2024 became a landmark year for many varieties of music especially for the Metal scene with major artists like Linkin Park Slayer and The Sword all making a comeback. While there was also significant change in the scene with Rage Against the Machine breaking up and the overdue Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction for Ozzy Osbourne cementing a big year for this diverse genre. The political climate became highly unstable globally therefore providing an ideal environment for listeners looking for musical escapes within the heavy metal genre that offered everything from disgusting sick riffs to loving emotional sounds. Ten unique releases Within this category are listed for review in this article.
Bruce Dickinson’s "Resurrection Men" Revives 80s Metal Energy on “The Mandrake Project” Album
Iron Maiden's lead singer Bruce Dickinson renowned for his work since The Number of the Beast from 1982 has contributed a phenomenal track titled “Resurrection Men” featured on his recent solo album The Mandrake Project . Dickinson's vocals throughout the project maintain an ‘80s heavy metal styling evident in lyrics proclaiming “I am the wizard of your heart” which creates strong imagery. Co-written by Roy Z the producer this album showcases both shredding and shrieking styles that show Dickinson’s still high range of singing capability and ability to continue producing meaningful and exciting metal.
DOROTHY’s “MUD” Blends Country and Blues Into Heavy Metal With a Unique Goddess Vocals
Vocalist DOROTHY Martin’s band DOROTHY released single "MUD" which blends country and metal and described her band’s songs as being very Beavis and Butthead appropriate which is her compliment on her bands specific sound. DOROTHY burst on the scene in 2014 with "After Midnight" and showed fans a sound blend with Black Sabbath bar-rock plus Patti Smith to create a unique blues-metal styling. MUD’s blend of country drawl soulful shrieks coupled with drummer Jake Hayden’s rhythmic beats creating a new experience. DOROTHY continues releasing singles anticipating an upcoming album sometime in 2025 and the success continues.
Linkin Park's "The Emptiness Machine" Makes Comeback with Emily Armstrong's Vocals after a long hiatus
Linkin Park’s 2024 return brought mixed feelings however vocalist Emily Armstrong showed tremendous talent following the death of Chester Bennington which resulted in much support despite previous concerns with many fans . The group's new album From Zero debuted number 2 on the Billboard 200 indicating continued support. "The Emptiness Machine" released September 5th with a streamed live show gave a debut to both new music and Emily Armstrong bringing immense energy. Linkin Park blends a bold new step forward while honoring legacy of Chester Bennington.
Serj Tankian's "A.F. Day" Reflects Dystopian Themes With SOAD's Original Ideas from Foundations EP
System of a Down's frontman Serj Tankian independently released the Foundations EP with "A.F Day” showcasing his signature style during 2024 after numerous tour appearances with System of a Down since 2005’s Mezmerize/Hypnotize double album. Originally designed during SOAD's early time “A.F. Day" voices frustration with modern society. Much of the track’s original composition was revisited and enhanced by modern production to express its haunting repetitive theme in a never ending droning manner. Tankian creates a unique tone by combining familiar vocals with unique styles.
Gnome’s “Old Soul” Merges Sludge With Silly Visuals for Third Album
Belgian stoner-rock band Gnome their third album Vestiges of Verumex Visidrome displays sludgy metal riffs goofy lyrics and infectious danceable rhythms that made Gnome very popular showing humor in serious heavy metal productions. "Old Soul" uses the public domain of 1962’s film The Magic Sword adding to Gnome's tradition with nonsensical silly visuals and a mix with bluesy and doom like metal. The track is similar to songs like "Wenceslas" and "Ambrosius" offering more riffs alongside with their recognizable goofy tone and rhythm.
Gojira's "Mea Culpa" Features Marina Viotti Creating Opera Infused Revolutionary Style
French death metal band Gojira performed a very unique version of “Ça ira” a historic French song by using a unique operatic touch with Marina Viotti for a memorable experience with their song "Mea Culpa". On July 26th Gojira made music history as being the first metal band to play an Olympic opening event demonstrating major crossover between metal and the mainstream audience. Gojira’s version of “Ça ira” provides an alternative to older versions however showcases crunching riffs with operatic influence making it highly memorable .
Hanabie's "Metamorphose!" Fuses Metalcore Anime And Harajuku Aesthetics into a Unifying Sound
Japanese metalcore band Hanabie formed by highschool best friends created their unique metal sound by also integrating Japanese youth fashion trends like Harajuku into original tracks released this year on phenomenal Bucchigiri Tokyo EP. "Metamorphose!" an intense track inspired by Pretty Cure showcases anime styling with strong electronic production intense riffs and strong vocals. This Japanese band displays powerful energy levels while providing something unique in both performance and visuals.
Jinjer's "Someone's Daughter" Condenses Sludgy Metalcore Highlighting Female Empowerment
Ukranian metalcore band Jinjer released multiple singles in anticipation of a 2025 album named Duél continuing their powerful metalcore sounds previously lauded as the best by Metal Hammer and Loudwire. "Someone's Daughter" released from the Green Serpent EP distills elements of their prior work showing vocal abilities and signature bass along with very impactful messages. Shmayluk's vocals transition from smooth to heavy roars during her strong feminist themed song.
Dark Tranquility’s “The Last Imagination” Melodic Death Metal Excellence After Years in Metal Scene
Dark Tranquility a melodic death metal band from Sweden showcased their mastery for genre blending airy keyboards and incredibly heavy guitar riffs using vocals from Mikael Stanne for their release titled Endtime Signals during 2024 after line up changes in 2020 and 2021. “The Last Imagination” demonstrates skills combining Stanne's guttural voice with keyboarding by Martin Brändström all blended along with Johan Reinholdz guitar work into one compelling metal experience. This album continues in the bands path of success within the metal scene since it's start.
High On Fire’s “Burning Down” Wins Grammy After 25 Year Career Shows Grotesque Metal Evolution
California stoner metal band High on Fire finally won a Grammy in 2019 and during 2024 brought new work titled Cometh the Storm providing sludge metal which was then paired with a stellar performance for their song “Burning Down” . This track connects to prior work such as 2005's "Cometh Down Hessian” showing their amazing evolution over a span of 25 years of band history. Cometh the Storm demonstrates the band's skills as all elements fuse together to create incredible sound quality to remove ones face right off with every song in the record and throughout their careers.