Before we get to the BEST OF 2024 list later in the day, as usual, and for the last 14 years we have always published our top contributor’s individual lists for the year. The overall best of the year is made up of all those that contribute not just the writers below. This years we asked our top contributors to put in as many lists as they wanted to: best shows, best albums and any other highlights they wanted to mention.
REVIEWER INDIVIDUAL LISTS
MARK DIGGINS – EDITOR – MY TOP ALBUMS OF 2024
I’ll be honest 2024 didn’t seem like it was one of my favourite years in the 15 that we have been doing this. Having said that the sheer number of records I’ve been playing since they landed kind of snuck up on me and so in retrospect I’ll have to immediately contradict myself and say what a great year it was ! It did produce a number of truly great albums that I know I’ll be playing for a long, long time. So even though I had to rank them I’d rather leave you with my thoughts on my ‘must listens’ for the year starting with the three that completely stunned me. Two of those were from bands that released their debuts way back in 1989 making it and incredible 35 years between releases. The other is from a band releasing their third record on a small indie label. If it wasn’t for these three there are a dozen that at one time in the year could have taken the top slot. The New Roses latest being so close along with some other hard rocking gems making it seriously hard to pick favourites…
Thanks to everyone who has read, or visited The Rockpit this year. We’ll keep letting you know who we think deserves your attention. So if like me you love that Hard and Heavy, sometimes Sleazy, sometimes Bluesy rocking music that you can sing along to and lose yourself in the moment we’ll see you again in 2025! Much love to all of the bands we’ve seen, spoken to, listened to or reviewed this year. Thank you to all the promoters and publicists that keep it all running. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to teh site this year. All of you are family.
THE BIG THREE FOR 2024 – ALBUMS YOU NEED IN YOUR LIFE
1= Vain – Disintegrate Together
Vain’s debut ‘No Respect’ was an album that changed my life as much as any in the late 80’s. And this album a mere 35 years later goes as close as you possibly could to recapturing that magic. This is sheer sonic bliss…
1= Babylon A.D. – Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day
Another band that released an album that impacted me hugely back in 1989, and which eerily like Vain sees them come up with a record 35 years later that really captures the magic of the debut is Babylon A.D. This is a record that has it all and decades later underlines what a great band they still are. Some of the best songs the band has produced since that day are hear and waiting for you…
1= The Commoners – Restless
There were for me at least a dozen albums that at some time in the year I would have had at the top of my list, but this one from Canada’s The Commoners was one that was constantly on in the playlist. This to me is as good as fellow Countrymen The Trews at their peak and runs early Black Crowed pretty damn close. A fine album that will age wonderfully well. You really need to hear this if your love of Rock needs that underpinning of Blues…
THE SERIOUS CONTENDERS
2= The New Roses – Attracted to Danger
There’s a battle in Europe at the moment for the best Hard Rock band and this year it was a very tight call with The New Roses, Eclipse, Kissin’ Dynamite, Suicide Bombers, Black Diamonds, D.A.D. and more all releasing unmissable records. This year in our chart Germany’s The New Roses just edged it. This is an album of anthem that you just can’t stop playing, tinged with Southern Rock and even Country it’s up there with their very best…
2=Eclipse – MegalomanIIum
One of The Rockpit’s very favourite bands put out one of their very best albums this year. Erik and co continue to make magic on an album that for me just shades it’s predecessor Megalomanium. If you want fist pumping singalong anthems and ballads to get the tears flowing, no one does it better…
2= The Dead Daisies – Light ‘Em Up
The Dead Daisies is incapable of releasing a less than great album and in all the years we’ve been around they’ve never failed to make the Top 5 of our charts. This album sees the return of the wonderful vocals of John Corabi and is a record that pretty much any other year would have run away with top spot. Time to light ’em up again. You won’t regret getting your ears around this one…
2= Trucker Diablo – Social Hand Grenade
Coe back of the year for sure. Northern Ireland’s Trucker Diablo blew the roof off last time out with ‘Tail End of a Hurricane’ but they have roared back to life with Social Hand Grenade… As the press release closes: “From the one man office mosh pit crunch of Kill The Lights, to the closer What I See and the juggernaut heft of Dig! This album clocks in under 45 minutes, so you can get your breath back before you hit repeat.” I couldn’t have put it better myself! Seriously if you want to hear one of the best albums of the year check this motherfucking epic out! Top 3 for me all the way Tom! I’ll fight anyone who says it’s not!
2= The Erotics – Destined To Damnation
For me bands like The Erotics are why I started this website on the first place – a band with a real underground sound, killer songs and who never seem to deliver. I thank Rob Lane for that who in the early days of The Rockpit send me ne of their first albums. I’ve been hooked ever since. If you like Sleazy, horror fueled, punk tinged dirty Rock and Roll the I’m probably already preaching to the converted…
2= Suicide Bombers – All For The Candy
Wow! What an album by Suicide Bombers! This is a jaw dropping album, perfect from start to finish and not a single note wasted, This album represents everything that makes these guys great but taken to a whole new level. The songs are energetic and captivating, the playing by everyone on it is phenomenal, and Chris is after all these years still as good if not better than he ever was vocally. This is a record that should be in the collection of everyone who loves great rock n roll, the bar for 2024 is set here and it’s set VERY HIGH.
2= Dirtbag Republic – Bad Decisions
One of the albums of the year for me for sure and one I managed to open a few ears to in the lead up to this year’s vote. For me a dead cert must hear release from a band that just keeps getting better and better. if like me you marvel at the Hanoi Rocks on a daily basis and have a huge love for band like The Dogs D’Amour and gravitate towards the Sleazier, Punkier side of the street then you probably thought that all the great music died out at the end of the 80’s. Well I have to inform you it didn’t and these guys are the real deal…
SO GOOD YOU HAVE TO PICK THEM UP
3= Kissin’ Dynamite – Back With A Bang
One of Europe’s best Hard Rokers return with another Arena-sized slab of heavy magic. This is a band you need in your collection and if you love this then get ready to dive into a glorious back catalogue…
3= Black Diamonds – Destination Paradise
Black Diamonds fail to put a hard rocking foot wrong in my book. These guys could well be Switzerland’s very best export of the last twenty years. If you want and album that screams classy, catchy 80’s style hard rock then this is one for you.
3= Quireboys – Wardour Street
The Quireboys return with Spike and Nigel (Interview with Nigel on the way) with a real reminder of the magic of the band that took the music of The Faces on a pub crawl to introduce a whole new audience to barroom blues. There’s some great songs on here and the addition of Luke and Harry from Thunder just elevates the intrigue. If only it had been better promoted and distributed it might have been nudging Top spot…
3= Kings of Mercia – Battle Scars
I loved this one. Real old school Metal with the songs to back it up. One of a few albus that came out of the blue for me and I’m grateful that it did. If you like it old school with great vocals and searing guitars but also love the edge that modern production gives – this is massive!
Honourable mentions to…
D.A.D. – Speed of Darkness
The Black Crowes – Happiness Bastards
Phil Mogg – Mogg’s Motel
Prophets of Addiction – Face The Music
Magnum – Here Comes the Rain
Saxon – Hell, Fire And Damnation
MARK’S TOP 10 LIVE SHOWS of 2024
1. DIRTY HONEY with special guests Dead City Ruins and Shotgun Mistress
For me there was only one show this year that could have taken Top spot and that was the trip over East to see Dirty Honey. It was a show that had me lost in the music from the first note and reminded me of all that I love about Rock and Roll. Thanks to the band and crew and management for making the best show of teh year simply sublime. 2025 should be a big year for the band, I predict it may just be the biggest yet…
2. Glam Fest Sydney, Metros
Year two of the now shelved Glam Fest was a feast for fans of Hard Rock and delivered two great shows in Melbourne and Sydney with a further show in Brisbane cancelled. With so many great bands it was hard to pick highlights but to me Janet Gardner and Tyketto along with the wonderful Cruel Intentions stole the show. Sad to see it go, but great that some of the wonderful acts are heading back already…
3. British Lion – Live at Magnet House, Perth
For those that spend the night in the company of Steve Harris’ other band before Iron Maiden played down the road the night after it was a gid to remember, and we also got to see Nicko’s replacement on drums. Some gigs are just so much more than you hoped for and this was one special night. Thanks to Steve for his hospitality.
4. The Darkness – Metropolis Fremantle
The Darkness playing their monumental debut in full with added hits? How could that fail to be the perfect night out in their W.A. home – Metropolis Fremantle. A packed crowd voted with their feet to make it one of the best shows of the year…
5. Iron Maiden with Killswitch Engage
6. Buckcherry with special guests Rose Tattoo
7. The Original Wailers – Freo Social
8. Walter Trout live in Fremantle
9. The Cult – Australian Tour
10. Gladys Knight Farewell Tour – Perth Riverside Theatre
11. Kim Wilde – The Astor Theatre Perth
12. Samantha Fish & Jesse Drayton – Live at Freo.Social
13. The Screaming Jets – Life Blood Tour
14. Steel Panther with Special Guest JOHN 5
15. Bon But Not Forgotten – Live at The Ravenswood Tavern
Honourable Mentions to:
The Damned with Nick Sheppard and The Yung Pomeranians
Charlie Musselwhite live at The Astor Theatre, Perth
The Tea Party – Perth Concert Hall – TRIPtych 25
The Skids – The Rosemount Hotel, Perth
The Screaming Jets at Port Beach, North Fremantle
ROB JONES
Rob’s top albums of 2024: 2024 has been a GREAT year for rock music and compiling this list was no easy feat, The top six were particularly hard to rank and any one of them could’ve been my album of the year.
For me though the bar was set early this year by an album that is everything you could want in a great hard rock record and I’ll start my list there:
Suicide Bombers- All For The Candy
This album is incredible, I’d put it in the top ten best releases of the last decade. These guys created sonic napalm with this album, It’s got absolutely killer riffs, Loads of attitude, Incredible guitar solos, and top to bottom fantastic songs. If you haven’t heard this album then waste no time seeking this out, Every fan of hard rock needs to hear this record.
The New Roses- Attracted To Danger
Six albums and one EP into their career and The New Roses are only getting better, This band has never even so much as released an ok album let alone a bad one. They just know how to write really well crafted catchy rock songs, you’ll have many of these songs stuck in your head. Do yourself a favor and check these guys out.
The Dead Daises- Light ‘Em Up
I’ve been a major fan of John Corabi ever since he was in Motley Crue and it’s my opinion that he and the rest of The Dead Daises do their best work when he’s fronting the band, John left the band years ago and while I like the Glenn Hughes albums they just don’t have that down and dirty hard rock swagger that John brings out in the band. This may just be the best record the band has ever released and considering the quality of their back catalog that is truly saying something.
Black Diamonds- Destination Paradise
Speaking of bands that only keep getting better and have never released a bad album that sentiment certainly applies to Black Diamonds, these guys make fantastic rock songs and have a real gift for writing great melodies. This is definitely their best record yet.
Kissin’ Dynamite- Back With A Bang
And the hits just keep on coming on this list. Kissin’ Dynamite is in my opinion one of the best rock bands on earth, whether it’s arena worthy hard rock anthems or heart wrenching ballads these guys write incredible songs. Their latest has a number of songs that in a more fair world would be massively popular, They certainly have the quality of songs to have mass appeal.
Crossbone Skully- Evil World Machine
This album was honestly the biggest surprise of the year. A series of singles preceded this album and while they were great individually, this debut makes its maximum impact felt when enjoyed as a full album. Crossbone Skully created a monster of a great album that is influenced by a heavy dose of Bon Scott era AC/DC, Pyromania era Def Leppard, small amounts of Alice Cooper, as well as having some surprises of their own musically. I play this album a lot.
Shiraz Lane- Acoustic Archives
Acoustic albums by rock bands are a mixed bag, sometimes the attempt falls flat and others it’s absolute magic and that is exactly the case with this EP. Considering you can watch these guys performing these songs together in a room it’s flat out incredible that those performances were captured so flawlessly, these songs feel at once very organic, like you are there in the room with them as they are performing and also are recorded so well that they glisten with what you would associate with great production. The songs are stripped down reinterpretations of songs from their last few releases and honestly I could’ve gone for a whole album like this, it’s that good.
Losing Gravity- All In
Sometimes being a fan of one band leads you to another great discovery, These guys came up as a recommendation for fans of The New Roses and it’s not hard to see why. These guys sound very similar to that band but stand apart with their own style, this is an album with great catchy songs and it’s a real shame that after a release this strong that the band has called it quits recently.
Issa- Another World
Issa is a trailblazer in melodic rock and has a career filled with great albums, This new one for my money is her best. Her incredible vocals soar over fantastic songs, I highly recommend checking this out.
Lipz- Changing The Melody
This is only their second album and Lipz managed to outdo their first, Changing The Melody is packed with energetic rock songs that feel both classic and modern at the same time.
Eclipse- MegalomanIIum
Of the two Megalomanium albums I like this one the best, But I feel like this is a Use Your Illusion situation where overall they are good albums but they aren’t consistently great. Hate me all you want for that opinion but I think you could splice tracks from both albums together and you would have a truly great album, Taken separately these albums aren’t as consistently great as Wired or Paradigm are. Having given that critique I still think the songs are varying levels of good and Eclipse is one of the best rock bands out there.
Maverick- Silver Tongue
Ireland’s finest rock band are back with what I regard as their best album since Cold Star Dancer, Epic hard rock songs with awesome vocals.
Lucifer- V
Lucifer are another surprise of the year for me, I had never heard of them until this year and I ended up buying all of their albums and a few of the non album track singles. 60’s pop meets a heavy dose of Black Sabbath, as well as a clear influence from Nicke from The Hellacopters who played drums in this band, a combination that works brilliantly.
The Gems- Phoenix
I was one of many who were very sad to hear all but one member of the last incarnation of Thundermother had left the band, the second time that has happened with that band in fact. But my disappointment was short lived as those departed members formed their own band and a fair dose of the sound I loved lives on in The Gems, But they have musical elements that distinguish them from their previous band. I will say the AC/DC influence isn’t as pronounced in this bands music, But it still rocks! So if you loved the prior line up of Thundermother then don’t miss this band.
Cruzh- The Jungle Revolution
Cruzh reminds me a lot of Reckless Love and I mean that with full compliments, They don’t come across as a rip off to be sure, Just heavily influenced by them. In any case, This is a fun album with great music perfectly suited for good times.
Slash- Orgy of the Damned
This for me is the best thing Slash has released since the Snakepit albums as far as his solo work goes, If I have one critique to give it’s that I would’ve loved to hear an original blues song on here from him and I’m sure he could do it. But what you have here is a star studded album full of blues classics and it’s a fantastic album with some performances that may even surprise you.
Snakebite- Cobra Crew
Despite writing some great glam metal style songs there’s a rawness to the music of this band, In that way alone they remind me a bit of Vain back in the day. But these songs are fun and have some great choruses, their prior two albums were good, But Cobra Crew is definitely their best yet.
Honorable mention:
Ghost – Rite Here, Rite Now movie.
I emphasize movie because you can buy this as just a CD and I’m not going to talk you out of buying that, But if that’s all you get then you are missing a much greater experience. Part of the fun of Ghost is the mythology they’ve created throughout their career, It’s woven into their music videos and it’s told through story videos on YouTube, Simply put Tobias Forge is a genius.
I went to the tour this was recorded on and in many respects the show that is presented here is very similar, It does have its differences though and some of those songs are truly spectacular in how they were done live. Beyond the excellent live show they captured here and all the humor and theatrics that go with it you have story scenes woven into it that play into the greater mythology that you will miss out on if you only get the CD, This is a vital aspect to the experience of what I regard as one of the greatest concert film I’ve ever watched. Included on the disc is all the web series videos that tell a lot of the backstory and if you buy this movie I recommend you watch all of those before watching the movie so you understand things better. This film is just one of many reasons why Ghost is such a phenomenal band.
SEAN BENNETT
Sean’s top albums of 2024:
1.The Commoners – Restless
2. Pierce Brothers – Everything is Bigger Than Me
3. Slash – Orgy of the Damned
4. Black Country Communion – V
5. Joe Bonamassa – Live at The Hollywood Bowl
Special Mentions to:
Kenny Wayne Shepherd – Dirt on my Diamonds Vol.2
Shotgun Mistress – Kings of the Revolution (Aus)
Audio Reign – The Perfect Sea (Aus)
The Dead Daisies – Light ‘em Up
Top 10 Live Shows
1. Mundi Mundi Bash at Broken Hill
2. Dirty Honey at Stay Gold, Melbourne
3. Pierce Brothers at Mojo’s, North Fremantle
4. Superstars Live with Kate Ceberano & Jon Stevens at Perth Concert Hall
5. Samanatha Fish & Jesse Dayton at Freo.Social
6. The Fabulous Caprettos at Crown Theatre
7. Cold Chisel at Sandalford’s Winery
8. Iron Maiden at RAC Arena, Perth
9. Andrew Farriss at Mojo’s, North Fremantle
10. Pink at Optus Stadium
Honourable Mentions to:
The Screaming Jets at Port Beach, North Fremantle
Blink 182 at RAC Arena, Perth
Hozier at RAC Arena, Perth
Diesel at Regal Theatre, Subiaco
ANDREW SLADINS
Andrew’s Best Australian Releases 2024
1.Taylor Sheridan – Troubadour
2. The Dreadful Tides – EP
3. Mammal – The Penny Drop
4. Witchgrinder – Nothing Stays Buried
5. Southern River Band – D.I.Y.
6. Shotgun Mistress – Kings Of The Revolution
7. Emergency Rule – The Kings Of Ithaca
8. Queenie – New Moult
9. Exiles – Waiting For Romance
10. Grinspoon – Whatever Whatever
Honourable mentions to:
Audio Reign – The Perfect Sea
The Need – Anything & Everything
The Black Sorrows – The Way We Do Business
Wicked Smile – Night Time Riders EP
Andrew’s Best International releases 2024
1. Jerry Cantrell – I Want Blood
2. Frank Turner – Undefeated
3. Cory Marks – Sorry For Nothing
4. Crossbone Skully – Evil World Machine
5. Vain – Disintegrate Together
6. Sum 41 – Heaven X Hell
7. Green Day – Saviours
8. Sebastian Bach – Child Within The Man
9. Duran Duran – Danse Macabre – De Luxe
10. Opeth – The Last Will and Testament
Honourable Mentions
D.A.D. – The Speed Of Dark
Skid Row – Live In London
Best Australian Gigs
Taylor Sheridan – Troubadour album Launch – Memo Music Hall 31/08/24
Mammal – 170 Russell 09/02/24
Kathleen Halloran – Single launch – Gasometer 11/12/24
Tina Arena – Mornington Racecourse 08/12/24
Superstars – Jon Steven’s/Kate Ceberano 31/10/24
Large Mirage – The Forum 15/11/24
Witchgrinder – Northcote Social Club 24/05/24
Brett Wood/Jack Biilman – Bergy Bandroom 25/10/24
Mid City – Festival Hall 21/11/24
Warbirds – Musicland 19/10/24
Best International Gig
Frank Turner – Gershwin Room – The Espy 02/12/24
Eagle Eye Cherry – Margaret Court Arena 17/10/24
Adrenaline Trio/Dropkick Murphy’s – The Forum 18/11/24
The Offspring – The Forum 24/11/24
Pearl Jam – Marvel Stadium 16/11/24
Cheap Trick – Palais Theatre 13/03/24
Wednesday 13 – Max Watts 04/02/24
The Tea Party – Palais 20/06/24
Voice Of Baceprot – Croxton Bandroom 26/10/24
Glenn Hughes – Croxton Bandroom 12/10/24
Honourable Mentions
The Struts – Max Watts 28/02/24
Bowling For Soup – Corner Hotel 12/12/24
Buckcherry – Prince Bandroom 26/09/24
Dirty Honey – Stay Gold 04/04/24
Havasi – Hamer Hall 24/05/24
Midnight Devils – Corner Hotel 21/07/24
