2024 is behind us. Like the years before it, horrible things happened in this world, and just like all the years before, empathetic artists were moved to pen down some lyrics and write songs to help fuel the revolution, to share important messages, and in many instances do so in the face of imprisonment, harrassment and even death.
Despite what some people think, this happens every year. Protest music never died and musicians have never stopped recording activist music. This website, and the work of the writers, radio-show hosts and artists who contributed to this article is proof of that.
So many songs, as single releases, were released in support of Palestine this year. See our growing Spotify playlist featuring songs released in solidarity with Palestine, and also check out our recently published article about Top 40 Protest Songs of 2024.
For this end-of-the-year list, we will focus on full albums. These are some of our favourites. There were many, many more.
Contributing to this list were Kevin Gosztola, Santiago Campodónico, DJ General Strike, Mat Ward, and Riley Rowe.
Humble As The Sun by Bob Vylan
Bob Vylan’s music is fiery, unshackled, and loaded with tremendous rap-rock riffs. Their third album is a bit more focused on radical hope than rage, yet these are still songs for an underclass that must fight to survive every day.
Words by Kevin Gosztola, journalist, writer, and curator of The Protest Music Project
An Encyclopedia of Patriarchy (incomplete) by B of Briz
One of three debut albums on the list, and one that is quite different from the rest. UK hip-hop artist B of Briz, lays down fiery, feminist lyrics on top of, well, off-beat beats, and subtle synths who are as mysterious as the masked artist herself.
Words by Halldór Kristínarson, founder, writer and managing editor of Shouts – Music from the Rooftops!
“NO TITLE AS OF 13 FEBRUARY 2024 28,340 DEAD” by Godspeed You! Black Emperor
The new Godspeed You! Black Emperor album takes a direct approach to the ongoing conflict in Palestine and begs us to not shy away from the atrocities being committed. There are so many dead civilians – men, women and children mercilessly buried under grey rubble. It’s a tragedy, and you should be outraged about it. And maybe, says the album, with enough people shouting, we may be able to help the spark of hope of those that are enduring this injustice.
Words by Santiago Campodónico, contributing writer for Shouts – Music from the Rooftops! Read his full review of the album here.
Self-Truth Samba by Umbilichaos
In her Portuguese tongue, Anna spews “I don’t want to be a puppet or another actress… I would die happy, but I won’t bow to you” on the opening track “Between Prisoners and Slaves.” Such esoteric, yet rebellious poetry reflects the trans-frontwoman’s ambiguous qualms. In our conversations, Anna admits that her lyrics are purposefully vague and open to interpretation; nonetheless it’s impossible to deny her political anger through the Swans or Godflesh-like industrial-sludge and sour lyrics.
Overall, Umbilichaos’ new Self-Truth Samba album is a vent of alienation, pointed at the status quo, capitalism, and society’s pressures. Adhering to her philosophy that everything is political, Anna Claudia Cunha’s gritty Brazilian atmospheric metal is undoubtedly a protest of the current state of affairs.
Words by Riley Rowe, founder of Metal Has No Borders
Evil, Hate-Filled Female by Delilah Bon
I listen to more than 30 new political albums a month to write my monthly protest music column at greenleft.org.au. The quality of all them is surprisingly high, so it’s quite an achievement for one to really stand out. I have no doubt about which one that was for me this year. Delilah Bon is an incredibly talented English rapper, singer, musician, producer, film-maker and visual artist who even makes a different outfit for her performances each night. On her new album “Evil, Hate-Filled Female”, released this year, she displays all the vocal dexterity of misogynistic rapper Eminem, but then goes one better by hitting the kind of high notes only Christina Aguilera could reach, as she belts out punchlines like: “My feminist agenda, to put all your cocks in a blender.” Her usually sold-out live shows, in which she gets the audience to chant “dead men don’t rape”, are an empowering spectacle to behold.
Words by Mat Ward, musician and author
Hells Welles by Jesse Welles
Jesse Welles, AKA Welles, is a singer-songwriter and guitarist from Arkansas, US. Welles was also the frontman of the bands Dead Indian, formed in 2012, and Cosmic-American, formed in 2015. In 2024, Welles garnered attention on social media for authoring and performing folk protest songs, like the viral “War Isn’t Murder”. He released an album of these protest songs called Hells Welles, in July.
Words by DJ General Strike, host of Protest Tunes on 91.3 KBCS in the US
Dzikkuh by Arka’n Asrafokor
Hailing from the tropical territory of Togo, a folk rock-rap-metal fusion band arises with of-the-Earth retribution. The energy on Arka’n Asrafokor’s new record Dzikkuh aligns with the indigenous likes of Sepultura, Alien Weaponry, or The Hu, yet stylistically is unmatched, based in the rhythms and chants of their home – western Africa.
With potent tracks such as “Walk With Us,” “Not Getting in Line,” or “Angry God of Earth,” themes of empowerment, unity, truth, and nature will echo out in the streets of listeners’ minds, as if, this isn’t a protest with a clear political target, but rather a positive rally supporting representation of one’s self and African heavy music.
Words by Riley Rowe, founder of Metal Has No Borders
Birds Rap Too by Kardinal Bloo
Hailing from Texas, US, Kardinal Bloo is a young, versatile artist who brings a lot of colour to the current world of hip-hop, especially the colour blue. The album shines with a love for life as well as an understanding of the current state of affairs. As Bloo so eloquently puts it, his new album, Birds Rap Too, is “an eclectic collection of black expression that merges revolutionary pragmatism, scintillating lyricism, and earnest joie de vivre to create what I call class-conscious rap nonsense from a bird’s eye view.”
This hip-hop album stays interesting throughout, and it’s not only because it’s heavily, and uniquely, centered on birds. In the style of some of the greats out there, like Kendrick and Childish Gambino, Bloo is not afraid to up switch the flow in his songs, keeping the listener on his toes at all times. Add some dope beats and exhilarating lyricism and you’ve got an extremely vibrant rap album whose existence is greatly magnified by Bloo’s live shows.
Taken from Halldór Kristínarson’s interview Kardinal Bloo, which can be read here.
Bullets In The Chamber by Arrested Development
Arrested Development was formed in Atlanta in 1988 by rapper and producer Speech and turntablist Headliner. They were the first hip hop band to win a Grammy for Best New Artist, in 1993. Bullets in the Chamber features a selection of legendary musicians including, Chuck D, Canibus, Diana King, Sa-Roc, Ras Kass, Montsho Eshe, Rasa Don, Sky Zoo, Grandmaster Caz, Sol Messiah, MRK SX, Twan Mack & O’hene Savant. The inscription at the back cover reads: “Life music, the weapon against death. Each song, a bullet in the chamber. As soon as you press play, the trigger is pulled. The target is hearts, minds, and ears of the audience.”
Words by DJ General Strike, host of Protest Tunes on 91.3 KBCS in the US
Bloodmouth Genocide by Times of Desperation
When it comes to vegan, straight edge hardcore music, Times of Desperation’s debut album, Bloodmouth Genocide is hardly inventing the wheel. But sometimes there is no need for that. For all the animals in this world, no matter how much we progress as human species, they still don’t have representation and they are still tortured, born into generational rape and slavery, and babies are still taken from their mothers. What animals need is this album. They need a few young Swedes to bring all the rage they can conjure from within their empathetic bodies and then bring that into as many mosh pits as possible. Eating tortured bodies is normalised. However, there is nothing normal about the fury this album contains. You can feel the suffering animals go through by listening to this music. This is the role of the artist. To make us feel, to help us empathize. To be a voice for the voiceless. Bloodmouth Genocide does exactly that, and in a simply flawless, very brutal way.
Words by Halldór Kristínarson, founder, writer and managing editor of Shouts – Music from the Rooftops!
Over The Earth, Under by Gailla
Over The Earth, Under could simply be described as a protest EP, one centered around the current climate crisis, but Gailla and her band decided to take the concept even further. The first track of the project, midden, is a quick thirty-second invitation to the universe she is setting up, with nature sounds that eventually get overshadowed by protesters chanting: “We will not stop, we will not rest.” This mirrors the final track of the EP, pippi, another interlude where nature sounds seem to be the focus, as the vague presence of people can hardly be heard. These two tracks alone already give the EP a conceptual feel, as the longer and lyrically focused songs are contextualized within them. In a way, with this structure, it almost seems as if Gailla is attempting to capture the essence of a real protest, with a clear focus, a striking beginning, and a somewhat fleeting conclusion.
Taken from Santiago Campodónico‘s review with Gailla, which can be read here.
Unfuckinbelievable by The Sexy Wild East
Super mellow electro-punk out of Budapest, Hungary and another unique sounding album to add to a great year in music. The Sexy Wild East starts right off the bat, stating their manifesto, if you will, on the first track, and these words seem like a pretty good way to end this article.
It’s not radical to want to feed starving children
It’s not radical to want to fund public services
It’s not radical to oppose government corruption
It’s not radical to want to live in a world without war
It’s not radical to believe in equality
It’s not radical to want a fair distribution of wealth
It’s not radical to treat asylum seekers respectfully
It’s not radical to think about your mental health
It’s not radical to want to save the planet
It’s not radical to respect other cultures
It’s not radical to give everyone free broadband
It’s not radical to want peace in the middle east
It’s not radical to stop anyone and everyone owning a gun
It’s not radical to spare a thought and some cash for the homeless ones
Words by Halldór Kristínarson, founder, writer and managing editor of Shouts – Music from the Rooftops!
