Cartoon Darkness

Cartoon Darkness is the third studio album by Australian pub rock and punk band Amyl and the Sniffers. It was released on 25 October 2024 through B2B Records and Virgin Music Group. It is the band's first studio album since 2021's Comfort to Me.

The album was preceded by the singles and music videos for "U Should Not Be Doing That", "Chewing Gum", "Big Dreams" and "Jerkin'".^[1] The music video for "Jerkin'" was released through the band's website because of its graphic full frontal nudity throughout the video. A disclaimer was issued for it to be viewed by adults 18 years and older. A censored version was also released on YouTube.^[2]

At the 2024 J Awards, the album was nominated for Australian Album of the Year.^[3] The album was nominated for the 2024 Australian Music Prize.^[4] The album won Best LP/EP at the 2025 Rolling Stone Australia Awards.^[5]

At the AIR Awards of 2025, the album won Independent Album of the Year and Best Independent Rock Album or EP.^[6]

At the 2025 ARIA Music Awards, the album won Album of the Year, Best Group, Best Rock Album, and Best Cover Art.^[7][8]

Critical reception

^[9]

Year-end lists

Personnel

Amyl and the Sniffers

• Amy Taylor – vocals
• Declan Mehrtens – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
• Gus Romer – bass, backing vocals
• Bryce Wilson – drums, backing vocals

Additional contributors

• Nick Launay – production, recording, mixing
• Bernie Grundman – mastering
• Oliver Roman – additional engineering
• Charlie LoPresti – studio assistance
• Jerred Polacci – studio assistance
• Atom Greenspan – additional sound warping
• Harry Cooper – saxophone on "U Should Not Be Doing That"
• Barnaby Clay – harp on "Me and the Girls"
• John Stewart – photography
• Olivia Jaffe – photography assistance
• Thomas Ronnie – artwork

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

References

1. ^ Strauss, Matthew (2024-08-21). "Amyl and the Sniffers Announce Album, Share New "Chewing Gum" Video: Watch". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
2. ^ Skinner, Tom (2024-10-22). "Watch Amyl & The Sniffers' NSFW X-rated video for cathartic single Jerkin'". NME. Retrieved 2024-10-22.
3. ^ Varvaris, Mary (1 November 2024). "Amyl And The Sniffers, Speed, Emily Wurramara Lead 2024 J Award Nominees". The Music. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
4. ^ "SoundMerch Australian Music Prize Unveils 2024 Shortlist". The Music. 14 November 2024. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
5. ^ "All the winners from the 2025 Rolling Stone Australia awards". Media Week. 10 April 2025. Retrieved 11 April 2025.
6. ^ "2025 AIR Awards Winners". The Music. 1 August 2025. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
7. ^ "ARIA Award nominations 2025: Ninajirachi, Dom Dolla, Amyl & The Sniffers lead the pack". Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). Retrieved 26 September 2025.
8. ^ "Amyl and The Sniffers and Ninajirachi lead the 2025 ARIA Awards winners list". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 19 November 2025. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
9. ^ "Cartoon Darkness by Amyl and the Sniffers". Metacritic. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
10. ^ BBC Radio 6 Music. "Albums of the Year 2024". BBC.com. Retrieved 2024-11-27.
11. ^ "The Best Albums Of 2024". Mojo. December 23, 2024. Retrieved December 28, 2025.
12. ^ "Albums of the Year 2024". roughtrade.com. November 19, 2024. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
13. ^ "Top 100 Rock & Metal Albums du semaine 44, 2024" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
14. ^ "Veckolista Album Fysiskt, vecka 44". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
15. ^ "ARIA Top 50 Australian Artist Albums for 2024". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
16. ^ "ARIA Top 50 Australian Albums Chart for 2025". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 15 January 2026.