Record(s) o’ the Month – January 2024

As the new year unfolds, the potential for timely Record(s) o’ the Month raises its battered and bruised face in hope of a rebirth—or at least some bandages. My enthusiasm for promising such updates clashes with the realities of regional supply shortages, a tendency towards procrastination, systemic delays, and institutional intransigence/sick leave. January of 2024 did not bring a wealth of standout music releases, as indicated by the sparse new growth in our music review section and the carping of the cadre of Too Cool for School AMG writers who refused to vote, claiming there was no good music in January rather than that they hadn’t been bothered to listen to anything anyone else wrote a review of. Nevertheless, some of us agreed that the latter part of the month did see some noteworthy music that shone amidst the slow start. So, here’s to 2024 and to what I hope is the first of 10(ish) lovingly curated monthly—”monthly”—highlights, aimed at enhancing and enriching your refined metal music tastes in 2024.

But before we dive into the fray, I think it’s important to take a minute to reflect a little bit on history. This being the 15th year of AMG’s existence, I am hoping to spend some time thinking about what’s gone before and to appreciate what it is that we’ve built.¹ Since I started doing Record(s) o’ the Month in mid-2012, there have been 10 Record(s) o’ the Month for January. And contrary to what I suspect is popular belief—that January is a slow month—the Record(s) o’ the Month from January have acquitted themselves well during Listurnalias. Prominent high-ranking albums include Angra’s Secret Garden (#10 in 2015), Pain of Salvation’s In the Passing Light of Day (#1 in 2017), Hamferð’s Támsin likam (#1 in 2018), Soilwork’s Verkligheten (#6 in 2019), Demoniac’s So It Goes (#ish) and Soen’s Imperial (#3) in 2021, Wilderun’s Epigone (#3 in 2022), and finally Leiþa’s excellent Reue (#5 in 2023). An eighty percent hit rate is pretty good and, frankly, better than I was expecting.

It feels good that there are not just three, but four albums I can get behind in January of 2024, in spite of a seemingly slow start. Only time will tell if this month is as strong as previous years, of course. But, I’m pretty sold on our top entry and I intend to throw a certain delphinophile under the bus regarding his tepid review of another album that I quite liked. To the list!

Brutal, technical deathers Vitriol hit the new year hard with their sophomore outing, Suffer & Become [released on January 26th, 2024 from Century Media]. Blending grand technical chops with the brutish fury of Floridian death and the bombast of Behemoth, Vitriol wants to hurt you and they brought all the right tools for the job. This is punishing, unrelenting stuff that hammers at you with swarming, skin-ripping riffs and a percussive assault designed to induce panic attacks. Immensely heavy and wildly technical, the music will pull your feeble mind apart. Yet, despite the “all gas, no brakes” philosophy, Vitriol learned how to give just enough breathing room, with brief, beautifully melodic segments offering the tiniest of respites. This allows the listener to hold on, barely alive, but only mostly dead. Holdeneye Himself summed up this impressive feat best: “The pure rage, born of suffering, expressed on the band’s debut has been metabolized, emerging with a healthy dose of perspective and nuance.” “Nuance” here is contextual.

Runner(s) Up:

Madder Mortem // Old Eyes, New Heart [January 26th, 2024 | Dark Essence Records] — Norway’s premier gothic prog metal act continues to churn out impressive albums layered with mood, emotion, and atmosphere. They took almost 5 years to deliver the follow-up to their impressive Marrow opus, and fans would be justified in fearing they couldn’t equal or top it. What Old Eyes, New Heart does is show Madder Mortem as alive and creative as ever, showcasing a more vulnerable, introspective side of themselves. Tracks like “Here and Now” and “Cold Hard Rain” weep with power and raw emotion, giving fans all the feelz they yearn for, and there’s simmering anger undergirding the material as well. As GardensTale noted, regarding the very personal, intense feeling of the new music: “Old Eyes, New Heart will stand as one of the most intimate and therapeutic albums we’re bound to get this year.” And who isn’t going to need a little bit of therapy in 2024?

Saxon // Hell, Fire and Damnation [January 19th, 2024 | Silver Lining Music] — Going strong after nearly 46 years in the metal business, Saxon returned with another impressively spry, energetic outing on album number 24!² With founding Diamond Head guitarist Brian Tatler aboard the ship, Saxon stick to what they’ve always done best, fusing hard rock and NWoBHM idioms into simple, catchy, anthemic tunes. Cuts like “Madame Guillotine” and “Super Charger” are classic metal gold and impossible to resist, while more hard rocking numbers like “There’s Something in Roswell” stick quickly and deeply. As a satisfied Steel remarked, “This has everything you want from a modern Saxon album and if this is what the band can do in their 46th year, I can’t wait to hear what’s coming in their 50th.”³

Caligula’s Horse // Charcoal Grace [January 26th, 2024 | InsideOut (24-bit HD digital)] — Sometimes even the greatest of friends can think differently. With regard to Caligula’s Horse’s latest album, Charcoal Grace, there’s a certain delphinophile who shares so much of my taste but often has lukewarm feelings about things I really like. Such is the case with Charcoal Grace, and since I didn’t get time to drop a double review, so it seemed like I should take my chance now. What Charcoal Grace does well is not the same as what Caligula’s Horse did well on its earlier albums. While Charcoal Grace doesn’t deviate from the band’s increasingly chill trajectory, giving the sense that Haken and Caligula’s Horse have converged over the years, the album also showcases the band’s powerful riffs, lumbering chug and exceptional guitar performances (like that guitar solo in “Golem,” por ejemplo). And it’s moments like the pinnacle of “The World Breathes with Me,” where the mix of hooks, Jim Grey’s velvety vocals and chug intersect—that litter Charcoal Grace and which keep me coming back.