Absolutely agree with your choice for #1. It's a musical miracle to me, I never thought I would hear this music, this quintessentially *YES* music, ever again. I've listened to little else since it's release, I've tried to mix it up but I keep going back to it. 🤟🏻🤟🏻
Frost - Life in the Wires is my album of the year, i am going to bet you haven't listened to it yet but i think it is right up your street, it sounds a bit like Haken and also Spocks Beard. Frost is such an underrated band that deserve more exposure.
Yet another brilliant but under-exposed and under-appreciated band like you say. I have a faint memory of Jim watching a clip from The Rockfield Files DVD years ago so he should at least be aware of them but I can't remember if he ever did any follow-ups. I also can't remember to what degree he seemed to like that one song back then but I bet he would enjoy their music (even) more now after the music journey he's been through with this channel.
@@KrakeloaHe heard Moral and Consequence a few months ago on a "new music Friday" episode - seemed to really like it! Waiting patiently for a full album reaction
Great list Jim! Here's my top five : Alcest : Les Chants de l'Aurore The Asteroid No.4 : Several Shapes of Solar Flares The Cure : Songs for a Lost World The Church : Eros Zeta and the Perfumed Guitars Opeth : The Last Will and Testament
Great picks Jim, seems we share a few in common too 1) Blood Incantation - Absolute Elsewhere 2) Ihsahn - Ihsahn 3) Borknagar - Fall 4) Opeth - The Last Will And Testament 5) Necrot - Lifeless Birth 6) Cemetery Skyline - Nordic Gothic 7) Striker - Ultrapower 8) Nile - The Underworld Awaits Us All 9) Saxon - Hell, Fire And Damnation 10) Wintersun - Time II 11) Blitzkrieg - Blitzkrieg 12) IOTUNN - Kingship 13) Winterfylleth - The Imperious Horizon 14) Paysage D’Hiver - Die Berge 15) Dwarrowdelf - The Fall of Leaves 16) Oxygen Destroyer - Guardian of The Universe 17) Vitriol - Suffer And Become 18) Jon Anderson & The Band Geeks - True 19) Marche Funebre - After The Storm 20) Anciients - Beyond The Reach of The Sun 21) Big Big Train - The Likes of Us 22) Triumpher - Spirit Invictus 23) Ensiferum - Winter Storm 24) Judas Priest - Invincible Shield 25) Helvetets Port - Warlords 26) Skeletal Remains - Fragments of The Ageless 27) Crypt Sermon - The Stygian Rose 28) Ironflame - Kingdom Torn Asunder 29) Fulci - Duck Face Killings 30) Unto Others - Never, Neverland 31) Ripped To Shreds - Sanshi 32) Deep Purple - = 1 33) Kalandra - A Frame of Mind 34) Jerry Cantrell - I Want Blood
Love the channel! I still need to listen to a few of yours, especially your #1! Here's my favorites: 1. Lizzy McAlpine- "Older" 2. The Lemon Twigs- "A Dream is All We Know" 3. Francis of Delirium- "Lighthouse" 4. Father John Misty- "Mahashmashana" 5. Josh Garrels- "Seek Hi Seek Lo" 6. Caligula's Horse- "Charcoal Grace" 7. Kacey Musgraves- "Deeper Well" 8. Vampire Weekend- "Only God Was Above Us" 9. Zach Bryan- "The Great American Bar Scene" 10. Arooj Aftab- "Night Reign" 11. Aquilus- "Bellum II" 12. Fontaines D.C.- "Romance" 13. Dangermuffin- "Dangermuffin" 14. Imminence- "The Black" 15. The Cure- "Songs Of A Lost World" 16. Benjamin Francis Leftwich- "Some Things Break" 17. Alcest- "Le Chants de l'Aurore" 18. David Gilmour- "Luck and Strange" 19. Opeth- "The Last Will And Testament" 20. MGMT- "Loss of Life" 21. Blood Incantation- "Absolute Elsewhere" 22. Adrianne Lenker- "Bright Future" 23. Jon Batiste- "Beethoven Blues" 24. The Hanseroth Twins- "Vera" 25. Leon Bridges- "Leon"
Great list as always! Several of these would be in consideration for my list too, although I admittedly lack your skill of actually making proper lists like this because I always get too indecisive and want to include far too many. I feel like recommending a couple of albums that would likely be on my list but probably won't be mentioned by anyone else in these comments as they are a bit outside of what's covered on this channel. Not that you don't cover a broad spectrum because you most certainly do, and I know you listen to an even wider range of music off-channel. My first recommendation is Keegan Tawa with the album "Tesselation", a jazz collaboration which features 25 artists from Turkey, Iran, Tunisia, Israel, India, China, and the United States. It's interesting and exotic but far from inaccessible. My second recommendation is an electronic downtempo album by Ott titled "Hiraeth". Ott is a producer and musician from Dorset, if I'm not mistaken, who has worked with artists such as The Orb and Brian Eno. His own albums are also absolutely brilliant if you like psychedelic electronic music. (Think something in the landscape between The Orb and Ozric Tentacles.)
Interesting picks Jim. A couple nearly made my faves for the year. Here's mine. 1. Monkey3 - Welcome to the Machine, 2. Bevis Frond - Focus on Nature 3; Peter Perrett - The Cleansing, 4; Sergeant Thunderhoof - The Ghost of Baden Hill, 5; Psychlona - Warped Vision, 6; The Hanging Stars - On A Golden Shore, 7; Mr Bison - Echoes From The Universe, 8; Doug Tuttle - Keeping Alive, 9; Argos - Halfway Between Heaven and Mirth, 10; Ball - Midnight Heat. Keep up the good work my friend.
My album of the year, so far, has been Bridear's "Born Again" which I describe as metal that rock fans can enjoy. Other than that most of the music I've enjoyed this year has come packaged in mini-albums (20-30 minutes) which I'll save in case you make that a category.
I think this current line up of Bridear is the best they’ve had. Ayumi and Moe have great chemistry as does the entire band. I hope this version of the band will be stable.
Not set in stone but here's what I got right now. I went heavy this year! 1. Opeth- Last Will and Testament 2. Leprous- Melodies of Atonement 3. Ihsahn- Ihashn 4. Mirar- Mare 5. Blood Incantation- Absolute Elsewhere 6. Devin Townsend- Powernerd 7. Frost*- Life in the Wires 8. Kingcrow- Hopium 9.The Pineapple Thief 10. Piah Mater
Magdalena Bay’s Imaginal Disk is a masterpiece. A transcendental prog pop journey with so many melodies , a plethora of inventive hooks and changes that challenge the listener to the point of tears! It’s undeniable, makes this 40 something so thrilled and glad I’m with it, rather than being an old grump unprepared to try something new, and this my friend is something beautiful and new. Btw, this is number one on the listeners AOTY 2024 list. Will get overlooked by the mainstream but we music lovers know and support magnificent bay😅
That was a fascinating watch/listen, Jim! I'm definitely going to have a listen to your Top 3, at least, because if they're good enough to beat my own Album Of The Year they must be spectacular! My favourite album this year being, without any shadow of doubt, Opeth's Last Will And Testament. The only new release that has come close to it for me, I think, is Wintersun's Time II, but it wasn't really that close at all. And I don't really like harsh vocals 😅 Apart from those, my other favourite album this year is "All The Greatest Dudes" by the magnificent Japanese Blues Rock band GLIM SPANKY, but it's a greatest hits album so doesn't really count, although it includes 6 or 7 new songs as well.
Opeth's The Last Will and Testament isn't that easy to get into (sort of like In Cauda Venenum). It requires plenty of listens to really understand and appreciate it.
A few I loved this year was Beardfish - Songs For Beating Hearts, Frost - Life In The Wires, The Pineapple Thief - It Leads To This and Returned to Earth - Stalagmite Steeple.
Haven't listened to much new stuff this year. My top 3 would likely be (alphabetical order): Beardfish - Songs for Beating Hearts Frost* - Life in the Wires Oddleaf - Where Ideal and Denial Collide Much props to the French newcomers Oddleaf. For a debut record, they impressed the heck out of me and the prog community in general. And it's great to see Beardfish back after their almost decade hiatus. I have listened once to the new albums by Caligula's Horse, Opeth, and Neal Morse, but haven't really digested them enough to rate. And I still need to check out the new Ritual album, can't wait to see what these guys have in store for us 15-plus years past their last record.
Nice list. There’s four releases this year that I think are outstanding: 1. Saki - Germinans ep 2. Bridear - Born Again 3. Lovebites - ep 2 4. Band Maid - Epic Narratives
Great list! I don't have a firm top 10 yet, but here's some of my favourites that didn't make your list (and may have slipped under the radar in general). I'll star the ones that I think could be a good fit for the channel: Actionfredag - Lys fremtid i mørke The Aristocrats - Duck Consider the Source - The Stare* Ellesmere - Stranger Skies Forq - Big Party Fractal Sextet - Sky Full of Hope* Frost* - Life in the Wires*** (this one's a MUST, Jim!) Isildur's Bane & Jinian Wilde - The Pearl of Ever Changing Shell IZZ - Collapse the Wave Kyros - Mannequin* Monkey3 - Welcome To The Machine* Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp - Ventre Uniques Ovrfrwrd - There Are No Ordinary Moments Plantoid - Terrapath* Present - this is NOT the end Rosalie Cunningham - To Shoot Another Day* Steve Hackett - The Circus and the Nightwhale* The Tangent - To Follow Polaris Tom Penaguin - S/T And I still have a list of 50+ albums that I've not gotten around to checking out this year! It's so hard to keep up these days... Right, I'm off to watch your Azure reaction now because that one somehow passed me by when you released it.
A E O N S -Ghosts of what we knew - deserves more attention, in my top 10 with others you mention. Prog metal alive and well here in Isle Of Man, for such a small place it churns out quality metal bands.
Hi Jim, There are some great albums on this list and several would be in my top ten of 2024. Others are a no go area for me as you know. I completely agree with Jin Anderson.
I’m super interested for this list and I’m just gonna comment before watching this one. I truly hope The likes of Us by Big Big Train is on this list. One of the most surprising releases for 2024 and tops my 2024 top10 quite easily. Simply astounding record
A nice balance to your year end list Jim, i really need to check out that David Gilmour album 😊 1/ Chat Pile - Cool World 2/ Blood Incantation - Absolute Elsewhere 3/ Delving - All Paths Diverge 4/ Opeth - The Last Will And Testament 5/ Crypt Sermon - The Stygian Rose 6/ Vestige - Janis 7/ Hamferd - Men Guds hond er sterk 8/ Jack White - No Name 9/ Wheel - Charismatic Leaders 10/ Svartelder - Trenches Also worthy mentions to the following > GiGi FM - Movimiento, Iotunn - Kinship, The Obsessed - Gilded Sorrow, Castle Rat - Into the Realms, Witch Vomit - Funeral Sanctum, Judas Priest - Invincible Shield, Svart - Relentless Downfall, Naemi - Dust Devil.
-Top 5 Blood Incantation - Absolute Elsewhere Opeth - The Last Will and Testament *Alcest - Chants de l'aurore Vafurlogi - Í vökulli áþján *Thy Catafalque - XII: A Gyönyörü Álmok Ezután Jönnek -Honourable mentions Ulcerate - Cutting the Throat of God *40 Watt Sun - Little Weight Julie Christmas - Ridiculous and Full of Blood Cold Cave - Passion Depression The Cure - Songs of a Lost World Aquilus - Bellum II Liminal Shroud - Visions of Collapse Akhlys - House of the Black Geminus Seth - La France des Maudits Krallice - Inorganic Rites Envy - Eunoia * my recommendations for you :)
I cannot believe Nightwish's Yesterwynde is not on your list - unbelievable. For me far and away the best album this year. Imperious. Did you even listen to it. If not please do so and be amazed.
My 10 favourite albums of 2024 (Which I don't consider a great musical year). Random order: Ches Smith - Laugh Ash Kamasi Washington - Fearless Movement Beth Gibbons - Lives Outgrown Oneida - Expensive Air Lætitia Sadier - Rooting for Love The Smile - Wall of Eyes Sam Lee - Songdreaming Four Tet- Three John Cale - POPtical Illusion MoonMot - 350 Million Herring
True is a great album that grows on me everytime I hear it. It's also probably better than anything Yes has put out since Jon was in the band. I heard at least one other person say it was the best Yes album since GFTO. The latest Beardfish album is really good too.
Great list! Blood Incantation is even a bit heavy for me normally, but Absolute Elsewhere is such an incredible record you can't help but be in awe of it - the opening 8 minutes are from another world - exhilarating! I'd add Crypt Sermon - The Stygian Rose and Anciients - Beyond the Reach of the Sun for my list :)
This has been a year that the music doesn't hold much for me. I only got 10 releases that came out this year. So, technically, that would be my top 10. LOL 10. Cosmic Trigger "A Floating World" 9. Anciients "Beyond the Reach of the Sun" 8. Leprous "Melodies of Atonement" 7. Fu Manchu "Return of Tomorrow" 6. Evergrey "Theories of Emptiness" 5. Static-X "Project Regeneration Vol. 2" 4. Mastodon + Lamb of God "Floods of Triton" 3. Devin Townsend "PowerNerd" 2. Tigran Hamasyan "The Bird of A Thousand Voices" 1. Opeth "The Last Will and Testament" I'll have to check out some albums on your list since I feel I did not get enough good music this year. Thanks for sharing them!
Just like you I only have bought 10 studio albums of 2024 plus 3 live albums. Maybe you wanna check my list and tell me what you think. We've got exactly 1 album on both our lists : Opeth, even though not my no 1, but it's in my Top 5 🤘 Who or what is Tigran Hamasyan ? I only know Sergej Tankian und David Minasian 😆
@@rudolfbecker4313 The Opeth album just got 1st by default. Like you, it's not my top Opeth album, but it is a good return to form for them. I was just going on release date of 2024 as opposed to all albums that I got this year. That would be a very different list. Tigran Hamasyan is an Armenian jazz piano player that is phenomenal. He is a virtuosic talent that really pushes the boundaries of jazz. Some of his music is basically metal without guitars. Jim did one song of his a long time ago. I suggest watching the in studio performance of "Drip" with the Berklee Middle Eastern Fusion Ensemble. This new release of his is also an online video game that is free to play and has the album as the soundtrack. As to your list, I didn't even know Rudess had a new solo album out! 🤦♂ I have his previous albums and listen from time to time. Back in the 90's at the L.A. NAMM show, I got to see him doing his Rudess-Morgenstein project in a very small crowd. It was astounding! I'm a huge Ayreon fan and have all of Arjen's musical projects. I've seen BOC a couple of times and have some of their albums but I wouldn't consider myself a fan. I dig the Aristocrats quite a bit. Guthrie is ridiculously talented!...as are the other two guys! The others on your list I haven't listened to or I don't care for them. Slash and Jinger don't appeal to me. Their music feels too one dimensional for my tastes. I lean towards much more complex and difficult music, like Tigran and Dream Theater. The others from your list and Jim's I am going to have to check out. It seems I'm slipping and missed some good ones! 😁
@@Easy_Skanking you've really made me curious for Tigran Hamasyan ... I will check his music 👍 Maybe I can make you a bit envious : I've seen Ayreon already 3 times live and in Sep will be concert no 4. First time was in 2018 at Graspop Metal Meeting, in 2019 the Electric Castle show, in 2023 the 01011011 Beneath the waves show - which was the best so far ... I guess you have the bluray ? I wish we would have seen Ayreon Universe, which was another awesome concert ... I love the bluray .. had you seen the mixtape I created for Jim in 2023? The other 2 bands of your list, that I've seen live are Evergrey opening for James LaBrie sometime around 2004 and Mastodon, also at Graspop, I think it was in 2014 .... Aristocrats are on my bucket list .... love their bluray as well, so funny guys ( with their squeeking little animals ... do you know?) ... other than that 3 highly talented musicians. Do you have any concert plans for 2025 ?
@@rudolfbecker4313 Yes, I am jealous about Ayreon! Arjen playing on this side of the Atlantic is too rare. Yes, I did enjoy that list you made for Jim then! The shows I want to see so far are Dream Theater at The Grand Old Opry in Feburary, and Devin Townsend + TesseracT in May. An announcement was made today of SATCHVAI, which is Steve Vai and Joe Satriani in a band together. I hope they will play a show near me as those two were huge influences in my guitar playing. Any cool upcoming shows on your schedule?
Good range of choices, Jim. Haven't heard them all but they're all at least intriguing. My top 10 hasn't solidified yet - that's next week's task - but Weather Systems, Ritual, IZZ, GY!BE, Pure Reason Revolution and Big Big Train are definitely in there. As I'm getting Opeth's newie for Xmas I haven't been immersed in it yet, I don't know exactly where it'll be but I'm suspecting it might be no.1. Jon Anderson might make the top 10 but David Gilmour won't. I need to listen to Blood Incantation again. That's my task for the rest of the afternoon.
5. Beth Gibbons - Lives Outgrown 4. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - No Title as of February 1328,340 Dead 3. Rosalie Cunningham - To Shoot Another Day 2. Jack White - No Name 1. St. Vincent - All Born Screaming
@ yes, well worth listening to. 90 minute double album…. No filler at all. After posting my comment I saw Prog Report gave it their album of the year so I’m not alone 😀
maybe for metal fans, that like all kinds of newer metal ... I didn't hear anything which motivated me to buy, since in most of the bands there is no more "normal" singing and the only bands where I can stand growls or similar are Opeth, Jinjer and Amorphis; my son listens to Metalcore and similar stuff .. I don't like it. But maybe you can recommend "the one" album, which is an absolute must to have heard🤘
I've started watching and had to interrupt at no 4. Now after dinner I thought, why don't I list my Top albums without being influenced by your Top3; actually I think your Top 3 are not in my Top 10. When I collected my 2024 CDs from my shelf I realized I only bought 13 albums of 2024, even though I bought more than 50 CDs throughout the year. So I decided, if I only got a total of 13, I can list them all 😆 And just like you said, it's the ranking right now and might change from day to day. The only album I'm absolutely sure about, is my no 1, and I'm convinced, that maybe maximum 2 - 3 people might have it in their Top 10 ... so wait and read: Nr. 13 Blue Öyster Cult - Ghost Stories ... created of older songs/snippets with the help of KI, as one of the members is dead Nr. 12 Slash - Orgy Of The Damned ... an album with coversongs ... honestly I had expected more, so I only like 3 - 4 of the 12 songs Nr. 11 Kraan - Zoup ... still active since the 70s with interruptions it's an ok album, but not more Nr. 10 Blind Ego - Hunting Party ... the album is still growing on me, but it won't be no 1 or 2 in my Blind Ego ranking Nr. 9 Jinjer - Live in Los Angeles ... I realize once more, that it's more fun to watch and listen to Jinjer than only listen Nr. 8 Aristocrats - Duck ... same here ... the Aristocrats (Govan,Minnemann, Beller) play great music, but it's much more fun to watch their DVDs Nr. 7 Wheel - Charismatic Leaders ... after the first song in youtube I was a bit disappointed, but now listening to the whole album it gets better and better Nr. 6 Chris Botti - Vol. 1 ... the right album for quiet moments Nr. 5 RPWL - True Crime Live ... their complete 2023 album played live plus some greatest hits ... a must for the fan Nr. 4 Opeth - The Last Will And Testament ... it's a good album, but it's still not in my Top 5 Opeth Nr. 3 Von Hertzen Brothers - In Murmuration ... not quite as good as the 2 albums before, but still many good songs and I'm looking forward to the concert in March 25 Nr. 2 Ayreon - 01011001 - Live Beneath The Waves ... I was surely influenced by the great impressions of being at the concert ... but it's great music performed by great musicians and singers Nr. 1 Jordan Rudess - Permission To Fly ... my no 1 for several reasons : first of all, my expectations were low, thinking ok, another instrumental album. But the I realized that Jordan composed some real good songs, lots of Jordan in it, a bit Dream Theater, but the deciding factor is the singer. That Joe Payne (what a name🤣), I'd never heard of him, but his voice is very special and not everybody will like it, maybe we'll hear some on the channel next year 🤘 I also want to mention a compilation recommended by eclipse - my favourite music magazine, released in 2024, but all old music: Heavy Kraut Part 1 and 2, covering the years 1970 - 1983 - 2 double CDs with a total of 57 bands - of which I knew only 14, so lots of good old music to discover 🤘
Good list, Rudi though, like Jim's list, I haven't heard them all. Though a DT fan, I'm a bit scared of an hour of Jordan Rudess on his own - I have heard, seen and even talked to 'That' Joe Payne - he's on some later Enid albums and certainly has a very striking voice but his solo stuff is too mainstream/almost disco for me. My list isn't finalised yet but it's a toss-up between Ritual's 'The Story of Mr Bogd' and Opeth for me. Scandinavia wins again!
Absolutely agree with your choice for #1. It's a musical miracle to me, I never thought I would hear this music, this quintessentially *YES* music, ever again. I've listened to little else since it's release, I've tried to mix it up but I keep going back to it. 🤟🏻🤟🏻
Jon Anderson/The Band Geeks’ Truth is outstanding. A great selection for 2024. Nice list Jim!
Frost - Life in the Wires is my album of the year, i am going to bet you haven't listened to it yet but i think it is right up your street, it sounds a bit like Haken and also Spocks Beard. Frost is such an underrated band that deserve more exposure.
Yet another brilliant but under-exposed and under-appreciated band like you say. I have a faint memory of Jim watching a clip from The Rockfield Files DVD years ago so he should at least be aware of them but I can't remember if he ever did any follow-ups. I also can't remember to what degree he seemed to like that one song back then but I bet he would enjoy their music (even) more now after the music journey he's been through with this channel.
@@KrakeloaHe heard Moral and Consequence a few months ago on a "new music Friday" episode - seemed to really like it! Waiting patiently for a full album reaction
That’s my undisputed album of the year as well. They have outdone themselves in every matter
I have missed this record all together! I must listen.
@@JimNewstead yes. My album of the year as well!
Great list Jim! Here's my top five :
Alcest : Les Chants de l'Aurore
The Asteroid No.4 : Several Shapes of Solar Flares
The Cure : Songs for a Lost World
The Church : Eros Zeta and the Perfumed Guitars
Opeth : The Last Will and Testament
Excellent listings!. Luck and Strange is so good. True deserves to be #1.
So many bands Ive never heard of, but want to discover now, Thank you Jim
Blood Incantation, extremely well explained. So unbelievably innovative. My numero uno
Glad to see Azure make the list Jim! It is in my top 5 . One of the most adventurous releases I heard this year! Great list! 🤘
I had never heard of them until I saw this list. I checked out Fym and I absolutely love it! Listened to the whole thing 3 times already.
@ that Is awesome! I requested the full album months ago on Jim’s channel! Glad it is finding and audience!
It's so good! And I love it that people are latching onto it!
Great picks Jim, seems we share a few in common too
1) Blood Incantation - Absolute Elsewhere
2) Ihsahn - Ihsahn
3) Borknagar - Fall
4) Opeth - The Last Will And Testament
5) Necrot - Lifeless Birth
6) Cemetery Skyline - Nordic Gothic
7) Striker - Ultrapower
8) Nile - The Underworld Awaits Us All
9) Saxon - Hell, Fire And Damnation
10) Wintersun - Time II
11) Blitzkrieg - Blitzkrieg
12) IOTUNN - Kingship
13) Winterfylleth - The Imperious Horizon
14) Paysage D’Hiver - Die Berge
15) Dwarrowdelf - The Fall of Leaves
16) Oxygen Destroyer - Guardian of The Universe
17) Vitriol - Suffer And Become
18) Jon Anderson & The Band Geeks - True
19) Marche Funebre - After The Storm
20) Anciients - Beyond The Reach of The Sun
21) Big Big Train - The Likes of Us
22) Triumpher - Spirit Invictus
23) Ensiferum - Winter Storm
24) Judas Priest - Invincible Shield
25) Helvetets Port - Warlords
26) Skeletal Remains - Fragments of The Ageless
27) Crypt Sermon - The Stygian Rose
28) Ironflame - Kingdom Torn Asunder
29) Fulci - Duck Face Killings
30) Unto Others - Never, Neverland
31) Ripped To Shreds - Sanshi
32) Deep Purple - = 1
33) Kalandra - A Frame of Mind
34) Jerry Cantrell - I Want Blood
Super long and great list!
@@JimNewstead Ha I know, sorry. If you loved Blood Incantation, I think you may well like Borknagar's Fall.
Love the channel! I still need to listen to a few of yours, especially your #1!
Here's my favorites:
1. Lizzy McAlpine- "Older"
2. The Lemon Twigs- "A Dream is All We Know"
3. Francis of Delirium- "Lighthouse"
4. Father John Misty- "Mahashmashana"
5. Josh Garrels- "Seek Hi Seek Lo"
6. Caligula's Horse- "Charcoal Grace"
7. Kacey Musgraves- "Deeper Well"
8. Vampire Weekend- "Only God Was Above Us"
9. Zach Bryan- "The Great American Bar Scene"
10. Arooj Aftab- "Night Reign"
11. Aquilus- "Bellum II"
12. Fontaines D.C.- "Romance"
13. Dangermuffin- "Dangermuffin"
14. Imminence- "The Black"
15. The Cure- "Songs Of A Lost World"
16. Benjamin Francis Leftwich- "Some Things Break"
17. Alcest- "Le Chants de l'Aurore"
18. David Gilmour- "Luck and Strange"
19. Opeth- "The Last Will And Testament"
20. MGMT- "Loss of Life"
21. Blood Incantation- "Absolute Elsewhere"
22. Adrianne Lenker- "Bright Future"
23. Jon Batiste- "Beethoven Blues"
24. The Hanseroth Twins- "Vera"
25. Leon Bridges- "Leon"
Some great choices!
Great list as always! Several of these would be in consideration for my list too, although I admittedly lack your skill of actually making proper lists like this because I always get too indecisive and want to include far too many. I feel like recommending a couple of albums that would likely be on my list but probably won't be mentioned by anyone else in these comments as they are a bit outside of what's covered on this channel. Not that you don't cover a broad spectrum because you most certainly do, and I know you listen to an even wider range of music off-channel.
My first recommendation is Keegan Tawa with the album "Tesselation", a jazz collaboration which features 25 artists from Turkey, Iran, Tunisia, Israel, India, China, and the United States. It's interesting and exotic but far from inaccessible.
My second recommendation is an electronic downtempo album by Ott titled "Hiraeth". Ott is a producer and musician from Dorset, if I'm not mistaken, who has worked with artists such as The Orb and Brian Eno. His own albums are also absolutely brilliant if you like psychedelic electronic music. (Think something in the landscape between The Orb and Ozric Tentacles.)
I MUST check out Ott..... that sounds right up my alley!
Interesting picks Jim. A couple nearly made my faves for the year. Here's mine. 1. Monkey3 - Welcome to the Machine, 2. Bevis Frond - Focus on Nature 3; Peter Perrett - The Cleansing, 4; Sergeant Thunderhoof - The Ghost of Baden Hill, 5; Psychlona - Warped Vision, 6; The Hanging Stars - On A Golden Shore, 7; Mr Bison - Echoes From The Universe, 8; Doug Tuttle - Keeping Alive, 9; Argos - Halfway Between Heaven and Mirth, 10; Ball - Midnight Heat. Keep up the good work my friend.
My album of the year, so far, has been Bridear's "Born Again" which I describe as metal that rock fans can enjoy. Other than that most of the music I've enjoyed this year has come packaged in mini-albums (20-30 minutes) which I'll save in case you make that a category.
I think this current line up of Bridear is the best they’ve had. Ayumi and Moe have great chemistry as does the entire band. I hope this version of the band will be stable.
@@thomasrotweiler Yes, an excellent album. Have you heard the new album from Saiseiga it's called 'The Black Hole'? I think you might like it.
Not set in stone but here's what I got right now. I went heavy this year!
1. Opeth- Last Will and Testament
2. Leprous- Melodies of Atonement
3. Ihsahn- Ihashn
4. Mirar- Mare
5. Blood Incantation- Absolute Elsewhere
6. Devin Townsend- Powernerd
7. Frost*- Life in the Wires
8. Kingcrow- Hopium
9.The Pineapple Thief
10. Piah Mater
Magdalena Bay’s Imaginal Disk is a masterpiece. A transcendental prog pop journey with so many melodies , a plethora of inventive hooks and changes that challenge the listener to the point of tears! It’s undeniable, makes this 40 something so thrilled and glad I’m with it, rather than being an old grump unprepared to try something new, and this my friend is something beautiful and new.
Btw, this is number one on the listeners AOTY 2024 list. Will get overlooked by the mainstream but we music lovers know and support magnificent bay😅
That was a fascinating watch/listen, Jim! I'm definitely going to have a listen to your Top 3, at least, because if they're good enough to beat my own Album Of The Year they must be spectacular! My favourite album this year being, without any shadow of doubt, Opeth's Last Will And Testament. The only new release that has come close to it for me, I think, is Wintersun's Time II, but it wasn't really that close at all. And I don't really like harsh vocals 😅
Apart from those, my other favourite album this year is "All The Greatest Dudes" by the magnificent Japanese Blues Rock band GLIM SPANKY, but it's a greatest hits album so doesn't really count, although it includes 6 or 7 new songs as well.
Eek! My choices might not align with yours :)
@JimNewstead It's allowed 😅
Opeth's The Last Will and Testament isn't that easy to get into (sort of like In Cauda Venenum). It requires plenty of listens to really understand and appreciate it.
A few I loved this year was Beardfish - Songs For Beating Hearts, Frost - Life In The Wires, The Pineapple Thief - It Leads To This and Returned to Earth - Stalagmite Steeple.
Haven't listened to much new stuff this year. My top 3 would likely be (alphabetical order):
Beardfish - Songs for Beating Hearts
Frost* - Life in the Wires
Oddleaf - Where Ideal and Denial Collide
Much props to the French newcomers Oddleaf. For a debut record, they impressed the heck out of me and the prog community in general. And it's great to see Beardfish back after their almost decade hiatus.
I have listened once to the new albums by Caligula's Horse, Opeth, and Neal Morse, but haven't really digested them enough to rate. And I still need to check out the new Ritual album, can't wait to see what these guys have in store for us 15-plus years past their last record.
The Von Hertzen Brothers are amazing live. I'll get into their releases eventually 😅
Thanks Jim!!!!
True is my album of the year, no doubt!🤩
No “life in the Wires” by Frost*?
I do not think he has heard it. That is my album of the year! Classic Frost! Brilliant record!👍🏻
So many people recommending it - I think it'll be coming soon.
Not trying to influence you,Jim, but you will love it! You might have to revise your list!!
@ we are trying to influence him!!
Nice list. There’s four releases this year that I think are outstanding:
1. Saki - Germinans ep
2. Bridear - Born Again
3. Lovebites - ep 2
4. Band Maid - Epic Narratives
Thanks for the tips!
the guys in Pepe Deluxe, who are also from Finland, are fans of the Von Herzten Brothers.
Hey Jim! So happy with your #1!!! TRUE is just incredible. It truly is the album of the year❣️❣️❣️👍😎
True, that!
@@TheReaperMan275👍😎
It had to be!
@@JimNewstead It's incredible!!!👍😎
Great list! I don't have a firm top 10 yet, but here's some of my favourites that didn't make your list (and may have slipped under the radar in general). I'll star the ones that I think could be a good fit for the channel:
Actionfredag - Lys fremtid i mørke
The Aristocrats - Duck
Consider the Source - The Stare*
Ellesmere - Stranger Skies
Forq - Big Party
Fractal Sextet - Sky Full of Hope*
Frost* - Life in the Wires*** (this one's a MUST, Jim!)
Isildur's Bane & Jinian Wilde - The Pearl of Ever Changing Shell
IZZ - Collapse the Wave
Kyros - Mannequin*
Monkey3 - Welcome To The Machine*
Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp - Ventre Uniques
Ovrfrwrd - There Are No Ordinary Moments
Plantoid - Terrapath*
Present - this is NOT the end
Rosalie Cunningham - To Shoot Another Day*
Steve Hackett - The Circus and the Nightwhale*
The Tangent - To Follow Polaris
Tom Penaguin - S/T
And I still have a list of 50+ albums that I've not gotten around to checking out this year! It's so hard to keep up these days... Right, I'm off to watch your Azure reaction now because that one somehow passed me by when you released it.
Don’t miss out on Al di Meola’s release from this year, “Twentyfour.” Stellar playing and compositions.
An excellent album which most likely would be on my list too!
Yikes.... I have missed it. Must try harder.... :)
A E O N S -Ghosts of what we knew - deserves more attention, in my top 10 with others you mention. Prog metal alive and well here in Isle Of Man, for such a small place it churns out quality metal bands.
That's awesome!
Hi Jim,
There are some great albums on this list and several would be in my top ten of 2024. Others are a no go area for me as you know.
I completely agree with Jin Anderson.
Lists are fun!!!
I’m super interested for this list and I’m just gonna comment before watching this one. I truly hope The likes of Us by Big Big Train is on this list. One of the most surprising releases for 2024 and tops my 2024 top10 quite easily. Simply astounding record
It did! :)
A nice balance to your year end list Jim, i really need to check out that David Gilmour album 😊
1/ Chat Pile - Cool World
2/ Blood Incantation - Absolute Elsewhere
3/ Delving - All Paths Diverge
4/ Opeth - The Last Will And Testament
5/ Crypt Sermon - The Stygian Rose
6/ Vestige - Janis
7/ Hamferd - Men Guds hond er sterk
8/ Jack White - No Name
9/ Wheel - Charismatic Leaders
10/ Svartelder - Trenches
Also worthy mentions to the following > GiGi FM - Movimiento, Iotunn - Kinship, The Obsessed - Gilded Sorrow, Castle Rat - Into the Realms, Witch Vomit - Funeral Sanctum, Judas Priest - Invincible Shield, Svart - Relentless Downfall, Naemi - Dust Devil.
Jim hates Chat Pile lol I scared him on a mix tape.
@@jimofthenorth8090 Hahaaha🤣 .. i think he should give them another try, he's missing out.
Hmmmm.... need to check out the new Wheel album
I don't HATE them as such, I just really don't like them. At all. Ever. Nope. Not for me. :)
-Top 5
Blood Incantation - Absolute Elsewhere
Opeth - The Last Will and Testament
*Alcest - Chants de l'aurore
Vafurlogi - Í vökulli áþján
*Thy Catafalque - XII: A Gyönyörü Álmok Ezután Jönnek
-Honourable mentions
Ulcerate - Cutting the Throat of God
*40 Watt Sun - Little Weight
Julie Christmas - Ridiculous and Full of Blood
Cold Cave - Passion Depression
The Cure - Songs of a Lost World
Aquilus - Bellum II
Liminal Shroud - Visions of Collapse
Akhlys - House of the Black Geminus
Seth - La France des Maudits
Krallice - Inorganic Rites
Envy - Eunoia
* my recommendations for you :)
I cannot believe Nightwish's Yesterwynde is not on your list - unbelievable. For me far and away the best album this year. Imperious. Did you even listen to it. If not please do so and be amazed.
This is literally the first time I’ve even heard of it!!!
@@JimNewstead I would love to hear your thoughts. The whole album plus some videos are available on youtube.
My 10 favourite albums of 2024 (Which I don't consider a great musical year). Random order:
Ches Smith - Laugh Ash
Kamasi Washington - Fearless Movement
Beth Gibbons - Lives Outgrown
Oneida - Expensive Air
Lætitia Sadier - Rooting for Love
The Smile - Wall of Eyes
Sam Lee - Songdreaming
Four Tet- Three
John Cale - POPtical Illusion
MoonMot - 350 Million Herring
you are much further away from mainstream than I am ... I think I know 4 artists of your list but none of the albums 🤔
True is a great album that grows on me everytime I hear it. It's also probably better than anything Yes has put out since Jon was in the band. I heard at least one other person say it was the best Yes album since GFTO. The latest Beardfish album is really good too.
Great list! Blood Incantation is even a bit heavy for me normally, but Absolute Elsewhere is such an incredible record you can't help but be in awe of it - the opening 8 minutes are from another world - exhilarating!
I'd add Crypt Sermon - The Stygian Rose and Anciients - Beyond the Reach of the Sun for my list :)
Perfect!
Thank you!
This has been a year that the music doesn't hold much for me. I only got 10 releases that came out this year. So, technically, that would be my top 10. LOL
10. Cosmic Trigger "A Floating World"
9. Anciients "Beyond the Reach of the Sun"
8. Leprous "Melodies of Atonement"
7. Fu Manchu "Return of Tomorrow"
6. Evergrey "Theories of Emptiness"
5. Static-X "Project Regeneration Vol. 2"
4. Mastodon + Lamb of God "Floods of Triton"
3. Devin Townsend "PowerNerd"
2. Tigran Hamasyan "The Bird of A Thousand Voices"
1. Opeth "The Last Will and Testament"
I'll have to check out some albums on your list since I feel I did not get enough good music this year. Thanks for sharing them!
Just like you I only have bought 10 studio albums of 2024 plus 3 live albums. Maybe you wanna check my list and tell me what you think.
We've got exactly 1 album on both our lists : Opeth, even though not my no 1, but it's in my Top 5 🤘
Who or what is Tigran Hamasyan ? I only know Sergej Tankian und David Minasian 😆
@@rudolfbecker4313 The Opeth album just got 1st by default. Like you, it's not my top Opeth album, but it is a good return to form for them.
I was just going on release date of 2024 as opposed to all albums that I got this year. That would be a very different list.
Tigran Hamasyan is an Armenian jazz piano player that is phenomenal. He is a virtuosic talent that really pushes the boundaries of jazz. Some of his music is basically metal without guitars. Jim did one song of his a long time ago. I suggest watching the in studio performance of "Drip" with the Berklee Middle Eastern Fusion Ensemble. This new release of his is also an online video game that is free to play and has the album as the soundtrack.
As to your list, I didn't even know Rudess had a new solo album out! 🤦♂
I have his previous albums and listen from time to time. Back in the 90's at the L.A. NAMM show, I got to see him doing his Rudess-Morgenstein project in a very small crowd. It was astounding!
I'm a huge Ayreon fan and have all of Arjen's musical projects.
I've seen BOC a couple of times and have some of their albums but I wouldn't consider myself a fan.
I dig the Aristocrats quite a bit. Guthrie is ridiculously talented!...as are the other two guys!
The others on your list I haven't listened to or I don't care for them. Slash and Jinger don't appeal to me. Their music feels too one dimensional for my tastes. I lean towards much more complex and difficult music, like Tigran and Dream Theater.
The others from your list and Jim's I am going to have to check out. It seems I'm slipping and missed some good ones! 😁
@@Easy_Skanking you've really made me curious for Tigran Hamasyan ... I will check his music 👍
Maybe I can make you a bit envious : I've seen Ayreon already 3 times live and in Sep will be concert no 4.
First time was in 2018 at Graspop Metal Meeting, in 2019 the Electric Castle show, in 2023 the 01011011 Beneath the waves show - which was the best so far ... I guess you have the bluray ?
I wish we would have seen Ayreon Universe, which was another awesome concert ... I love the bluray .. had you seen the mixtape I created for Jim in 2023?
The other 2 bands of your list, that I've seen live are Evergrey opening for James LaBrie sometime around 2004 and Mastodon, also at Graspop, I think it was in 2014 .... Aristocrats are on my bucket list .... love their bluray as well, so funny guys ( with their squeeking little animals ... do you know?) ... other than that
3 highly talented musicians. Do you have any concert plans for 2025 ?
@@rudolfbecker4313 Yes, I am jealous about Ayreon! Arjen playing on this side of the Atlantic is too rare. Yes, I did enjoy that list you made for Jim then!
The shows I want to see so far are Dream Theater at The Grand Old Opry in Feburary, and Devin Townsend + TesseracT in May. An announcement was made today of SATCHVAI, which is Steve Vai and Joe Satriani in a band together. I hope they will play a show near me as those two were huge influences in my guitar playing.
Any cool upcoming shows on your schedule?
Tigran Hamasyan is an incredible pianist and musician. I've made a video somewhere with his music!
Hey Jim! BIG surprise!! My album of the year is TRUE. Jon Anderson and The Band Geeks hit it out of the park! Awesome album!!!!👍⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️😎
Totally out of the blue, and brilliant!
@@JimNewstead Agree!👍😎
If you haven't, give Georgie Greeps "The New Sound" a listen. It caught me by complete surprise and ended up being my album of the year.
My top 3 releases of the year :
1. The Cure
2. Public Service Broadcasting
3. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
Finally listened to the Blood Incantation album. Preferred the Opeth album but still enjoyed it.
Good range of choices, Jim. Haven't heard them all but they're all at least intriguing. My top 10 hasn't solidified yet - that's next week's task - but Weather Systems, Ritual, IZZ, GY!BE, Pure Reason Revolution and Big Big Train are definitely in there. As I'm getting Opeth's newie for Xmas I haven't been immersed in it yet, I don't know exactly where it'll be but I'm suspecting it might be no.1. Jon Anderson might make the top 10 but David Gilmour won't. I need to listen to Blood Incantation again. That's my task for the rest of the afternoon.
I hope you enjoyed Blood Inc again!
@@JimNewstead I did. Very enjoyable but not quite top 10.
5. Beth Gibbons - Lives Outgrown 4. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - No Title as of February 1328,340 Dead 3. Rosalie Cunningham - To Shoot Another Day 2. Jack White - No Name 1. St. Vincent - All Born Screaming
Beth Gibbons, oh yes...Outstanding record....
yeah strongly agree ;-))
Knowing your no 1 now I will at least give it a second listen 😆
почему-то вс1 вышеизложенное меня не впечатлило. One of the 2024 albums I really liked was - 'Wallows' - 'Model'
Excellent list…. But…. No Frost* Life in the Wires???? That is my top album for the last 5 years.
Blimey! Well.... I haven't heard it yet :(
@ yes, well worth listening to. 90 minute double album…. No filler at all. After posting my comment I saw Prog Report gave it their album of the year so I’m not alone 😀
Personally I think Blood Incantation and IOTUNN absolutely destroyed everyone else this year and this was an amazing year for metal.
Both of those would be in my top 5, with Iotunn my favorite of the year.
maybe for metal fans, that like all kinds of newer metal ... I didn't hear anything which motivated me to buy, since in most of the bands there is no more
"normal" singing and the only bands where I can stand growls or similar are Opeth, Jinjer and Amorphis; my son listens to Metalcore and similar stuff .. I don't like it. But maybe you can recommend "the one" album, which is an absolute must to have heard🤘
Thanks Jim the savings this month are gone😀
Doh!
I've started watching and had to interrupt at no 4. Now after dinner I thought, why don't I list my Top albums without being influenced by your Top3; actually I think your
Top 3 are not in my Top 10. When I collected my 2024 CDs from my shelf I realized I only bought 13 albums of 2024, even though I bought more than 50 CDs throughout the year.
So I decided, if I only got a total of 13, I can list them all 😆 And just like you said, it's the ranking right now and might change from day to day. The only album I'm absolutely sure about, is my no 1, and I'm convinced, that maybe maximum 2 - 3 people might have it in their Top 10 ... so wait and read:
Nr. 13 Blue Öyster Cult - Ghost Stories ... created of older songs/snippets with the help of KI, as one of the members is dead
Nr. 12 Slash - Orgy Of The Damned ... an album with coversongs ... honestly I had expected more, so I only like 3 - 4 of the 12 songs
Nr. 11 Kraan - Zoup ... still active since the 70s with interruptions it's an ok album, but not more
Nr. 10 Blind Ego - Hunting Party ... the album is still growing on me, but it won't be no 1 or 2 in my Blind Ego ranking
Nr. 9 Jinjer - Live in Los Angeles ... I realize once more, that it's more fun to watch and listen to Jinjer than only listen
Nr. 8 Aristocrats - Duck ... same here ... the Aristocrats (Govan,Minnemann, Beller) play great music, but it's much more fun to watch their DVDs
Nr. 7 Wheel - Charismatic Leaders ... after the first song in youtube I was a bit disappointed, but now listening to the whole album it gets better and better
Nr. 6 Chris Botti - Vol. 1 ... the right album for quiet moments
Nr. 5 RPWL - True Crime Live ... their complete 2023 album played live plus some greatest hits ... a must for the fan
Nr. 4 Opeth - The Last Will And Testament ... it's a good album, but it's still not in my Top 5 Opeth
Nr. 3 Von Hertzen Brothers - In Murmuration ... not quite as good as the 2 albums before, but still many good songs and I'm looking forward to the concert in March 25
Nr. 2 Ayreon - 01011001 - Live Beneath The Waves ... I was surely influenced by the great impressions of being at the concert ... but it's great music performed by great
musicians and singers
Nr. 1 Jordan Rudess - Permission To Fly ... my no 1 for several reasons : first of all, my expectations were low, thinking ok, another instrumental album. But the I realized that
Jordan composed some real good songs, lots of Jordan in it, a bit Dream Theater, but the deciding factor is the singer.
That Joe Payne (what a name🤣), I'd never heard of him, but his voice is very special and not everybody will like it,
maybe we'll hear some on the channel next year 🤘
I also want to mention a compilation recommended by eclipse - my favourite music magazine, released in 2024, but all old music: Heavy Kraut Part 1 and 2, covering the years 1970 - 1983 - 2 double CDs with a total of 57 bands - of which I knew only 14, so lots of good old music to discover 🤘
Good list, Rudi though, like Jim's list, I haven't heard them all. Though a DT fan, I'm a bit scared of an hour of Jordan Rudess on his own - I have heard, seen and even talked to 'That' Joe Payne - he's on some later Enid albums and certainly has a very striking voice but his solo stuff is too mainstream/almost disco for me. My list isn't finalised yet but it's a toss-up between Ritual's 'The Story of Mr Bogd' and Opeth for me. Scandinavia wins again!
@@kenl2091 wait 'til next year, maybe Jordan's album will be on the channel ... but it's so different from the other album I have 😄
Joe Payne has an excellent voice. Check out the album Invicta by The Enid 👀
I really liked Jordan's album, but didn't listen on the channel.
Hecho de menos The new sound de Geordie Greep
It’s a pity you didn’t recommend some of your favourite songs on these albums . To make checking them all out more accessible
No, but that gives me an idea for another video!!!
@ I’m definitely looking forward to that
Opeth!
F yeah Jim, caligulas horse.... proud of my country men, live 2 hrs down the road... list is primo mate
Boring prog slog.
Each to their own!
What?