In April’s tender grasp, the world awakes, Beneath the azure sky, a new dawn breaks. Soft whispers of spring dance in the air, As nature adorns herself, beyond compare.
April 2024 had also tons of good music. No poems about that, but a full THE NOISE OF!
Barrus – The Kids
April 4 // Independent
Grace Cummings – Ramona
April 5 // ATO
I loved Grace Cummings‘ previous album Storm Queen in 2022 so much that it ended up being one of my AOTYs. Its predecessor, Ramona, continues a fantastic artistic journey full of richness, vulnerability, and empowerment, and while it may not have the same gravitas as Storm Queen, it’s still easily a highlight.
Still Corners – Dream Talk
April 5 // Wrecking Lights
RiTchie – Triple Digits [112]
April 5 // Independent
After listening to Injury Reserve‘s By The Time I Get To Phoenix, I felt pretty empty. To this day, the album and its context remains one of the most intense experiences I’ve ever had with a work of art, and it left me emotionally shaken. Time has passed since then, and while Triple Digits [112] marks a new chapter for RiTchie, it provided me with an unexpected closure. Thanks for that.
Novo Amor – Collapse List
April 5 // AllPoints
If you’re not excited about a new Novo Amor release, you’re clearly missing out. Welsh artist John Meredith-Lacey has been creating fantastic and rich music for a long time (if you want the best starting point – Heiress, his collaboration with Ed Tullett) and Collapse List adds to his impressive catalog.
Mei Semones – Kabutomushi
April 5 // Bayonet Records
Lizzy McAlpine – Older
April 5 // RCA Records
Cookin Soul & The Musalini– MACKARONI
April 5 // Independent
Replicant – Infinite Mortality
April 12 // Transcending Obscurity Records
I’m telling you – all the other extreme metal in 2024 will have a really hard time beating this. Replicant have shown their enormous potential in the past, but with Infinite Mortality they have really upped their game. This is relentlessly heavy and cleverly written tech death, perfectly balanced and impressively executed. I could string some more superlatives together, but why don’t you just press play and listen for yourself.
Exist – Hijacking the Zeitgeist
April 12 // Prosthetic Records
They did it again. Exist are awesome, and I automatically assume that shit is awesome if it has Max Phelps in it, because it never seems to be wrong. One of the coolest prog metal bands out there, these guys fill a niche between Death (especially the Sound Of Perserverance era) and Cynic that I desperately need. And they just keep on giving.
Shabaka – Perceive Its Beauty, Acknowledge Its Grace
April 12 // Impulse
Listen, Shabaka Hutchings is the man. If you like modern jazz and don’t know this guy, you’re missing out. Go through his vast catalog, his countless projects – you will be rewarded with vibrant jazz left and right. It’s crazy that it took so long to get a real solo record from him, but it’s fucking awesome in the end, no surprise at all. He’s the man.
Heavenly Blue – We Have The Answer
April 12 // Secret Voice
Once again, skramz is in a really good place in 2024. Bands like Frail Body and Infant Island have clearly brought a more polished skramz to the table, and there are tons of smaller projects like Vægtløs doing great work as well – but there is no way around Heavenly Blue, arguably the best the genre has to offer so far this year.
English Teacher – This Could Be Texas
April 12 // Nice Swan Records
Baby Rose & badbadnotgood – Slow Burn
April 12 // Secretly Canadian
MÆRE – ...And The Universe Keeps Silent
April 19 // Transcending Obscurity Records
BIG|BRAVE – a chaos of flowers
April 19 // Thrill Jockey
What is there to say about BIG|BRAVE? The Montrael-based noise/doom outfit became one of the household names in their field, and while I still think their songs could use a little more focus next to the layering and atmosphere, a chaos of flowers is another triumphant display of their artistry.
Atræ Bilis – Aumicide
April 19 // 20 Buck Spin
Sons Of Ra – Tropic Of Cancer
April 19 // Independent
Lucy Rose – This Ain’t The Way You Go Out
April 19 // Communion Records
It’s so fucking awesome how different This Ain’t The Way You Go Out is compared to Lucy Rose‘s previous album No Word’s Left (a personal favorite, the video accompanying the whole album is an audiovisual masterpiece) – yet Lucy’s charisma and presence is so mesmerizing and enchanting that listening to the new album instantly brings back familiar feelings. A phenomenal experience.
claire rousay – sentiment
April 19 // Thrill Jockey
You never really know what to expect from a claire rousay album, and that’s the magic of it. Will it be disturbing and unsettling? Will it be soothing and comforting? Will it be all that and more? Who knows, press play and find out.
Somesurprises – Perseids
April 19 // Doom Trip
Amiensus – Reclamation Pt. I
April 26 // M-Theory Audio
To kill some time until Alcest‘s new album comes out, have some Amiensus. Less looks, more metal! Joking aside, the first half of Amiensus‘ proggy post-black metal album has great riffs and good ideas, and should definitely be on your list, especially when part 2 drops!
All Are To Return – AATR III
April 26 // Tartarus Records
Inter Arma – New Heaven
April 26 // Relapse Records
When you think about how great Sky Burial and even more Paradise Gallows were all those years ago, it’s amazing how long Inter Arma have been giving us artistically rich extreme metal, and for me personally, they are at the forefront of exactly that – atmosphere, elegance, heaviness – all equally prioritized. New Heaven slaps.
Oberst – Toil
April 26 // Indie Recordings
Glassing – From the Other Side of the Mirror
April 26 // Pelagic Records
We’ve been following and covering Glassing since their early beginnings, and it’s just fantastic to see how this band just keeps getting better and better. With their first album out on Pelagic Records, this monstrous post/black metal/sludge hybrid has shown that there are no limits to where this road can take them!
Sinead Harnett – Boundaries
April 26 // Thairish Limited/Right Hand Co.
Nothing out of the ordinary, but a warm and very sweet collection of r&b tracks. Sinéad Harnett combines modern sounds with ’90s vibes and I like that.
Oren Ambarchi, Johan Berthling and Andreas Werliin – Ghosted II
April 26 // Drag City Records
I love Oren Ambarchi‘s work, and with Ghosted II he gives me yet another reason to do so. A classic guitar/bass/drums trio, Ghosted II is rooted in the sequencing of analog synths and jazz, a match made in heaven. All elements dance delicately around each other, creating a spiraling pulse that is mesmerizing and compelling like nothing else.
Manon Meurt – Unravel
April 26 // Minority Records
Céu – Novela
April 26 // Urban Jungle Records
Since most of the coverage of this album seems to be in Spanish or Portuguese, I wasn’t able to find much information about it, but it’s damn good, and that should be enough.
Adult Jazz – So Sorry So Slow
April 26 // Spare Thought
Dystopia – De Verboden Diepte I: Veldslag op de Rand van de Wereld
April 26 // Immortal Frost Productions
Thanks for scrolling!
