It is nearly impossible to keep up with the amount of amazing art drifting around in our modern music universe. It is a pleasurable, rewarding, daunting and full time focus to maintain a balance of listening, fandom, agility to move forward, avoidance of burn out and acceptance that something will always be slipping through the cracks.
Having stated that fact up front, it feels impossible to create an album of the year (AOTY) list without shunning many artists that rightly deserves the acknowledgement equally or more so than others. We do have to start/stop somewhere if this is going to happen.
In that spirit, here is a list of recommendations that caught my attention in 2024. No matter how popular or obscure, friend or foe, it is always possible that something of note may have slipped under your radar. Same here. Guilt is already gripping me knowing my mind has let something substantial slip through the cracks. This list features albums that a friend like myself would text to your cell phone or send in a direct message noting, "You really should check this one out!".
Bonus list: More albums to consider because there is no need to stop yet. Think of it as a suggested listening companion, of sorts. With the preface that we only have enough time in the day to blog about some but in our hearts we know we want to shine light upon many. Getting to forty five was easy. Stopping at forty five was was the real task here. 2024 was a solid year for the heavy music fan.
Provided in alphabetical order, here is the MIR 45 of '24 Year in Review. Enjoy!
~ Bobby Rayfield (Monuments in Ruin)
ABSORB - SMOG
BEDSORE - DREAMING THE STRIFE FOR LOVE
ENFORCED - A LEAP INTO THE DARK
GENERATION OF VIPERS - GUILT SHRINE
GNOME - VESTIGES OF VERUMEX VISIDROME
HAAVAT – MYRSKY NOUSEE
INSECT ARK - RAW BLOOD SINGING
INTOLERANCE - WAKING NIGHTMARES OF AN ENDLESS VOID
KANT - PARANOIA PILGRIMAGE
MERCILESS - THOSE WHO REIGN BELOW
MIRACLE BLOOD - HELLO HELL
OCCULT WITCHES - SORROW'S PYRE
OCTOPLOID - BEYOND THE AEONS
PHENOCRYST - CREMATION PYRE
PIJN - DESPERATELY HELD
PIJN - FROM LOW BEAMS OF HOPE
RECIDIVIST - MADNESS MALFORMED
SLIFT – ILION
STILL - A THEFT
THE SWELL FELLAS - RESIDUUM UNKNOWN
Bonus List
...end transmission...
(O)~ Bobby Rayfield / Monuments in Ruin
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