THE TOP 10 ALBUMS OF THE MONTH should be self-explanatory, an ordered ranking of twenty albums that’d resonated most throughout this month. If you’re new to the site, the tendency is heavy and/or surreal music. Choices are selected based on temporal immersion, personal connection, impressive style, point of view, aesthetics and with consideration for the lasting value of each selection. All choices are ultimately personal and come without consideration for populism, nepotism, cronyism, or any outside factors including perceived “relevance”. Writing about music is a passion I afford as much time as is manageable and I am grateful to have so much to choose from. Thank you.

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I. This month on MystificationZine.com included 28 longform album reviews, 20+ video reviews/features, 56 short album reviews. As much as I try to cover there is a vast, vast number of overlooked releases that are yet worth seeking out. I’ve included the total Top 20 items but focused on the top ten favorites overall.

II. List season is here, so there’ll be a focus on those throughout December. This next month will only include roughly ~6-12 longform reviews and the rest will be split between sub-genre specific lists, a Best of 2024 list, and an editorial post recapping what will change for the site in 2024.

III. In 2024 written reviews will now have a video component which will post at the bottom of each review or feature at the end of each week (~Friday or Saturday) If you enjoy these please consider following on YouTube. We are hovering around 1,100 subscribers and I’m grateful to have so many people interested.

III. As always I’d like to express my gratitude for the bands, labels and PR firms who choose to work with me. Thank you.

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20. GOLGOTHAN REMAINS – Bearer of Light, Matriarch of Death (2024) | REVIEW
19. STEEL INFERNO – Rush of Power (2024) | REVIEW
18. THE GATES OF SLUMBER – The Gates of Slumber (2024) | REVIEW
17. Aversion – Futile Attempts to Reach the Light [Cognitive Discordance]
16. CHAOS INVOCATION – Wherever We Roam… (2024) | REVIEW
15. CZORT – Monumenty (2024) | REVIEW
14. MAGICK POTION – Magick Potion (2024) | REVIEW
13. UNGFELL – De Ghörnt (2024) | REVIEW
12. Örnatorpet – Fordomdags [Nordvis Produktion]
11. NECROFERUM – Visions From the Necrorealm (2024) | REVIEW

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#10
ARTIST:	URGE
TITLE:	Here/After
RECORD LABEL(S):	Icy Cold Records

While it would have made more sense to place any one of the ten runners-up from this list ahead of French/Danish cold wave/post-punk group URGE‘s sombre debut I’d found myself mystified by the lounging, watery dread that sustains ‘Here/After‘. Keeping things stripped down and coming in soft-rippling pace makes for a disaffected character which is heavily disillusioned by the future prospects for humanity, a very classic feeling for this sub-genre which doesn’t feel like flat revivalism. In simplest terms this was just a solid vibe to sit with for hours on end. The band also features members of Plebian Grandstand, Bruit, Orme, et al.

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#9
ARTIST:	VIOLENT DEFINITION
TITLE:	Progressive Obsoletion
RECORD LABEL(S):	I Hate Records/Bestial Invasion

We don’t get this sort of world-class level traditional thrash metal records anymore or if we do it is maybe a handful a year at best so when ‘Progressive Obsoletion‘ hit out the gates and didn’t stop I paid attention. Granted I already knew these guys and had high hopes for their long awaited new material but I wasn’t necessarily expecting Violent Definition to completely smoke the field upon return. The high standards of the late 80’s with just a shade of earliest 90’s groove metal should gel well with old heads best though no doubt this is a show ’em how for thrashers that delineates the major difference between twelfth-gen revisionist imitation and the genuine article, songs really make the difference here.

“In taking the lowest common denominator out of commission via anthropocentric machine learning there can be no free-roaming accommodation made for death-drive imprinted upon the greater artifice. Any effort made to transcend or transmogrify the human experience will inevitably disintegrate per the same fallibility of the mind. Collapse is inevitable as Athens, Greece-based classics-minded thrash metal quartet VIOLENT DEFINITION point to the cowing and culling of humankind via this impressive sophomore full-length album. ‘Progressive Obsoletion‘ is a brilliant refinement of their gig at the very least and a world class example of the sub-genre’s peaking era from any angle.“

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#8
ARTIST:	DJEVEL
TITLE:	Natt til Ende
RECORD LABEL(S):	Aftermath Music

Though all of Djevel‘s discography is quality Norwegian black metal across the board ‘Natt til ende‘ is probably their best overall release since ‘Blant Svarte Graner‘ (2018) for my own taste. As an apex to a trilogy that has explored the band’s atmospheric reach this album now pulls back into some of their more forcefully set riffcraft and catches my ear more often than ever. The overall flow of the full listen, the level of variety in performance and their overall “updated” classicism all reinforce the major strengths of the band.

“Oslo, Norway-based black metal trio DJEVEL uses the glow of fading light and pitch black atmosphere to pull the curtain shut on this masterful ninth full-length album. Given a choir of ghosts, the wrath of a soul near death, and brain-whipping adrenaline in witness of supernatural beauty ‘Natt til ende‘ is both characteristic in its eventful stride and dramatic in its ouevre where all aspects of this band’s efforts are amplified, made increasingly beauteous and cutting in their advance. The result is simultaneously approachable, easily read and enjoyed, and nuanced in its deathly sharpened classics-conscious yet creatively struck reach.“

>> FULL REVIEW <<

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#7
ARTIST:	DEMON BITCH
TITLE:	Master of the Games
RECORD LABEL(S):	Gates of Hell Records

As underground heavy metal continues to consolidate under just a few growing banners looking for more than trendy “new wave of…” gimmickry the return of a high-caliber group like Demon Bitch is a sign of burgeoning health, records that carry a lasting mark and overflow with energizing personality. ‘Master of the Games‘ reminds us just how much of a thrill mid-to-late 80’s speed/heavy metal could be with high level guitar craft, shred worthy flair and a vocalist with truly wild vision. The personal touch applied to this sophomore album invokes an enduring passion for heavy metal, skills stoked for years ’til this record was just right in its execution and statement alike. In fact I still find this album growing on me as I revisit it beyond the review process.

“Fantastical possession, welcomed exile and the ominous mysteries of a journeyed life whip into cyclone as the grand vision of Detroit, Michigan-based heavy metal quintet DEMON BITCH realizes its classicist intent upon returning from eight years spent welling up with this spirited sophomore full-length album. ‘Master of the Games‘ is more than a matter of leveling up to a bigger n’ better proposition from these power-lords but rather a whole new realm of narrative command which reaches the highs of their ‘epic’ ancestral heavy metal inspiration. Still shredding and wailing in a decidedly 80’s heavy metal mused mode their work here ups both speed and intricacy to the point that every hit lands as a muscle flexed, a more biting and insistent clamp down upon the unlimited expressive potential of the traditional heavy metal palette.“

>> FULL REVIEW <<

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#6
ARTIST:	YOTH IRIA
TITLE:	Blazing Inferno
RECORD LABEL(S):	Edged Circle Productions

This second album from Yoth Iria focuses more on songs with a direct anthemic effect, leans into its melodic directive throughout and presents an easily repeated format. As much as I’d liked how different their debut was this time around the appeal from my point of view comes from presenting a modern, or, modified ideation of the Greek black metal sound which largely sticks to a heavy rock/heavy metal composition for its fortitude. What we trade in surreal or unexpected moments here makes for a more memorable record overall.

“Presenting Lucifer’s gift to mankind as a fire set by the burning rays of intellect imbued Athens, Greece-based black metal quintet YOTH IRIA celebrate the key that would unlock free will for all as they continue to revive a life’s work spent passing on this ungentle reminder through the density of fast-cycling, dead-eyed generations. From the old guard and the new this sophomore full-length, ‘Blazing Inferno‘, translates an ancient cult-borne and ruddy form of devotion into a highest-possible standard of render and expression. Kept simple in statement yet entertaining as melody driven and intricately voiced black metal with a uniquely Hellenic heavy metal spiritus this second coming is pure inspiration for the devotee and a finely crafted, memorable experience most black metal attuned folks should find redeeming.“

>> FULL REVIEW <<

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#5
ARTIST:	CRYPTIC BROOD
TITLE:	Necrotic Flesh Bacteria
RECORD LABEL(S):	War Anthem, Lycanthropic Chants, Rotted Life

There is a morbid dance to Cryptic Brood‘s latest album, a familiar-yet-rare sort of movement that carries the core footsteps of classic 80’s doom metal and early 90’s death metal into its own volatile tension. For me this album is pure pleasure listening from a band who remain stylized in a certain way but never flatly predictable, surely an ‘old school’ death/doom metal stance but one that is authentic in its sound and frankly just one of the best around in terms of writing these sorts of riffs and making them work song after song.

“chingly tired, restlessly itching around the wound we find ourselves delirious from the numbness quickly forming behind the eyes as Wolfsburg, Germany-based doomed death metal band CRYPTIC BROOD reinfect through their scour of the ear. An experience of painful nausea and intense fever-dreamed maul the trio’s third full-length album, ‘Necrotic Flesh Bacteria‘, continues to blend the awkward step and depressive gloom of 80’s doom metal with classic death metal sounds at a dynamic ratio which allows for madness-inducing riffcraft on both sides of the fence. Blending their decade-plus of experience into true ‘old school’ death-doom metal fusion and foil this latest release appears written to count with their well-oiled sludge-pump delivering songs (and plenty of riffs) that grip the mind, riddling the experience with morbid tension and leaving the listener’s skull stamped with their own brand of dogged hysteria.“

>> FULL REVIEW <<

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#4
ARTIST:	MEFITIS
TITLE:	The Skorian // The Greyleer
RECORD LABEL(S):	Profound Lore Records

This month was such a boon for both daring and traditional feats that it’d been humbling to try and sort the top five releases at all an as such ‘The Skorian // The Greyleer‘ still feels like it deserves more praise for all that it not only dares to do but does well. The band’d proven there was more than a Svensson-esque track to their compositions on album number two but here on their third LP it feels like they’ve achieved strong enough foundational voice that the Mefitis sound is a weapon to be wielded, a medium to whirl into increasingly musical shapes. Also as cryptic as their treatment of lore has been here it seems more clear a creatively struck fiction stirs beneath the surface, one which makes for compelling muse this time around in particular. Probably one of the most underrated and increasingly non-categorical bands of the last several years.

“Contemplating the “self” as a servile skin, a dimensional casting to be shed of its master Oakland, California-based dark death metal duo MEFITIS illustrates their shattering of the illusory process of becoming on this third and bisected full-length album. ‘The Skorian // The Greyleer‘ showcases these impeccable musicians’ development over the course of two unified sessions spanning roughly four years with further integration of their own personal taste beyond the high-skill strictures of classicist and romanticist blackened death metal muse, now better defining their “dark metal” style. Split into two distinct acts which are compacted into intense detailing (as expected) what may surprise the knowing fandom upon return to Skoria is the sullen expressivity in their work, songcraft which now models itself for emotive and dramatic effect of a new magnitude.“

>> FULL REVIEW <<

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#3
ARTIST:	DEFEATED SANITY
TITLE:	Chronicles of Sanity
RECORD LABEL(S):	Season of Mist

Though I was hoping for an album equally as challenging as ‘The Sanguinary Impetus‘ this time around ‘Chronicles of Lunacy‘ is yet a genius way to reintroduce folks to the top tier work of Defeated Sanity in that it hearkens back to third-gen brutal death metal while retaining the weirding prog-tech rawness that dictates the band’s growth into idiosyncratic virtuosic brilliance. The way that the band calls back to their 2000’s era sound alongside the second-gen BDM pioneers of the late 90’s (Deeds of Flesh, Disgorge, etc.) isn’t cynical, isn’t out of character, and of course is an obvious point of passion for these folks which shows in the detail and impact of their work.

“For this seventh full-length album from Berlin, Germany-borne technical brutal death metal quartet DEFEATED SANITY we are tasked with viewing the hive mind as a tortured monstrosity splattered on a putrid dungeon floor, harassed into beastdom and demented by a loss of will. In depicting psychic descent and physical collapse ‘Chronicles of Lunacy‘ appears to reach a primal state which looks back to the band’s general point of origin without any amnesia for roughly three decades of steady ascent toward infamy. What sounds like a prime-era brutal death classic at face value is actually wriggling with thousand-armed detailing, a not-too well hidden capability which towers above and beyond most any given peer. The unholy imbalance achieved between referential sound design and still-evolved finesse in hand offers a humble form of mastery, a new standard for an old ideal.“

>> FULL REVIEW <<

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#2
ARTIST:	BEDSORE
TITLE:	Dreaming the Strife for Love
RECORD LABEL(S):	20 Buck Spin

If I were the sort to gauge a “best of” squarely upon the pleasure of listening and brilliant depth found within innovative, self-directed vision then Bedsore would’ve been number one this month as this sophomore full-length album is easily among the most distinct and repeatable releases of 2024. I’d appreciated that these folks established a signature sound quite quickly per their debut but here they’ve been bold enough to invert and redefine their focus toward some clear strengths found on prior work. This ensures ‘Dreaming the Strife for Love‘ is more than cinematically charged atmospheric death but a far more personalized experience, one which looks to fuse more of their broad-minded approach into growing personage. Also the source material for the themes and their way of telling this story + artwork involved is probably among my favorite of the year overall, too.

“Roman progressive rock inspired death metal quartet BEDSORE walk us through this ancient tale taking their time to seep the senses of the listener within fantastic realms of dragon-headed halls and impossibly jagged mountain paths toward a peaking reconstitution away from the sting of unrequited love on this sophomore full-length album. A complete inversion of prior principles ‘Dreaming the Strife for Love‘ no longer finds these fellowes presenting an experimentation of mid-90’s death metal infused tones given to 70’s progressive rock’s cinematic elementalism but rather the framing and structures of classic progressive rock given personalized prog-death metal voicing. In taking a step none’ve been bold (or skilled) enough to manage to date we find an authentic voice, esoteric and damned playful in its touch as it arrives steadily levitating. They’ve lost none of their thrilling linearity via an every-note-counts directorial sensibility which pervades all of their work, here every loom is fed with a wizened right-handed intent that finds the band gathering still more gravitas and thickened oeuvre throughout this pure-pleasure of a second great work.“

>> FULL REVIEW <<

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#1	Album of the Month
ARTIST:	MITOCHONDRION
TITLE:	Vitriseptome
RECORD LABEL(S):	Profound Lore Records

It is rare enough that an extreme metal album’s length actually plays in its favor but in the case of this long-awaited return from Mitochondrion getting the full gamut of their sound almost requires such an extensive undertaking. In some sense it is an overwhelming reintroduction, a show of skill gained over the course of a decade, and a veritable thesis rather than a simple thematic arc justifying the oversized experience on hand. In returning to this month’s releases I could certainly find other releases which’d been just as exciting on some level but none that’d carried a sense of self into quite as much depth while also featuring pieces which challenge and distort those notions of identity. While there is a sense of mastery at hand, of course, I’d appreciated that ‘Vitriseptome‘ still felt experimental and exaggerative in some sense and not simply leaning into auld weirdness restoked.

“Broken teeth, lodged swords, and blister-wracked neural tubes developed on a cosmic scale greet the listener with pitch black radiation, a chaotic and frying hiss emanated from the long fermenting caverns of Vancouver, British Colombia-based experimental death metal quartet MITOCHONDRION who return over a decade beyond their mightiest, most horrified mark upon the realm with a third full-length album. The infinite variables of life’s code, psychosis-summoned sacred mathematical analysis, and the inversion of all law-set understanding of nature set the message of ‘Vitriseptome‘ as time-altered death worship, a scratched and blurred lens into morbid rites and seeming infinite layers of entropic recension. Though much of the experience is thought scouring pandemonium and myriad-angled wrath there is yet a theme conveyed and depth steadily revealed as this challenging death metal experience realizes its ambitious third ascension of their gig.“

>> FULL REVIEW <<

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