It’s that time of year again! As the end of the year approaches, we’re counting down the best rock and metal albums of 2024 from Australia and New Zealand.
Our editorial team had a difficult time narrowing it down to just 24 – the list could have been double in size, reflective of the wealth of releases over the past 12 months – but these albums were the ones we had on repeat the most this year.
A punk rock band confirmed their generational status, while two Aussie rock icons became one powerhouse duo. Several reliable bands kept up their consistency, while a number of rising stars emerged with striking debut albums.
So without further ado, check out our top 24 Best Rock/Metal Albums of 2024 below!
24. Cave Sermon, Divine Laughter
This Melbourne band’s brand of metal defies easy categorisation, and that’s a good thing. Cave Sermon’s latest is a bruising, thrilling listen, no matter which sonic turns they take.
23. Repairs, Disappointing Sequel
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Auckland-based band Repairs explore the personal and political on their strong second album. The stringently DIY record is noisy in the best possible way, waves of angry punk rock battering the listener’s ears. 2024 has often been a time to feel rightly angry, and Repairs funnel this sentiment into their album.
22. Grinspoon, whatever, whatever
Grinspoon will never die. The NSW rockers produce the goods on their eight studio album, which earned a nomination for Best Rock Album at the 2024 ARIA Awards. “This album maintains Grinspoon’s enduringly successful reputation as flag-bearers of Australian rock music,” hailed Double J.
21. Fanning Dempsey National Park, The Deluge
Why have one Aussie rock legend when you can have two? That’s the idea behind Fanning Dempsey National Park, which unites Powderfinger‘s Bernard Fanning and Something for Kate’s Paul Dempsey. Their debut album as a duo, The Deluge, was nominated for Best Adult Contemporary Album at this year’s ARIA Awards, and critics were mostly positive to their first record.
20. Windwaker, HYPERVIOLENCE
NSW’s metalcore favourites sound as powerful as ever on their second album, the highly anticipated follow-up to 2022’s Love Language. HYPERVIOLENCE does what any good sophomore album should do – expands on Windwaker’s sound while maintaining the style and spirit that gained them fans in the first place.
19. RedHook, Mutation
“Mutation felt like the perfect name for this record because we wanted it to feel like an evolution in every single way,” RedHook singer Emmy Mack said, and they certainly achieved this on the expansive second album. RedHook were rewarded for their boldness with their first entry in the top 100 of the ARIA Charts, making it all the way to No. 15.
18. Dune Rats, If It Sucks, Turn It Up
Another ARIA Awards nominee makes our list. Dune Rats fifth album earned a nod in the Best Hard Rock / Heavy Metal Album, recognition of the surf rock band’s solid consistency. The album title really is a little misleading: none of this record “sucks,” but you’ll definitely want to “turn it up.”
17. Earth Tongue, Great Haunting
Earth Tongue are a fuzzy rock duo from Wellington, but having just two members doesn’t diminish their heavy sound. Great Haunting is a thrillingly theatrical journey, featuring endless riffs, waves of distortion, and twists and turns inspired by ’60s and ’70s horror.
16. Pond, Stung!
Showcasing impressive consistency like a certain other Aussie psychedelic rock band (more on them later) on their 10th album in 15 years, Pond’s first double album is stuffed with ideas and inventions. “WA band’s 10th album plays like an obscure psych-pop gem from another era,” wrote Rolling Stone AU/NZ in a four-star review.
15. Middle Kids, Faith Crisis Pt 1
The pressure was perhaps on Middle Kids following the acclaim for their second album, Today We’re the Greatest (2021), but their third album lives up to expectations. Faith Crisis Pt 1 earned the alternative rockers a nomination for Best Rock Album at the 2024 ARIA Awards, as well as a nod for Australian Album of the Year at the 2024 J Awards.
14. Hockey Dad, Rebuild Repeat
Another Aussie rock band with stellar consistency. Hockey Dad’s fourth album blends surf and garage to typically great effect, and these tracks should go down a treat live in New Zealand in the new year.
13. King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Flight b741
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard are on their 26th (!) album, and they’re still this good. It almost defies belief.
“Channelling garage bands, Little Feat and more, the prolific Aussies pair nihilistic lyrics with 70s-style riffs in a darkly enjoyable romp,” wrote The Guardian in a positive review.
12. Peter Bibby, Drama King
One of Australia’s most underrated rock songwriters is a changed man on his latest album. Drama King finds Bibby embracing sobriety and reflecting on his former hell-raising days. Bibby writes and performs with raw honesty in these tracks. Make sure to catch him celebrating the 10th anniversary of his debut album around the country next year.
11. Tropical Fuck Storm, Tropical Fuck Storm’s Inflatable Graveyard
What’s better than a Tropical Fuck Storm album? A Tropical Fuck Storm live album, of course. The Aussie band’s songs have always sounded best in the live setting, something that Inflatable Graveyard capitalises on with glee. Their first album captures a 2022 show in Chicago, featuring belting performances of favourites from their discography alongside a few choice covers.
10. Skegss, Pacific Highway Music
Becoming a duo hasn’t diminished Skegss’ sound. Pacific Highway Music, their first release without Toby Cregan, became the band’s third consecutive top 5 entry on the ARIA Charts.
9. Make Them Suffer, Make Them Suffer
New sounds, new members, and new successes – that’s the story of Make Them Suffer’s self-titled album. Arriving co-lead vocalist Alex Reade fits in well on their fifth album, which is fused with more electronic elements than is the norm for the metalcore band.
8. The Buoys, Lustre
The Buoys have become one of Australia’s foremost live circuit bands, so it made sense to record their debut album live together. Lustre speeds through punk and indie rock anthems with gusto and skill, and it’s impossible to not get swept up in The Buoys’ energy and enthusiasm.
7. Drunk Mums, Beer Baby
Their band name might not be to everyone’s taste, but most people were happy that Drunk Mums returned this year with their first album in six years. Beer Baby was worth the wait, revelling in sharp songwriting and punk energy. Hopefully Drunk Mums are sticking around for a while.
6. DARTZ, Dangerous Day to Be a Cold One
DARTZ prove that whatever The Chats and Australia can do, they and New Zealand can do just as well. The Wellington punk rock band’s second album is packed with witty storytelling and ferocious riffs, and these tracks have been well-received as DARTZ have made inroads into Australia and the UK.
5. TISM, Death to Art
TISM’s return was one of the best stories in Australian music this year, and Death to Art, the idiosyncratic band’s first full-length album in 20 long years, didn’t disappoint fans. It might not be among TISM’s best-ever work, but Death to Art is still better than a lot of current rock music.
4. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Wild God
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds’ first album in five years is a towering achievement. Already nominated for the Australian Music Prize this year, Cave and Co. are in with a chance of winning two Grammys (Best Alternative Music Album and Best Alternative Music Performance) next year thanks to Wild God. Australia is lucky to have a band operating at such a high level on their 18th album.
3. King Stingray, For the Dreams
Difficult second album syndrome? Not for King Stingray. The NT rockers stunned Australia with their self-titled debut album in 2022, and while For the Dreams offers much of the same in terms of style and sound, that’s no bad thing. King Stingray’s second album is another wonderful celebration of life and the planet.
2. Gut Health, Stiletto
Post-punk bands in Melbourne are two a penny these days, but there’s a reason Gut Health are standing out over the rest. The exciting sextet announced their talent in a major way on Stiletto, which should bring them to wider global prominence. Australia has another promising rock export on its hands.
1. Amyl and the Sniffers, Cartoon Darkness
Rolling Stone AU/NZ‘s four-star review says it all: “the Melbourne punks cement themselves as the pre-eminent Australian rock band of their generation on mature, energetic third album.”
