Despite 2024 being a bit of a dumpster fire, I have a ton of things to be grateful for, one being my full integration into the blog. I’ve had so much fun digging deep into the underground prog scene, making friends with my co-writers, and improving my writing as a reviewer—I hope to lovingly look back and cringe at my writing this time next year the same way I do now for my first review.
2024 was an absolutely killer year for music: I had fun with so many new releases and even found some really great older stuff that had slipped under my radar (Les Discrets, Dissona, and Gallowbraid1, to name a few). Anyway, enough pontification! Let’s get into the albums. First, I want to share some non-Subway honorable mentions:
Alcest – Les Chants de l’Aurore: I was frankly a bit underwhelmed on my first couple listens of Chants, but it fell into place in a big way working outside on a waning summer day during a sunshower. Les Chants de l’Aurore is one of Neige’s most gorgeous, lush, and energetic releases yet, and were it Subway material, it would easily be among my top three of the year.
The Lemon Twigs – A Dream Is All We Know: The Lemon Twigs are poster children of 60’s and 70’s pop pastiche done excellently. With ear-candy harmonies, a sense of playfulness, and a ton of energy, it was hard to put A Dream Is All We Know down.
WILLOW – Empathogen: Beautiful, strange, and oozing progressive undertones, WILLOW has truly come into her own through Empathogen’s jazzy pop framework. This has been a favorite of mine when I need something a little more chilled out but still engaging.
10. Teramaze – Eli: A Wonderful Fall from Grace
Style: Progressive Metal (Clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Dream Theater, Evergrey, Kamelot
Sometimes, all you need is some good old fashioned meat-and-potatoes prog metal, and in my mind, Teramaze did the best at this of anyone in 2024. Eli: A Wonderful Fall From Grace features free-flowing and cinematic prog passages that are tastefully layered with earworm vocal melodies, conjuring the likes of Anubis Gate’s Henrik Fevre and TesseracT’s Ashe O’Hara. This is not to take away from some of the particularly tasty instrumental passages, though: “Madam Roma” indulges in chunky djent grooving, “The Will of Eli” gets straight to the point with a floaty celestial atmosphere, and “Standing Ovation” approaches an almost dancey style in its quick and kinetic drum work and staccato vocal delivery. Teramaze aren’t reinventing the wheel here, but their songwriting approach tickles my brain in just the right way and makes Eli instantly memorable on first listen.
However, I would be remiss to not point out Eli’s art: it’s clear that a lot of care was taken into other steps of the artistic process, like Eli’s crystal-clear production and the series of music videos for “Standing Ovation,” “The Will of Eli,” and “Step Right Up,” so the AI-generated album art feels like an afterthought in comparison. Recreating artwork as simple as Eli’s would likely not be hard with the help of a real artist, would certainly make it more appealing to look at, and would most importantly avoid the use of such anti-art technology.
Recommended tracks: The Will of Eli, Madam Roma, Standing Ovation
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | original review
9. Sumac – The Healer
Style: Sludge metal, experimental post-metal, drone (Harsh vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Lathe, Big|Brave, Mizmor, Five the Hierophant, Thou
There is a certain kind of meta-enjoyment I get from Sumac’s The Healer: obviously, they have some great musical ideas, but I also marvel at how they can open an album with one of the slowest burners of the year, barely reaching conventional song structures by 10 minutes in, yet I still find it wholly engaging and absolutely worth its explosive ending. ‘Shorter’ and more straightforward tracks present themselves alongside these mammoth pieces, such as the 13-minute “Yellow Dawn,” whose Pink Floyd-style experimentation is a balm on the ears and whose bassy jam session makes me absolutely feral every time I hear it. The Healer is an excellent showcase of how sludge metal can be pushed to its limits with the use of droning improvisation and a nearly complete deconstruction of traditional song structure, along with evoking intrigue from both an intellectual and visceral perspective.
Recommended tracks: World of Light, Yellow Dawn, New Rites
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | original review
8. Kyros – Mannequin
Style: Progressive rock, synth pop, neo-progressive rock, new wave (clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Frost*, Yes, Haken, poppy Devin Townsend (Empath, Addicted, etc), Rush, Voyager
What draws me to Kyros‘ Mannequin the most is the positively stunning opening moments: beginning with delicate and pensive vocals over acoustic guitar, the energy quickly picks up as we pan to excessive and uplifting prog rock that sounds as if it was pulled right out of a coked-out laptop demo from the mid-90s. Mannequin doesn’t give up there, though—Kyros barrel through prog-tinged EDM (“Esoterica”), digital contemplations (“Have Hope”), and Haken-flavored madness (“The End In Mind”), demonstrating an impressive handling of ethereal atmospheres and synthesized retro-cheese. Album favorite “Illusions Inside” features impressive vocal layering, tasty bass lines, Hold Your Fire-esque (Rush) synth and drum timbres, and a noisy industrial breakdown. Those with an unwavering intolerance to lactose are advised to stay away, but the rest of us are free to indulge in the technicolor glitz and glamour exuding from Mannequin.
Recommended tracks: Taste the Day / Showtime, Illusions Inside, Esoterica, Have Hope
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | original review
7. Fierce Deity – A Terrible Fate
Style: Power Metal, Stoner Metal, Progressive Metal (Clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Khemmis, Grand Magus, Candlemass, early Týr
Frankly, I was unsure how Fierce Deity’s A Terrible Fate would age, given its base in straightforward chuggy stoner/power metal, but it’s held up remarkably well over the course of the year—Jonathon Barwick throws around his voice with such power that it gets me just as excited now as it did the first time I heard it. A Terrible Fate employs a simple but ruthlessly effective formula involving chunky stoner/power grooves, a charismatic vocal performance, and some symphonics and video game sounds for a touch of color. “A Life of Hate” best showcases this formula with a humongous and fast-paced power metal opening followed by meatheaded grooves that barrel along with an indelible swagger underneath Barwick’s vocals. Barwick knows exactly how to use his keen sense of songwriting to his advantage on A Terrible Fate, and my lizard brain couldn’t be happier about it.
Recommended tracks: Lev-i-arach, A Life of Hate, Paralysis (Into the Wind)
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | original review
6. Fen – Dear Mouse
Style: Alternative Rock, Progressive Rock (Clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Pearl Jam, 311, Foo Fighters, Fair to Midland
It’s easy to take umbrage as a reviewer with Dear Mouse’s grab-bag album design, with many songs exploring disparate ideas within the 90s alt rock sphere, including ideas reminiscent of Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, and 311. On a personal level, however, I truthfully love this album: It’s endlessly catchy (“Dying on a Hill (of Cubicle, Window, Steel, and Concrete)”), packed to the brim with personality (“Season to Live”), and at times carefree and fun (“The Password is I Believe”) and at others heartfelt and wistful (“The Seam of the Heart”). What makes Dear Mouse even more interesting, though, is its accessibility: Fen sits right on the line between alt rock and progressive rock, including moments that are technical and head-spinning (“E.D.B.D.”) alongside straightforward groovy earworms (“Ritual Lite”), making for a great introduction into progressive ideas for the uninitiated. As much as I love Winter, Dear Mouse has me looking eagerly to Summer as it’s packed with bangers to sing along to with the windows down.
Recommended tracks: Ritual Lite, Dying on a Hill (of Cubicle, Window, Steel, and Concrete), The Seam of the Heart, E.D.B.D.
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | original review
5. Sgàile – Traverse the Bealach
Style: Post-metal, Progressive Metal, Power Metal (clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Alcest, Cloudkicker, Sylvaine, Lantlôs
Traverse the Bealach holds a special place in my heart as it was the first Subway album that got me really excited: I was won over almost immediately by the uproarious riffage and all-encompassing vocal performance of “Silence.” Sgàile present a unique take on post-metal, utilizing it as a framework for song structure and production but relying heavily on progressive and power metal ideas to fill in the gaps, making for an idiosyncratic listen that contains massive crescendos with tons of earworms along the way. I also particularly enjoy Traverse the Bealach’s triumphant atmosphere, exploring gloomy ideas in a way that conveys agency and an almost assured success. With Traverse the Bealach, there is no choice between the destination and the journey: both are equally satisfying in their own way.
Recommended tracks: Silence, Lamentations by the Lochan, Psalms to Shout at the Void
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | original review
4. Sunnata – Chasing Shadows
Style: Atmospheric Sludge Metal, Grunge (Mixed vocals, mostly clean)
Recommended for fans of: Cult of Luna, Conjurer, Alice in Chains, Isis
Sunnata’s Chasing Shadows won me over earlier this year with their hefty, chunky, and primal take on sludge metal: opener “Chimera” centers around a chant that builds in intensity and speed, culminating in a mid-paced bassy sludge assault. What colors the release most dramatically, though, is the vocal delivery, as unsettling Alice in Chains-style group-sung passages paint an ominous and harrowing journey through a dark desert, thoroughly exploring a barren landscape through repetitive and hypnotic compositions that ebb and flow in intensity. While some may be repelled by the repetition, I find it thoroughly engaging: the pieces take on a ritualistic nature that wholly envelops me in its imagery, further augmented by Chasing Shadows’ bass-heavy production sensibilities.
Recommended tracks: Chimera, Torn, Saviour’s Raft
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | original review
3. Ungfell – De Ghörnt
Style: Melodic Black Metal, Folk Metal (Mixed vocals, mostly harsh)
Recommended for fans of: Dissection, Windir, Ulver, Immortal
De Ghörnt is the consummate Ungfell album—it demonstrates the best songwriting, production, and performance I’ve heard from them yet, all packaged in an ominous concept revolving around a greedy and frenzied hunter who tries to conquer a glacier in his hubris. Venomous black metal riffs occasionally betray a heartbreaking sadness (“S Alpeglueh,” “Im Ruusch”) and are balanced out by folkier sections (“De Geischt vom Märjelesee,” “D Pracht vom Eggishorn”) and catchy NWOBHM sensibilities (“De Fährmaa”). Notable are the Windir-like keyboards peppered throughout De Ghörnt which are, as Maurice Moss from The IT Crowd would say, ‘ruddy mysterious’, adding a mystical and contemplative air to pieces while also providing contrast to the folk moments. De Ghörnt is an opus oozing with personality, checking all my black metal boxes and even filling in some boxes of its own. Despite its late appearance in the year, I quickly fell in love with its fearsome and energetic journey, which will make for a delightful listen when I inevitably get lost on a mountainside again.
Recommended tracks: S Alpeglüeh, Im Ruusch, De Fährmaa, Rollibock (De Ghörnt vom Glestscher)
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | original review
2. Sangre de Muérdago + Judasz & Nahimana – A Ilusão da Quietude
Style: Galician Folk, Dark Folk, Drone (Clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Trobar de Morte, The Moon and the Nightspirit, Current 93, dark folk Agalloch
It’s hard to articulate the excitement I felt when I discovered A Ilusão da Quietude: a cursory search of recent dark folk on RateYourMusic showed the collaboration by Sangre de Muérdago and Judasz and Nahimana at the top, and within the first few seconds of opener “Cantiga da Rainha das Aguas,” I was enchanted by its melancholy instrumentals and Priscila da Costa’s ethereal yet powerful vocals. Imagine my surprise later in “Cantiga” when a climactic and ascendant folk passage falls apart around itself to the sound of mechanical whirring and hushed poetry before rebuilding itself into its original form like an audio version of Japanese kintsugi crafting—Ilusão is remarkably ambitious, and each group shows they have the chops to make it work. This feeling didn’t let up for a single second across Ilusão’s runtime: every song contributes massively to the whole, whether it be the two experimental “Cantiga” centerpieces or the cozy palate cleansers that follow. I would be hard-pressed to find a better integration of folk ideas and electronic experimentation: Ilusão’s longer pieces are at the same time chthonic and exploratory, showing a fierce union of electronic and organic that conjures a primal wistfulness. A Ilusão da Quietude is my favorite folk release of the year and is a must-listen for those interested in earthy soundscapes.
Recommended tracks: Cantiga da Rainha das Aguas, Cantiga de Folhas e Agulhas, Murmurios a Correr
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | original review
1. Azure – Fym
Style: Progressive Rock, Power Metal (clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Rush, Ayreon, (Luca Turilli’s) Rhapsody (of Fire), Haken, Yes
I mean, we all knew this was going to happen. I knew, you knew, Jerry Seinfeld’s mom knew that this was going to be my pick for the year: anyone who’s heard me talk about prog for more than five minutes knows that I think quite highly of Fym’s high-energy kitchen-sink songwriting approach. Azure have a unique talent for writing endlessly binge-able music—not only is Fym absolutely packed with earworm choruses, catchy licks, and theatrical fervor, but it’s also slammed with musical interest, and after 600+ (!) track plays, there’s still plenty of juice left to squeeze out of it.
Azure do not stray away from showcasing their instrumental abilities, whether it be the showstopping bass solo on opener “The Azdinist // Den of Dawns,” Chris Sampson’s frighteningly extensive held note at the end of “Kingdom of Ice and Light,” or the stunning tension and release of “The Lavender Fox.” Moreover, “Mount, Mettle, and Key” easily has my favorite chorus of the year, soaring to great heights on its first pass and absolutely blasting out of the stratosphere on second pass, Sampson changing keys and exuding even more power than in the first go. The staccato jazz fusion peppered throughout Fym is the icing on the cake, whether it be the hushed yet powerful rhythmic sensibilities on the bridge of “The Azdinist // Den of Dawns,” the carefully spaced lines of “Mount, Mettle, and Key,” or the viciously tense back-and-forth vocal delivery of the ‘shield and chimera’ lines in “Trench of Nalu.” Details small and large come together to make what is easily my favorite album of the year, and one that I look forward to spinning for a long time.
Recommended tracks: The Azdinist // Den of Dawns, Mount Mettle and Key, The Portent, Trench of Nalu
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | original review
- Though you may have not heard the last of this one yet… ↩︎
