Capable label of 2024:
The function of a record label has changed over the years. There’s plenty of awful ones who royally shaft the artist over on the regular with little returns for those creating the music, but we’re not here to talk about those. Instead, we’d like to highlight the best of the best – the tremendously hard working, artist first labels who give their bands a platform they may not have had otherwise to get their incredible creations out there.
The Golden Cleric goes to: Transcending Obscurity Records
It’s starting to feel a little like the Edmonton Oilers dominance of hockey in the 80s around here. To the maybe two of you who are paying attention to my word vomit year over year, TO won best label both in 2022 and in 2023.
So, why are they back on top again? Look at the year they had when it comes to top-notch releases. As you can see, this article has TO artists all over it. Not only did they pump out a high volume of records, but I challenge you to find anything that isn’t at least good, even if the genre isn’t your cup of tea. With black metal brilliance from Vorga and Hell is Other People, progressive melodeath via Eternal Storm, mind-boggling death metal of many flavors (Replicant, Devenial Verdict, Typhonian, Mære, Crawl, Baron, Feral, Paganizer, Carphonage, Monument of Misanthropy) the gorgeously emotional records of Officium Triste and Pillar of Light, the full-on aggression of Resin Tomb, to the wildly unique (Construct of Lethe, Veilburner, Defect Designer, Swelling Repulsion, Malconfort).
If the heavy stuff is your taste, chances are, TO has something that’ll knock your socks off. Plus, if you’re a merch-obsessed loon like yours truly, they’ve got you covered from head-to-toe. Just look at the 2024 merch line for the label, aptly titled ‘Metal for Animals’ – featuring incredible artwork by Alex Shadrin (pictured above) representing the cat and dog rescue that label owner Kunal Choksi and crew operates. Their dedication to animals is inspiring; the kind of selfless act we need way more of.
Keep an eye on them for 2025, with new stuff coming from label stalwarts such as Viande, 71TONMAN, Dysgnostic, and Imperialist, whilst newcomers like Hierarchies, Fleshbore, Obscureviolence, Shrieking Demons, Shrine of Denial, and others bring their stylings to the forefront. The accelerator is firmly pressed to the floor.
Runners-up:
- Vendetta Records: The German label sort of quietly had an incredible year, dropping some of the most powerful and diverse albums in extreme metal. Beenkerver, Solbrud, Nimbifer, Naxen, Widertod, Floscule, Sun Worship, and Ante-Inferno is a group anyone would be envious of.
- Debemur Morti Productions: Purveyors of all things heavy and extreme, mostly focusing on a wide palette of black metal, but often expanding outside of that to great effect, this was a huge year for Debemur Morti Productions. Kings of dissonance Ulcerate, one of black metal’s most intriguing projects in Aara, plus Modern Rites, Other World, Arkona, Pestilent Hex and Selbst made this a memorable stroll around the calendar.
- AOP Records: Specializing in the more unique types of black metal, AOP is always reliable. A brilliant slate of releases, including bands like ColdCell, Uprising, Ellende, Firtan, Groza, Servent, Anomalie, Chaos Invocation, and a couple of others all put out great works with the label that turned ears and melted brains.
- Avantgarde Music: They are what their name states – the home for all things creative and off the cuff, the Italian label had another quality year of intriguing records of many approaches and sounds. Sgàile, Vøidwomb, Vástígr, Inherits the Void, Vimur and Todestrieb are just a few of the notable releases that you need to check out.
- Dark Descent Records: A few gigantic albums of note dropped on Dark Descent this year, particularly Crypt Sermon’s mighty opus, but don’t sleep on Spectral Voice, Adversarial, Har, or Aberrator either.
- 20 Buck Spin: Another always reliable label, who delivered gems such as Hulder, Tzompantli, Slimelord, Civerous, Atræ Bilis, Dissimulator, Terminal Nation, and the wild Bedsore.
Dazzling album art of 2024:
Album art can be crucial to the full presentation of an album. It enhances the audible art with a visual accompaniment that engrosses the listener further. Real artwork from real artists – none of that AI generated theft that looks like garbage and is utterly dull and lifeless, to say the very least.
The Golden Cleric goes to: Nyktophobia – To the Stars, with artwork by Simon Bossert (S. Bossert Art)
For a record embracing a cosmic theme, it’s crucial to have the right artwork, and Simon Bossert delivered and then some. This dense, vast, and terrifying universe that he created matches the band’s music perfectly. I received the LP as a Christmas gift from my incredible wife, and this will soon be framed and on the wall. The band even released a high resolution wallpaper due to fan demand, and with good reason. In a year with a lot of amazing pieces, this is one that I took in more than any other.
Runners-up:
- Keitzer – Pandemonium Humanitas, with artwork by the always manly Paolo Girardi
- Devenial Verdict – Blessing of Despair, with artwork by the late and great surrealist Mariusz Lewandowski
- Liminal Shroud – Visions of Collapse, with artwork by the excellent Misanthropic-Art.
- Hideous Divinity – Unextinct, with artwork by Adam Burke.
- Veilburner – The Duality of Decapitation and Wisdom, artwork by Luciana Nedelea
- Houle – Ciel cendre et misère noire, artwork by Maéna Paillet.
- Alta Rossa – A Defiant Cure, artwork by Simon Chognot.
Visually moving clip of 2024:
Music videos are a medium that maintain the ability to take a song to another level. They can enhance a narrative with a cinematic quality, or they can be an intense performance piece. Sometimes both!
The Golden Cleric goes to: Kanonenfieber – Der Maulwurf
Kanonenfieber’s Die Urkatastrophe is an album that, like the rest of the band’s work, chronicles real-life stories and events of World War I with a cautionary undertone. One such song is “Der Maulwurf” – which translates to “The Mole.” An excerpt from my review:
“”Der Maulwurf” is one of two songs thus far to feature an accompanying video, telling the story of miners turned into tunnelers, with the goal of digging strategic burrows underneath enemy trenches with the goal of detonating large quantities of explosives in a surprise attack. A stunningly raw recalling of the frightening conditions these people endured, where sadly many never came back from due to tunnel collapse, conflict with tunnelers from the other side, and suicide (the tragic fate expressed here).”
The video is brutal as it is heart wrenching, leaving me with a sobering feeling about what these people went through, and with family links to survivors of trench warfare in WWI, this hit home hard. As intense emotionally as any video I’ve seen in quite some time.
Runners-up:
- Vorga – The Sophist: A combination of sci-fi epic and performance video that tells a brilliant story, to the soundtrack of one of the best black metal tracks of the year.
- Hideous Divinity – Against the Sovereignty of Mankind: You’ll never see a video quite like this elsewhere. Vocalist and doctor Enrico Di Lorenzo – whose specialty is Audiology and Phoniatrics – places a scope in this throat and records what his vocal chords are doing as he growls and snarls. Enough said, and as the video states explicitly, don’t try this at home.
Live exhibition of 2024:
We attended – and covered plenty – of shows this year. It wasn’t quite as packed of a calendar as 2023, but we still got to see a lot of great stuff.
The Golden Cleric goes to: Chaos and Carnage Tour (Cattle Decapitation/Carnifex/Rivers of Nihil/Humanity’s Last Breath/The Zenith Passage/Vitriol/Face Yourself
Bringing a huge billing, the Chaos and Carnage package this year lived up to the name. Cattle Decapitation is one of the best in the business, Rivers of Nihil’s trademark stylings translated as well as ever, and it was our first time seeing The Zenith Passage, Vitriol, and Humanity’s Last Breath – who was a monolith of utter intensity. Even Carnifex, who admittedly isn’t a historical favorite of mine, put on a damn fine showing that was really enjoyable.
Runners-up:
- The Decibel Magazine Tour 2024 – Hulder/Devil Master/Worm/Necrofier: An enthralling evening of black metal of very differing varieties.
- King Diamond Lucifer’s Hospital Tour w/Overkill and Night Demon: What a night! The King never disappoints.
Outrageously silly release of 2024:
This is reserved for fun, ridiculous, outright wacky stuff that also may have a bit of musical merit to go along with it.
The Golden Cleric goes to: Genocide Goose – Full Honkel Assault.
Yeah, what in the flying hell is that? What do you think it is? Following genre-bending trendsetters Hatebeak and Caninus, this is a band with an animal lead vocalist. In this case, 90s black metal with honking geese…honking away. This is not something that was expected to accidentally find randomly, but oh are we happy that we did.
Runner-up: Rat Lord – Blazed in the Northern Sky
This is a powerviolence/grind trio who is parodying some of the most infamous 90s black metal songs and wild moments in history. Sign us up! This album is heavy as hell, fast, and a really good tongue-in-cheek time. Plus, how can you not love the kitten on the cover and the promo pictures with their cat? Pure awesomeness.
Thoughts on 2025
This year really burned me out, and it’s hard to imagine what’s to come in 2025. I foresee a lot of systemic things going in the wrong direction in the US, and we’ll endure the best we can. As for music, there’s already a few cool tours announced for early in the year. We’re definitely heading back to Maryland Deathfest and ProgPower, and maybe a European festival if we can swing it. There’s a metric ton of new releases coming in January, and not enough time to take them all in, so we’ll get to what we reasonably can and try our best to unearth some cool new stuff while seeing what all of our old favorites are up to. Be good to each other, and we’ll meet here next year.