June 2024 Best Heavy Metal Albums

Here are our picks for June 2024’s best heavy metal albums.

1. Crypt Sermon – The Stygian Rose (Dark Descent)

Returning after a quiet period of recorded material, nearly five years in the making, The Stygian Rose brings Crypt Sermon back from the depths with plenty of new things to be excited about. Vocalist Brooks Wilson does a good job of balancing his high-flying vocal act with his delivery sounding a bit sinister at times, all while being given an air of mysteriousness by the wall of guitars; cloaking him in darkness.

Crypt Sermon have delivered their greatest work to date, with their third album showcasing that this newly minted six piece has only just started. They have trimmed the fat from some of their previous albums and that addition by subtraction has allowed for the band to reach their true potential. The Stygian Rose is Crypt Sermon fully realized.

2. Evergrey – Theories Of Emptiness (Napalm)

Tom S. Englund has been very prolific over the past few years. His other bands Redemption and Silent Skies both released new albums in 2023. His main project Evergrey is not taking any time off either, with Theories Of Emptiness their third album since 2021, and they also issued a live album and a compilation during that time frame.

The frequency of Evergrey albums has not diminished the quality of the material. Theories Of Emptiness is a diverse effort, blending heavy aggressive tracks like “Misfortune” and “Say” with mellower numbers such as “Ghost Of My Hero.” Most of the songs have both aggressive and melancholy moments. One of the album highlights is “Cold Dreams,” blending Englund’s smooth melodic vocals with harsh vocals from Katatonia’s Jonas Renske and backing vocals from Englund’s daughter Salina. It’s easy to take Evergrey for granted, as they continually deliver albums that pack an emotional punch and are also catchy and memorable. Theories Of Emptiness follows that path, the latest in a long line of high-quality albums from Evergrey.

3. Huntsmen – The Dry Land (Prosthetic)

This was unexpected. I wasn’t even planning on listening to The Dry Land, Huntsmen’s third album, let alone reviewing it – that’s how disappointed I was in their overblown, bloated sophomore effort, Mandala Of Fear (an album I sadly overrated here). But word of mouth got to me and I had to listen to The Dry Land and haven’t stopped since. This album is the natural progression from the band’s stunning debut, American Scrap.

Gone are the meandering arrangements of Mandala Of Fear. The band has wisely culled The Dry Land down to a svelte 42 minutes, less than half its predecessor. Those 42 minutes are a near-perfect blend of sludge, prog, black, and post-metal, with stellar vocal arrangements, sublime production, and overall performances that truly stand out.

4. Kittie – Fire (Sumerian)

After the Kittie documentary Origins/Evolutions was released, it sparked optimism the band might reunite and release new material. It took a few more years, but 13 years after I’ve Failed You, Morgan Lander (vocals), Mercedes Lander (drums), Tara McLeod (guitars) and Ivy Vujic (bass) have returned with Fire.

The ten songs are streamlined alternative metal with minimal filler. They are packed with heavy grooves, catchy melodies and diverse vocals from Morgan Lander that shift from melodic crooning to throat-shredding growls. The album flows well between hard hitting metal songs like “Eyes Wide Open” and “Grime” and more accessible numbers such as “Falter” and “Are You Entertained.” The production from Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Alice In Chains) perfectly captures the variety and dynamics on the album. Fire is a welcome comeback, with Kittie recapturing their past glory while showcasing new elements that move them forward.

5. Black Country Communion – V (J&R Adventures)

More than 40 years on, Led Zeppelin still cast a long shadow. Amongst countless imitators, Black Country Communion stake the most legitimate claim to their legacy. Powered by legendary “voice of rock” Glenn Hughes and Jason Bonham, who share the same Black Country roots as Robert Plant and Jason’s unparalleled farther, BCC produce possibly their finest work yet on V.

With modern blues shredder Joe Bonnamassa, a joy to hear in a straightforward rock context, and keyboardist Derek Sherinian, BCC blend the stomp of Zeppelin with soaring melodies and a contemporary vibe that recalls another supergroup, Audioslave. “Red Sun” features the type of grinding pentatonic riff that Tom Morello built his career on, while Hughes’ raspy upper-register bares a striking similarity to Chris Cornell – impressive for a rocker in his seventh decade. On “You’re Not Alone,” Sherinian’s keys veer from a subtle organ intro to epic, “Kashmir”-like orchestral layers. Majestic, and occasionally funky, BCC deliver epic, heavy rock for the masses.

6. Severe Torture – Torn From The Jaws Of Death (Season Of Mist)

After a long hiatus, Dutch death metal pioneers Severe Torture have emerged from the shadows, their return heralded by the thunderous sounds of Torn From The Jaws Of Death. This album, released after a 14-year silence, is a testimony to their unwavering commitment to brutal death metal, a genre they continue to hold in their hands and hearts.

While Severe Torture delivered a stunning EP in 2022 and hinted at a greater comeback two years ago, the actual spectacle unfolds on this album. Torn From The Jaws Of Death is the joy of experiencing a full-fledged influential masterpiece. Unmerciful death metal, always rooted in brutality, is now immersed in the undeniable presence of technical death metal and slight strains of black metal. The production and performance on this album elevates the band’s composition, showcasing how a modern day old-school-tinged superior brutal death metal album should sound like. The badge of being the band’s best album to date gleams proudly on Torn From The Jaws Of Death’s chest.