2024 Recommendations (Secular)

A few of mine: 

Surgical Strike: 24/7 Hate (Thrash)
Rage: AfterLifelines (power/symphonic, hints of thrash)
Alterium: Of War and Flames (power)
Thornbridge: Daydream Illusion (power)
Saxon: Hell, Fire and Damnation (trad)
Acrid Death: Abominable Presence of Blight (death)
Lutharo: Chasing Euphoria (intense power/melodeath touches)
The End Machine: The Quantum Phase (melodic)
Mega Colossus: Showdown (trad)
Stygian Crown: Funeral for a King (epic DOOOOOOOM)
Cathubodua: Interbellum (intense power/symphonic)
Eternal Storm: A Giant Bound to Fall (melodeath)
Sovereign: Altered Realities (thrash/death)

I’m hoping for the long overdue Dark Angel comeback album.

Same with Coroner.

The Obsessed just released a new album “Gilded Sorrow”. 

It’s for those into Sabbath inspired heavy rock. Similar to Place of Skulls. My Silent Wake fans may also appreciate the atmospheric elements. 

https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/gilded-sorrow

There are two standout secular releases for me so far:

Sonata Arctica - Clear Cold Beyond is really quite good.  Excluding their acoustic albums, their previous full-length Talviyö was relatively dull and lifeless.  (I don't consider it a "bad" album - just not up to par with their previous material, and one I rarely listen to.)  And by design their two acoustic albums that followed are pretty mellow.  But CCB brings back a lot of the welcome energy and vigor from their early years.  It's very melodic, catchy, and overall a real solid album.  The ballads on CCB aren't my favorites, but everything else is very good!

Far Beyond - The End Of My Road is a great listen too.  It's epic and melodic, but maintains an aggressive edge.  It's the natural progression from their previous album A Frozen Flame Of Ice.

What I've heard so far of Invincible Shield's been pretty good

This Friday Dialith is dropping their new EP, Alter. If you like symphonic metal in any way, shape, or form, make sure to give it a listen. (Even Angry Metal Guy liked their full-length from 2019!)

StevenCressler wrote:What I've heard so far of Invincible Shield's been pretty good

That was my thought. That album slays. 

Saxon’s latest is also good.

I like a few prog rock albums so far, by The Pineapple Tree and Big Big Train.

Also the Silver Mountain reissues of their 1st two albums.

Three that hit me just right are:

Shades of Deep Water: Cold Heart
Kylmyyteen: Kuihtuneen maan tuuli
Blazar: Fatal Cosmic Wound

All are funeral DOOOOOOM, but are a good deal different from one another—for funeral doom, anyway.

My favourite releases so far:

Arcane Tales - Until Where the Northern Lights Reign: fantasy-themed symphonic power metal like they made in Italy during the turn of the millennium. I wish the man had an entire band at his disposal and more production budget, he's way better than most power metal bands these days. Also, I'm in mentioned in the thank you-section of the CD booklet
Belore - Eastern Tales: grandiose sounding black-ish metal with quite a bit choral parts, in a fantasy setting.
Far Beyond - The End of My Road: what Kerrick said.
Glyph - Honor, Power, Glory: fairly standard and accessible modern power metal but with lower vocals, this album shouldn't be as enjoyable as it is.
Nemedian Chronicles - The Savage Sword: early Blind Guardian-style power metal with a stronger emphasis on storytelling. It's a bit long though.