Feature: 2024 Top 24 Countdown

Chris Gatto’s Top 24 Albums of 2024
With the passing of each new year comes the opportunity to reflect on the Christian metal music that was released in the past year. What banged my head and moved my soul? What did not? Inevitably albums slip through the cracks, and it is always interesting to read my peers’ top albums list and see what they picked. Want to stay on top of new music and find new favorites? A great resource to do just that is to listen faithfully to Heaven’s Metal Streaming Radio. Keven Crothers has done a bang up job of keeping the station chock full of the latest and greatest rock and metal tunes, and as the new station manager, I will endeavor to do the same. Keeping my ears to yesterday and my eyes to tomorrow…

#24: Taking the Head of Goliath- Futility of the Flesh
Swan song ep from Luke Renno’s (Crimson Thorn) death/grind band with the lowest guttural vocals around. (Rottweiler)

#23:Cave Noire:I
Isaque Soares of Brazil’s death metal band Krig teams up with Ritchy Nails (The Nailheads) to bring us a unique fusion of metal and punk. (Broken Curfew)

#22. Leviticus- MMXXIV
Pioneering Christian metal band’s original trio returns with an ep of all new music sung in Swedish, just like their first ep in ‘82. (Talking Music)

#21. Shamash- Done With Misery Nos Pergamos in Domine Salutem
Malaysia’s Shamash is as unpredictable as it is delightful. Black metal, death metal, metalcore, worship, multiple languages- main man Andre Chiang brings it all.

#20. Stryper- When We Were Kings
The yellow and black are back and when they rock harder, it’s like magic. (Frontiers)

#19. The Brave- Carnival of Sins
Stayce Roberts helms the trio of musicians carrying on The Brave’s hard rock legacy. (Brave Music)

#18. Within Silence- The Eclipse of Worlds
Slovakian power metal band returns with what Doc calls a cross between Maiden and Theocracy. (Ulterium)

#17. Shovelhead A.D.- Timeless Old
This VA band was just recently brought to my attention (thanks, Seth) and it’s a delicious molten slab of old school thrash and metal goodness. (Broken Curfew)

#16. Perpetual Legacy- Teodrama
Brazilian “beauty and the beast” style prog metallists match harsh vocals with operatic vocals to craft perfection. (En Hakkore)

#15. Annette Olzen- Rapture
Former Nightwish singer puts out a positive symphonic metal album that our readers will thoroughly enjoy. (Frontiers)

#14. True Strength- Maximum Strength
A best of album from the traditional/true metal heroes featuring one new track “Holy Spirit.” (Roxx)

#13. Shining Force- Spiritual Warfare
Abel Molano’s stratospheric vocals top galloping guitar hooks and a rhythm section that won’t quit for this gem from the TX power metal/true metal band. (Roxx)

#12. Tortured Conscience- One Law One king
Long awaited return of Jeff Lenormand’s death/grindcore outfit with Duane Keith and Rene Gerbrandy to annihilate your hearing. (Vision of God)

#11. Human Code- Break the Silence
Excellent hard rock opus from Deliverance, Recon, World View, Barren Cross, Holy Soldier, and Neon Cross alums forging ahead in untapped territory. (Girder)

#10. Antidemon- Convergence
Brazilian death/grind veterans Antidemon return with new material that nods to Mortification and Living Sacrifice. (Vision of God)

#9. P.O.D.- Veritas
The boys from Southtown come back swinging with their best album since Satellite. (Mascot)

#8. Impellitteri- War Machine
The voice of melodic metal Rob Rock and shredder Chris Impellitteri seem incapable of putting out subpar music. This will melt your face off! (Frontiers)

#7. Millennial Reign- World on Fire
Strong material from TX power metallers. New singer Tiffany Galchutt is killing it! (Ulterium)

#6. Ben Baruk- Cosmogony
Beautiful Tolkien inspired metal from these Brazilians intertwining prog/melodic/death/doom into a masterpiece. (Vision of God)

#5. Motivik- Renouncement
Album #2 pays homage to the melodic thrash heroes of the 80’s and 90’s while carving out their own place at the table. (Roxx)

#4. Flood- Ripped Into Exile
Gary Lenaire and Guy Ritter (Tourniquet, Echo Hollow alums) melt faces and minds with album #2 of Flood’s thrash/speed metal. (Acidify)

#3. Harpazo- The Crucible
Gary Wehrkamp of Shadow’s Gallery brings us a star studded melodic metal opera rivaling Avantasia. (Rockshots)

#2. Saint- Immortalizer
Album #3 from the same lineup shows this band forty years in at the top of their game. Unmatched apocalyptic metal kings. (Armor)

#1. Whitecross- Fear No Evil
The new era of Whitecross is born with an album as hard hitting and urgent as their ‘87 debut. Well earned. (Dark Star)