10 Best Punk & Hardcore Albums of 2024 So Far

To complement our list of the 40 favorite albums of 2024 so far, we’re also posting genre-specific lists. Here’s our compilation of the 10 best punk and hardcore albums from the first half of 2024. The selection ranges from street punk to metallic hardcore, including various genre-blurring records in between. This list features a mix of rising bands, reunited veterans, a star-studded supergroup, and more. Defining similar subgenres always gets tricky, so if you’re interested in emo/post-hardcore, we also posted a list of 10 emo & post-hardcore albums from 2024 that we love. Read on for the punk/hardcore list, presented in alphabetical order.

1. Candy – It’s Inside You

Candy delved into industrial influences on 2022’s Heaven Is Here, and now they’re fully committed. Highlights of their guest-filled album It’s Inside You include tracks like “You Will Never Get Me” (featuring Trapped Under Ice/Angel Du$t vocalist Justice Tripp), “Love Like Snow” (featuring Freshwater vocalist MIRSY and LA electronic musician mmph), and aptly named songs like “Dancing to the Infinite Beat” and “Hypercore.” These tracks echo the ’90s industrial boom, especially the infectious “Love Like Snow.” Despite these electronic flourishes, Candy remains a hardcore band, evident even in collaborations with Integrity’s Aaron Melnick and Trash Talk’s David Gagliardi. It’s Inside You seamlessly blends electronic elements with metallic hardcore mosh fuel, drawing comparisons to bands like Ceremony and Angel Du$t, showcasing Candy’s fearless ambition and hardcore roots.

2. The Chisel – What A Fucking Nightmare

The UK band The Chisel is at the forefront of the ongoing Oi! revival. Their 2021 debut Retaliation rejuvenated the genre, and their Pure Noise debut What A Fucking Nightmare transcends mere revival. Produced by Fucked Up’s Jonah Falco, mixed by Uniform’s Ben Greenberg, recorded by John Atkinson, and mastered by Arthur Rizk, this album owes as much to UK street punk pioneers like Sham 69, Cock Sparrer, and Cockney Rejects as it does to The Replacements. With undeniable choruses and sharp production, What A Fucking Nightmare feels like a modern revitalization of street punk in the 2020s, akin to Rancid and Dropkick Murphys in the 1990s. The Chisel loves the past but isn’t stuck in it, making them a street punk band for a new generation.

3. Gouge Away – Deep Sage

Deep Sage is Gouge Away’s best album yet, emerging from a tumultuous period. After demoing the follow-up to 2018’s Burnt Sugar, COVID lockdown forced the band into hiatus. They regrouped in late 2021, and a surprise performance with Militarie Gun reignited their energy, leading to the creation of Deep Sage. This third LP seamlessly weaves hardcore rage, anthemic choruses, indie rock melodicism, grungy dream pop, and post-hardcore sprawl. It’s a cohesive journey through hardcore-informed guitar rock, combining infectious moments with thought-provoking and challenging themes. Christina Michelle’s lyrics navigate darkness and contradictions, making Deep Sage a joy to listen to.

4. Knocked Loose – You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To

Knocked Loose’s third album in over a decade, You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To, is their first in five years. Produced by Drew Fulk and featuring guests like Poppy and Motionless In White’s Chris Motionless, this album promises the fastest, scariest, catchiest, and most melodic Knocked Loose music yet. Drew Fulk’s polished production enhances their abrasiveness, and the guest appearances add to the brutality. This album is both the catchiest and scariest in Knocked Loose’s discography, structuring brutality into lean, concise songs. You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To deliver the dose of heaviness needed for metalheads and hardcore fans alike.

5. Mannequin Pussy – I Got Heaven

Mannequin Pussy’s I Got Heaven marks a new era with its punk rock battle march title track. Marisa Dabice’s rage and desire culminate in a glossy chorus reminiscent of late ’90s Garbage. Described as an album inspired by living with loneliness and solitude, it pulls listeners in multiple directions with its genre-blending music and variety of moods. With new guitarist Maxine Steen, the album incorporates more electronics, fulfilling pop music dreams while delivering intense hardcore tracks. I Got Heaven is a refreshing mix of genres and emotions, refusing to fit into neatly organized boxes.

6. The Hope Conspiracy – Tools of Oppression / Rule by Deception

After 18 years, The Hope Conspiracy returns with Tools of Oppression / Rule by Deception, driven by vocalist Kevin Baker’s anger towards global injustices. The album condemns capitalism, war profiteering, genocide, and fascism, with tracks like “the west is dead” highlighting Baker’s discontent. Musically, it takes a heavier, bludgeoning direction, matching the intense subject matter. The Hope Conspiracy isn’t back for nostalgia but to voice their frustration with the world, making this album a significant addition to their discography.

7. Pissed Jeans – Half-Divorced

Pissed Jeans returns after seven years with Half-Divorced, showcasing their unique blend of sludgy noise punk and sardonic humor. The album features more classic hardcore-style songs than ever, with Matt Korvette’s sarcastic commentary on daily struggles like debt, housing, and parenting. Half-Divorced turns mundane dread into fun, rebellious punk songs, continuing Pissed Jeans’ 20-year legacy of bending punk and hardcore rules.

8. SECT – Plagues Upon Plagues

SECT’s fourth album, Plagues Upon Plagues, reflects the pandemic and the rise of fascism, capturing a sense of mournful hopelessness. Vocalist Chris Colohan’s grizzled growls express his disappointment in humanity, set to a sludgy, crusty hardcore backdrop. This supergroup, including members of Fall Out Boy, Earth Crisis, and Converge’s Kurt Ballou, delivers some of their most impactful songwriting yet. Plagues Upon Plagues stands out for its dark, depressing tone, capturing the pervasive dread of the early 2020s.

9. Spaced – Landslide

Buffalo hardcore band Spaced releases their first full-length, This Is All We Get, via Revelation Records. Influenced by hardcore giants like Gorilla Biscuits and Suicidal Tendencies, as well as experimental bands like Sonic Youth and My Bloody Valentine, Spaced combines hardcore’s short, loud, and fast formula with psychedelic effects. Vocalist Lexi Reyngoudt’s focused, streamlined shouts make this album their catchiest yet, without losing their hardcore edge.

Explore these must-listen punk and hardcore albums of 2024 to discover a range of styles, themes, and emotions that define the genre today. From industrial hardcore to street punk revival, these records push boundaries while staying true to their roots.