24 Best releases of '24

24 Best releases of ‘24

2024 was another good year for music. New bands, up-and-comers, established powerhouses… they all churned out solid releases. Read on  to find out which 24 releases I listened to the most over the course of the past 12 months.

Killswitch Engage - This Consequence

Three-time Grammy-nominated hard rock heavyweights and platinum-selling band Killswitch Engage — Jesse Leach, vocals; Adam Dutkiewicz, guitar; Joel Stroetzel, guitar; Mike D'Antonio, bass; and Justin Foley, drums — are pleased to announce their new album THIS CONSEQUENCE. It arrives February 21 via. Metal Blade. The band  has also shared the video for first single "Forever Aligned." Watch it below.

Day By Day - Dust And Ashes EP

South Florida-based hardcore band Day By Day are set to release their new EP, Dust and Ashes, on January 17th, 2025 through Flatspot Records. Having already shared the crushing lead single “Until Then…It’s War,” the band follow it up today with the furious “Peace or Annihilation?”. The track hits at just 46 seconds, but that’s more than enough time for Day By Day to batter through a  rapid vocal delivery and metal-forward riffs that could get anyone moving.

Ben Nichols and Rick Steff - Lucero Unplugged

Lucero lead singer Ben Nichols and keyboardist Rick Steff revisit the Memphis rock/alt-country band’s exceptional catalog with 20 stripped-down tracks on Lucero Unplugged, a special double album releasing on January 24. Recorded in a single day at longtime collaborator and producer Matt Ross-Spang’s Memphis studio, the songs range from some of Lucero’s most popular crowd favorites to more obscure rarities and were all recorded live with grand piano and acoustic guitar.

Build Us Airplanes - All Things Expire

Build Us Airplanes is made up of veterans from Northern California's punk, hardcore, and indie communities that decided they wanted some melody and wisdom with their spite. A well crafted follow-up to their debut album, 'At the End of the Day,' 'All Things Expire' takes a raw and introspective look at the human condition with themes ranging from addiction, complacency, childhood abandonment, sex work, and our responsibilities to our neighbors. Through self-reflection and honesty, the album captures the struggles of today and challenges us to confront the truths we often overlook.

Silverstein - Antibloom

With the approach of their 25th anniversary, acclaimed Canadian rock band Silverstein took to the deserts of Joshua Tree to challenge themselves in more ways than ever before. The result is the band’s most eclectic and prolific body of work yet: Antibloom / Pink Moon. A double album that draws from across Silverstein’s diverse influences, Antibloom will see its release on February 21st, 2025 via UNFD, with Pink Moon to follow later in the year. 

Anxious - Bambi

Anxious have returned! The Connecticut-based punk favorites have announced their sophomore album, Bambi, due out February 21st via Run For Cover Records. Bambi follows Anxious' acclaimed 2022 full-length, Little Green House, and finds the band fully embracing the widescreen alternative rock songwriting they've always hinted at. It's a record of growth and depth that's sonically ambitious while further amplifying the seamless combination of hardcore grit and classic emo dynamism that's made them such a beloved young band. 

Shutdown - By Your Side

There are some bands that are just like old friendships — even if you haven’t spoken (or written music) for a while, you can pick up right where you left off. It had been an incredibly long time since New York hardcore outfit Shutdown had written a record together — 24 years, to be precise — but one listen to By Your Side and it’s almost as if that time has never passed.