Best Death Metal Albums of 2024

Swords of Dajjal finds Necrowretch forging something genuinely compelling in the space where blackened death savagery meets Middle Eastern mysticism. The album’s exceptional production allows its dual nature to breathe – crushing riffs carve through atmospheric passages like desert storms while maintaining the haunting presence of its Dajjal-inspired narrative undercurrent. Tracks like “Ksar Al-Kufar” and “Dil Mauri” exemplify this perfect storm of elements, where melodic clarity doesn’t diminish raw aggression but rather enhances its impact. It’s a record that understands the difference between cultural incorporation and appropriation, weaving its Eastern influences into the fabric of extreme metal with both reverence and force. While plenty of bands have attempted this fusion, few have achieved it with such convincing final result.

Amazon buy link

Leave to Nowhere (late 2024) captures AydrA at a fascinating inflection point, where the raw intensity of their Italian black/death roots meets a more nuanced understanding of atmosphere’s role in extreme metal. Across its 40-minute runtime, the record navigates seamlessly between crushing death metal salvos and doom-laden passages. The production perfectly mirrors this evolution – there’s enough grit to satisfy traditionalists, but sufficient clarity to let the guitar work cut through the songs. What truly elevates this album is the ability to seamesly craft plenty of juicy riffs, making the entire album interesting and engaging. It’s the sound of a band understanding that true heaviness often lies in the spaces between the notes.

Amazon buy link

After three promising EPs exploring death metal’s outer reaches, Hal Microutsicos’s solo vessel Engulf finally delivered its long-awaited full-length The Dying Planet Weeps. The New Jersey solo project (known for his work with Blasphemous) has crafted something that strikes a rare balance in modern tech-death – mechanical precision that never loses its humanity. While the album’s controlled fury might initially suggest clinical detachment, there’s an underlying groove sensibility here that reminds me of when Death first started incorporating progressive elements without sacrificing their old school focus. The record’s carefully calibrated breakdowns and thoughtful dynamic shifts suggest an artist who understands that true heaviness comes from contrast rather than constant assault, building on the narrative foundations laid in those earlier EPs while entering into more technical territory. It’s a debut that manages the impressive feat of being both a workout soundtrack and a headphone journey, proving that technical proficiency and gut-level impact aren’t mutually exclusive.

Amazon buy link

Kanonenfieber’s second album “Die Urkatastrophe” elevates their exploration of World War I through a devastating musical lens, expanding on their signature intensity with newly refined melodic elements while maintaining their brutal approach. Under Kristian Kohle’s masterful production, every percussion blast and guitar assault carries the appropriate gravitational force, with songs like “Ausblutungsschlacht” seamlessly fusing historical weight with black metal aura in a way that blurs the line between musical intensity and actual combat. The strategic incorporation of authentic period recordings lends a scary credibility to the experience, while the enhanced focus on melody ensures these dark historical narratives leave an indelible impression.

Amazon buy link

God Slayer (Indie Recordings, May 24, 2024) hits with the kind of conviction that reminds me why I fell for extreme metal in the first place. Vredehammer has long understood the sweet spot where black metal’s icy fury meets death metal’s technical muscle, but there’s something particularly potent about the way tracks like “God Slayer” and “From the Abyss” lock into their grooves here. Jacob Hansen’s mix deserves special mention – his work brings out every serrated edge of the band’s assault while maintaining that crucial sense of atmosphere that separates great extreme metal from mere technical exercise. It’s a record that feels like a gauntlet thrown down in an era where too many bands confuse complexity with impact, proving that sometimes the most devastating statements come from knowing exactly when to unleash hell and when to let the darkness breathe.

Amazon Buy link

Fragments of the Ageless marks Skeletal Remains’ most vicious metamorphosis yet. The California death metal outfit’s fifth offering abandons their roots for something far more visceral – unleashing a barrage of technical brutality that echoes Morbid Angel’s peak aggression. Chris Monroy’s vocals have evolved into an otherworldly growl, perfectly complementing the album’s relentless assault of surgically precise riffing. The crusher “To Conquer the Devout” emerges as a masterclass in atmosphere, proving these guys can build tension without sacrificing an ounce of ferocity. While some old-guard fans might bristle at this newfound extremity, repeated listens reveal intricate layers beneath the savagery. This isn’t just evolution – it’s a band finally unleashing their full potential.

Amazon buy link

Shaman (Archivist Records, May 17, 2024) marks HELL:ON’s most ambitious fusion of extremity and tradition yet. The Ukrainian outfit masterfully integrates sitar textures and indigenous percussion into their thrash/death foundation without diluting either element’s power. Recorded at Zaporizhia’s TA Production Studio with remarkable clarity, standouts like “What Steppes Dream About” and “He with the Horse’s Head” achieve that rare balance where cultural elements feel essential rather than ornamental. It’s the sound of a band understanding that true innovation in metal often means embracing rather than escaping your roots, crafting something that honors both their heritage and the genre’s thunderous demands.

Amazon buy link

In a ruthless thirteen minutes, Feind’s Ambulante Hirnamputation rewrites deathgrind’s rulebook with surgical precision and sadistic glee. The anonymous German trio unleashes seventeen micro-nightmares that oscillate between dizzying technical chaos and primal savagery, with tracks like “Planet der Affen” and “3DPD” demonstrating how much sonic carnage can be compressed into mere seconds, while “Originale Nichtskönner” wields its calculated assault as a sneering critique of modern society. What elevates this debut beyond mere grindcore evolution is its dark intelligence, weaving subtle commentary on everything from internet culture to late-stage capitalism beneath its blistering surface, with each spin through these compact compositions revealing new layers of complexity like a malevolent jewel catching different angles of light – this isn’t just an evolution of the genre, but a revolutionary manifesto delivered in concentrated bursts of controlled chaos.

Amazon buy link

Having spent countless hours dissecting death metal’s evolution since the tape-trading days, I find myself genuinely thrilled by what Undeath has achieved with More Insane – it’s the sound of a band understanding exactly what made their early work compelling while fearlessly pushing into new territory. Mark Lewis’s production serves as a revelation here, bringing a clarity to their assault that reminds me of hearing Death’s Human for the first time – that moment when technical precision and primal fury found perfect harmony. Alexander Jones still summons the kind of gut-wrenching vocals that first drew me to this genre in sweaty basement shows, but there’s a newfound control that makes tracks like “Brandish the Blade” and “Disputatious Malignancy” hit with devastating precision. While Matt Browning’s drum work benefits immensely from this sonic evolution, I can’t help but wish Tommy Wall’s bass had been given the same prominence that characterized those classic Morrisound productions. Yet even with this minor quibble, what we’re witnessing here is the Rochester squad masterfully walking that razor’s edge between honoring their old-school death metal roots and carving out their own distinct path in the genre’s ever-evolving nature.

Album buy link

On their second full-length Blessing of Despair (released October 4th, 2024 through Transcending Obscurity), Devenial Verdict confirms they’re much more than just a promising newcomer. The Finnish death metal collective has sharpened their atmospheric approach, delivering a record that pushes beyond their debut in both intensity and sophistication. The album excels in merging devastating heaviness with ethereal elements, as demonstrated perfectly in “Garden of Eyes”, which channels both Morbid Angel’s aggression and Gojira’s weight. “Solus” emerges as a particular highlight, offering one of death metal’s most memorable passages this year. The mix gives space to every instrument, from the callous beginning of “I Have Become the Sun” through to “A Curse Made Flesh” – though this final track’s restraint might disappoint those expecting a more explosive finale. While “Counting Silence” occasionally disrupts the album’s flow, this release represents atmospheric death metal at its most accomplished, establishing Devenial Verdict as an increasingly significant presence in extreme music.

Amazon buy link