Angry Metal Guy<p><strong><a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/records-o-the-month-september-2024/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Record(s) o’ the Month – September 2024</a></strong></p><p><i>By Angry Metal Guy</i></p><p>I have a theory about the music industry. My theory is that, like the hotel industry in ski country, everyone crosses from the red into the black because of one season.<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/records-o-the-month-september-2024/#fn-204632-1" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">1</a> Because of that, Autumnal releases have become more prominent over time. While summer brings festival season and blockbusters at the movie theater, and the winter holidays make it unlikely that anything of consequence will receive a December release, September, October, and November—and particularly September and October—are when the biggest bands will release the biggest albums of the year. That a big band releases an album doesn’t mean it will be the Record o’ the Month, but the tendency for lists to be Fall Heavy during #Listurnalia is right in line with this. That said, when looking at my lists throughout the years, the only #1 spot from September was <strong>Aeternam</strong>’s mighty <em>Heir of the Rising</em> <em>Sun</em> in 2022. In the top 5, we’ve had <strong>Haken</strong>’s Magnum Opus <em>The Mountain</em> (2013) and <strong>Archspire</strong>’s <em>Relentless</em> <em>Mutation</em> (2017). This result surprised me.</p><p>September of 2024, however, reminds me of another crazy September that we’ve had here. Right before our impending doom—in September of 2019—there were two Record(s) o’ the Month that went on to be staff favorites, while several seriously high-profile releases didn’t even make the list. <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/fvneral-fvkk-carnal-confessions-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Fvneral Fvkk</strong></a> and <strong>Disillusion</strong>’s <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/disillusion-the-liberation-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><em>The Liberation</em></a> were both released in September of 2019, along with <strong>Opeth</strong>’s <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/opeth-in-cauda-venenum-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><em>In Cauda Venenum</em></a> [8 on RotY list], <strong>Borknagar</strong>’s <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/borknagar-true-north-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><em>True North</em></a>, in addition to bangers from <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/cult-of-luna-a-dawn-to-fear-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Cult of Luna</strong></a> and <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/white-ward-love-exchange-failure-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><strong>White Ward</strong></a>.</p><p>With a bumper crop of excellent records released in September—though, maybe not on September 2019 levels—this has been one of the most difficult R(s)otM posts for me to write. And yet, such is my fate. Alas, that these evil days should be mine.</p> <p><br><a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/kanonenfieber-die-urkatastrophe-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><em>Die Urkatastrophe</em></a> (released on the <a href="https://noisebringer-records.bandcamp.com/album/die-urkatastrophe-2" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">20th of September, 2024 [Bandcamp]</a> by Century Media)—translated as “the original catastrophe”<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/records-o-the-month-september-2024/#fn-204632-2" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">2</a>—is used by German scholars to refer to the monumental impact of World War I as the foundational disaster that set the stage for many of the 20th century’s subsequent conflicts and upheavals, including WWII. For many. this record will be their first exposure to the German black metal phenom known as <strong>Kanonenfieber </strong>and as far as first impressions go—shall we say, <em>Der Ureindruck</em>—<em>Die Urkatastrophe</em> does a bang-up job of showcasing a band firing on all cylinders. For those of us already familiar with the <strong>Kanonenfieber</strong>’s work, <em>Die Urkatastrophe</em> features Noise doing what he does best: crafting brilliant riffs, matching them with the intense emotions of war, and sprinkling that combination with the best use of samples since <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/angry-metal-guys-classics-4/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><em>Velvet Darkness They</em> <em>Fear</em></a>. For <span><strong>Carcharodon</strong></span>, <em>Die Urkatastrophe</em> was “more than [we] dared hope for. The textures <strong>Kanonenfieber</strong> weaves into its sound, coupled with the subtle tempo and stylistic shifts, give this album an almost languid fluidity and make it a heart-wrenching joy to listen to. What makes this record truly iconic, however, is the storytelling.” Sometimes an album can be iconic.</p> <p><strong>Runner(s) Up</strong></p><p><strong>Pyrrhon</strong> // <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/pyrrhon-exhaust-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><em>Exhaust</em></a> [September 6th, 2024 | <a href="https://willowtip.bandcamp.com/music" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Willowtip Records</a> | <a href="https://pyrrhonband.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a>] — <strong>Pyrrhon</strong> has garnered fawning praise from writers at AMG before. With an abstract, aggressive, dissonant sound and the best cover art in the biz, it was unsurprising that when <em>Exhaust </em>got a secret release, there was an ecstatic response in the AMG Slack. While I urged care and caution, a busy Metal Cognoscenti went into overdrive to explain why <em>Exhaust</em> was going to be the Record o’ the Year. I could not have anticipated that despite my inclinations, I also <em>enjoyed </em>this album. There’s a ferocity and cathartic air covered in the exhaustion and everyday tragedy featured on its gorgeous cover. Doing his best <span><strong>Kronos</strong></span> impression, our own Dolphin Whisperer gushed unapologetically: “For an album dedicated to burnout, a theme all too appreciable to those on the wrong side of twenty-five, <strong>Pyrrhon</strong> charges forth with an experimental vigor and practiced ambition untarnished by time. Hunger steers <strong>Pyrrhon</strong>. Struggle defines <em>Exhaust</em>. Though far from the most <em>avant</em>, unpredictable set in the <strong>Pyrrhon </strong>registry, <em>Exhaust</em> billows with the fury of defeat and determination—damn fine music for a downfall.”</p><p><strong>Oceans of Slumber</strong> // <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/oceans-of-slumber-where-gods-fear-to-speak-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><em>Where Gods Fear to Speak</em></a> [September 13th, 2024 | Season of Mist | <a href="http://oceansofslumber.bandcamp.com/album/where-gods-fear-to-speak" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a>] — <strong>Oceans of Slumber</strong> has become a strangely divisive band in the scene, a fact with which I struggle. The Texas-based five-piece has a unique and progressive voice in metal, and they have consistently shown growth, experimentation, and maybe most importantly, fearlessness in their adventurous compositions. With a truly transcendent <em>Voice</em> in Cammie and a consistently ’90s-tinged gothy vibe that underpins venturesome—yet introspective—composition, <em>Where Gods Fear to Speak</em> is a triumphant album and potentially their very best album to date. <strong><span>Kenstrosity</span> </strong>was thoughtful and effusive as he heaped praise upon <em>Where Gods Fear to Speak</em>. “With a core sound that cannot be replicated, any new record by these Texans is a celebration of artistry and the unique artist’s voice. While every <strong>Oceans of Slumber</strong> album has showcased aspects of that artistic voice, <em>Where Gods Fear to Speak </em>refines everything that came before into something epic and new. <em>Where Gods Fear to Speak </em>is the culmination of everything <strong>Oceans of Slumber</strong> is, everything they have been, and hopefully just the beginning of what they’ll become.”</p><p><strong>Endonomos</strong> // <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/endonomos-endonomos-ii-enlightenment-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><em>II – Enlightenment</em></a> [September 27th, 2024 | Argonauta | <a href="https://endonomos.bandcamp.com/album/endonomos-ii-enlightenment" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a>] — Heavy, slow, unbearable. These are descriptions of both <strong>Endonomos</strong>’ <em>II</em> and <em>life</em>. And that’s what makes <em>II </em>special, what <span><strong>Steel Druhm </strong></span>called a “shockingly mature and intoxicating blend of classic doom, post-metal, and death that’s powerful, emotional, and captivating,” the ability to represent the slow march of suffering and the realization that all that’s waiting is more suffering. This is also known as <em>Enlightenment</em>. <span><strong>Druhm</strong></span> pulled no punches when he gushed: “<strong>Endonomos</strong> find that elusive sweet spot between heavy and melodic and craft a collection of songs that allows them to punch far above their weight. <em>II – Enlightenmen</em>t is easily one of the best doom albums of 2024 and one of the best of the last few years. If 2024 has yet to deliver the doom your masochistic heart longs for, this is it.” And then after saying it was one of the best doom metal records in years, he gave it a 4, because praise is for n00bs and poseurs.</p><p><a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/2024/" target="_blank">#2024</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/angry-metal-guy/" target="_blank">#AngryMetalGuy</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/angry-metal-guys-records-o-the-month/" target="_blank">#AngryMetalGuySRecordSOTheMonth</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/blog-post/" target="_blank">#BlogPost</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/die-urkatastrophe/" target="_blank">#DieUrkatastrophe</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/endonomos/" target="_blank">#Endonomos</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/endonomos-ii-enlightenment/" target="_blank">#EndonomosIIEnlightenment</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/exhaust/" target="_blank">#Exhaust</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/kanonenfeiber/" target="_blank">#Kanonenfeiber</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/oceans-of-slumber/" target="_blank">#OceansOfSlumber</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/pyrrhon/" target="_blank">#Pyrrhon</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/records-o-the-month/" target="_blank">#RecordSOTheMonth</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/sep24/" target="_blank">#Sep24</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/theatre-of-tragedy/" target="_blank">#TheatreOfTragedy</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/velvet-darkness-they-fear/" target="_blank">#VelvetDarknessTheyFear</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/where-gods-fear-to-speak/" target="_blank">#WhereGodsFearToSpeak</a></p>