BravePicks 2024 - The Scribes Speak!
Sephora Henderson

Top 20 Of 2024
1) BORKNAGAR - Fall (Century Media)
2) DJEVEL - Natt Til Ende (Aftermath Music)
3) FLOTSAM AND JETSAM - I Am The Weapon (AFM)
4) BLOOD RED THRONE - Nonagon (Soulseller Records)
5) EVERGREY - Theories of Emptiness (Napalm)
6) RIBSPREADER - Reap Humanity (Xtreem Music)
7) SWALLOW THE SUN - Shining (Century Media)
8) KOLDBRANN -Ingen Skånsel (Dark Essence Records)
9) IOTUNN - Kinship (Metal Blade Records)
10) HAMFERÐ - Men Guðs Hond Er Sterk (Metal Blade Records)
11) NECROPHOBIC - In The Twilight Grey (Century Media)
12) THE CROWN - Crown Of Thorns (Metal Blade Records)
13) IHSAHN - Ihsahn (Candlelight Records)
14) 1349 - The Wolf and The King (Season Of Mist)
15) CEMETERY SKYLINE - Nordic Gothic (Century Media)
16) MÖRK GRYNING - Black Angel (Season Of Mist)
17) UNDER THE OAK - The Last Of A Dying Breed (WormHoledeath Records)
18) SÓLSTAFIR - Hin Helga Kvöl (Century Media)
19) DARKTHRONE - It Beckons Us All (Peaceville)
20) ULCERATE - Cutting The Throat Of God (Debemur Morti Productions)

Top 5 Concerts
70000 Tons Of Metal
In 2024 there were 62 bands onboard, and my faves to watch were Kataklysm, The Halo Effect, and Inhuman Condition. I watched both sets for each band and from the first note to the last, they sounded amazing. They also looked amazing - Maurizio Iacono, Mikael Stanne, and Jeramie Kling are all front men who bring the most amazing energy to the stage, and really engage their audiences.  

Scorpions - Bakkt Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino, Las Vegas
Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Love At First Sting album, the Scorpions presented a larger than life spectacle for their Las Vegas residency, and I was there for the final show. Klaus Meine sported a Rock & Roll Forever back-patch in honour of James Kottak during a tribute to their fallen bandmate, and their show brought all the feels of their long and legendary career.

Uli Jon Roth - Lee's Palace, Toronto
An acoustic set followed by a band set, this was an almost-perfect setting to enjoy the mastery of Uli Jon Roth (thumping bass from a different event a few floors above did not go unnoticed by the guitar legend). He shushed a chatty audience member near the front at one point, and did not allow any ambient noise to deter him from weaving his magic. I was also fortunate to witness the mastery of guitarist and vocalist Niklas Turmann - check him out.

Summer Breeze Open Air Festival - Dinkelsbuehl, Germany
An impressive lineup, as always, and Amon Amarth as one of the headliners was a definite highlight. My favourite performances were from Sodom, Enslaved, and Moonspell. I was extremely lucky to see Sodom twice onboard 70000 Tons of Metal earlier in the year, and to see these masters of thrash again, and on German soil, was epic. Enslaved had a very late (very early?) set time in the running order, but it didn't deter me. They played some favourites from across their immense discography, and one of my particular favourites, Ruun. Moonspell has been to Canada, but somehow bypassed my city in recent times, so to see them live, finally, was such a treat - enchanting one might say.  

Goddo - Regent Theatre, Oshawa
Underrated royalty! This was my first time seeing Goddo live, despite this being their 50th anniversary, but better late than never, and it won't be my last. With stellar additions to the original lineup, these pros are heavy-hitting, grooving, and full of attitude. This is a band that knows how to light that rock and roll fire and keep it burning.

Top 5 Brave Embarrassments
POPPY - Negative Spaces (Sumerian Records)
The title says it all. This album put me in a negative space. Poppy has made my embarrassments list before, and in that regard doesn't disappoint.

THE BROWNING - Omni (FiXT)
Sonic soup, and not one I want to eat. Not sure what is going on here, but it sounds like a lot of everything, all at once. A glaring confusion of sounds and styles.

DEAD BY APRIL - The Affliction (Self-released)
Schlocky, cheesy, boy-band sound. Completely underwhelming.

SEVEN HOURS AFTER VIOLET - Seven Hours After Violet (Sumerian Records) 
The sonic equivalent of running on a treadmill - repetitive, tiresome, and heading nowhere.

SUM 41 - Heaven :x: Hell (Rise)
If you like this band in general, you might enjoy this latest album, because their sounds hasn't evolved past the 90's. I think I can see the frosted tips from here.  

Thoughts On 2024
There was certainly no shortage of concerts and tours throughout the year. I was fortunate to be on board 70000 Tons once again - one of the highlights of my year for its unique setting and utter glut of offerings. Then, from open water to open air, there was Summer Breeze in Germany, with impressive offerings to say the least. It is a beast of an operation, and they manage to run it with unmatched style.

Along with fests, concerts and shows come all the merch and swag you can imagine, and I’ll always be one to support as much as I can and encourage everyone to do the same. Getting out to shows and buying physical product and merch are some of the ways we can show our support. In this post pandemic world we need to keep live music thriving. I have an almost desperate feeling about this, because it wasn’t so long ago that this privilege was denied to us.

BraveWords had two major celebrations this year. First, BW celebrated 30 years since it all began. That kind of longevity in this business is rare, but they are able to reach such a milestone because the dedication never stops. And the best is yet to come! Watch out for some exciting developments in the next few weeks. Second, May 2024 saw the launch of BraveWords Records - an addition to the BW profile, and another testament to their commitment to the scene.

What/Who Needs To Stop in 2025
Over-inflated ticket prices. This one is always a sore spot for fans.

Staying in your pigeonhole. Don't forget about the smaller, local bands. Some of my favourite discoveries were opening bands, or bands that played on the smaller stages at fests.  

Nu-metal bands. Just stop. Please.
 

Metal Predictions For 2025

The post pandemic plethora of concert offerings that was the hallmark of 2023 continued throughout 2024, and 2025 is already shaping up to be no less in terms of quantity and variety of shows and tours. This year will be one of wonder and wanderings.

Musicians putting pen to paper and telling their story on the page. We have seen a number of great autobiographies and biographies in recent years, and that trend will likely continue as artists reflect on their legacies and pass along their stories.

BraveWords has something exciting on the horizon (stay tuned!), and will continue to be your one stop for everything in the hard rock and heavy metal family tree.

Read our BravePicks 2024 countdown where Judas Priest's Invincible Shield conquered the throne at #1 here.

More Scribe Speaks:
Mark Gromen
Aaron Small
Carl Begai
Greg Pratt