Lambgoat's Favorite Albums of Q2 2024

This year is half gone and it's high time we looked back at the last three months and point out our favorite releases from that span! We've got hardcore and death metal and more in this quaint little list, so scroll on down see what what tickled our eardrums the most from April through June. 

Missing Link - Watch Me Bleed

Eliot

New York metallic hardcore band Missing Link had proven themselves as one of the most outright menacing and heavy new bands in the scene through their previous EP releases, and Watch Me Bleed more than delivers on the promise shown in their earlier material. There's a sincere disdain for humanity found here that I haven't felt from a hardcore album since I first heard records like 100 Demons - In The Eyes Of The Lord or All Out War - For Those Who Were Crucified...and the riffs go just as hard. An essential listen for anyone into heavy hardcore.

Ulcerate - Cutting The Throat of God

Chris V. 

Ulcerate return after four years with their brutal, brooding sound they are known for, while still finding a way to take it to the next level. Cutting The Throat of God continues to show the band's excellent songwriting and musicianship on their seventh full length album. Equal parts tech death metal and post metal give listeners everything they should want from a modern death metal album. 

The Hope Conspiracy - Tools of Oppression / Rule By Deception

Lurk

I had a few releases picked for my choice of the best release for Q2, and it was tough to make a final decision. Ultimately, I had to give it to The Hope Conspiracy’s Tools of Oppression / Rule by Deception. After breaking their 14-year silence with a 3-song EP in November of last year, The Hope Conspiracy didn’t wait long to release a full-length album, and it truly delivered. My two favorite tracks, "Confusion/Chaos/Misery" and "A Struggle for Power," were both featured on the previous EP, but the other 8 tracks hit you like a ton of bricks. I’m thrilled the boys in The Hope Conspiracy are back making music and playing shows!

Dååth - The Deceivers

D. Rodriguez

I could’ve picked a few different albums for my favorite of Q2 and been happy, but sometimes the circumstances and lore behind a particular album elevates it to something nigh unbeatable. Such is the case with Dååth’s The Deceivers, an album that simply should not exist, or at least exist in its astonishingly polished and impressive state after so long away. It’s a catchy throwback while still easily fitting into 2024 and fist-bumping with all the cool, weirdo, melodic metal that’s happened since the band’s inception two decades ago. A big surprise and an absolute treasure and gift to fans, new and old.

Hyperdontia - Harvest of Malevolence 

Jake

International death metal stalwarts Hyperdontia have been gnawing and gnashing into the metal consciousness over the last few years with some great LPs, EPs, and splits and with this year's album, Harvest of Malevolence, they've taken their biggest bite. I have listened to this album more times than I can count as it keeps me coming back with its catchy riffs, big grooves, immaculate production, and gutsy songwriting. No frills, no wrinkles, just great songwriting and incredible performances. This album should catapult Hyperdontia into the upper echelons of the death metal realm and if it doesn't, it just gives me one more reason to detest this timeline.