10. INTRANCED – “Muerte y Metal”

A pure personal blessing to have received the chance to review this album as part of my duties in the www.THENWOTHM.com webzine and aware of the stardom of band members combined in this supergroup, I was without a doubt shaken by the output they delivered in their striking debut. Preceded by couple of warm-up EP to raise the bar, it was with great fascination to unravel that “Muerte y Metal” lived to the challenge, fully confirming the considerable fuzz INTRANCED created during the past couple of years, placing them on the forefront of US trad-metal cohort. And looking on the forthcoming 2025 tour dates, already booked to see them two-three times at least, extending the pleasure of the recorded material to live stage indulgence.

Bandcamp: https://intranced.bandcamp.com/album/muerte-y-metal

9.TURBOKILL – “Champion”

My extreme bias towards the band was never a secret, especially manifested this year, when succeeded to watch them perform for the first time and in all honesty declined the opportunity to review “Champion” for www.THENWOTHM.com , leaving the chance for one of my teammates to present his personal perception of the sophomore album of this Teutonic powerhouse. Following similar motives, perhaps giving it the ninth place in the ranking is a bit judgmental, yet two things are solid – the debut breakthrough “VICE WORLD” is still considered by me a “golden standard” and despite “Champion” being not such hit collection is a way more mature step in the right direction, confirming that TURBOKILL have been developing as a band, getting on next level of production and getting closer to defining a metal style of their own.

Bandcamp: https://turbokill.bandcamp.com/album/champion

8. BEAST – “Ancient Power Rising”

This nominee came just out of nowhere literally in the last weeks of the year and with so many BEASTs out there, no wonder their release almost slipped under the radar. And that would have been a massive miss for our community, making it a primary candidate for a detailed review, once the team gets back in action after well deserved break. For me personally “Ancient Power Rising”, with the composition approach and special vocal delivery is an unapologetic certified banger that could be the new big thing on the German heavy/power scene. And there is nothing “ancient” in this power, given the fact it’s the debut of the band, which is already amassing tons of critical acclaim across the specialized press and fandom. Sure bet on making it on Top 3 Debut of the year, once we commit to making this type of annual performance review.

Bandcamp: https://beastmetal.bandcamp.com/album/ancient-powers-rising

7. ANGEL SWORD – “World Fighter”

Can’t recall if any finish band made it to the final round of selection last year, so placing ANGEL SWORD is a totally fit for the purpose. Being recognized as one of the stalwarts of the Nordic traditional metal landscape, often overshadowed by the neighboring horde of Swedish bands in the same genre, the Helsinki quarter solidified their position long ago, with the first two masterpieces “Rebels Beyond the Pale” and “Neon City”, bringing the third blow in their discography as much anticipated overdose of maniacal metal. In my view, what made so many eyeballs fixated on “World Fighter”, was the release of the couple singles, that exemplified the bread and butter that we tasted coming with the main course. It’s impossible not to recognize the signature vocals of frontman Jerry Razors and take my word for it – they sound as abrasive live as they do in the recording. Personally went there in the summer to verify their authenticity and had such a great time with the guys from the band!

Bandcamp: https://angelsword.bandcamp.com/album/world-fighter

6.CUTLASS – “Walk The Plank”

Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of….gin! When it comes to “pirate metal” (the band was formerly known as PIRATES OF METAL) I turn all ears and add to that the place of origin – London (UK), I am adding my eyes to the senses mix, since this is a first. Or at least a rare finding at most. In full disclosure, initially underestimated this jolly gang, mainly based on the kind of generic, almost copycat cover of “Walk The Plank” and you know what they say about books, covers and judgement? That is 101% true for albums as well and when it comes to CUTLASS’ interpretation of one of my most nostalgic metal subgenres, boy was I wrong to overlook them! While I can’t claim the band delivers anything radically innovative in the pantheon of privateers, treasures and rascals of the Seven Seas, what brings me great joy and pleasure is CUTLASS being more of ALESTORM and less of RUNNING WILD.A blasphemy some will cry out, yet with BLAZON STONE staying kind of idle following the release of their 2021 bombastic album “Damnation”, we can endorse the Londoners as the actual top raiders of European heavy metal waters. To certify this statement, just check the penultimate track of “Walk The Plank” called “We Came For The Battle (We Stayed For The Beer)” and tell me how strong the resemblance there is to another naughty crew of metal misfits, coming from the Highlands of that very island.

Bandcamp: https://cutlassheavymetal.bandcamp.com/album/walk-the-plank-album

5. HAUNT – “Dreamers”

On the sweet spot right in the middle, at the upper half of the list, there is very special band, near and dear to my heart. Notorious for their hyper productivity, driven by the relentless creative genius of the one and only Mr. Trevor William Church, I bet that for the majority of the casual audience “Dreamers” just passed by as the next obligatory album of HAUNT, that will fill the space until the new one appears. And it is way more than that!

Bandcamp: https://hauntthenation.bandcamp.com/album/dreamers

4. PORTRAIT – “The Host”

And here is my controversial candidate for glory and recognition. The swedes are a foundational linchpin of the subgenre and founding fathers alongside bands like ENFORCER and CAULDRON to name a few. In spite giving them numerous tries, their creations never really resonated with me. Until I experienced (this is the right term, not “listened”) “The Host”,an album that reversed my attitude towards the band and made me rethink their entire discography, which in my view was always missing that final element of authenticity to engrave PORTRAIT on a special place on my CD collection shelfs. While plenty of incumbent artists often loose traction in the cascade of both established and emerging bands, the Swedish outfit got one of those rare second chances for artistic validation and now I am making a speedy U-turn to revisit all of their previous releases in search of this special spice that gave “The Host” its mouthwatering flavor.

Bandcamp: https://portraitsweden.bandcamp.com/album/the-host

3. MECHANIC TYRANTS – “St. Diemen Riots”

German genius in metal at full play, with a funny side in parallel! Discovered this crazy bunch almost by accident and by a mean that is not usually the norm – the videos around the singles the band released. Being in the cine and clips industry myself, it was easy to spot what big bets MECHANIC TYRANTS have invested to stand out and promote their music by imagery. But hey, this exactly what MTV was created for nearly half a century ago. Once things surfaced, the rest was an up spiral of attachment and acknowledgment, easily earning the album the bronze medal in the competition. Really glad to admit the fact that “St. Diemen Riots” turned to be really profound creation, combining a myriad of techniques and nuances, totally dispelling my skepticism of potentially facing one of them “metal mockery” acts. Thus, true to my “try and verify” nature, I am embarking on a quest to catch them live and battle test the quartet from Nuremberg on the concert arena. 

Bandcamp: https://mechanictyrants.bandcamp.com/album/st-diemen-riots

2. AMETHYST – “Throw Down The Gauntlet”

Hesitation breeds doubt and uncertainty, who are often the parents of compromise. In this case I am kind of guilty for being the godfather of that offspring and in life one has to make difficult, not entirely rational choices. Being lucky enough to encounter AMETHYST very, very early in their journey and being one of the very young bands which won my affection by hearing their name on stage first, naturally means they hold special place in my metal mosaic, making the wait for the debut a painful and almost everlasting thrill. Visiting concerts, I was slowly picking the pieces of what was about to come and the finished product was really mind-blowing. Fresh, bold, classic and in the same moment original, coming from a place not necessarily famous for rich trad scene, AMETHYST really earned their name with that album and literally threw the glove in the contest to rule over the genre for the year to come. In a bizarre way, as a vibe and genesis these guys remind me of the Swedish sensation by the name of CENTURY, which are for the moment leading the score heading to their sophomore creation. And mentioning score, there came my big dilemma – should “Throw Down The Gauntlet” top the ranking or a prestigious second place will be descent accolade for a beginner? In a head clash with TRAVELER, this time experience prevailed over youth and I am strongly appealing for a rematch any time soon.

Bandcamp: https://www.noremorse.gr/products/amethyst-throw-down-gauntlet-180gr-lp

1. TRAVELER – “Prequel To Madness”

And the winner is…No, no, wait. That would be a dull cliché and I am better off taking the winner drumroll in slightly different direction. A mystic one, constituted by omens, sixth senses and presentiments, that inspired me to make a prophesy, which I disclosed only to a very intimate circle of believers. Everyone knows how huge TRAVELER fan am I and when “Prequel To Madness” saw broad daylight early in 2024 (something like February or March), two things totally deorbited me – the color convention of the cover and…the track “Heavy Hearts”. If I am not mistaken, that was the first single released and the moment I heard it for a first time, my jaw dropped and my single thought was “Man, if the rest of the album is that awesome, it will become a record of the year”. Guess what? It did! Compared to its two predecessors Is clearly unconventional and I am not speaking for the artwork alone. To me, TRAVELER showed a more mature, experimental, even a risky edge, deciding to sacrifice raw speed and aggression in favor of more perplexed musical delivery. During the first several takes, things looked kind of 50/50 and as the months of the calendar progressed, I was revisiting “Prequel To Madness” again and again, even making it part of my car audio mix – a true validation when something really sticks to me. Shortly, this is the prequel to that madness, which survived the fierce competition and made it to the top!

P.S. In full disclosure, at the time of writing I wasn’t aware of the forthcoming TRAVELER disbanding. You will be dearly missed! 

Bandcamp: https://travelermetal.bandcamp.com/album/prequel-to-madness-2

A WRAP-UP: The cycle repeats itself. One more digit on the odometer, one more page ripped from the calendar of our headbanger journey. Don’t want to be a Debbie Downer here and while 2024 was still a great chapter in the NWOTHM chronicle, it definitely lacked the flamboyance and vibrancy of 2023. Part of the reason are a few really prominent latecomers that simply missed the train, but mostly the overdose of bombastic potential smash hit records timed to explode in the first days and weeks of 2025. Which is a promise for the future. To end on the positive note, for me, the biggest upside of the 2024 Top 10 chart is that half of the shortlisted albums are in fact debuts, an indisputable testimony  for a very fit, vital and fertile scene and it’s our duty as fanatical fans to endorse it growing even further.

P.S. Initially my plan was to prepare a list of honourable mentions and distinguished runner-ups, that for one reason or other couldn’t make it to the final version of the countdown.However at certain point I realized I was chasing my tail trying to be exhaustive and decided to drop the idea and perhaps accommodate these names in a separate dedicated article.