The Top 10 Most Disappointing Albums of 2024

Here's a new edition to the end-of-the-year traditions that makes more sense this year than in the past. I've already warned you there would be end-of-the-year lists not only with perhaps albums from my worst-off list but also trying to make a bigger deal out of albums that are more hype than substance for various reasons we can see here, ranging from nostalgia to wanting to offer a diverse or inclusive list rather than just focusing on which albums have the best songs. People live in such a warped reality bubble they can not handle disappointment and would rather pretend the emperor is wearing clothes than admit their favorite artists are falling short. My role has always been to call out things for what they are, as a form of quality. These are not bad albums, but they did not live up to what these artists did in the past, except for one entry that improved but was never that great and got a critical pass from mainstream music media for reasons that have nothing to do with music.  There are only three artists  that are favorites of mine that missing the mark stung a bit, but in the interest of honest journalism those are the ones I must draw the most attention to so here are the top 10 Most Disappointing albums of 2024

10- Tribulation - ''Sub Rosa In Æternum"

This album is an honorable mention, as it's not bad. It's decent for what is it, in fact in my original review I gave it a 9, but the more I listen to it the more lackluster it feels, some of the gloom is more genuine than others, I think the fact they have strayed so far from their death metal beginnings is part of the problem here, if I reviewed this album today it would have gotten an 8, which would not make it contender for any top 10 lists, aside from this one since this band is capable of greatness. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/10/gothtober-tribulation-sub-rosa-in-ternum.html

9-Dool- "The Shape of Fluidity" 

Another case of a band whose previous work was certainly better. This one scored an 8, on my initial listen, which still put it ahead of most radio rock, but unlike their previous album failed to inspire me to give additional listens , so if I had to rate it today would give it a 7.5, a far cry from a top 10 contender. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/05/dool-shape-of-fluidity.html

8-Body Count- "Merciless" 

This is a band that was never any good, and this album is actually an improvement. At least that is what I thought upon listening to the first few songs then it got worse the deeper into the album you go. I don't care how much they paid David Gilmore to be on this album it's the worst cover of "Comfortably Numb" I've heard. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/11/body-count-merciless.html

7-Oranssi Pazuzu : "Muuntautuja" 

In my review of this album, I first said they must be growing killer shrooms in Finland. It's a drugged-out mess of an album that captures cool sounds, they never are woven into being cool songs.  They have proven they can balance the two and it's not the case here. If I had to review this one today I would have given it a 7, clearly not best of material. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/10/oranssi-pazuzu-muuntautuja.html

6-Linkin Park- "From Zero" 

This one is more of a matter of all the hype and buzz around it, there was no way it could live up to the hype, it also highlighted the fact that Linkin Park has always been a pop band despite getting lumped into nu-metal. A few catchy pop songs do not equate to the best of 2024 material. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/11/linkin-park-from-zero.html

5-Oceans of Slumber - 'Where Gods Fear to Speak" 

Their previous material was doomier and made better use of her soulful voice, this feels rushed and uninspired, well-produced but also very bland. If you think this is the best of anything you did not listen to enough music this year, plenty of bands even did this better than this band. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/06/oceans-of-slumber-where-gods-fear-to.html

4-Lowen - "Do Not Go To War With The Demons Of Mazandaran"

This album was so bad I could not get through it to review it just felt like a waste of time. It was a flowery mess of symphonic pop rock. The only reason it was disappointing was because it was a shame the album title was so cool, and the music sounded like nothing that should be described like that. 

3-Nightwish- 'Yesterwynde"

Much like the number four I could not get through this album to review it, it's a shame as I liked both "Once" and "Dark Passion Play", there is no backbone driving these songs the attempts at metal sound empty, they would have been better off putting this band to rest. 

2-Unto Others -"Never Neverland" 

I had hoped they would have gone in a more goth direction, but they went in a poppier direction. It sounds like Billy Idol b-sides at times, a great deal of hair metal mixed in but with none of the metal edge.  The pop hooks lured me into giving this album a 9, but if I went back to review this album again I would give it an 8, as the pop hooks did not work to make me want to listen to it again. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/08/unto-others-never-neverland.html

1-Judas Priest - "Invincible Shield" 

Judas Priest is one of my favorite bands from my teen years, age has not been kind to Halford's pipes, though "Nostradomus" was a great album, perhaps I am in the minority in this regard, but it was more inspired than what they have put out since. This album might fool many people just hungry for Priest as it sounds good from a production stand point, though the original members are beginning to dwindle. At the end of the day if we are being honest this album sounds like the record label asked AI to write what it thought a Judas Priest album should sound like and this is what happened. I gave this a 9, when I first reviewed it but the more I listened to it the more I disliked it so I would give it a 7 today.  

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/03/judas-priest-invincible-shield.html

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