In 1994, BraveWords & Bloody Knuckles magazine was born and here we stand 30 years later celebrating the past 12 months of music on our anniversary! What an incredible ride it has been and it's far from over! And during the past three decades, we've literally seen/heard thousands of releases and this is the time of the season when we crown the finest! The BraveWords scribes have spoken, so join us each day this month as we count down to the BravePick of 2024!

Remember, everybody has an opinion and it’s time for ours! Stay tuned at the end of December for BraveWords' writers’ individual Top 20s (new studio albums ONLY), Top 5 Brave Embarrassments (a fan favorite!), What/Who Needs To Stop In 2024? and Metal Predictions For 2025. 

BravePicks 2024

5) KERRY KING - From Hell I Rise (Reigning Phoenix)

 

When BraveWords enshrined Slayer’s Repentless as our #1 album in 2015, we didn’t anticipate ranking another release featuring Kerry King on our list. Slayer laid their guitars down and Tom Araya all but disappeared from the scene until the surprise Slayer reunion shows earlier this year. Combined with that unexpected, but welcomed announcement – the bearded behemoth unleashed his debut and one filled with the venomous thrash and demon soaked attitude that we all missed.

With Death Angel vocalist Mark Osegueda spitting poison behind the mic, Paul Bostaph's familiar beatings on the drums, and Phil Demmel’s melodic scaling to combine with King’s chaos, From Hell I Rise was an album sorely needed and one of the best to come forth this year and we want more. King reigns once again as From Hell I Rise begins our top 5.

Scribe Nick Balazs rated the album a 7.5; writing King “doesn’t overthink his writing and does what he does best.” An excerpt of his review:

Devilish praises also need to be dropped on Mark Osegueda, who provides a menacing presence with his aggressive, violent, angry vocals. While it would have been a plus to hear Mark utilize his melodic voice in certain moments, it is understandable why it was not used. Paul Bostaph is a total pro behind the kit and Sanders is talented as well, but the bass barely registers.

Hell’s fury cranks for 13 tracks at 45 minutes with a fresh production job, the guitars roar with intensity, thankfully missing that muddiness that drained Repentless. The one-two punch of “Trophies Of The Tyrant” and “Crucifixation” is King at his best – mixing mid-paced evil atmosphere with inventive, speeding riffs. “Everything I Hate About You” is the shortest King-penned track at 1:21 at Osegueda owns it vocally. “Idle Hands” being the first single is perplexing as it’s the most standard piece and doesn’t showcase the muscled songwriting highlighted througout.

BravePicks 2024 Top 30

5) KERRY KING - From Hell I Rise (Reigning Phoenix)
6) BORKNAGAR - Fall (Century Media)
7) SEBASTIAN BACH - Child Within The Man (Reigning Phoenix)
8) GRAND MAGUS - Sunraven (Nuclear Blast)
9) IOTUNN - Kinship (Metal Blade)
10) NILE - The Underworld Awaits Us All
11) EVERGREY - Theories Of Emptiness (Napalm)
12) THE CROWN - Crown Of Thorns (Metal Blade)
13) NECROPHOBIC - In The Twilight Grey (Century Media)
14) DJEVEL - Natt Til Ende (Aftermath)
15) INTRANCED - Muerte y Metal (High Roller)
16) KITTIE - Fire (Sumerian)
17) BLACKTOP MOJO - Pollen (Cuhmon Music Group) 18) BLOOD RED THRONE - Nonagon (Soulseller)
19) RIOT V - Mean Streets
20) PORTRAIT - The Host 
21) ROTTING CHRIST - Pro Xristou (Season Of Mist)
22)SAXON - Hell, Fire And Damnation (Silver Lining)
23) ULCERATE - Cutting The Throat Of God (Debemur Morti Productions)
24) POWERWOLF - Wake Up The Wicked (Napalm)
25) ENSIFERUM - Winter Storm (Metal Blade)
26) OPETH - The Last Will And Testament (Reigning Phoenix Music)
27) DARK TRANQUILLITY - Endtime Signals (Century Media)
28) MORGUL BLADE - Heavy Metal Wraiths (No Remorse)
29) THE DEAD DAISIES - Light 'Em Up (Independent)
30) MÖRK GRYNING - Fasornas Tid (Season Of Mist)