An original Chicagoland music advisory is now in effect...it will be every time you cast an ear or two toward this podcast guide to the metal, punk, alternative rock & power pop scene.

The twelve months of 2024 were certainly an ultra active period. From Shitizen making the masses pogo at The Outtapace in Berwyn at the end of February, to the smorgasbord of bands who not only fit the punk genre at the six Punk Rock Tacos outdoor shows. The roar of hardcore (Metal that is (at Hell Over Midway) and Vaudevileins lighting up the stage at Roxy in Lockport last April during their Lights Out album release show. It's now time to jump right in and start up another dozen of months of rocking, moshing, pogoing and making music history. Unlimited will all be captured in cyberspace within the confines of sixty to ninety minutes.

Tony D's in Elmwood Park becomes Mosh Central . The pit will be opened Saturday, January 11th. Atlanta Is Burning fires up a smokin' great time you will, frankly, give a damn about. Chicago melodic hard rockers Alog The Parallel join in with a timely extension of the middle finger to an returning political leader. I talk with singer and founder Mike Przewoznik, guitarist Steven Floro and the rest of ATP before they help form a parallel line of raucous headbangers.

Pat Catalano shreds his way back into a diverse Chicago metal scene with his first new original material in almost fifteen years. The wonderful world of Punk Rock Tacos features a slight resurrection of the spread of winter circulating diseases you won't catch, but the crunchy and punchy grunge rock sound will be contagious once it is spread by Black Cat Heart Attack and You Died at the first PRT show, Friday night, January 10th at Cemitas Poblanas in Villa Park.

Their name certainly didn't apply to the venue to which they suppled a punchy, upbeat night of punk pop. Chicago's Rematch did a one and done gig six years ago this week at Wire in Berwyn. Two more years would rock on before the final closing bell rang on that venue. We rock back to Rematch's one and only time to unite the pogoing masses.

Here's to another year filled with the original Chicagoland metal, punk, alternative rock and power pop soundtrack of a lifetime. It begins with:

Along The Parallel-USA Inc.

Along The Parallel-Lost

Atlanta Is Burning-Linchi

Stolen Sun-Into The Void (music video version)

The Fiction We Create-The Void's Calling

The Pat Catalano Project-The Man From The Past

Dead Living-How Do You Get To Neverland?

You Died-Armoured Core

Black Cat Heart Attack-Terminal Unease

Rematch (interview from Wire in Berwyn 1/6/19 Local Loft Episode 93)

Rematch-Face To Face

Rematch-Chicago

Ring out the old.... Rock in the new.

The 2024 Chicagoland original music scene had its ups and downs. Sad that the active year in Chicago area music ends with the closing of the Outtaspace in Berwyn. The second major venue shutdown in four years, following the closing of Wire in 2020, due to the financial failure from the COVID pandemic. The Outtaspace is going out with a big drum bang from Brad Elvis, drummer of Chicago diverse garage band the Handcuffs. I talk with Brad and guitarist/ singer Chloe Orwell after they rocked a full house one last time at The Outtaspace..

There's plenty of lasts on this final Local Loft of 2024. The final decisions will be given. Year In Review 2024 spotlights the excellence in original Chicagoland metal, punk, alternative rock and power pop. Sure, this final playlist will be debatable, It's only opinion. Don't read past this point if you don't want the surprise spoiled.

And the honors go to:

The Handcuffs-Big Fat Mouth Shut

The Handcuffs-The End Of The Party

Colleen Wild & The Haunted (Best 2024 Chicagoland Area Original Music Scene Newcomer)-Haunted

Repentance (Best 2024 Original Chicagoland Metal Album-The Process Of Human Demise)-The Process Of Human Demise

Redneck Remedy (Best 2024 Original Chicagoland Comeback-When It Rains, It Pours (live from Kankakee Estival Festival, Bird Park, Kankakee-9/23/24)

Shaper (Best 2024 Original Alternative Rock Album-Live At Third City Sound)-Task Paralysis

Carrying Torches (Best 2024 Original Chicagoland Alternative Rock Band)-Good In Blue

13-Monsters-Hang Around (Live At Punk Rock Tacos 54-8/10/24 Best 2024 Original Chicagoland Live Show Cemitas Poblanas, Villa Park)

Acton's Dictum (Best Original 2024 Chicagoland Punk Band)-What You Despise

Vaudevileins (Best 2024 Original Chicagoland Rock Album, Lights Out)-Cut From You

Tear this open!!!!

If you need a little Christmas, right this very minute, you'll get little snippets. It's the gift of original Chicago area metal, punk, alternative rock and power pop that always gives and knows no season. It's a playlist that's been made and checked more than twice. Still, there will be some naughty mixed in with the nice tunes in the scene.

The naughty will be inflicted on you by a would be Satan. If I Were the Devil from Tinley Park will get Devil Horns Hand Signs flying in the air with their dark, sinister hardcore metal style. The band, fronted by singer Chris Melendez, fired up a blazing just shy of an hour long set at Soundgrowler Brewing in their home city. I talk to Chris about how authentic of Satanic worship they preach in their music.

Zombified Shock Rocker David Bates once played the role of a monstrous minister in the Meet Mister Scratch music video. He now gets into almost complete politician persona for the new single from Sinister Fate. But he's not completely giving up a good brain devouring, morbid scare. I have the new single.

We don't totally spend the days before Xmas in Hell, as we head upwards to get a heartwarming, joyous spirit of Christmas from veteran power pop trio Material Issue.

We gave them the gift of kudos, as they tore through a explosive set like Xmas gift wrap, during their debut performance at Holiday Of Horror, the annual festively gruesome local metal bash thrown by veteran murder metal trio, Macabre. Extraction Point earned their best original Chicago area Metal album Local Loft 2019 Year In Review honor. We rock back to it from Reggie's Music Joint in Chicago's South Loop.

Crank it up, and every creature all through your house, or car, or wherever, will be stirring to the original Chicagoland music soundtrack of:

If I Were The Devil-Allegiance To Fire

If I Were The Devil-Hark The Herald

Satan's Hallow-Satan's Hallow

Sinister Fate-Believe

Imminent Terror-Victims

Material Issue-Merry Christmas Will Do

Mimi Betinis-A Christmas Song

Bear Mace-Hibernation-Destroyed By Bears

Bloodletter-This House, A Tomb

Extraction Point (interview from Reggie's Music Joint !2/22/19 Local Loft Episode 117)

Extraction Point-Purification Through Hatred

Extraction Point-Mindsnap