Although this year flew by, it was another great one for alternative music. We saw the return of Green Day, whose album Saviors still feels fresh, moshed alongside SPEED and GEL, and got cathartic with Death Lens. In a year of thousands of releases, though, there’s always too much that slides under the radar, so we asked our readers to name the most underrated albums of 2024. They fired back with tons of answers — from post-hardcore heaviness to woozy pop. Find the top fan picks ranked below.
Read more: 50 best albums of 2024
5. Like Moths to Flames – The Cycles of Trying to Cope
Since their inception in 2010, Like Moths to Flames have relied on searing intensity to get their message across. With their latest album, The Cycles of Trying to Cope, it’s a lot more heightened. The metal quartet go all out, especially on “Over The Garden Wall” and “Everything That Once Held It Together.” In terms of heaviness and craftsmanship, The Cycles of Trying to Cope is right up there with Knocked Loose’s You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To and Poppy’s Negative Spaces.
4. Trash Boat – Heaven Can Wait
In the past few years, Trash Boat have switched up their sound in a major way. The St. Albans five-piece leaned away from the emo and pop-punk foundation of their earlier records on 2021’s Don’t You Feel Amazing?, where they embraced a more polished, massive sound. This year’s Heaven Can Wait expands upon that direction, boasting nü metal, alternative rock, and even some shoegaze elements. The result is exhilarating, featuring the band spinning out hardcore adjacency (“Break You”), team-ups with I Prevail (“Be Someone”), and ferocious screams that will stop you in your tracks (“Are You Ready Now?”).
3. Capstan – The Mosaic
After dripping out singles for the past couple of years, Capstan returned with their third studio album, The Mosaic, in the spring. It’s got all the brutal breakdowns that’d you expect from a band of this caliber as they draw from parenthood, mental health, and, in the words of Andrew “Boz” Bozymowski, “opposite extremes.” It’s not all heavy, though. There are moments when the post-hardcore band soften their sound, like how “Arrows” (featuring Tobi Duncan of Trash Boat) taps into pop punk, and the following track, “Compendium,” wraps around a gorgeous classical arrangement. Definitely underrated.
2. twenty one pilots – Clancy
Even though twenty one pilots appeared on our best albums of 2024 list, readers still felt the project was underappreciated. After all, Clancy is a feat. Following years of building out expansive lore, the duo of Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun returned to wrap up the story that they started on 2015’s Blurryface — and don’t waste time sending listeners back to the world of Trench with the opening track “Overcompensate.” It’s a fitting ending to a years-long endeavor, full of color and openness that reminds us of what made the band so intriguing in the first place.
1. Chase Atlantic – LOST IN HEAVEN
Chase Atlantic’s LOST IN HEAVEN may be one of the year’s more underrated releases, but it’s beloved by our readers, snagging the top spot. It’s been a swift ride for the Australian trio, who’ve been releasing album after album and packing out rooms on both sides of the world in between writing cycles. Though it took multiple attempts to see the light of day (including getting trapped in snowstorms and starting over after bandleader Mitchel Cave left his laptop out in the rain), their hard work pays off. LOST IN HEAVEN adds deeper vulnerability to their enticing sound, resulting in a slick, layered listening experience.