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We can officially celebrate reaching the middle of a year that has been phenomenal as far as music releases are concerned. So far, some of the freshest and loudest bands the current modern heavy scene has to offer have all dropped singles, EPs or LPs, and ranking them all is proving to be an increasingly difficult task. Impossible to list them all, here are the final top 20 releases and moments that defined the last three months:
20. Wage War - 'NAIL5'
As usual, a groovy and energetic single from Florida metalcore hopefuls Wage War - 'NAIL5', taken right from their expectedly divisive yet perfectly enjoyable latest LP STIGMA.
19. Reliqa - 'Killstar (The Cold World)'
An unexpected entry, Aussie newcomers Reliqa shared the otherworldly single 'Killstar (The Cold World)' from their extremely imaginative debut LP Secrets of the Future.
18. thrown - 'look at me'
Another quarter gone and another relentless banger 'look at me' by the Swedish juggernauts thrown as they prepare their hugely anticipated EXCESSIVE GUILT.
17. Left To Suffer - 'Forever' (ft. Alejandro Aranda)
Easily one of the most beautiful collabs this year, the unstoppable Taylor Barber and Left To Suffer joined forces with Alejandro Arranda for the truly mesmerising single 'Forever'.
16. Cane Hill - 'The Midnight Sun'
Never one to stay still within their box and follow the norm, Cane Hill once again dropped the unpredictable and relentless modern metalcore rager 'The Midnight Sun'.
15. Bury Tomorrow - 'Villain Arc'
A fittingly thunderous return from the reinvented and reinvigorated Bury Tomorrow, going all in and guns blazing on their furious new single 'Villain Arc', hopefully more to follow soon.
14. Balance Breach - 'Million Miles Away'
Rising Finnish outfit Balance Breach completely let loose creatively and raised the bar higher than ever before on their epic latest single 'Million Miles Away'.
13. The Ghost Inside - 'Wrath'
Following a streak of exemplary bangers that started last year, OG legends The Ghost Inside finally premiered their unmissable groovy LP Searching For Solace.
12. Bring Me The Horizon - 'liMOusIne' (ft. AURORA)
From Jordan Fish's departure to dropping the unexpected POST HUMAN: NeX GEn, BMTH had a pretty eventful Quarter, with the Deftones-y 'liMOusIne' one of its highest points.
11. Falling In Reverse - 'Ronald' (ft. Tech N9ne & Alex Terrible)
Another piece of cinematic excellence and unapologetically brilliant metal pastiche, Falling In Reverse premiered the surprisingly heavy 'Ronald' ahead of their hugely anticipated LP.
10. Architects - 'Curse'
A British match made in heaven indeed, seeing Architects team up with BMTH's now former member and producer Jordan Fish for the predicably infectious single 'Curse'.
9. Windwaker - 'Break the Rules'
An examplary uplifting modern metal banger 'Break The Rules', supercharged with Windwaker's signature blend of youthful pop energy and groovy metalcore base.
8. The Oklahoma Kid - 'Overpowered'
German underground favourites The Oklahoma Kid might have had a quiet 2023, but certainly made a thunderous comeback to their infectiously energetic best in 'Overpowered'.
7. Alpha Wolf - 'Haunter'
Rightfully seen as one of 2024's biggest releases, Alpha Wolf finally premiered their Half Living Things LP with killer ragers like 'Haunter' reminding us of their frantic excellence.
6. The Gloom In The Corner - 'The Jericho Protocol'
An expectedly epic return to prime from by Ausse cult heroes The Gloom In The Corner raising the bar on their dramatic latest single 'The Jericho Protocol'.
5. In Hearts Wake - 'Hollow Bone (plɹoʍ ǝɥʇ)' / 'Orphan (lᴉʌǝp ǝɥʇ)'
Aussie powerhouse In Hearts Wake opened a brand heavier new chapter with the relentless singles 'Hollow Bone (plɹoʍ ǝɥʇ)' and 'Orphan (lᴉʌǝp ǝɥʇ)' from their upcoming Incarnations LP.
4. Siamese - 'Predator'
Sharing yet another banger 'Predator', Danish heroes Siamese are firmly on their way to drop a proper AOTY contender with their upcoming ELEMENTS EP this August.
3. Bad Omens - 'ANYTHING > HUMAN' (ft. ERRA)
Bad Omens' curious collab with ERRA on 'ANYTHING > HUMAN> is just one of the countless hidden gems in their fantastic CONCRETE JUNGLE [THE OST] special collection.
2. Imminence - 'Beyond the Pale'
Just one side of the hauntingly beautiful album masterpiece The Black by Imminence, 'Beyond the Pale' all but sums up everything that makes the Swedes so unique.
1. Make Them Suffer - 'Epitaph'
A tradition worth keeping, Aussie juggernauts Make Them Suffer once again returned with a potential Song of the Year material on their latest standalone rager 'Epitaph'.
Keep an eye on this page as we enter the second half of 2024 and review all fantastic singles, EPs and albums Quarter 3 has to offer!
The Most Anticipated Releases For Quarter 2 of 2024 (confirmed dates):
In Hearts Wake - Incarnations (UNFD), 12 July
Windwaker - Hyperviolence (Fearless Records), 12 July
Sable Hills - Odyssey (Arising Empire), 19 July
Siamese - ELEMENTS (Long Branch Records), 9 Aug
Left To Suffer - LEap of Death (Self), 16 Aug
Falling In Reverse - Popular Monster (Epitaph Records), 16 Aug
Rising Insane - Wildfires (Long Branch Records), 23 Aug
Alleviate - DMNS (Arising Empire), 23 Aug
thrown - EXCESSIVE GUILT (Arising Empire), 30 Aug Future Palace - Distortion (Arising Empire), 6 Sep
Boston Manor - SUNDIVER (SharpTone Records), 6 Sep
Wildcard: Electric Callboy & Babymetal - 'RATATA'
The outrageous collab between Electric Callboy and Babymetal was bound to happen eventually, and 'RATATATA' delivered presented the best of both worlds in the ultimate party metal vibe we all needed for the upcoming Summer season.
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