Best Metal Albums of April 2024

Here we have a quite special project: Untouched by Fire by Ard, which uniquely blends doom metal with Gregorian chants, offering listeners a mystical and magical experience. Despite its overall mellow tone, the album resonates with underlying intensity and emotion. At times, maintaining attention can be challenging due to a slightly lacking pace, but overall, Untouched by Fire stands out as an original and solid album, effectively combining traditional doom elements with an ethereal vocal twist to create something truly captivating.

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Atrae Bilis is the typical band where just by seeing their name and the artwork on their album covers, you can get an idea of how they are going to sound: hard, dirty, monstrous, and disgusting. But that doesn’t mean it has to be off-putting. In Aumicide, they apply a style of technical death metal that is more reminiscent of Vomitory or Cannibal Corpse, although they take things a step further with gutturals that border on belching, adding a repulsive touch. Albums like this, in the end, turn out to be fun and entertaining, perfect for getting pumped up in the gym while you’re disgusted and, at the same time, enjoying what you hear.

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Battle Ballads by Týr, a staple in the Viking/Folk Metal scene, is the latest addition to their impressive discography this year. As a curiosity and to add a bit of context, since their formation in January 1998 by Faroe Islanders in Copenhagen, Týr has captivated audiences with their distinctive blend of power metal infused with Northern European Viking metal undertones. Their journey to fame began with a significant breakthrough at the bi-annual ‘Prix Føroyar’ contest in the Faroe Islands in April 2001, where their live performance of Ormurin Langi not only made it onto the Prix Føroyar 2001 compilation CD but also became the greatest Faroese hit in the islands. This success carried over to Iceland in early 2002, further cementing Týr’s popularity. Battle Ballads lives up to what fans have come to expect from Týr: a robust, catchy, and epic album that skillfully continues their legacy, even though they did not barely experiment.

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Classifying Exist after listening to Hijacking the Zeitgeist is no simple task. The album masterfully weaves elements of progressive metal, death metal, djent, metalcore, jazz, and even pop, creating a fascinatingly eclectic mix. I particularly enjoy these unusual blends, though I must say that Exist sounds notably better when they focus on the more progressive and jazz aspects, rather than the heavier death and deathcore parts. Despite this, the contrasts within the album play to its advantage, making the diverse sounds more enjoyable and engaging. Overall, Exist has delivered a highly varied experience with their new album. Additionally, the term ‘Zeitgeist,’ meaning “the spirit of the time,” lends a deeper significance to the album’s cover, enhancing the thematic coherence of their latest offering.

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When a band has been around longer than I’ve been alive, it demands reverence and respect. Accept has spent countless years touring and releasing albums. I must admit, I’ve never been a big fan of classic heavy metal, but thanks to this release, and Judas Priest album released last month, I’m starting to develop a taste for it. Humanoid marks a return to roots for Accept, offering a traditional heavy metal album but with a twist: the use of exotic scales and incredibly catchy riffs, as showcased in both singles, Humanoid and The Reckoning. The album also features standout guitar solos, a welcome highlight as this trend gradually fades in the genre. Humanoid is the perfect album for old school metal fans looking for fresh material that stays true to its roots.

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In Vain delivers yet another intriguing blend with Solemn, merging a black metal approach with elements of doomy and progressive death metal, complemented by a mix of clean and harsh vocals, as well as lush orchestral arrangements. This album offers an immersive listening experience from start to finish. Epic, poignant, and powerful—these are just a few adjectives that aptly describe Solemn. Perhaps the only minor drawback is the album’s length, which is a bit longer than average. However, this issue is effectively mitigated by the album’s dynamism and the unexpected delights such as saxophone appearances that keep the listener engaged and surprised throughout the journey.

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Visions of Bleak sets out with one distinct mission: to make the listener feel as miserable as possible through the creation of unique stories and meticulously crafted atmospheres. Drawing a stylistic parallel to the legendary band Type O Negative, Weird Tales unfolds as a conceptual album. It tells a story with its own highs and lows, depicted through a blend of gothic and post-metal rhythms, occasionally incorporating guttural vocals alongside doom influences and sustained acoustic passages, all underpinned by the soft notes of a piano. This is further supported and enriched by the sound of a keyboard that manages to be both utterly disconcerting and captivating at the same time. Ultimately, Weird Tales is a rollercoaster of horrors and misery that perfectly fulfills its grim purpose.

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Voidkind by Dvne strikes me as strangely familiar. Many bands are jumping on the bandwagon of mixing sludge/stoner with progressive metal. While this combination doesn’t always win me over, Dvne seems to hit the mark in certain sections of Voidkind. Also, they have a similar approach as Impure Wihelmina, a band that I like a lot: soft and accesible but suddendly atrocious and epic. Dvne successfully creates an immersive atmosphere that feels genuine and authentic, with thunderous gutturals that snap you to attention. The band also makes skillful use of distortions to blur the sonic experience further. Overall, the album delivers a solid experience that resonates well within its genre, making it both enjoyable for a wide range of metal fans.

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The first time I listened to Adon, I was left speechless: they pack more into their music than I can fully grasp at once. In their first full-length album, they showcase an impressive technical display that is both captivating and overwhelming. They skillfully immerse you into their dark, grim, and almost otherworldly universe, masterfully alternating tempos, weaving in guitar solos, and integrating exotic Eastern sounds. They have all the ingredients needed to blow your mind with the vast imagination they’ve demonstrated. However, the experience can be intensely overwhelming, and listening to the entire album might feel too abrasive for some. Despite this, through their mastery of pacing and sectioning, Adon manages to provide brief moments of respite to give your ears a rest. In a few words, ADON is a masterpiece! Also,

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You’ll have to excuse the inclusion of Glimpse of the Dawn, crafted by the hard rock band Tarot. Can it be classified as heavy metal? Right now, that doesn’t really matter because Glimpse of the Dawn deserves the award for best album of the month, whether it’s metal or rock. Specifically, they blend hard rock with some prog elements. Seriously, who would have thought that a band from the remote Tasmania could transport us like this? I wasn’t around for the classic rock era of the 70s, but listening to Tarot has catapulted me back 50 years, as if time had stood still. There might be albums released this month that are technically superior, but on a conceptual level, Glimpse of the Dawn is unmatched. The use of the Hammond organ, utterly addictive synthesizers, and the overall atmosphere makes me forget everything else and imagine myself in that era. Hats off to Tarot for winning this accolade. And do not tell me anything about the cover art. Let´s ask the Tasmanian folks what the he** is that!

If you’re someone who primarily listens to metal and is hesitant to delve deeper into rock, this is a great opportunity to expand your horizons!

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