The top 10 Shoegaze albums of 2024

Shoe-gaze continues its come back though as a genre it branches out into dream pop and post-rock so both of those are included in this list, it just makes for an easier title rather than the Top 10, Shoe gaze, dream pop, drugged-out indie rock, and hipster post-rock albums of 2024, which is a lot. These are not the coolest, but the best, fuck what other blogs say, After I sort through the top 10 albums of all the respective genres, I use those lists to compile the top 10 albums of the year. 2024 The very fact these bands made it on the list speaks to how great these albums are, so it's not a slight that the number 8 album is above the 9th album, there is something that just gives it an edge that makes me want to listen to it more. After all, we can try to look cool and pick the hippest bands for a list, but at the end of the day what makes an album the best is that it makes you want more, you look forward to listening to it again. Perhaps you can find your next favorite on this list; and have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out the audio on these guys. Anyway here are the top 10 Shoe Gaze albums of 2024

10-Midas Fall-"Cold Waves Divide Us" 

Elizabeth Heaton's vocals are powerfully emotive. The Scottish band falls somewhere between post-rock and progressive rock. Unlike what most commonly gets depicted as a progressive rock there is not an abundance of odd time signatures or guitar solos.  

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/01/midas-fall-cold-waves-divide-us.html

                 

9-Pallbearer- "Mind Burns Alive" 

 The fifth album by a band who was once one of my favorite doom bands. Each album has been a gradual progression away from doom into what has culminated into the opening track of their new album. Campbell is using a great deal of restraint and taking a more vulnerable approach to his singing.This puts metal behind them, and while I would normally be more resistant to this kind of change it is hard to argue against something this effective

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/04/pallbearer-mind-burns-alive.html

 

8-Alcest -"Les Chants de l'Aurore"  

 This French does not need an introduction here as given their blending of black metal and shoe-gaze we have covered every album no matter where they were in their musical journey. Some have felt more inspired than others. There always seems to be a balance they need to keep in order not to drift too far in becoming the Yes of Black Metal. They have come to an effective balance of rock drive and fairy wonderment.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/06/alcest-les-chants-de-laurore.html

 

7-Blushing - "Sugarcoat" 

 The band's sound lives up to the album's title by draping sugary sweet pop over the shoegazing ambiance. Dream pop is the first handy label to throw on this Texas-based band,  but they do seem more serious about rocking out than most dream pop bands. They at times remind me of a shoegazing version of Veruca Salt, with how the vocals harmonize and entwined. Things swirl around you so it can be hard to tell who is doing what.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/05/blushing-sugarcoat.html

 

6-LEAVS -"Natura Universal" 

This dream poppy-shoegazing band from Spain, gets the classic sound right, without just being a slave to tradition. The woozy guitars are jangling, and the swathes of sonic melodies being squeezed from delay pedals are in place, along with androgynous airy vocals. They are not out to make an accessible record and that is fine, the mood is dense and I like it. The emotions feel honest to me and that goes a long way. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/12/leavs-natura-universal.html

5- trauma ray -"Chameleon" 

This Texas band has a 90's grunged out clanging to their guitar sound. The vocals float in the background with an androgynous croon, as the drummer stomps into their kick drum with the needed angst. They care about songwriting as dynamics work with the atmosphere, and while they certainly have this sound dialed in to capture the mood of the era, they still have something to say.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/09/trauma-ray-chameleon.html

4-Ride - "Interplay" 

I really liked "Weather Diaries" the first album of their comeback. This album is both more surreal and more optimistic. I am sure with the last album I mentioned these guys occupying a similar sonic zip code as Stone Roses. Though it sounds like they are smoking more pot than Stone Roses on this album as it carries an alluring swirl. It is wonderfully mixed, though I am giving it the initial listen very loudly through a pair of headphones which is the recommended manner in which this album is best ingested. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/04/ride-interplay.html

3-Softcult-"Heaven"

This is the kind of dream pop you might expect, with well-layered vocals. This band cares about songs more than just conjuring up these surreal sounds. There is almost a 90s alt-rock sound. The guitars ring out into the lonely sunsets of Canadian winters. , the grunge spirit of things is this album's strength and cements its unique place in the genre. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/07/softcult-heaven.html

2-Bleakheart - "Silver Pulse" 

This band wanders off into a melancholic brand of dreamy shoe-gaze that moves at the speed of doom. At times taking on a heavier throb before wandering off into something more dreampop. It is a pretty sweet blend of sonic intensity and atmosphere. The vocals draw you in and earn repeat listens.If you are looking for some dark atmospheric dom-gaze or wish the Cocteau Twins did less acid and were more into metal then this is the album for you. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/03/bleakheart-silver-pulse.html

 

1-Iress -" Sleep Now, In Reverse" 

Taking the top spot is this beautiful wave of gloomy gazing from this  Los Angeles-based band.  It was a tough call between this album and Bleakheart, with the vocals of Michelle Malley being the tiebreaker as she delivers an emotionally stunning performance that creates a wonderful contrast to the storm clouds the band summons beneath her sublime melodies. The drumming gives this album a great deal of focused intention which in turn creates songwriting magic as they grow as songwriters. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/07/iress-sleep-now-in-reverse.html

pst623

Midas Fall : " Cold Waves Divide Us"

 A big fan of their 2015 album "The Menagerie Inside"  despite building a bigger buzz with their 2018 album it somehow flew under the radar for me, after hearing the chilling brilliance of their new album "Cold Waves Divide Us" I might need to go back and give it a listen. Elizabeth Heaton's vocals are powerfully emotive. The underlying brooding of "I Am Wrong" is counterbalanced by the sparkling atmosphere. The guitar tones are out of this world, as this album is perfectly produced. The Scottish band falls somewhere between post-rock and progressive rock. Unlike what most commonly gets depicted as a progressive rock there is not an abundance of odd time signatures or guitar solos.  

They can summon heavy punches thanks to the stellar drumming, but this is not a metal band of any kind. If "Salt" was played on piano it would feel more like Tori Amos, particularly in how she lets her vocal lines wander. Sometimes things wander beyond the scope of the song as "In this Avalanche" becomes obscured by its cloudy vision. The drums are certainly needed to keep focus as proven in "Point of Diminishing Return". They lay the ambiance on thick but things keep moving. They do this without the vocals being a focus. 

"Monsters" is pretty much a ballad. Not even a power ballad though it does build up into something more sonic. They continue to float further into an icy wonderland on "Atrophy" which showcases her upper register though as a song it drifts a bit. Her voice is powerful, but I think they are not using all of their tools here. It is not until the title track that the stormy rock dynamics kick back in. Even then they do so in a more flowing manner and never drop the hammer to the fullest extent. This gives things a more jammy feel. "Little Wooden Boxes" is marginally more grounded. The last song finds the band doubling down on the atmosphere, while the subtle pulse of the song fights for your attention. It took another listen for this song to sink in with me, and I think the album as a whole is going to follow similar suit though it is apparent their singer is a force to be reckoned with. I  will give this album a 9, just off my first impression. 

pst28

the Top 10 Goth Albums of 2015

Goth has grown up her at Abysmal Hymns and gotten it's own top 10, this used to the top goth/industrial albums, now we can be tragic and alone. Some of these artists might not self indentify as goth, some might be post-punk, but if they are dark enough they are here, at least the best of the best are here. So here's the top ten goth albums of 2015, click on the review links for streams.


 10-Marilyn Manson :" the Pale Emperor"

 I told myself this is Marilyn Manson's last chance. It only took the first two songs to convince me it was better than his , not much could have been worse. He is back similar path he started down with "Eat Me Drink Me" . The guitar sound is still not metal... or industrial, he is taking a cue from Reznor in this regard though still more guitar focused than Nine Inch Nails.It does rock a little harder on "Deep Six" and he also screams a little more but it's a far cry from his hardest rocking moments. I like the theme song to the show "Salem", "Cupid Carries A Gun" that he included on this album  more than I like the show. Songs like "The Third Day of a Seven Day Binge" carry good groove, which ended up getting stuck in my head and thus allowing this album to grow on me in a big way.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/01/marilyn-manson-pale-emperor.html

9- Christian Death :" Root of all Evilution"

 Valor is a divisive name when it comes to this band, but lets face if even if we wanted to side with Rozz Williams , he is dead and truth be told valor's worse is still better than the noise that was Pre-mature Ejaculation. Maitri is still on board as is drummer Jason, who I am assuming was the same drummer I same them on tour with a few years ago. It has a bigger a more dramatic sound, they have grown out of death rock and this is closer to Siouxsie. Their are exotic instruments building the aural landscape behind them. Valor is using a weird more whispered than sung voice , that makes him sounds a little more like Rozz than his gothier baritone. In keeping with the religious imagery he asks if you are ready for the rapture. If you want me to compare this album to " Only Theater of Pain" its not happening. There are plenty of spooky sounds abounding, its a much different feel to the halloweenish punk rock of the dirty drug days and Halloween for the sake of Halloween. Maitri's voice sounds better than I recall it ever sounding. Three songs in and I would say she is surpassing Valor in this regard. Give these guys a chance even if you are hung up on Rozz.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/09/christian-death-root-of-all-evilution.html

8-Sonic Jesus :"Neither Virtue Nor Anger'"

My first thought on this project out of Italy a listen was ... Interpol. But this albums carries a dreamier drone than those guys normally dip into these days. When they T get louder than most indie rock you would might hear this side of Mogwai. The vocals stay at a bleak baritone, that reminds me of some of A Place to Bury Strangers more melodic moments. It comes close to being post-punk and if they rock any more than this they will cross the line over into it. Though the attitude doesn't strike me as quiet as sardonic. "Reich" even finds female vocals joining in to push it's shadowy shuffle over into more post-punk territory.These guys are onto something good, while their influences bubble to the surface they have created something that is there own.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/11/sonic-jesus-neither-virtue-nor-anger.html

7- Kesa : S/T

 America thank you for your gallant attempt at bringing post-punk back now it's time to hand things off to Northern Europe. Svart Records is branching out to bring you this Helsinki based band Kesa who has a wide range of sounds at their command to pay homage to 80s post-punk. From the first song it's bass propelled and slightly militant, the album cover looks like a joke but these guys are serious as all hell. "Tuuli kaantyy" they show they are able to balance out the cold stark march with some groove and atmosphere. The running joke in Europe is "What do you call some one who only speaks one language"..."an American" , but those of you who are stateside and expect your music delivered to you in English might balk at this album and that's fine you can miss out.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/03/kesa-st.html

6-Midas Fall : " the Menagerie Inside"

 These guys have assembled pieces of many genres and pasted them together into something that is very much their own.The dramatic piano intro was unexpected as I assumed this was going to be more of a indie rock thing than some weird progressive goth. I can hear a slight Tori Amos influence , but the vocally are very over wrought and passionate and not so Kate Bush tinged.No the same time she she is not a goth singer in the vein of Siouxise either, but more along the lines of a less operatic Nightwish or the Gathering. Her influences seem all over the place as their is even a country tinge to her voice on "After Fall". It is draped in majestic elegance. The guitar twinkle around the song rather than going for the typical chug. This a real solid listen that grows on me with every spin and will make its way over the the sacred iPod, fans of bands like Marriages ...this is a must.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/07/midas-fall-menagerie-inside.html

5->Grave Pleasures-"Dream Crash"
 It is time for me to put an end to my denial, Grave Pleasures is not Beast Milk just changing their name. They have broken up and this is the new band. Kvohst is in the band  and so is the bassist from Beast Milk. The new members are the former drummer of In Solitude  and the guitarists from the Oath and Oranssi Pazuzu. Despite the more metal pedigree, they do not have the heft in their drive Beast Milk had. They hit the "Edge of Seventeen" like beat that In Solitude used on the song "Crying Wolves." Kvohst takes on a higher wavering death rock tone to his voice on the opening song.But at this albums dark heart this is more of a goth band than a metal band. Calling them death rock would be a stretch as they are far too polished and it lacks the raw smacked out punk feel. Not all punk is abandoned they touch upon it on "Future Shock " that also collides into a metal pound as well. It might not be Beastmik but they are worthy in their own right.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/09/grave-pleasures-dreamcrash-album-review.html

4-Hard Reign : s/t

 Once you get past the fact that "Neo Folk" these days generally means owing the totality of their sound to Death In June , there's some decent stuff out there one of those being the mysterious duo Hard Reign. Hard Reign doesn't let the Death in June influence stop them in their tracks. They took it and ran to some dark drug drenched alleyways. In fact calling this doom folk might apply more to these guys even when the guitar picks it's strum up over a dirge like pace. The throw on a coat of noise on the songs and let it drip off the solemn melodies.Based of the fact this album keep getting played without me getting tired of it and Hard Reign does such a splendid job of delving in darker regions. From a songwriting perspective this this similar to Hateful Abandon in the way they layer more sounds on top of a single theme and keep building. However these guys are much more engaging in the manner they go about this.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/01/hard-reign-st.html

3- Rasputina : "Unknown"

A long time fan of these gals, to the point we were actually trying to get them to play our back when it was originally slated for Halloween. Right from the first song has all the elements that you could want from them. The smart lyrics and overlapping harmonies. The album was recorded in three weeks and is about how Melora was hacked and stalked through the Cloud.the songs are accessible enough to draw those not as familiar in , but still retain the sound long time fans want. Unless you find it otherwise this album is only available on cd and there are no bandcamping or sounds on clouds for it.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/07/return-of-steam-punk-queen-rasputinas.html

div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">

Midas Fall : "The Menagerie Inside "

The dramatic piano intro was unexpected as I assumed this was going to be more of a indie rock thing than some weird progressive goth. I can hear a slight Tori Amos influence , but the vocallly are very over wrought and passionate and not so Kate Bush tinged.No the same time she she is not a goth singer in the vein of Siouxise either, but more along the lines of a less operatic Nightwish or the Gathering. Her influences seem all over the place as their is even a country tinge to her voice on "After Fall". It is draped in majestic elegance. The guitar twinkle around the song rather than going for the typical chug. These guys have assembled pieces of many genres and pasted them together into something that is very much their own. "Circus Performer" allow me to zone out and think it has just kind of fallen out of the previous song. The ballad "Countin Colors" is so delicate not much holds it together. Things get heavier on "Low". It soars off into a more sonic yet tender place in the stratosphere. They remind me a little of the new Marriages album , but with a ore lingering pop hook on " The Morning I Called " It really shimmers brighter than most Post-rock out today. They have a great guitar tone. In some ways "Tramadol Baby" is more rock. The drums play around the riff rather than sticking to your average rock beat until that is called for.This is the first song that I detected Elizabeth Heaton's Scottish. Some of her phrashing is almost poppy, which in this case isn't a bad thing but means some keen attention to detail when it comes to the vocal. "A Song Built From Scraps Of Paper" is aptly titled as it comes across as being fragile even when it builds. It strikes me like Tsylor Swift thrown in the past of sweeping post-rock, though from more of a country side and less of the anthemic sugar pop.There is more urgency to "Holes" that took a second lesson before this song caught, the mix seems weird even when I listened to it through head phones. I'll give this one a 9.5 as it's a real solid listen that grows on me with every spin and will make its way over the the sacred iPod, fans of bands like Marriages ...this is a must.