Here we go again. As usual this the highlights of the music I’ve enjoyed this year, not just music release in 2024.
Iron Maiden’s Brave New World has been on heavy rotation. It came out in 2000 which means, to my shame, I’ve never really listened to it properly when I started listening to Maiden with A Matter of Life and Death. Wall to wall bangers. My top track is Dream of Mirrors with The Thin Line Between Love and Hate at a really close second.
Dream Theater dropped a single from their upcoming album. Night Terror is great and made me even more excited for Parasomnia next year. I didn’t get to go see them in London which is a shame.
HAGANE’s new EP Life Goes On ! is fantastic. I’d not heard this Japanese Power Metal band before, after listening to this EP I did a deep dive into their back catalogue. It rips. My only complaint is that the tracks are pretty much entirely standard length (2-5 min), as you can see from some previous picks this year I have really got into the long tracks.[0]
Stan Getz. I’m continuing my Ted Gioia inspired exploration of Jazz. Given that I really enjoy Charlie Parker’s bebop work it’s obvious that I’d enjoy Getz. No specific picks here, I’ve mostly been listening to compilations/best ofs.
Yellowcard’s Ocean Avenue turned 20 this year. I’ve been listening to it on and off since I first heard Breathing on the Burnout 3: Takedown soundtrack. They did a tour this year where they played the entire album, I saw them in November and they were superb.
I listened to Steve Wilson’s mix of Yes’ Fragile on some audiophile equipment. It was incredible. Not something that will be easy to replicate but a magical experience.
Questbound. I don’t know who they are or where they’re from but they put out two singles this year and they’re great fun and well produced. Think Twilight Force. Give The Fires Ignite a listen, it’s really fun and they can shred.
stop.drop.rewind are a three person prog-power-pop band with sick bass riffs and the bassist is on vox. My Rush senses were tingling. They’re so good! I think I’d say start with their album Polarity. The first track (Bottomless) is superb.
I had YouTube recommend Catherine Fearns to me for her amazing piano cover of Children of Bodom’s Morrigan. Catherine has done a load of other covers including Death’s Crystal Mountain and Unfit for Human Consumption by Carcass. She’s also done lots original pieces which are well worth your time.
Matt Andrews under the moniker Unfuture put out a lovely album called Masks this year. It’s so out of my usual wheelhouse but I think it’s great.
Another atypical pick from me. I found Robin (The Lovely) Allender via the Elis and John show during my binge. A multi-instrumentalist with a focus on guitars, give his 2023 album Underground River a go. I really love his guitar tone, especially the one on City of Dreadful Night.
James Blackshaw was on the most recent episode of Robin Allender’s podcast (The Allender Calendar). James is another man with a guitar but I think he solely plays acoustic unlike most of my guitar lads. I love his album The Glass Bead Game. The tracks are long, layered, and rolling, almost having movements(?). I have found myself locking-in as the kids might say and suddenly 50min whizz by. I really don’t have the vocabulary and knowledge to describe why I love these tracks so much so just give him a go.
Right, back to The Metal. Wailing Banshee are a new independent band who Encyclopaedia Metallum describe as Heavy Metal/Hard Rock, I’d agree but they’ve got some clear NWOBHM influences which you can hear on the track Fight To Be Free. I would recommend picking up a copy on Bandcamp as it sounds much much better there than on Spotify, a much bigger fuller sound. A bunch of talented musicians giving it their all, with a distinctive & fresh sound. Much like with Dark Forest I want to see them succeed and become huge. They played a pub in Birmingham but I couldn’t make it, hopefully they’ll be back in 2025.
[0] A note, I put together these lists over a few months. HAGANE put out a single in mid December called Start Our Journey and it’s almost 6min long which solves my one criticism from earlier in the year. It’s incredibly DragonForce in all the good ways, unabashedly happy, fast paced, and melodic. HAGANE make me grin in the same way Fraser Edwards does.