The 15 Best Metalcore + Hardcore Albums of 2024

Which albums were the best hardcore and metalcore releases of 2024?

In 2024, one could make the argument that metalcore has become the dominant shorthand for how the general public perceives heavier music.

Flip on any TV show or movie—if there’s stock music being used to convey metal, you’re far more likely to hear a chugging breakdown than a guitar solo. It’s not hard to see why. Over the past several decades, metalcore bands have consistently grown in stature, honing in on the fact that people simply love breakdowns.

Running parallel to big-room metalcore, hardcore punk has had its own renaissance, spurred by the momentum of bands such as Turnstile and Power Trip who have helped bring more new fans into the scene than ever. Through word of mouth and bands supporting each other, there have been few times in history when so many sub-subgenres of hardcore have been able to coexist at the same festivals, making it one of the most varied music scenes anyone can get involved with.

What’s perhaps most surprising is how much these worlds now intersect. For a long time, seeing a capital-M metalcore band tour with a dyed-in-the-wool hardcore band felt like an anomaly, something that would never happen regularly. But thanks to bands such as Knocked Loose, there’s a far smaller gap between these worlds, making it common to see festivals like the recently announced LDB Fest book bands like SeeYouSpaceCowboy, Missing Link and Static Dress all under the same roof.

All that being said, it’s been a hell of a year for both sides of -core. From gritty oi to the super-polished, here are the 15 best hardcore and metalcore records of the year.