Below you’ll find a selection of favourite albums from Overdrive contributors, as well as a curated list of albums that we believe deserve a mention.
So, with that being said, let us take this moment to thank all of our readers for a monumental year of support. Overdrive is a platform that simply wants to serve the global heavy community with the best content that we can deliver. With no sign up, no fees, just heavy music news, we are hoping for a bigger year in 2024 and look forward to providing the best interviews, reviews, competitions and much more.
So, without further ado….
Code Orange – ‘The Above‘. Released September 29th via Blue Grape Music
‘The Above‘ is a sensational album that sees the mighty Code Orange push boundaries and evolve into a truly unique, creative entity.
‘The Above’ is the follow-up studio album from 2020’s ‘Underneath’ and the first with Jami Morgan stepping out from behind the drums and taking the role as the bands frontman, giving Code Orange a dramatically new intense live presence.
Sleep Token – ‘Take Me Back to Eden‘. Released May 19th via Spinefarm Records.
What can be said about Sleep Token that’s not already been discussed in great detail. Considered as a band that you either love or hate, Sleep Token have experienced their most successful year to date, culminating in a sold out UK show in Wembley just a few weeks ago. With TMBTE the band delved deeper into their creative abyss to bring an album that fuses elements of RnB, Djent, Progressive Metal, and Post Metalcore to a level never seen before.
With the bands original plan to released just three albums, this latest opus has raised questions as to what plans will be on the horizon going forward as their popularity resembles the rapid rise of Ghost once the US began to sit up and take notice.
What this space….
Skinher – ‘Heartstruck‘. Released April 21st via Aural Music.
What you’ll find on Skinher’s debut is a time warp back to some classic AOR-tinged ’80s Metal. The project, featuring Hail Spirit Noir keyboard player Haris (aka Kyle Skinher) delivers a nostalgic soirée of synth-infused metal that will have you hooked from the opening moments of ‘You Are Next‘.
This album simply rips! And let’s not forget the stunning cover art, which really is a cherry on top for fans of old school Metal. Get stuck in…
Alkaloid – ‘Numan‘. Released September 15th via Season of Mist.
Alkaloid return with another interstellar excursion into extreme progressive Death Metal. ‘Numen’ is the supergroup’s third album and it’s got some of their most intricate, thought-provoking and insane ideas yet.
Not only is this a double album; it’s a double album that springs to life with sentient interstellar fungi and other Lovecraftian nastiness.
Orbit Culture – ‘Descent‘. Released August 18th via Search & Strike Records.
Swedish Extreme Metal crew smash any speculation of resting on their laurels with their fantastic full length follow-up to the ‘The Forgotten‘ EP, ‘Descent‘. Without a doubt, Orbit Culture are one of the great new hopes for Extreme music, and with tracks such as ‘Black Mountain‘ and ‘Sorrower‘ delivering skull-crushing intensity, the future looks very bright for Orbit Culture. Don’t sleep on this band.
Get in now and enjoy the ride.
Kamelot – ‘The Awakening‘. Release date March 17th via Napalm Records.
The 13th studio album from these masters of American Power Metal does not disappoint. The album shines as a massive and diverse offering mixing symphonic, melodic and power metal styles, yielding some of the heaviest tracks in Kamelot’s history.
Death Collector ‘Death’s Toll‘. Released June 23rd via Prosthetic Records.
Having assembled in 2021, this Irish/UK Death Metal project was destined for big things as soon as members Mick Carey (Zealot Cult), Andy Whale (Bolt Thrower/Darkened), Kieran Scott (Ashen Crown/Grimorte), and Lee Cummings (Severe Lacerations/Bloodshed) began working on this absolutely outstanding debut.
From the opening title track to closing track, ‘Rearview Guilt’, ‘Death’s Toll’ is a formidable album that deserves your attention. Keep a close on on their socials as there is news afoot for 2024.
Green Lung – ‘This Heathen Land’. Released via Nuclear Blast, November 3rd.
The rise of Green Lung has been, if anything, a landmark example that talented artists DO have a future in this industry and are rewarded with opportunities beyond their wildest dreams. From their humble beginnings, to present day, Green Lung have excelled with incredible vigour with the release of each album.
This past November saw their third full-length studio opus, ‘This Heathen Land‘ dominate the Metal press across the UK and EU, with America catching-up as I write this. Their signing to Nuclear Blast in tandem with their tour with Clutch last year, and their confirmed return to Bloodstock Open Air this coming August (performing on the Ronnie James Dio stage), proves that Green Lung are on the rise and it seems that nothing can stand in their way.
If you’ve not had the pleasure of marinating in the bands infectious sound, then get on that ASAP.
Spiritbox – ‘The Fear of Fear‘. Released November 3rd via Rise Records/Pale Chord.
When looking at the accomplishments that Canadian/American crew, Spirtbox have achieved over the last three years, is nothing short of outstanding. It seems like only yesterday when ‘Holy Roller‘ blew up on both sides of the Atlantic and since then, we’ve seen the release of 2021’s ‘Eternal Blue‘, a sellout tour of the UK and Ireland, not to mention tours that have included the likes of Papa Roach, Shinedown, appearances at Download Festival and Knotfest Australia, Hellfest and many others.
‘The Fear of Fear‘ sees the band continue to fuse contemporary metal with melody and the now infamous guttural attack from Courtney LaPlante, proving that Spiritbox are far more than a fad. With a new album on the cards, 2024 will, no doubt, be a strong year for the four-piece.
OBITUARY – ‘DYING OF EVERYTHING’
HELLRIPPER – ‘WARLOCKS GRIM AND WITHERED HAGS’
TAILGUNNER – ‘GUNS FOR HIRE’
CANNIBAL CORPSE – ‘CHAOS HORRIFIC’
FUMING MOUTH – ‘LAST DAYS OF SUN’
FINAL GASP – ‘MOURNING MOON’
OVERKILL – ‘SCORCHED’
THE ENIGMA DIVISION – ‘THE ENIGMA DIVISION’
ENFORCED – ‘WAR REMAINS’
SPOTLIGHTS – ‘ALCHEMY FOR THE DEAD’
CATTLE DECAPITATION – ‘TERRASITE’
FROZEN SOUL – ‘GLACIAL DOMINATION’
IN FLAMES – ‘FOREGONE’
WYTCH HAZEL – ‘IV: SACRAMENT’
SVALBARD – ‘THE WEIGHT OF THE MASK’
URNE – ‘A FEAST ON SORROW’
FRAUGHT – ‘TRANSFIXED ON DYING LIGHT’
MOONLIGHT SORCERY – ‘HORNED LORD OF THE THORNED CASTLE’
KVELERTAK – ‘ENDLING’
JEFF ROSENSTOCK – ‘HELLMODE’
PEST CONTROL – ‘DON’T TEST THE PEST’
SADUS – ‘THE SHADOW INSIDE’
ENSLAVED – ‘HEIMDAL’
THERAPY? – HARD COLD FIRE
TANITH – ‘VOYAGE’
DYING FETUS – ‘MAKE THEM BEG FOR DEATH’
CRYPTA – ‘SHADES OF SORROW’
ASINHELL – ‘IMPII HORA’
RANCID – ‘TOMORROW NEVER COMES’
GROVE STREET- ‘THE PATH TO RIGHTEOUSNESS’
SAVAGE – ‘GLORY RIDERS’
CATALYSUS – ‘BETRAYER’
BLOOD STAR – ‘FIRST SIGHTING’
KNIFE – ‘HEAVEN INTO DUST’
FOLLOWING THE SIGNS – ‘CONFLICTIONS’
DRAIN – ‘LIVING PROOF’
KRUELTY – ‘UTOPIA’
CLOAK – ‘BLACK FLAME ETERNAL’
Oran O’Beirne
www.overdrive.ie
