9 Great Noise Rock Albums You Might Have Missed in 2024

It probably has absolutely nothing to do with the miserable, confused state of the world right now, but a ton of great noise rock records have come out in 2024. This most scathing and abrasive of genres takes on myriad willfully ugly forms, but its tone and worldview rarely deviates from somewhere between existentially introspective to venomously satirical. So, yeah, probably nothing at all to do with nascent happenings in the world.

Heaps of great, high-profile noise rock records will be making their way onto album of the year lists over the next month or two. These include some sensationally great albums by the likes of Pissed Jeans, Metz (RIP), The Jesus Lizard, Chat Pile, Shellac (also RIP) and many more. The following list digs a little deeper than these AOTY candidates. It also eschews the big hitters from the sludgier end of the genre’s spectrum (Uniform, Whores, Couch Slut etc.) as well as punk and hardcore releases that err toward noisy abrasion, such as the latest scorchers from Gouge Away, Show Me The Body and Bad Breeding.

As well as tilting between noise rock’s musical polarities, the following list traverses numerous countries, encompassing records from all over Europe and North America. The cathartic language of noise rock knows no boundaries and feels all the most vital and necessary in these trying times. 

Obey Cobra – Mwg Drwg

We begin in the city of Cardiff, Wales. Obey Cobra’s (pictured above) second full-length channels its creator’s heritage via its title, which is Welsh slang for marijuana (it’s pronounced “moog-droog,” by the way). However, the literal translation (“bad smoke”) perhaps sums up its vibe even better. These 11 tracks are a sinister and doom-laden collection, overflowing with bad trip energy. Vicious synths overlay the downtuned riffs, gifting Mwg Drwg the already-dense and metallic textures a further serrated edge. Released on one of the UK’s finest noise/outsider rock labels Rocket Recordings, Obey Cobra’s latest is a razor-sharp heavy gem.

Heave Blood & Die – Burnout Codes

Onwards from Wales, we journey further North to Norway. Probably the most approachable release on this list (despite its creators’ gnarly moniker), Burnout Codes is a terrific fusion of heavy psych and post-punk that dots hints of metal around its colorful edges. The six-piece actually began as a sludge band (go check out their killer 2016 debut), but have transitioned into a unique and energetic fusion, one that’s thrillingly realized on Burnout Codes. A sense of grandeur and scale permeates these eight tracks, juxtaposing nicely with the moshable energy and tight runtimes. A supremely fun and sneakily powerful effort.

Cell Press – Cages

Time to cross the Atlantic. Montreal has birthed host of great heavy bands, and has now gifted the world another in the form of Cell Press. The four-piece’s brand of ugly heaviness is a mean, muscular concoction, recalling turn-of-the-millenium noisecore acts like Coalesce and Narrows as much as it does modern metallic noise rockers Great Falls and fellow Canadians KEN Mode. It’s a menacing, relentless debut full-length, employing a claustrophobic production style, churning, rumbling bass and endless downtuned grooves. If you like noise rock in its ugliest of forms, Cages is waiting for you.

W!ZARD – Not Good Enough

Over in Bordeaux, France, W!ZARD are cooking up something special. This author has been lucky enough to witness the trio live and can confirm that their IRL energy matches the vibrant mania of their debut Not Good Enough. These ten tracks are a dream fusion of Metz, Idles and Birds In Row, splintering into myriad directions and transitioning between tempos, textures and moods with head-spinning aplomb. Album highlight “Jack Is A Sociopath” encapsulates Not Good Enough’s energy, suddenly spiking to some thrilling heavy passages. Another tip, if recent French noise rock is your thing; check out PURRS’ equally-awesome Goodbye Black Dog.

Hammok – Look How Long Lasting Everything Is Moving Forward For Once

Back up to Norway. Man, this trip’s getting exhausting, even more so once you’ve subjected yourself to Hammock and their noise rock/emoviolence opus Look How Long Lasting Everything Is Moving Forward For Once. This is a properly  indescribable gem; a wild genre fusion that coalesces spectacularly. It’s essentially “deconstructed skramz,” tilting from manic emotional intensity (“Nothing’s Never Better”) to unexpected evil psych grooves (“Seance”). Despite its stripped-back production style and raw tone, this is a properly three-dimensional album, running the full musical gamut whilst remaining an emotionally engaging whirlwind throughout.

Thee Alcoholics – Bear Bites Horse Sessions

The newest-released record on our list is another oddball heavy record put out on Rocket Recordings. Thee Alcoholics are a London-based mob crafting a particularly hypnotic brand of noise rock and stoner rock, one that will have you drunkenly push-pitting as much as it will put you in a stoned, swaying trance. The band’s approach on the brilliantly-named Bear Bites Horse Sessions is an ultra-kinetic one, riding linear grooves that rely on copious repetition and intense volume. This approach draws on the Hawkwind school of cosmic groove rock, but builds a nasty, opaque and heady tonal palette that makes for a relentlessly mesmeric listen.

Eye Flys – Eye Flys

Some nasty stuff is happening on the streets of Philadelphia, along with Eye Flys’ killer new album (zing). The trio (so many great sludgy noise bands are trios) have come up with an unsparing and bile-flecked debut, one for the ’90s noise rock fans as much as modern extreme metal heads. The lumpen, belligerent Eye Flys is just eight tracks long and only one cut exceeds three and half minutes, but its trudging pace and trap-door-laden structuring means you completely lose track of time and place. Released on the ever-awesome label Thrill Jockey, this is a punishing, venomous and seriously fun masterclass.

Mildred – Pt. Of Things To Come

One of the most intriguing genre blends in our trans-continental noise rock rundown (this time we’re heading over to the West Coast to L.A.), Mildred craft a wild but surprisingly elegant mix of noise rock, screamo and post-rock. The band surmise the concept behind their new EP Pt. Of Things To Come with the fascinating elevator pitch: “an experimental concept project about the neo-abrahamic psychedelic apocalypse centered around a black hole and a small town.” One: if that doesn’t intrigue you, you’re reading the wrong list. Two: these four tracks genuinely seem to channel a black hole’s spaghettification effect, stretching musical time and form into strange, abrasive and engrossing shapes. A hell of a tease for Mildred’s impending new full-length.

POHL – Mysteries

One more trip over to the UK, to the post-industrial Northern city of Sheffield. POHL have another great self-description, calling themselves “kosmik noise rock.” The duo have come up with a blinder of a debut full-length in Mysteries. Don’t let their name’s death metal typeface on the cover fool you, this is a surprisingly accessible collection, riding chunky, fuzzy and heavy grooves over Torche-like vocals and Big Business-style pounding drums. It’s a record bursting with psychedelic ideas (check out the eerie folk of “Interlude II” and the B-movie vocal sample on “Revelation”) and oozing vibrant, engrossing and very loud élan.

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