Anyone who claims “rock is dead” obviously hasn’t been paying attention. From astral prog to ancient doom, Swedish sass to British steel, this year proved the doubters wrong (again).

Here’s our pick of the Best Rock and Metal Albums of 2024…

20. The Cold Stares – The Southern (Mascot Records)

The Southern wasn’t all it seemed to be when Chris Tapp and co dropped a truly exceptional record in September.

Blues and hard rock sat at the heart of an album rich in authenticity and ambitious in its scope.

And there was more Cream than The Cadillac Three driving a set that – according to our review – meant many things to many people.

Blow Wind Blow and Giving It Up had the feel of peak Hendrix while Woman would sound perfect propping up a Rival Sons record. Simon Rushworth

Read the full review here.

19. Undeath – More Insane (Prosthetic Records)

Undeath’s third album reinforced why they’re one of the most popular bands in modern death metal: pinpoint riffs that burrowed deep into the bone, muscular songs stripped of fat, and a fine grasp of DM dynamics.

The insanely catchy Brandish The Blade was peak Undeath, instinctive, visceral, and explosive, while Dead from Beyond rolled with an urgent groove, and Cramped Caskets (Necrology) saw Kyle Beam and Jared Welch rocking like prime Steer/Amott, while torching their fretboards.

Gothenburg’s melodeath shadow even loomed over Surtured for War, proving the Rochester act aren’t afraid to broaden their horizons (a little).

The momentum is behind Undeath. And at present, they seem unstoppable. Richard Holmes

Check out the full review of More Insane here.

18. Midnight – Hellish Expectations (Metal Blade)

Spattered with blood, sweat and puke, Midnight’s 2022’s effort, Let There Be Witchery, was a fine record, but Hellish Expectations eclipsed it, for its unbridled, Motörpowered majesty.

Indeed, mainman Athenar had the scent of blood in his nostrils as his ‘Black rock ‘n’ roll’ creation burst free, giving us savage bursts of punk fury such as Nuclear Saviour, and the Whiskey-slugging, Lemmy-loving Slave of the Blade.

The death blow was delivered on F.O.A.L. (Fuck Off And Live), the album’s closing statement. A raucous rager, it was the anti-anthem we all needed… and a howl of true defiance. RH

Read the full review of Hellish Expectations here.

Midnight by Hannah Verbeuren

17. Royal Republic – LoveCop (Odyssey Music)

Confirmed as the Saturday headliner at next summer’s Call Of The Wild festival, LoveCop could be Royal Republic’s crowning glory.

The sass and sax underpinning single Wow! Wow! Wow! was wonderfully wacky.

And we knew Sweden’s craziest, catchiest musical export would craft more of the same on a career best record.

Capable of keeping a metal crowd keen and holding a pop rock crowd in the palm of their hands, Royal Republic are all things to all men.

And the super lively LoveCop was an arresting mix of Scandi cool. SR

16. 200 Stab Wounds – Manual Manic Procedures (Metal Blade Records)

200 Stab Wounds really stepped up on Manual Manic Procedures: this was a bloody head and torso above their 2021 debut, Slave To The Scalpel.

The Cleveland crew sliced prime cuts from Carcass, Cannibal Corpse and Exhumed, and regurgitated them into hook-laden tracks like dramatic album opener Hands Of Eternity and the offal chewing Gross Abuse. The riffs kicked, the grooves shattered, carnage ensued.

Crucially, 200 Stab Wounds had sharpened their songcraft in the years following Slave… and it really showed. RH

15. Korpiklaani – Rankarumpu (Nuclear Blast)

Rankarumpu was a lesson in no-holds-barred Finnish revelry that had us in a daze from start to finish.

The title track – and fourth single from the album – rightly fought off competition from allcomers to claim a Red Hot Track Of The Week nod.

And there was high jinks, camaraderie and all round craziness running through 12 of 2024’s most uplifting tunes.

Saunaan (Sauna) was a fret melter of a folk metal classic while Kalmisto (March To The Grave) leant heavily on Korpiklaani’s storied past.

Jonne Järvela and co. nailed it on the band’s 12th – and possibly best – long player. SR

14. Nails – Every Bridge Burning (Nuclear Blast)

By 2020, Nails looked like they’d rusted away.

But founder and frontman Todd Jones clearly had other ideas, and hit back with a new line-up and an eviscerating new record.

Every Bridge Burning was every bit as ferocious as its predecessors: a nuclear conflagration of grind, crust, death metal and powerviolence; an unhinged, feral beast on the edge of chaos.

The deft twists of pace hurled you through concrete. Incendiary fretwork scorched the earth. And Jones roared with an urgency born from the years without this outlet. 

Was there a snappier, catchier riff than Nails delivered on Give Me The Painkiller in 2024? We doubt it. RH

Check out our full review of Every Bridge Burning here.

Nails by Hristo Shindov

13. Saxon – Hell, Fire And Damnation (Silver Lining Music)

Barnsley’s best metal export celebrate the first anniversary of Hell, Fire And Damnation next month.

But almost a year down the line and one of the fiercest records of 2024 still stands toe to toe with the opposition.

Biff Byford might be about to tick off his 74th birthday but his voice never sounded stronger on a superb album that he also co-produced.

The thumping title track, marvellous Madame Guillotine and fist-pumping 1066 set this metal masterclass apart. SR

Read the full review here.

12. The Obsessed – Gilded Sorrow (Ripple Music)

The world is a better place with The Obsessed in it. A doomier, more menacing one, perhaps. But a better one nonetheless.

Founder Scott ‘Wino’ Weinrich made us wait seven years for the follow-up to Sacred, but by Christ, it was worth it.

Yes Stoned Back To The Bomb Age and Realize a Dream took their places as two of the finest songs in Wino’s repertoire (and we know that’s saying something), but throughout Gilded Sorrow, doom’s outlaw showed his hand as one of the genre’s most talented writers and guitarists.

Nearly 50 years since they first crawled out of Maryland, The Obsessed continue to astound… and Wino continues to deliver. RH

11. Arð – Untouched by Fire (Prophecy Productions)

Arð’s debut, Take Up My Bones – a tale of Saint Cuthbert, a seventh century monk and the patron saint of Northumbria – put North East England’s heritage in front of an international audience, and brought founder Mark Deeks’ long-held vision to life.

And on this follow-up, he made good on his promise that “Northumbria would speak again”. Six new hymns of stirring monastic doom spilled from Deeks and his troupe of guest musicians, who this time recounted the story of the seventh century King Oswald – the warrior king who was once the most powerful ruler in Britain.

Akin to a cinematic score, the graceful Untouched by Fire took us back to ancient keeps and hallowed halls, and was unmatched in its beauty. RH

10. Kerry King – From Hell I Rise (Reigning Phoenix)

With thrash metal’s big four either mothballed or taking a break from the studio it only seemed right for Slayer alumnus Kerry King to fly the flag in 2024.

And this bone cruncher of a riff fest had it all as King hooked up with Death Angel frontman Mark Osegueda to thunderous effect.

Rushonrock Red Hot Track Of The Week Toxic best illustrated this heady brew of traditional thrash and mind-blowing modern metal.

And King sounded like a riff meister with much to prove – despite a career soundtracked by a slew of genre-defining classics.

But drafting in Osegueda was the smartest move of all. SR

Find out who made 2024’s thrash metal cut here.

9. Nestor – Teenage Rebel (Napalm)

The pick of 2024’s melodic rock bunch saw super Swedes Nestor follow up 2021’s sleeper hit Kids In A Ghost Town in spectacular style.

Think an orgy of Sunset Strip-fuelled hedonism featuring the very best of Bon Jovi, Skid Row and LA Guns.

Add broad brushstrokes of AOR royalty Foreigner and Toto and you start to get a taste for Teenage Rebel.

Ballads Last To Know, Daughter and The One That Got Away demanded constant rotation at Rushonrock HQ.

And now we just need to get Nestor over to a sweaty club in Newcastle… any takers? SR

Check out our Best Melodic Rock Albums of 2024 here.

8. Mother of Graves – The Periapt Of Absence (Profound Lore Records)

Mother of Graves‘ sophomore opus was touching, mournful and for such a heavy band, exquisitely delicate.

The quintet’s sombre essence, first glimpsed on their 2022 debut, Where the Shadows Adorn, remained intact, but new shoots sprouted from the cemetery soil as they carved out a death doom masterpiece,.

The stunning Upon Burdened Hands hooked us as well as any Paradise Lost classic and the driving Gallows pulsed like the undead heart of 80s Goth.

Shatter the Visage, meanwhile, encapsulated the Indianapolis act’s evolution: its near-six minute journey felt like an album in itself, such was its time warping, soul touching qualities.

They were just a few highlights of a monumental record. RH

Check out the full review of The Periapt Of Absence here.

7. Post Malone — F-1 Trillion (Mercury)

Country continues to be Rushonrock’s crossover genre of choice and Post Malone pulled in all of his A-List pals to make one of the 2024’s standout long players.

Driven by monster hit I Had Some Help, this meaty set had something for everyone as the Post man delivered.

Whether belting out Wrong Ones with the legendary Tim McGraw, or capturing a classic vibe on Have A Heart with Dolly Parton, Malone pitched everything just right.

Flying solo on What Don’t Belong To Me, Right About You and Yours, the 29-year-old proved he could make a decent fist of making decent country without the help of his friends.

Country’s first Trillion seller? Don’t bet against it. SR

Find out which records made our country top 10 here.

6. Winterfylleth – The Imperious Horizon (Candlelight Records)

Since they emerged in 2006, Winterfylleth have been waving the banner for UK black metal, while scaling new heights as musicians and songwriters.

And that individual and collective growth was never more evident on The Imperious Horizon, the quintet’s seventh full-length.

With keyboard player Mark Deeks now ingrained in Winterfylleth’s BM epics (the title track is a case in point), and Chris Naughton, Nick Wallwork and Russell Dobson laying down hyper-dexterous fretwork, there’s a feeling that anything is possible.

From the acoustic grace of Earthen Sorrows, to the sweeping drama of In Silent Grace – which featured the talents of Primordial vocalist AA Nemtheanga – this record was a stirring emotional voyage, as impressive as the mountain peaks which adorned its cover. RH

Check out our Best Black Metal Albums of 2024 here.

5. High Fade – Life’s Too Fast (RPN Records)

Remember when Dan Reed, Stevie Salas Colorcode, Living Colour and White Trash were filling rock radio with funk?

Well Edinburgh-based three-piece High Fade picked up the baton in 2024 and ran with it on the electric Life’s Too Fast.

There was something instantly gratifying and incredibly addictive about their 70s throwback sounds – and these boys could play.

Life’s Too Fast featured glorious soundscapes paced by meandering solos, dreamy beats and neat storytelling.

High Fade tour the UK and North America in 2025 – miss them and miss out. SR

4. Judas Priest – Invincible Shield (Sony Music)

Was Invincible Shield the finest Judas Priest album since Painkiller?

Well, we thought so.

The shock and awe.  The speed and steel. The sheer, overwhelming passion. They were all woven into Invincible Shield by metal’s legendary forge masters.  

Rob Halford stood defiant in the face of father time. Richie Faulkner stood head and shoulders above his peers… and as Panic Attack fired up and Trial By Fire burned bright, it was clear we had something very special on our hands.

Yes, this was a triumphant return from the metal gods. And we bowed our heads in worship. RH

Find out who made our top 10 trad metal albums of 2024 here.

3. Quireboys – Wardour Street (Cadiz Music)

The back end of 2024 was a time for celebration within the Quireboys camp as two years of in-fighting between former friends and colleagues finally came to an end.

With both factions trailing brand new albums this was Spike’s chance to shine and Wardour Street – a heartfelt tribute to the late, great Guy Bailey – didn’t disappoint.

Undoubtedly the best Quireboys record since the band’s sparkling 1990 debut, tracks like I Think I Got It Wrong Again, You And I and It Ain’t Over Now reprised those carefree early days.

But with Luke Morley on board the production was sharp, the attention to detail unmatched and the overall sound simply stunning.

Wardour Street was a wonderful trip down memory lane but it was as much about the future as the past. SR

Read the full review here.

2. Blood Incantation – Absolute Elsewhere (Century Media)

Blood Incantation have been launching their astral death into deep space since 2011, and we just know that any aliens receiving this transmission will be queuing up for longsleeves at the interplanetary merch stall.

Extreme metal heirs to Hawkwind and Pink Floyd, Blood Incantation absolutely excelled on Absolute Elsewhere: they set the controls for the heart of the sun as The Stargate (Tablet 1) opened up a black hole of vortex riffs, time-travelling dub and pulsing Krautrock.

Retro-psych gave way to celestial leads on The Message (Tablet III) and even Tangerine Dream came along for the ride on Stargate (Tablet 2). You never knew what was going to come next. But it never failed to enthral. RH

Check out our Best Death Metal Albums of 2024 here.

1. Massive Wagons – Earth To Grace (Earache)

Massive respect to Massive Wagons: the years of hard graft, hard talk and hard decisions are paying off big style.

A first UK top five album (and a fourth successive rock and metal number one) underlined Earth To Grace’s cocksure brilliance.

But another banger of an album was backed up by incessant touring, fun-filled festival sets and fan-friendly in-stores – Wagons know better than most how to keep the pot boiling in between studio stints.

The Baz Mills-fronted collective captured the imagination of the NWOCR community years ago.

Earth To Grace was due warning that it’s time for the rest of the world to get on board. SR

Read the full review here.