Liz Medhurst / The Best Of Rock And Blues In 2024

There is no denying that 2024 was a personally challenging year, so the sheer amount of fantastic heavy music released and performed was more than a welcome respite. It was an essential part of getting through. 

Festivals are always something to look forward to, and Maid Of Stone and Stonedead both shone. Maid Of Stone delivered a smorgasbord of delights, culminating in the dramatic finale from Mr. Big on their last-ever tour. From a verystrong lineup, sets from Larkin Poe, The Commoners, Jared James Nichols, Oli Brown And The Dead Collective, and Blaze Bayley are lingering long in the memory.

Stonedead has always been a highlight of the year and this year’s lineup truly excelled. It was the best of the lot so farwith that triple whammy of Doro, KK’s Priest and Saxon. This now firmly established festival completely sells out before a single act has been revealed, and quite right, too. 

There is enough trust in Chris Sumby and the team to know that whatever they put together, they will get right, and a good time is guaranteed – and sure enough, now that 2025 has been announced, it looks like another belter.

Homegrown UK hard rock and Metal bands have continued to impress, and Kris Barras Band are up there among the frontrunners, with the Halo Effect album deserving its top 5 chart placement. Make sure you get a hold of the extended version with additional piano and acoustic tracks which show off the strength of the songwriting beautifully.

Other bands that have seriously impressed this year are Those Damn Crows, South Of Salem, Tailgunner and an honourable mention for Thrxnes who have got off to a great start.

The classic and original acts of the genre are still on form. Moggs Motel was a brilliant album, showing that Phil Mogg has lost none of his talent for storytelling and lyrical turn of phrase. Bruce Dickinson’s solo album The Mandrake Project was every bit as good as expected.

There were riches in the world of heavy blues and roots rock. Always a high-quality category, this year saw Jack J Hutchinson with Battles, Blues Pills with Birthday and Brave Rival with Fight or Flight. Blue Nation came into their own as a band with Ordinary People, which was a revelation. 

It was also Hannah Wicklund’s year with the release of The Prize. A very special artist, she is the whole package in termsof vocals, songwriting and guitar playing, all wrapped up in a wonderful forest fairy vibe. Her set supporting Deep Purple, where a squirrel appeared on the gantry and stayed to watch, could not have been more perfect.

Slash also got his blues on with the stunning ensemble Orgy Of The Damned. On the psychedelic and cosmic side of things, Philip Sayce and Troy Redfern both put out superb albums and toured together to make a truly match-made-in-heaven, out-of-this-world experience.

Of course, if you want a UK rock band who achieve the feat of being consistently good and hitting the sweetest of spots with an album that captures the prevailing mood perfectly each time, look no further than Cats In Space. Time Machine is an album jam-packed with quality songs, and the overall message of living in the present and making the most of today is a hard relate.

The Cats In Space stage show in theatres remains the standard for bands at this level to aspire to. I ought to have seen this four times but ended up at only one due to the Cambridge date being cancelled, and then I came down with a brutal bout of proper flu, which put paid to the December dates.

I also missed seeing Orphaned Land on their London date, which was a huge disappointment.

It has been another year to pay tribute to those who have left us, as always too many, with the loss of Tony Clarkin from Magnum and Matt Long of Catfish hitting particularly hard.

There is a lot to look forward to in the coming year. Piratefest comes to Brixton, Black Country Communion are announcing live shows, Helloween start their 40th anniversary tour and Iron Maiden their 50th. A new Pearl Handled Revolver album. The long-awaited Spinal Tap sequel.

I know I have only really scratched the surface with these highlights, which is a good place to be. All that remains is to express huge thanks to our brilliant editor and all-round fantastic guy Steve Ritchie and all of my MetalTalk colleagues for keeping me entertained and updated on all things Metal. 

Here’s to a hard-rockin’ and tremendous 2025.

The post Liz Medhurst / The Best Of Rock And Blues In 2024 first appeared on MetalTalk - Heavy Metal News, Reviews and Interviews.