The 11 Best Metal Albums of 2024 (Ranked)

Loudwire has ranked the 11 best metal albums of 2024. Come see if your favorites from this year made the cut!

As we get deeper into the 2020s, one thing is becoming increasingly clear — we’re living through one of the best eras for heavy music in its 50-plus year history.

We’re truly getting the best of both worlds with. Veterans are releasing some remarkably strong records that are worthy of mentioning in the same breath as the classics. The youth movement is especially exciting too with greater songwriting finesse than a fair deal of what we got throughout the 2010s.

READ MORE: The Best Metal Song of Each Year Since 1970

Impressively, hardcore (which we’re perhaps a bit recklessly lumping in with metal — it’s extreme, it’s heavy) has managed to showcase a breadth in style, continuously finding ways to improve upon stacked breakdowns and tactful deployment of outside influences.

Death metal is swinging in all directions and even the narrower subgenres of metal feel absolutely revitalized.

Anyone who is still out there making bogus claims that rock is dead or that our future festival headliners are “horrible” is unfortunately missing out on another fantastic year in heavy music. They may be content to stand on the sidelines, but we know you’re always ready to jump into the pit with some new, exciting music.

That’s enough hype — let’s count down the 11 best metal albums of 2024!

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