The Best of 2024 Year-End Poll is Now Open!
[PLEASE NOTE: This post will remain on top of the page until the poll ends in January. New posts follow underneath. Thanks.]
I have to admit to feeling somewhat clueless as to where this poll is headed. Some years it’s so blanket obvious that I feel silly even putting it up — though even then it’s fun, which is why I do anyhow — but there seem to be so many different directions this year’s poll could go between traditional styles in stoner, doom, etc., and the experimental, established acts and generational newcomers. There are more than a few acts I’m very curious about and have been for months now, and some records I feel like I’ve been sweating about all year that need more love. What’s it gonna be?
Rules and whatnot follow the form below:
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Thanks for reading and taking part. Please share the link if you can.
The rules don’t change, and like most of the post, they’re cut and pasted from last year: Anything from Jan. 2024 to whatever’s coming out between now and Dec. 31 is eligible. If something is out digitally now and physical later and you want to include it, do so. Two lists are tabulated; one of the raw votes, and one in which a 1-4 ranking is worth five points, 5-8 worth four, 9-12 worth three, 13-16 worth two and 17-20 worth one.
If you’re not sure what counts or what to include, remember this is for your enjoyment. Stress about your top 20 if you want — I know I’m stressing about mine — but remember that the point here is to enjoy the thing. Debate is great, passion is the driving force of everything, but let’s keep debate civil and don’t give yourself too hard a time either.
As ever, I extend deepest gratitude to you for participating and to Slevin, who put together this poll and every year fields the “hey it’s poll time” text from me with grace and kindness and generosity. Thank you.
Poll runs until Dec. 31, 2024. Barring disaster or if I decide to let it go a couple extra days, results will be out Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, along with individual lists.
Have fun, and thanks again!
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Tags: Best of 2024 Year-End Poll, Readers Poll, The Obelisk, The Obelisk Best of 2024 Year-End Poll
1.The lunar effect – sounds of green & blue
2.Big scenic nowhere – the waydown
3.Sunnata – chasing shadows
4.Lowrider & Elephant tree – the long forever
5.Spaceslug – out of water
6.Rezn – Burden
7.Maidavale – sun dog
8.Valley of the sun – quintessence
9.Fuzz sagrado – cold remains
10.Chelsea wolf – she reaches out
11.Pallbearer – mind burns alive
12.Blue heron – everything fades
13.Greenleaf- the head & the habit
14.Ufumammut – hidden
15.1000 mods – cheat death
16.Vibravoid – we cannot awake
17.Slomosa – tundra rock
18.Blues pills – birthday
19.Kadavar – Kadavar
20.Caixão – entre o velho tempo futuro
great list
1. Greenleaf – The Head and The Habit
2. Psychlona – Warped Visions
3. Hashtronaut – No Return
4. High Desert Queen – Palm Reader
5. Grand Magus – Sunraven
6. Dool – The Shape of Fluidity
7. The Lunar Effect – Sounds of Blue and Green
8. Goodnight Sky – Oceania
9. The Quill – Wheel of Illusions
10. Legions of Doom – The Skull 3
11. MOOCH – Visions
12. Lie Heavy – Burn to the Moon
13. My Dying Bride – This Mortal Binding
14. Sergeant Thunderhoof – The Ghost of Badon Hill
I’m started to work on a list but so far I’ve only gotten:
1. Greenleaf
2. Gnome
4. Lunar Effect
5. Mt Hush
Clearly I need to look for some new albums!
Longheads and Karkara are well worth the listen
1. Blood Incantation – Absolute Elsewhere
2. Spirit Mother – Trails
3. Lord Buffalo – Holus Bolus
4. Abrams – Blue City
5. Mr. Bison – Echoes From the Universe
6. Sumac – The Healer
7. High on Fire – Cometh the Storm
8. Mario Lalli & the Rubber Snake Charmers – Folklore From the Other Desert Cities
9. Sergeant Thunderhoof – The Ghost of Badon Hill
10. Chat Pile – Cool World
11. Iota – Pentasomnia
12. Fostermother – Echo Manor
13. Brant Bjork Trio – Once Upon A Time In The Desert
14. Valley of the Sun – Quintessence
15. Black Pyramid – The Paths of Time Are Vast
16. Turned to Stone, Chapter 9: Ritual Earth & Kazak
17. Disastroid – Garden Creatures
18. Dead Runes – Raidho
19. Temple of the Fuzz Witch – Apotheosis
20. Blue Heron – Everything Fades
Looks like I need to check this Lunar Effect album out, made it onto everyone else’s list so far.
You do indeed ..and you wont be disappointed
Blegh, finally, submitted. This was honestly grueling in the most unnecessary ways – probably enjoyed too much good music this year, I guess? Is that a thing?! There were very strong repurposed/renewed, or just new, self titled releases this year, some could make the cut, others had no more spaces. (Looking at you, Gates of Slumber). Some old favorites released great albums, but either didn’t get much spin time or, ultimately as happens, I end up digging older material more, so with strong contenders, legends like High On Fire or Orange Goblin find it hard to compete with 20 other slots. Also hard because headphones are not my go to listening experience, but if I’m waiting on a CD for the van, I have to forgive myself for excluding great albums that I just haven’t had the opportunity to blare properly (apologies specifically owed to Valley of the Sun and Dopethrone – one didn’t get them through customs on the tour, the other will ship next year due to label fuckery, neither their fault, but I want to feel it in my bones, just ‘hearing’ it isn’t the same.) Great, well-rounded year and some of my favorites, especiallsy locals, released some damn fine riffs. Looking forward to seeing where the riffs end up falling in the total tally!
” Great, well-rounded year and some of my favorites, especiallsy locals, released some damn fine riffs.”
Says it all Jeff. It’s a really great thing when your fellow townies are making some of the best music of the year. Not every one enjoys a vibrant local scene, so support support support your local bands and artists so they can grow and travel!
Ok, speech over.
My list is always weird and not what even I think it would turn out to be at 1st glance. I think JJ’s adage of “what I listened to most” rings true.
The top 10 for me were pretty easy this time (and I didn’t even have to think about my top 4!)… everything else was basically a coin flip.
Thank you once again for another year of this lovely corner of the internet!
[ ] Gatecreeper Dark Superstition
[ ] Daily Thompson Chuparosa
[ ] Baardvader When the stars arrive
[ ] Psychlona Warped Visions
[ ] Elephant Tree & Lowrider The long forever
[ ] Phantom Hound From boom town to ghost town
[ ] Dödsrit Nocturnal Will
[ ] Lord Dying Clandestine Transcendence
[ ] Duel Breakfast with Death
[ ] 10000 Years All quiet on the final frontier
[ ] Cannabus The other side
[ ] Schammasch The Maldoror Chants: Old Ocean
[ ] Heavy Trip Liquid Planet
[ ] Fu Manchu The return of tomorrow
[ ] High on Fire Cometh the Storm
[ ] Free Ride Acido y puto
[ ] Season of the witch Vol. 2
[ ] Temple of the fuzz witch Apotheosis
[ ] Solstafir Hin helga kvöl
[ ] Doldrey Only death is eternal
Up until around Q3 2024, I thought this year’s Top 20 would be easy to rank. Oh, how wrong I was! When I finished my initial list, I had nearly 50 releases on it. That’s when the real work began—shuffling things around, rethinking the order here and there.
Honestly, I’m still not completely happy with the ranking from 10 to 20, and there are at least 20 more releases that really deserve a mention. But hey, the Year-End Poll isn’t supposed to turn into a source of stress, right?
I start stressing around Halloween!
Procrastinating sitting down and filling out the chart. If I don’t get to it, Slomosa – “Tundra Rock” for the #1 spot.
Thanks as always JJ! Looking forward to 2025 releases and my bank account crying from buying so much ;)
Finished my list Dec 31st, but I already found a mistake. Slift’s Ilion was released in January of ’24 (although it seems much longer!). I would have had that on my list….say around #10
Oh well! Can’t wait to see the results…
I hope you’re doing well! I’m reaching out from Ghost Pipe to share our latest release, Spirit Speaks. It’s a heavy psych/doom ritual in motion blending clean melodies, bellowing roars, and a final, raw invocation meant to evoke a shamanic, cathartic experience.
You can listen to the track here:
https://ghostpiperocks.bandcamp.com/track/spirit-speaks
And here on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/track/1A18yb4jwN3lA9nKfqPDru?si=zuJd_G7dR9G_otsoprcNKQ
We’d be thrilled if you’d consider reviewing it or featuring it in one of your upcoming roundups.
Thanks so much for your time and for supporting underground heavy music!
Best regards,
Allen Milbourne
Ghost Pipe
https://www.instagram.com/ghostpipe1