In the last batch of albums in 2024, we get releases from Shovelhead A.D., Algol, Antumbra, Black Yet Full of Stars and Here and Beyond.
Shovelhead A.D. - Timeless Old
Genre: Groove/thrash metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5
Country of origin: USA
While we're waiting for a potential new Pantera album, and the divisive shitstorm that will no doubt accompany it, have some of this! Shovelhead A.D. draws from that sludgy, coarse groove sound that we got on "Far Beyond Driven" and "Vulgar Display of Power", then adds to it with some thrash ferocity and just a tad of Devil Driver melodic affinity, It's at times significantly more brutal than Pantera and at other times gentler, offering much of the same Southern attitude, if not nearly the same level of innovation. It's a straight banger from start to finish, just the right amount of dirty, just the right amount of instrumentally playful. Technically a bit rigid, perhaps, but they make up for it by churning out some of the most rad riffs I've heard all year.
Highlights: "Tormented Aggression" and "Shell Shock"
Algol - The Black Sands of Madness
Genre: Black metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Country of origin: Argentina
Did you enjoy Satyricon's "Volcano" and "Now, Diabolical" albums, and kind of wish they'd continued down the line of black 'n' roll-infused, riff-centered, not-so-conceptual black metal? Argentinian solo project Algol picks up the threads and keeps on spinning, revitalizing that spirit of catchy bitterness. While a good number of the songs on the album feel rather unambitious, in that they stick more or less to the same line from start to finish, it's all good stuff, never losing sight of their purpose, never falling for the temptation of indulging in ambient padding to boost the runtime. It's straight-to-the-point, un-pretentious stuff that sticks resolutely to a strong stylistic core.
Highlight: "The Black Sands of Madness"
Antumbra - Days of Future Ravaged Lands
Genre: Atmospheric black metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Country of origin: Romania
If you're in the mood for some melancholy to wipe that blissful Christmas joy smile off your face, here's an atmospheric black metal album from one-man-project Antumbra out of Romania. Feelings of epic longing flow from the tremolo-led melodies, offset by agonized, raspy vocals and steady, mid-tempo rhythms. You'll find your mind wandering along barely discernible paths in vast, misty forests, at the foot of towering, snow-capped mountains, all in complete solitude. If you're familiar with the style, you will generally have heard it all before in several highly similar iterations, but that doesn't mean it's not a rewarding listen.
Highlight: "When Nothing Remains"
Black Yet Full of Stars - Dark Wing Gospel
Genre: Symphonic metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Country of origin: Italy
Dramatic, harsh-edged symphonic metal from Italy which gives you some of the lighter sides of Fleshgod Apocalypse, and a good dose of power metal panache on top. A few progressive twists and turns come included as well, but it's more low key. It goes both low and high, soaring on rousing bombast as well as chugging out punchy riffs followed by growled vocals. It's got an operatic theatrical quality that's not overdone, and which makes me imagine elaborate stage productions telling tales of bravery and tragedy.
Highlight: "Nigredo, Foulest Servant"
Here and Beyond - Echoes of the Past
Genre: Black/death metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Country of origin: USA
Get ready to be hit by a wave of furious despair in the form of atmospheric, blackened death metal out of Nevada, USA. It screams and roars its way along on pounding drums, and lets out laments of cold, gentle melody, sometimes changing its trajectory suddenly with progressive rhythm transitions, giving a slightly erratic overall feel. While there's an abundance of aggression, it doesn't feel overly hostile, more like a herald of great misery that conveys its message very convincingly. Not all the songs have an equally strong identity, but in total it's a force to be reckoned with that firmly stands its ground among its peers.
Highlight: "Invocation of the Thaumiel"
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