Category: year in review

2024 Best of Metal: #1 Anciients-Beyond the Reach of the Sun

Release date: 8/30/2024
Origin: Vancouver, Canada
Personnel: Kenny Cook-vox/guitar, Brock MacInnes-guitar, Rory O’Brien-bass, Mike Hannay-drums

Congratulations to Anciients for winning the Golden Flip Flop for 2024! Damn, this was one hell of an album and one hell of a surprise. I honestly kind of thought that we might have lost Anciients after the pandemic. But, lucky for us, the dudes just hunkered down and created this absolute monster of a masterpiece. I think this album is kind of a testament of a band taking some time to really craft a perfect album. There is zero fat on this thing and every single song contributes to the whole thing being perfect. For the uninitiated, Anciients kind of traverses the same sonic ground as Mastodon. This is a hard driving classic full of amazing guitar work.

Well, that’s it again. Thanks again for playing along and indulging me. Here’s to hoping everything doesn’t go to complete shit in 2025 (even though it probably will). If I’m still here at the end of next year, let’s do this damn thing again. Cheers!

5 flip flops out of 5

The final list:
1. Anciients-Beyond the Reach of the Sun
2. Dvne-Voidkind
3. Mr. Bison-Echoes From the Universe
4. Opeth-The Last Will and Testament
5. Lord Dying-Clandestine Transcendence
6. Horseburner-Voice of Storms
7. Gatecreeper-Dark Superstition
8. Kerry King-From Hell I Rise
9. Evergrey-Theories of Emptiness
10. Oceans of Slumber-Where Gods Fear To Speak
11. Haunting-Stare At Nothing
12. Blood Incantation-Absolute Elsewhere
13. Huntsmen-The Dry Land
14. God Is An Astronaut-Embers
15. Alcest-Les Chants de l’Aurore
16. The Cure-Songs of a Lost World
17. LizZard-Mesh
18. Fu Manchu-The Return of Tomorrow
19. Borknagar-Fall
20. Crypt Sermon-The Stygian Rose

2024 Best of Metal: #2 Dvne-Voidkind

Release date: 4/19/2024
Origin: Edinburgh, Scotland
Personnel: Dan Barter-vox, Victor Vicart-guitar/vox, Allan Paterson-bass, Maxime Keller-keys/vox, Dudley Tait-drums

So many times I come across bands I have never heard of and they just blow me away. I am constantly amazed at how the metal universe just keep growing and branching out into new areas and new sounds. Case in point, our current selection by Dvne. Never knew of these guys until this year and I firmly a big fan at this point. These guys are a bit in what I guess can be considered the post-metal world. This one definitely gives me vibes of The Ocean Collective. Varied song structures and good combos between heavy and mellow. This was another album that sucked me in from the first few notes and has been on steady rotation throughout the year.

5 flip flops out of 5

The list so far:
2. Dvne-Voidkind
3. Mr. Bison-Echoes From the Universe
4. Opeth-The Last Will and Testament
5. Lord Dying-Clandestine Transcendence
6. Horseburner-Voice of Storms
7. Gatecreeper-Dark Superstition
8. Kerry King-From Hell I Rise
9. Evergrey-Theories of Emptiness
10. Oceans of Slumber-Where Gods Fear To Speak
11. Haunting-Stare At Nothing
12. Blood Incantation-Absolute Elsewhere
13. Huntsmen-The Dry Land
14. God Is An Astronaut-Embers
15. Alcest-Les Chants de l’Aurore
16. The Cure-Songs of a Lost World
17. LizZard-Mesh
18. Fu Manchu-The Return of Tomorrow
19. Borknagar-Fall
20. Crypt Sermon-The Stygian Rose

2024 Best of Metal: #3 Mr. Bison-Echoes From the Universe

Release date: 2/16/2024
Origin: Cecina, Italy
Personnel: Matteo Sciocchetto-vox/guitar/bass, Matteo Barsacchi-guitar/bass/synth, Davide Salvadori-bass/synth, Lorenzo Salvadori-drums

This one is really lush. Very layered psychedelic metal from Italy that is very reminiscent to King Buffalo and Elder. I think what really sets this album apart for me is the vocals. If you know me, you know that I really dig harmonizing vocals. It’s almost a chorus type style of vocals throughout on this one and the effect really adds to the richness of the sound. This album has been a favorite of mine since it came out back in February.

5 flip flops out of 5

The list so far:
3. Mr. Bison-Echoes From the Universe
4. Opeth-The Last Will and Testament
5. Lord Dying-Clandestine Transcendence
6. Horseburner-Voice of Storms
7. Gatecreeper-Dark Superstition
8. Kerry King-From Hell I Rise
9. Evergrey-Theories of Emptiness
10. Oceans of Slumber-Where Gods Fear To Speak
11. Haunting-Stare At Nothing
12. Blood Incantation-Absolute Elsewhere
13. Huntsmen-The Dry Land
14. God Is An Astronaut-Embers
15. Alcest-Les Chants de l’Aurore
16. The Cure-Songs of a Lost World
17. LizZard-Mesh
18. Fu Manchu-The Return of Tomorrow
19. Borknagar-Fall
20. Crypt Sermon-The Stygian Rose

2024 Best of Metal: #4 Opeth-The Last Will and Testament

Release date: 11/22/2024
Origin: Stockholm, Sweden
Personnel: Mikael Akerfeldt-vox/guitar, Fredrik Akesson-guitar, Martin Mendez-bass, Joakim Svalberg-keys, Walterri Vayrynen-drums

You heard the news shouted from rooftops and throughout the hills. You couldn’t believe your ears, but it was true. The Growls Are Back! The Growls Are Back! Yes, after many years of turning his back on the death metal growls and going with a total melodic voice, Akerfeldt is working the growls back into Opeth’s sound. And it is a welcome addition. The cool thing about old Opeth was the perfect blending of death and prog. It just feels like the contrasting styles of death and melodic vocals really help push Opeth into a much more satisfying band. The latest album was inspired by the HBO show Succession. So, lots of backbiting and scheming amongst some truly terrible people is on the docket. This album is a breath of fresh air for a band this far along in their career.

5 flip flops out of 5

The list so far:
4. Opeth-The Last Will and Testament
5. Lord Dying-Clandestine Transcendence
6. Horseburner-Voice of Storms
7. Gatecreeper-Dark Superstition
8. Kerry King-From Hell I Rise
9. Evergrey-Theories of Emptiness
10. Oceans of Slumber-Where Gods Fear To Speak
11. Haunting-Stare At Nothing
12. Blood Incantation-Absolute Elsewhere
13. Huntsmen-The Dry Land
14. God Is An Astronaut-Embers
15. Alcest-Les Chants de l’Aurore
16. The Cure-Songs of a Lost World
17. LizZard-Mesh
18. Fu Manchu-The Return of Tomorrow
19. Borknagar-Fall
20. Crypt Sermon-The Stygian Rose

2024 Best of Metal: #5 Lord Dying-Clandestine Transcendence

Release date: 1/19/2024
Origin: Portland, OR
Personnel: Erik Olson-vox/guitar, Chris Evans-guitar, Alyssa Mocere-bass, Kevin Swartz-drums

First of our 5 flip flop rated albums of the year. This one is a bit of a journey both musically and thematically. It feels like Blood Incantation had everyone’s favorite out-there spacey album of the year. However, I feel like Lord Dying kind of deserves the honor of the trippy hallucination inspired album of the year. This one kind of takes you to the outer reaches of the universe of the mind and space and back home again. I dare you to consider yourself the same person by the end of this album.

5 flip flops out of 5

The list so far:
5. Lord Dying-Clandestine Transcendence
6. Horseburner-Voice of Storms
7. Gatecreeper-Dark Superstition
8. Kerry King-From Hell I Rise
9. Evergrey-Theories of Emptiness
10. Oceans of Slumber-Where Gods Fear To Speak
11. Haunting-Stare At Nothing
12. Blood Incantation-Absolute Elsewhere
13. Huntsmen-The Dry Land
14. God Is An Astronaut-Embers
15. Alcest-Les Chants de l’Aurore
16. The Cure-Songs of a Lost World
17. LizZard-Mesh
18. Fu Manchu-The Return of Tomorrow
19. Borknagar-Fall
20. Crypt Sermon-The Stygian Rose

2024 Best of Metal: #6 Horseburner-Voice of Storms

Release date: 6/21/2024
Origin: Parkersburg, WV
Personnel: Jack Thomas-vox/guitar, Matt Strobel-guitar, Ryan Aliff-bass, Adam Nohe-drums/vox

Horseburner is another of those little bands that I stumbled across a number of years ago and just adore. Their sound is a bit in the Mastodon sort of vein. Gritty guitars and dual vocals throughout. There is just a very organic and earthy kind of feel to this record. Maybe it’s the West Virginia influence coming through. Or not. Hell, what do I know? I may be getting punchy at this point in the countdown. At any rate, damn good album.

4.5 flip flops out of 5

The list so far:
6. Horseburner-Voice of Storms
7. Gatecreeper-Dark Superstition
8. Kerry King-From Hell I Rise
9. Evergrey-Theories of Emptiness
10. Oceans of Slumber-Where Gods Fear To Speak
11. Haunting-Stare At Nothing
12. Blood Incantation-Absolute Elsewhere
13. Huntsmen-The Dry Land
14. God Is An Astronaut-Embers
15. Alcest-Les Chants de l’Aurore
16. The Cure-Songs of a Lost World
17. LizZard-Mesh
18. Fu Manchu-The Return of Tomorrow
19. Borknagar-Fall
20. Crypt Sermon-The Stygian Rose

2024 Best of Metal: #7 Gatecreeper-Dark Superstition

Release date: 5/17/2024
Origin: Tucson, AZ
Personnel: Chase H. Mason-vox, Eric Wagner-guitar, Israel Garza-guitar, Alex Brown-bass, Matt Arrebello-drums

It feels like Gatecreeper finally found their sweet spot. They have always been a nice solid death metal outfit, but haven’t put anything out that would vault them into elite level of death metal bands. This latest release just flat out jams. They managed to find the right level of groove that makes this entire album a really easy listen. Almost a feel good death metal album.

4.5 flip flops out of 5

The list so far:
7. Gatecreeper-Dark Superstition
8. Kerry King-From Hell I Rise
9. Evergrey-Theories of Emptiness
10. Oceans of Slumber-Where Gods Fear To Speak
11. Haunting-Stare At Nothing
12. Blood Incantation-Absolute Elsewhere
13. Huntsmen-The Dry Land
14. God Is An Astronaut-Embers
15. Alcest-Les Chants de l’Aurore
16. The Cure-Songs of a Lost World
17. LizZard-Mesh
18. Fu Manchu-The Return of Tomorrow
19. Borknagar-Fall
20. Crypt Sermon-The Stygian Rose

2024 Best of Metal: #8 Kerry King-From Hell I Rise

Release date: 5/17/2024
Origin: Los Angeles, CA
Personnel: Mark Osegueda-vox, Kerry King-guitar, Phil Demmel-guitar, Kyle Sanders-bass, Paul Bostaph-drums

Let’s just acknowledge that Kerry’s greatest decision in launching his solo career is tapping Death Angel’s Mark Osegueda to be his frontman. This is basically a Slayer album with Mark on vocals. Look, nothing against Tom Araya. He’s the voice of Slayer. But, there is just something powerful that Mark brings to the proceedings that elevates everything. He captures Kerry’s rage perfectly. I dare you to play Repentless, Slayer’s last, and this one back-to-back and tell me which one is the superior album (spoiler: it’s this one). As for the music, as I said, its a Slayer album. No surprises. Kerry gives the audience exactly what it wants. And it is good.

4.5 flip flops out of 5

The list so far:
8. Kerry King-From Hell I Rise
9. Evergrey-Theories of Emptiness
10. Oceans of Slumber-Where Gods Fear To Speak
11. Haunted-Stare At Nothing
12. Blood Incantation-Absolute Elsewhere
13. Huntsmen-The Dry Land
14. God Is An Astronaut-Embers
15. Alcest-Les Chants de l’Aurore
16. The Cure-Songs of a Lost World
17. LizZard-Mesh
18. Fu Manchu-The Return of Tomorrow
19. Borknagar-Fall
20. Crypt Sermon-The Stygian Rose

2024 Best of Metal: #9 Evergrey-Theories of Emptiness

Release date: 6/7/2024
Origin: Gothenburg, Sweden
Personnel: Tom S. Englund-vox/guitar, Henrik Danhage-guitar, Johan Niemann-bass, Rikard Zander-keys, Jonas Ekdahl-drums

Goddamn 14th album by these dudes! How is that possible? It feels like I stumbled across In Search of Truth just the other day. Anyhow, Tom Englund and his morose band of metal brethren just keep on cranking out emotive progressive metal at a prodigious rate. No real surprise here if you’re an Evergrey fan. This is an album full of what these dudes do and do very well.

4.5 flip flops out of 5

The list so far:
9. Evergrey-Theories of Emptiness
10. Oceans of Slumber-Where Gods Fear To Speak
11. Haunting-Stare At Nothing
12. Blood Incantation-Absolute Elsewhere
13. Huntsmen-The Dry Lands
14. God Is an Astronaut-Embers
15. Alcest-Les Chants de l’Aurore
16. The Cure-Songs of a Lost World
17. LizZard-Mesh
18. Fu Manchu-The Return of Tomorrow
19. Borknagar-Fall
20. Crypt Sermon-The Stygian Rose

2024 Best of Metal: #10 Oceans of Slumber-Where Gods Fear To Speak

Release date: 9/9/2024
Origin: Houston, TX
Personnel: Cammie Gilbert-vox, Alex Davis-guiar, Chris Kritikos-guitar/vox, Semir Ozerkan-bass, Dobber Beverly-drums

Opening up the Top 10 is Houston’s Oceans of Slumber. This is basically a joint project of husband and wife team of singer Cammie Gilbert and drummer Dobber Beverly. It kind of feels like this band has been searching for a concrete identity over the course of their career. They are heavily influenced by traditional doom metal, but they have made some forays into a more melodic southern gothic sound. This latest album sees the band fully embracing the fact that they are a metal band and the album really soars as a result. The spotlight once again is on Gilbert’s stunning vocals, but they really let the guitars shine. This is probably the heaviest album they have put out.

4.5 flip flops out of 5

The list so far:
10. Oceans of Slumber-Where Gods Fear To Speak
11. Haunted-Stare At Nothing
12. Blood Incantation-Absolute Elsewhere
13. Huntsmen-The Dry Land
14. God Is An Astronaut-Embers
15. Alcest-Les Chants de l’Aurore
16. The Cure-Songs of a Lost World
17. LizZard-Mesh
18. Fu Manchu-The Return of Tomorrow
19. Borknagar-Fall
20. Crypt Sermon-The Stygian Rose