible. 

Dissimulator - Lower Form Resistance

Tech thrash is one of the most underrated metal subgenres out there. Lower Form Resistance is an incredible offering from that particular breed of speed, with riffs that flash like lightning and drumming so fast it’ll kick your teeth in. This is one I keep coming back to, because the tech/prog ethos that’s so clearly present means the core thrash metal sound doesn’t ever stagnate. 

Blood Incantation - Absolute Elsewhere

Yeah, the hype is real. I didn’t vibe as much with any of their previous work, but something really came together on Absolute Elsewhere that grabbed me from the start. With a greater focus on the progressive writing, even bringing on literal actual Tangerine Dream for a section, as well as the composition that unfolds throughout the two long pieces that comprise this record, Blood Incantation have cemented their reputation as a landmark band in death metal.

Fellowship - The Skies Above Eternity

This is what power metal is all fucking about!!!!! This record, much like their last, is a pure joy to listen to. They almost tread on tongue-in-cheek, but somehow manage to avoid undercutting the emotional power of their music, probably because the songwriting is just god damn good. It is physically impossible to be sad while listening to this. You’ll be humming the chorus to "Dawnbreaker" for months after hearing it, and it’ll put a smile on your face every single time.

SPECIAL AWARDS

The “Judge A Book By Its Cover” Award

Lowen - Do Not Go To War With The Demons Of Mazandaran

The “I Can’t Believe This Actually Got Released” Award

Wintersun - Time II

The “Fuck You” Award

Dragonforce - Warp Speed Warriors

The “Same Bestie” Award

Snowblood - III

The “What The Fuck Did I Just Listen To” Award

Ingurgitating Oblivion - Ontology of Naught

10. Frozen Crown - War Hearts

They’ve done it again, lads. Frozen Crown has been cranking out album after album of frost-tinged power metal and every single one of them has been great. From the triumphant earworm chorus of “Steel and Gold” to the callback to “Winterfall” in “Ice Dragon”, this album is another glorious step forward for the band. It’s a perfect showcase of how fresh a genre can sound even after 40 years when you have women in not just fronting roles, but as instrumentalists as well.

9. Opeth - The Last Will And Testament

Everyone lost their minds when they heard Opeth brought the growls back, and they’re here and as powerful as ever, but what’s also present in more than equal measure is excellent songwriting. Opeth’s 70s prog turn never captivated me as much as their more metal offerings, but the balance of both this record brings to the table gives it such a standout flavor even amongst a catalogue as strong and varied as theirs. The concept album angle also gives Last Will a cohesive thru-line, which makes the overall product here so much stronger.

8. Poppy - Negative Spaces

Flux was quite the disappointment for me personally after the phenomenal I Disagree. The alt rock vibes just did not hit. So when I heard “they’re all around us” before the album dropped, so did my jaw. Negative Spaces is, front to back, the exact album I wanted from Poppy ever since she turned metal. Everything from the songwriting to the performance to the production to even the album flow is firing on all cylinders. She weaves between embattled screams and hooky choruses so deftly you’d swear she’s been doing this her entire career. Most of all, Negative Spaces really captures the emotional moment of being a woman in 2024. The center’s falling out. I’m surviving on defiance, weighing the cost of giving up, and I need a new way out.

7. dj-Jo - vEnergy

I’m putting an album of Vtuber music on my top ten list. Judge me as you must, but producer dj-Jo is the true star of the show here: this album is the definition of wall-to-wall BANGERS. Every single track is sheer blood-pumping body-moving lightning, and there’s a surprisingly cogent album flow as well. This is the kind of music you can both throw ass to at a rave as well as dissect all the ear candy when listening in headphones. I’m gonna be listening to this over and over and over and having boundless fun every time.

6. Fleshgod Apocalypse - Opera

In a year as fucked up as 2024, I needed something powerful and unyielding to get me through it, and Fleshgod Apocalypse was more than up to the task. “I Can Never Die” is a song you will feel in your very bones, and the rest of the album is just as good. This is easily their best work since King, and possibly since Oracles. It’s brutal, colossal, intense, technical, while still remaining melodic and even inspiring at times. They’ve mastered the Obscura strategy of making tech death that’s somehow catchy, and it’s what continues to make them stand out.

5. Triton Project - Messenger’s Quest

This. This is why I sit and dig through hundreds of albums of varying quality every year, is to find hidden gems like this one. Messenger’s Quest is a grandiose journey through a mystical world, a progressive masterpiece of true ambition. Established legacy acts like Dream Theater would be proud to release an album of this caliber, much less a debut for an artist in a country not known for its progressive scene. Don’t be daunted by the track listing or album length; this is worth a front to back listen.

4. Caligula’s Horse - Charcoal Grace

When you say “progressive metal”, you usually assume something overwrought with millions of notes and constant time signature changes and the like. Caligula’s Horse has continually proven that you can make not just compelling but standout progressive metal with restraint and dignity. Charcoal Grace is easily the most beautifully melancholic thing you’ll hear all year, with strong tracks like "Golem" and "The Stormchaser", but the crown jewel is the four-part title suite. From the melancholic hallelujah in part I to the quiet resignation of part III to the resounding declaration that is part IV, it’s a piece of pure magic. I cannot recommend this album enough, both for longtime prog or metal fans as well as newcomers to the genre.

3. Kyros - Mannequin

How does it feel to have not just one but two of the best songs of the year on one album? "Esoterica" and "Ghosts Of You" are both utter masterworks of Kyros’s signature synthpop-prog metal fusion, and I cannot get them out of my head. And somehow, the rest of the album keeps up too! The choice to open the album with a vocal intro track into an instrumental is both bold and effective, and closing with back to back progressive experiments elevates the entire record. I have to comment on the production as well; Mannequin is so lush and beautiful, with nary a single frequency of wasted audio space. It’s at once accessible and challenging, contemplative and danceable, a testament to the strength of both pop and prog songwriting, and proof that those two ethoses need not be diametrically opposed.

2. Seven Spires - A Fortress Called Home

Seven Spires has the utterly uncanny ability to write songs that cut immediately to the heart of my emotional life. It’s astonishing. When I wrote my 2021 AOTY writeup, I described Gods of Debauchery as “an album that somehow finds the lost, broken, forgotten pieces of your soul and brings them back to you… heals you in a way you didn’t know you needed to be healed”. A Fortress Called Home is its corollary: an album that sees the pain that’s all too present in your life, and says “you are not alone”. This record plays with the contrast of sorrow and hope so delicately, it feels like walking a razor’s edge. The crushing weight of tracks like "Where Sorrows Bear My Name" (“What is it to be known/To be seen, to forgive”) somehow sits unquestioningly alongside the promise in the chorus of "No Place For Us" (“It has been the way of the sun/To sink and rise again”), synthesizing into a tantalizingly powerful work from a band already incredibly special to me.

1. Azure - Fym

I am prone to hyperbole often. Just look at how much I throw around words like “genius”, “masterpiece”, “pure brilliance”, etc. But I firmly and seriously mean it when I say this is the greatest album I have ever heard. There are multi-album sagas I love dearly that aren’t this good. It’s prog at its absolute finest.

What does that mean, exactly? Prog, to me, is an ethos of musicmaking wherein you use every possible tool available to you to tell the story you want to tell primarily through the music itself. The lyrics are present and important, of course, but the musical composition is what delivers the emotional contours of the story. In this regard, Fym stands head and shoulders above everything else. From the steel drums and woodwinds adding more mystical and otherworldly sonic color, to the adventure-focused composition making this feel like a magical quest, to the band being unafraid to dip into things like power metal speed and harsh shrieking when required, this record is the literal definition of the ethos I described above.

Of course, such an album could only be pulled off by a band of exceptionally talented musicians. Every member is excellent, but special mention absolutely must be given to vocalist Chris Sampson’s unparalleled performance. This is a vocal-heavy album, and not only do they manage such a heavy task, they utterly excel, breathing life into every corner of this arcane fantasy story. I was continually blown away at every turn by what they could do with their voice, from the impeccable runs on the very first track all the way to the soft crooning of the very last. Guitarist Galen Stapley is the other standout performance here, bringing monstrous guitar wizardry to adorn the instrumentation with skill that makes me unabashedly jealous.

But even more than all that, this album is meaningful to me personally, for one very simple reason: it demonstrates without a single doubt that trans people not only belong in progressive music, but can excel and define the genre. This album is queer from tip to tail, and that queerness is what makes it such a brilliant work. Fym is, plain and simple, as good as music gets.

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Published 4 days ago