Earlier this year, a “mysterious” artist named Neon Nightmare made waves with some appealing singles that paid clear homage to Type O Negative, and when the unnamed artist released his debut album Faded Dream, he confirmed something that a lot of people expected: that he was in fact Spirit Adrift leader (and former Gatecreeper member) Nate Garrett. As Nate caps off this exciting year, he’s now made us a list of his favorite albums of 2024, with commentary on each pick, and fans of underground metal will find a lot to love about Nate’s list. See what he had to say below.
Nate also talked about some other albums from this year (including Necrot and Judas Priest) on his Big Riff Energy podcast.
**
Nate Garrett’s 10 Favorite Albums of 2024
Eternal – Cryptic Lust
Young Arizona death metal killers. For fans of memorable songwriting, Death, Morbid Angel, Autopsy, and the Undertaker walkout music.
Fulci – Duck Face Killings
Brutal in every possible way. But a lot of fun. For fans of Lucio Fulci, Cannibal Corpse – The Bleeding, and 1980s pre-gentrification sleazy NYC.
Dreamless Veil – Every Limb Of The Flood
Smart guy black metal, but not too smart. For fans of Dissection, Deathspell Omega, Rwake??
Zombi – Direct Inject
Best sounding bass tone I’ve heard in a long time. Beautiful, exciting, atmospheric, instrumental bliss. For fans of Tangerine Dream, Goblin, post-rock, kraut rock, SICK ass bass guitar tone.
Atrae Bilis – Aumicide
Bonkers. For fans of glitching out of the matrix via the psychedelic experience.
Ulcerate – Cutting The Throat Of God
Genius level shit that’s technically stunning but still heavy and pummeling. Cosmic violence. For fans of people who play the living shit out of their instruments within the context of actual songs that are heavy.
Laceration – I Erode
Classic death metal with hints of old school thrash and heavy metal. For fans of the first two Malevolent Creation records, early Suffocation, old-school spooky thrash metal vibes.
Sovereign – Altered Realities
Everything cool about death metal + everything cool about thrash metal. PLUS other wild shit, parts even bordering on tragic doom metal. For fans of Mental Vortex, Spiritual Healing, Beneath the Remains, Morbus Chron, and sci fi in general.
Coffin Storm – Arcana Rising
This embodies everything that makes folks fall in love with metal/extreme music in the first place. Adolescent “fuck you” energy in the most fun possible way. Channels the melting pot circa 1986/87 when classic heavy metal, thrash, punk, and burgeoning subgenres like death/doom/black metal collided in hot boxed bedrooms and gnarly basement venues. Most unhinged vocal performance you’ll hear this year.
Neon Nightmare – Faded Dream
Easily the best album released this year or any other year. A truly stunning achievement that will go down in the annals of human history. This will be in the library of congress.