CURSED CEMETERY - Magma Transmigration

Of course I'll still be writing about 2024 releases here for a while. And if you're thinking I'm only covering the forgetable rest now, you couldn't be more wrong. With more spins and time of consideration some of the albums you're still going to see here might even have made it into my annual list of favorites.

Cursed Cemetery for example have delivered a successor to their 2022 Blackened Doom masterpiece "A Forgotten Epitaph", which is a 2024 highlight of the genre.

CURSED CEMETERY - Magma Transmigration (CD) (2024)

A question which not as easily answered as you might expect is which genre the Romanians are actually playing here. And while Blackened Doom is a pretty safe surface level answer, it doesn't really cover the totality of these four long tracks. Not that the answer would matter much, because Cursed Cemetery aren't the kind of band that flexes with the multitude of styles they are bringing in. The base of their songwriting rather is finding simple, yet strong chord progressions and riffs and milking the fuck out of them as intensly as possible without letting them become an annoyance. And that's where all the different timbres, tempos, sounds and dynamics come in.

As a result we get those great slow caveman riffs, mostly presented in a Funeral Doom manner, but also as a Post Metal wall of sound, decorated with Dark Ambient synths, Blackened atmosphere, all kinds of far away screeching, growling and vocalizing, including throat singing, but also surprising forays into grungy uptempo stuff akin to King Woman, Psychedelic bits as well as good old Oldschool Death Metal.

Yet ultimately it's all one magnificent thick, but still fluid stream of mysticism, darkness and despair. Again the overall vibe reminds me of Forlesen - and that's a great thing. "Magma Transmigration" is a beautifully eerie and oppressive monument of devastating Doom. I love to immerse myself into its horrifying magnitude.

And on top I even like the artwork of this digipak CD much more than I would have expected. An all-around convincing release by Dusktone Records.

DARK SKY BURIAL - V.I.T.R.I.O.L.

2020. It's been a while since Napalm Death bassist Shane Embury released "De Omnibus Dubitandum Est", his first Electronic album under the moniker Dark Sky Burial.

However if you look at how prolific this project has been since then, with almost a dozen full albums - it looks more like at least ten years must have passed.

DARK SKY BURIAL - V.I.T.R.I.O.L. (yellow vinyl LP) (2024)

I must admit that while I occasionally listened to a couple of tracks, I didn't really follow all that after the 2021 single "Omisoka". And the reason for that simply is that didgital-only music just takes a less important role in my music collection. Even though a great part of my music consumption actually is digital - on the computer, in the car... -, the sheer existence of a physical copy gives an album more weight. It's not neccessarily fair or something I am proud of. It has the power to let quality material fall by the wayside.

And damn, Dark Sky Burial qualifies as quality material! Dark Ambient meets Italo Horror, weird beats pair with laibachian atmospheres. Old school ex-Napalm Death legends Mick Harris and Justin Broadrick show their musical faces, most notably in resemblances to Techno Animal or the occasional super heavy Godflesh groove. Embury tries everything which comes to his mind, and that appearantly is a lot. So prepare for club sounds, Industrial and Post Rock influences, synthwavy Electro Pop elements  or even The Lovecraft Sextet in Eighties mode with guest saxophone. Within this Electronic framework so much is possible - and most of it is great.

But am I actually still talking about the Dark Sky Burial discography as a whole or this album in particular? The answer is: both. While some fans might have anticipated a huge (and expensive) box with everything, this release is the rather more feasible solution, a compilation of ten tracks, picked from the complete ouevre so far. It feels very coherent, like a "real" album. Like a really fucking good album.

The LP looks and sounds great, even though I'm wondering why the vinyl colour couldn't be a more consequent gold. Yellow is fine too though. My only real issue is the usual complaint: Why no download code? At least the pressing quality allowed a stress-free copy. Yet still I think this is a very avoidable, unnecessary inconvenience. Please do better, everyone!  

IVAN THE TOLERABLE QUINTET - Vertigo / Water Music

I've already written about his solo album "Live in London" and proclaimed the Spiritual Jazz Trio work "Infinite Peace" one of my TOP 24 albums of 2024.

Yet I also got two more of Ivan The Tolerable's many recent releases, sister albums, both out on Riot Season:

IVAN THE TOLERABLE QUINTET - Vertigo (lightly merbled cyan vinyl LP) (2024)

Just like with "Infinite Peace" it was the rather close vicinity to Spiritual Jazz, which made having this a priority over several of Oli Hefernan's other 2024 albums.

Performed by a quintet of players with experience in Post Rock, Experimental Jazz, Space Rock and other fields (in bands like Ecstatic Vision, Ponyland and The Unit Arma), in comparison to "Infinite Peace" these six tracks are a much more loose and free affair. Think the depth and smooth flow of late John and later Alice Coltrane, also her atmospheric drone, yet additionally drenched in Psychedelic Rock textures and Ambient sounds! Field recordings of birds, sampled spoken words, the constant theme of drops and other water sounds...

"Vertigo" juxtaposes simplicity and overflow, modernism and timelessness in a very well-balanced instinctive way. Even though especially the double bass work gives Ivan's Quintet a closer connection to the original Jazz roots the intention of this music doesn't seem too far from what the Neptunian Maximalism spawn Zaäar is doing.

This feels carefree and profound at the same time. Bold, exciting, yet also soothing - but always with a hint of doubt, since behind the ease of the current there always lurks a shapeless shadow.
And while nature keeps bubbling and the flute is still chirping to its tune, this shadow keeps growing towards the end of the album during and eclipses both "Swimming" and "A Hitch, A Scratch" as an undeniable presence, that can no longer be ignored.

All this creates a quiet unique, both earthy and cosmic ambience. All the flawless performances on "Vertigo" ultimately are in service of this long lingering subtly suspenseful mood. Wonderful!

The layout of the record is simple and beautiful, with an artwork, which feels like it belongs inside a museum. I guess someone, who laid eyes on my first copy, felt the same, so I only received the naked turqoise record without its cover at first.

(Still have that one as a spare copy to give away for a fair price. Please hit me up if you're interested!)

IVAN THE TOLERABLE QUINTET - Water Music (deep yellow vinyl LP) (2024)

Like I said in the beginning these two are sister albums. Riot Records could have easily put them into a box together, since this a if you like one you should probably also get the other situation anyway.

The line-up and sound spectrum on "Water Music" is similar to "Vertigo". The selection of these five tracks just leads to a slighty different overall impression. There are more water sounds here - d'uh! -, but there's also more light, a brighter, dreamier, more colourful spirituality about everything. And especially on headphones you will also notice the asmr-ish quality of the whispered samples on "Whiteout 1998" adding to the transcending effect.

Do I like this album a little bit more? Maybe, maybe not. It's as hard to decide as useless, because just look at these records; they belong together anyway! For pure unfettered relaxation while letting go of all darker contemplation "Water Music" undoubtly is the preferable choice. A magical meditation.

DEAD NEANDERTHALS - Other Worlds

Yay! Here comes the only worthwhile New Year's Eve tradition: Dead Neanderthals dropping a new release in the first minutes of December 31st.

DEAD NEANDERTHALS - Other Worlds (LP) (2024)

This time we get a half hour long album with seven tracks, which certainly isn't the most usual format of the Dutch duo's output. And musically we get pretty much what we can expect from the great cover artwork, which will surely look awesome in vinyl size (of course I don't have the record yet to show you pictures): Yet another flight through space with a touch of arcade game aesthetic.

Well, in musical terms this is synth-driven, mostly very robotik Krautrock. Otto Kokke plays keyboards and saxophone, all with a very warm tone which reminds me of their slow-motion trio Gilded Form. And especially on the beautiful longest track "The Outer Rim" Dead Neanderthals slow things down to a comparable pace, even though this one isn't as rhythically minimalist. It also features a beautiful sax solo, which is probably my favorite part of the whole thing.
The other key reference within their own work is the Roadburn Redux live album "IXXO". "Other Worlds" however has much more obvious variation, as each track introduces a new tempo and mood. So while we still get lots of hypnotic repetition René Aquarius has to adjust his drumming with each of the seven chapters / movements.

The easiest formula to describe "Other Worlds" is Dead Neanderthals go Zombi, since this really feels like a release from the American Synthwave duo, just with the Dutch band's mannerisms.

So there you have it: Sliding into 2025 Other Worlds on a cosmic Krautwave. Cool. 

MATTI BYE - Capri Clouds

Es sind ja gerade diese stillen Tage, an denen man entweder ständig auf den Kalender kuckt, weil die innere Uhr keinen Plan mehr hat, welcher Wochentag gerade ist - oder man schaut gar nicht erst nach, weil die Speisekammer eh voll genug ist und es einen einfach nicht interessiert.

Wer da nicht gerade wie blöde Musikreviews schreibt, kann und sollte sich auch mal entspannt zurücklehnen und z.B. etwas anspruchsvoll inspirierende Entspannungsmusik aus dem Hause Denovali Records genießen.

MATTI BYE - Capri Clouds (clear vinyl LP) (2024)

In meiner Musiksammlung bisher nur mit Anna von Hausswolf und ihrem gemeinschaftlichen Projekt Hydras Dream vertreten, hat Matti Bye mit "Capri Clouds" ein in wunderbaren Wellen und Wogen schwimmendes und schwebendes Werk geschaffen, welches zumeist auf neoklassischem Klavierspiel über Texturen aus Orgeln, Synthesizer, Cello und Feldaufnahmen basiert.

Dabei segelt diese Musik allerdings nicht immer in einer bequemen leichten Ambient-Brise, sondern  scheint durchaus den zufällig an- und abschwellenden Elementen ausgesetzt zu sein. Insbesondere das Schlagzeug des sehr jazzig agierenden Trios, welches Byes Kompositionen mit ihm selbst an den Tasteninstrumenten umsetzt, scheint oft frei wie Treibgut oder Laub im Tempo von Wind und Wetter zu gleiten, was den Eindruck von natürlicher Harmonie und Unberührtheit, welche diese dreizehn Stücke ausstrahlen, entscheidend verstärkt. Auch dass große Teile des Album gemeinsam im Dreivierteltakt schwingen, ist in diesem Zusammenhang eine sehr bewusste Entscheidung.

Kein Zweifel, gebildetere Musiktheoretiker als ich könnten auf "Capri Clouds" sicherlich noch viele clevere Ideen entschlüsseln. Ich erfreue mich hingegen einfach an der praktischen Wirksamkeit ihrer Umsetzung auf diesem verboten wunderschönen, aber niemals zu kitschigen Album.

Wer besonderen Wert auf ganzheitliche Stimmigkeit legt, dem kann ich als Format auf jeden Fall das kristallklar transparente Vinyl empfehlen. Einfach schön und gut.

ZEAL & ARDOR - Greif

Oops, das Konzert, nach dem ich mir das Teil vom Merch-Gabentisch mitgenommen habe, ist ja auch schon vier Monate her! Das macht das Review zum neuen Album von Zeal & Ardor wohl zum aktuell längstprokrastinierten Punkt auf meiner To-do-Liste. Na dann machen wir doch mal schnell, bevor der Böllerkrieg ausbricht, oder was?

ZEAL & ARDOR - Greif (clear vinyl LP) (2024)

Nachdem Manuel Gagneux es bereits auf mehreren Veröffentlichungen hinbekommen hatte, Zeal & Ardor nicht mehr nach seinem Soloprojekt, sondern nach der richtigen Band klingen zu lassen, die man auch live sieht, geht "Greif" nun auch konsequent den Schritt alle Musiker und ihre Vorlieben in Songwriting und Aufnahmen zu berücksichtigen. Es ist also tatsächlich das erste "richtige" Bandalbum - was nach der Klasse von "Stranger Fruit" und dem selbsbetitelten 2022er Album natürlich zunächst einmal als rein formale Nebensächlichkeit erscheint.

Wie also zeigt sich der Ansatz konkret?

Ausgehend von der ursprünglichen Internettroll-Inspiration eines direkten Crossovers zwischen Black Metal und afroamerikanischer Sklavenmusik haben sich Klangpalette und konzeptionelle Breite des Projekts ja schon immer im Fluss befunden. Wandel ist also Normalzustand. Die Frage ist demnach, welcher Wandel auf "Greif" am meisten überrascht - und manchen Fans dabei auch nicht bekommt.
Und da fällt einem nach der Brutalität des Vorgängeralbums natürlich sofort auf, dass der durchschnittliche Härtegrad diesmal im Vergleich signifikant zurückgenommen wurde. Da kann man durchaus gatekeeperisch Das ist kein Metal! motzen und hat bei einer Vielzahl der vierzehn wie immer kurz und knackig gehaltenen Stücke sogar Recht. Die Frage ist also: Ist das schlimm?
Meine persönliche Antwort lautet nö. Die Bandbreite mit faithnomorescher Selbstverständlichkeit spielerisch aufgegriffener Musikstile hat sich dafür in umso mehr Richtungen erweitert.

Was die Kritiker möglicherweise in Wahrheit am meisten vermissen ist auch gar nicht der extreme Wumms, sondern die Klarheit des Konzepts. Denn gerade den Einsatz der beiden festen Backgroundsänger im Ensemble variabler zu gestalten, bedeutet hier eben auch, sich von der bisher zumeist sehr stabilen Formel der aus Gospel und Blues übernommenen Frage-Antwort-Spiele zwischen Lead- und Chorstimmen zu entfernen. Womit natürlich ein wesentliches Markenzeichen nur noch am Rande gepflegt wird.

Oder einfacher gesagt: Zeal & Ardor sind nicht mehr die fiktionalen Freiheitskämpfer, die sich den Teufel statt Jesus als Galionsfigur erwählt haben. Stattdessen sind Zeal & Ardor einfach eine auf Konventionen scheißende Band, die darauf aus ist, ein buntes Spektrum relevanter Themen in kompakte Ohrwürmer zu verpacken, in denen musikalisch alle gradlinigen wie experimentellen Spielarten von Rock, Pop, Soul, Metal, Electro usw. erlaubt sind, auf denen die Schweizer gerade Bock haben.

Paradoxerweise beweist sich die Gruppe dabei nicht nur als äußerst vielseitiges Kollektiv, sondern kehrt mit der totalen Unberechenbarkeit und den kurzen Zwischenspielen gewissenermaßen auch zu den Wurzeln, sprich zur "Devil Is Fine"-EP von 2016 zurück. Diese bestand ja neben der Handvoll Songs, die den Erfolg von Zeal & Ardor begründet haben, neinahe zur Hälfte aus elektronischen Experimenten, Clubsounds und sogar-Spieluhr-Interludes. Bei dieser beinahe zufällig chaotischen Vielfalt ist man mit nun definitiv wieder angekommen - allerdings auf hörbar gereifterem Niveau, welches solche Ideen besser ins Songwriting integriert.

"Greif" ist ein erfrischend furchtloses, künstlerisch freies und doch nicht mit Hits geizendes Albem, welches einfach Freude macht, selbst wenn es als einzige kleine Einschränkung anfangs ein paar Refrains gab, an die ich mich erst gewöhnen musste.
Letztendlich hätte hätte Fahrradkette es sich aber zweifellos auch gut in meinen 24 Lieblingsalben 2024 gemacht. Aber dass ich den Drops nun schon gelutscht habe, ändert natürlich nichts an meiner vollen Empfehlung!

Die Covergestaltung is gewohnt schlicht, grafisch, schick. Kommt gut mit dem transparenten Tonträger.           

music 2024 : TOP 24 albums

Oh dear, this was hard! Even without live albums and reissues and only counting what I own as a physical copy there were something over eighty albums to chose my favorites from. At least seventy of those I would respect in any AOTY list. And in my personal TOP 24? I guess I must have considered more than twice than that as worthy of ending up here at some point.

The end of the story is that I just can't do it. I won't compile a full ranking of two dozen albums. That would immediately after publishing it feel incorrect and incomplete.

Instead I'm only giving you the podium of my TOP 3 albums of the year - and leading up to those twenty-one other favorites, chopped into three questionably categorized, each alphabetically ordered selections. Sounds too complicated? Just read on and it will explain itself!

But before we start let me honourably mention just a few of the many artists who undeservedly didn't make it onto this list! Especially the first and largest category still misses many great names like Aluk Todolo, Chat Pile, Julie Christmas, Knoll, Lucifer, Mono, Monovoth, Schneider Thisquietarmy, Syk or - to my own biggest surprise - even Blood Incantation, which was a very close call, where I basically decided on the base that the album already gets enough love everywhere. And I just didn't know what to drop off the list in its favour.

Papangu and Agusa would grace the Jazz / Fusion / Psych / Prog selection as well as Causa Sui, Cazayoux, Dope Purple & Berserk, Goat, Human Teorema, Kanaan & Ævestaden , PainKiller or Work Money Death. And even after that are still Midwife, Lethe, The Necks, Yīn Yīn and of course bazillions of fantastic albums I just don't own or I am not even aware of... So as always: Please don't start with "But THAT ONE is missing!" and just take this as the selection of warmest recommendations it ultimately is!

9 x METAL & OTHER NOISES highlights 2024:

• INSECT ARK - Raw Blood Singing
  
  
  
  Godflesh slowed down to the pace of Earth, sprinkled with lap steel guitar, synths and piano. On top Dana Schechter now sings, putting what could already be felt on previous albums into words. This adds a new strong dimension to the bleak beauty of Insect Ark's signature kind of hopeless Doom.
  
  
  
  
  
• MITOCHONDRION - Vitriseptome
  
  
  
  Over eighty mind-melting minutes of virtuous apocalyptic dissonance and hyper-brutality brought the Canadians' comeback "Vitriseptime" very close to my personal top three. Without a doubt however this incomprehensible hellscape is my favorite Death Metal album of the year.
  
  
  
  
  
• ORANSSI PAZUZU - Muuntautuja
  
  
  
  It's hard to fathom what musical psychosis has led to the existence of Oranssi Pazuzu's unsettling blend of Black Metal aggression and Psychedelic atmosphere, as the Finns now add more Electronic glitches, cold Industrial and sheer Noise to the spiraling angularity of their misanthropic madness.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• OTTONE PESANTE - Scrolls of War
  
  
  
  Blackened Death / Doom / Post Metal, but with trombone and trumpet instead of bass and guitars, that's the shtick. Its execution by Ottone Pesante however has always been so much more than you would expect. And the Italians' new concept album elevates it to new heights. A Metal must-buy of 2024.
  
  
  
  
  
• P/O MASSACRE - Sonic Oblivion
  
  
  
  Two hours of destruction against war - with four more harrowing, but satisfying Noise attacks from the exile Russians Anton Ponomarev (sax, pocket trumpet, electronics) and Anton Obrazeena (guitar, effects, samples, synths) - each with a scope and story worth its own EP or even full album.
  
  
  
  
  
• SENYAWA - Vajranala
  
  
  
  The Experimental duo of Wukir Suryadi and Rully Shabara strikes again with a heavy and transcendent masterpiece of unique Southeast Asian Folkloristic Drone on self-made instruments. Narrated by a vocal performance not from this world we're taken on a cosmic spiritual trip through Javanese mythology.
  
  
  
  
  
• SINISTRO - Vértice
  
  
  
  Who would have expected such a strong comeback? Portugal's finest finally returned, introducing their new singer Priscilla Da Costa (from Judasz & Nahimana) and bringing us an irresistable collection of beautifully crushing, mightily melancholic hymns of Doom and Post Metal with that special Mediterranean touch.  
  
  
  
  
  
• SLIFT - Ilion
  
  
  
  Yes, I also could have filed this under Psychedelic Rock further below, but then the French trio's double album is so huge and heavy that it dwarfs our little planet and all that lives on it. Slift's "Ilion" is Kraut on steroids, a titanic cosmic steamroller grinding us to a tiny pebble lost in the void of space.
  
  
  
  
  
• SUMAC - The Healer
  
  
  
  For an album called "The Healer" this unpredictably twisted sludgy mammoth chunk from Aaron Turner, Brian Cook and Nick Yacyshyn is made of some remarkably sick shit. Sumac pummel us with a creative hammer that is both a radically abstract deconstruction and a flooring hyperbole of the whole idea of Metal.
  
  

6 x JAZZ / FUSION / PSYCH / PROG highlights 2024:

• CARPET - Collision
  
  
  
  Complex, colourful and catchy. Knowing their genre's past, but not shying away from incorporating modern influences. The Southern Germans Carpet are doing it all with seemingly effortless natural ease on this wonderfully light-filled Psychedelic Prog Rock kaleidoscope.
  
  
  
  
  
• IVAN THE TOLERABLE TRIO - Infinite Peace
  
  
  
  Multi-instrumentalist Oli Heffernan aka Ivan The Tolerable has been almost intolerably prolific this year. Even worse his twelve releases are all worthwhile stuff between Ambient, experimental Krautrock and Jazz. However this dreamy double album, which mostly displays his Spiritual Jazz side is my undisputed personal favorite.
  
  
  
  
  
• JAUBI - A Sound Heart
  
  
  
  Speaking of Spiritual Jazz: Building bridges between Pakistan and London Jaubi unite this Jazz tradition with both Middle Eastern Classical and Folk influences as well as funky Fusion. While instruments like sarangi, flutes and tablas stand out immediately, every single performance of this whole ensemble is nothing but spectacular.
  
  
  
  
  
• MOHAMA SAZ - Máquina De Guerra
  
  
  
  Mohama Saz are collectors of worldwide Folk influences, yet the three Spaniards, who utilize a  bağlama (traditional long-necked lute) instead of a guitar, mostly enhance their vivid Psychedelic Rock with ideas and sounds from their  home country, Turkey and Northern Africa.
  
  
  
  
  
• SEAN ONO LENNON - Asterisms
  
  
  
  An earwormy instrumental mixture of his proggiest Space Rock tendencies and all kinds of smooth Zorn and electric Miles worship. "Asterisms" certainly is a surprising release from the son of John and Yoko. This marvellous album almost made it onto my podium.
  
  
  
  
  
• THE VERGE - The Verge
  
  
  
  At times similar to Lennon's work, yet mostly coming from the wilder and heavier side of Jazz Fusion with the special trademark of Ingvald Vassbø's (Kanaan) drum madness the energetic self-titled debut of The Verge from Norway is another banger constantly living rent-free in my head.
  
  
  
  

6 x GOTHELECTROSINGERSONGWRITER* highlights 2024:

* You could also say everything which didn't  fit into the other two categories - and this just happened to be the direction of this selection.

• CHELSEA WOLFE - She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out To She
  
  
  

  At this point I feel like I should begin to tire from praising Contemporary Gothic Queen Chelsea Wolfe, who also impressed live and with two great EPs this year. On the other hand despite being released back in February, her latest album, which draws from all her past albums' sounds, still keeps growing on me.
  
  
  
  
  
• EYE - Dark Light
  
  
  
  Self-described as Electro-Gothic-Doom this new trio with Jessica Ball (MWWB) on ethereal vocals and guitar could theoretically sound just like Chelsea. Eye's blend of Shoegaze, Dream Pop and Post Rock however is its very own angelic beast - but just as utterly mesmerizing and compelling. Wonderful!
  
  
  
  
  
• LOUSIE LEMÓN - Lifetime Of Tears
  
  
  
  With an enchanting, sultry and soulful performance Swedish singer Louise Lémon brought us ten new hymns of love, hurt, heartbreak and healing. The concept remains simple, the musical realization couldn't be more addictive. Certainly one of my most played albums of the year. 
  
  
  
  
  
• NICK HUDSON - Kanda Teenage Honey
  
  
  
  In over seventy excellent minutes the Englishman residing in Georgia, armed with a sharp poetic quill and matching skills as singer, songwriter and instrumentalist, masterfully delivered a multi-faceted spectrum of sixteen songs from Chamber Pop ballads to most unpredictable Post Punk Avantgarde.
  
  
  
  
  
• OTAY:ONII - True Faith Ain't Blind
  
  
  
  On her latest album, which combines new songs with alternative versions of older material, Chinese-American Avantgarde artist Lane Shi Otay:onii limits her tools of expression to piano and voice. The result couldn't be more impressive and certainly is among the most breathtaking and profoundly touching music released this year.
  
  
  
  
  
• TUSKS - Gold
  
  
  
  London singer / Electronic artist Emily Underhill aka Tusks has released a versatile album between dreamy synths and strings Art Pop and Post Rock grandeur, with majestic hits, which sound as if they could have come from artists as different as A.A. Williams, Angel Olsen, Björk or Janelle Monáe. Earworm gold!
  
  
  
  
  

And now finally some fodder for you hungry ranking maniacs out there! Here are *drrrrrrumroll*...

My TOP 3 ALBUMS of 2024:

• BRONZE (3rd place):
  
  DOOL - The Shape Of Fluidity
  
  
  

  
  It didn't even click with me immediately, but boy, I cannot tell you how often I must have listened to Dool's new mighty Goth Rock masterpiece since then! More personal and emotional than ever, the Dutch group led by the charismatic presence of Raven van Dorst moves from strength to strength on "The Shape Of Fluidity", delivering yet another highly addictive selection of mighty, sweaty and catchy hymns. The phenomenal live band stays true to its established sound, while resisting the reasonable temptation to just rehash the greatest hits from previous releases. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
• SILVER (2nd place):
  
  KAMASI WASHINGTON - Fearless Movement
  
  

  

  
  Californian Spiritual Jazz maximalist Kamasi Washington and his band scaled down from the ridiculously large format of his previous albums and released "only" an almost ninety minutes long double record. He also forgoes the familiar overflow of choirs and strings, but compensates that with effective guest appearances and action-packed arrangements including sounds from Funk, Afro-Beat, Hip Hop, but also Tango and Ambient (of course with André 3000 on flute). Washington's own emotional, rattling and roaring saxophone solos are highlights, yet also only a small fragment of what makes this very varied, splendidly produced "Fearless Movement" as awesome as it is. The Jazz Fusion competition of 2024 was strong, yet Kamasi stands out.
  
  

  
  
  
  
• GOLD (Album of the Year 2024):
  
  FULL EARTH - Cloud Sculptors
  
  
  
  
  "This album is a giant, who stomps his foot on the ground right in front of you, while butterflies are fluttering around his light-flooded hair. The kinetic power of his movements crashes the king tide into the fjord, breaks the cliff off the coast and blows every ballast which is not Rock’n’Roll bliss out of your head."
  
  Full Earth, who also played my favorite festival show of the year, are a Norwegian quintet featuring all three members of Kanaan. On "Cloud Sculptors" they perform monumental compositions by drummer Ingvald (therefore the only musician appearing in this TOP 24 twice), combining heaviest Stoner, Psychedelic and Progressive Rock with Modern Classical inspirations. In a very powerful, warm and natural production enormous riffs clash with hypnotically swirling and pulsating organs, mellotron and synth.
  
  From the first time I heard them I knew that these eighty-five minutes of elemental monumentalism were very likely to become my favorite Album of the Year 2024. And that impression never wavered. Congratulations on this deeply satisfying masterwork!
  
  
  
  

favorite MUSIC 2024 - all my lists:

TOP 24 albums   |   TOP 7 live albums   |   TOP 5 reissues

TOP 4 non-album releases   |   TOP 24 live shows

SINISTRO - Vértice

Doom ist ja meistens relativ langsam. In dem Sinne ist Sinistros Veröffentlichungstempo sicherlich genregemäß, liegt das Erscheinen des letzten Studioalbums "Sangue Cássia" doch mittlerweile beinahe sieben Jahre zurück.

Seitdem stellten sich den Portugiesen pandemische wie personelle Hindernisse in den Weg. Der Abschied von Sängerin Patricia Andrade wog schwer. Zum Abschied gab 2021 noch ein Roadburn-Livealbum, ehe im Folgejahr die Wiederveröffentlichung der ersten Demos in der Compilation "Hóspedes Silencios" darauf einstimmte, dass die Band zukünftig wieder wie ganz zu Anfang als Instrumentalband unterwegs sein würde.

Nun ist allerdings doch schon wieder mehr Zeit vergangen als erwartet - und die Dinge haben sich erneut gewendet...

SINISTRO - Vértice (white vinyl 2LP) (2024)

Sinistro sind mit einem Doppelalbum zurück - und es wird nun doch weitergesungen! Man hat also eine Sängerin gefunden, der man zutraut in die Fußstapfen von Andrade zu treten. Keine leichte Aufgabe, zumal deren Charisma - sowohl im muttersprachlichen fado-inspirierten Gesang, als auch im eigenwilligen theatralischen (wörtlich im Sinne von Theater) Aufritt eine so hohe Messlatte gelegt hat, dass die Band selbst ja anscheinend lange Zeit nicht einmal an die Suche einer Nachfolgerin geglaubt hat.

Priscila Da Costa hat dies nun geändert. Da ich sie letztes Jahr als Teil von Judasz & Nahimana live erleben durfte, ist ihr mein Vertrauen, wenn es darum geht auch das Material der Vorgängerin zu interpretieren, auf jeden Fall sicher.
Die Bandbreite zwischen sinistrem Flüstern, sanft-tiefer Verführung, feenhaftem Falsetto, dramatischem Sirenengesang und gelegentlichen leidenschaftlich aggressiven Ausbrüchen ist - genau wie die Klasse ihrer Darbietung - auf jeden Fall mit der Vorgängerin vergleichbar.

Natürlich wird derjenige, der nach der speziellen Magie der alten Sängerin sucht, in manchen Passagen gewisse filigrane Akzente vermissen - dafür bekommt man an anderer Stelle aber eben auch die stimmlichen Eigenheiten Da Costas, die im Schnitt etwas mehr auf powervolles Volumen aus ist, zum Ausgleich. Wer behauptet, damit gerechnet zu haben, dass Sinistro gesanglich derart nahtlos (wenn wir die vielen Jahre dazwischen mal freundlich ausblenden) an die vorigen Alben anschließen würden, der kann nicht ganz ehrlich zu sich selbst sein. Umso großartiger, dass "Vértice" in dieser Beziehung so triumphieren kann!

Und was bietet dieses Album ansonsten? Natürlich Doom. Schlammig schweren Doom Metal mit brachialem Magenwumms, Postrock-Einschlag, Gothic-Verzierungen und großer wohlklingender Theatralik. Kurzum: Man riskiert im Grunde nicht zu viel, was nach der langen Pause verständlich ist, sondern setzt direkt an der Klasse von "Sangue Cássia" mit einer logischen Fortsetzung an. Jeder einzelne der sechs regulären Albumtracks ist - mal malmend, mal melancholisch - mächtig, majestätisch, mitreißend. Es mag einer langen Entscheidungsfindungsphase bedarft haben, doch letztendlich weiß dieses Quintett nun genau, was es will; und das ist leicht nachvollziehbaren und doch anspruchsvollen, überragenden Doom mit eigener portugiesischer Note zu spielen, der sich mit jedem anderen Künstler des Genres messen lassen kann. Kurzum: "Vértice" ist das beste vorstellbare Comeback.

Und um den Eindruck zu vervollständigen sei gesagt, dass auch die poetische Lyrik (moderne Übersetzer können ja eine Menge, selbst wenn man kein Wort portugiesisch spricht) wie eh und je überzeugt. Ästhetisch bleiben Sinistro ebenso ihrem Hang zum Musealen treu. Das Cover sieht ja im Grunde wie die erste Seite eines Ausstellungsprogrammheftes aus.

Auch wenn ich unerwartet lange auf die weiße Vinyl-Edition warten musste, ist dieses Album auf jeden Fall ein ansprechend gestalteter Hinkucker. Ich kann mich nur nicht ganz entscheiden, ob wir es hier mit dem Fall zu tun haben, dass man als Schallplattenkäufer bestraft oder belohnt wird.
Die Strafe ist der leider immer weiter um sich greifende Trend, auf digitale Downloads als Beigabe zu verzichten, was z.B. gegenüber CD-Käufern einfach unfair ist. Man hat eh schon mehr Geld ausgegeben und dann noch das Medium, von dem es umständlicher ist, sich eine Kopie aus Einsen und Nullen anzulegen.

Die Belohnung kommt hier allerdings in Form der D-Seite mit gleich zwei exklusiven, weder auf CD noch in Downloadversionen verfügbaren Bonustracks: "Deathcrush" ist ein Mayhem-Cover, welches natürlich kaum nach Mayhem klingt, allerdings auf seine eigene sehr überzeugende Weise die böseste Seite von Sinistro ans Vollmondlicht kehrt.

Das zweite Bonusstück "Vento Das Vozes Invisíveis" ist ein sanfter instrumentaler Ambient/Postrock-Ausklang. Vielleicht ein Überbleibsel aus der Phase, als man ohne neue Sängerin geplant hat? Auf jeden Fall ein schöner Abschluss nach einer Stunde wunderbaren Weltschmerzes.