The Best Albums of 2021

[Thorn]

It's high time surely, let's get 'em up. Just finalising mine . My favourite album of the year has been Todd  La Torre - Rejoice in The Suffering, that was nailed pretty early on. I have forty three '21 releases hauled in this year so it's been a bitch to get it down to ten but I'm almost there. So yeah, let's see some lists folks...

[Slaughterday]

Mefitis - Offscourings takes the top spot for me. There's a thread on them already but if you like early At The Gates, Nocturnus, Darkthrone's DM days then definitely check them out. Insane album that uncovers more with each listen.

Cauldron Born - Legacy of Atlantean Kings. Technically not a new release as it's a re-recording of 'And Rome Shall Fall' but it's incredible power/heavy metal. Almost as good as 'Born of The Cauldron'. Recommended if you like Watchtower, Slauter Xstroyes, Fates Warning.

Warmoon Lord - Battlespells. There's nothing novel going on here, just a solid dose of Emperor worship circa 'Wrath of The Tyrant', but the songwriting is tight and the album just keeps pulling me back in. Great use of keys too, it's the same guy behind Old Sorcery so some influence crosses over nicely.

Grabunhold - Heltentod. German black metal in the vein of old Nagelfar, old Enslaved with some clean vocals scattered throughout. Like the Hulder album from this year (or last year?) there's no reinventing the wheel, just great songwriting and memorable songs.

[Thorn]

I haven't heard any of those, have the first Cauldron Born alright which is a cool album. I'll give that Mefitis a go later.

[open face surgery]

Can't bring myself to listen to a band called Grabunhold, same with Oldowan Gash. That in particular is too unintentionally funny for the music to ever trump it.

Mefitis and Warmoon Loard are great although I have to give the latter more time.

Qrixkuor - Poison Palinopsia
I have listened to other albums more but the sheer scope and perfect execution of it is unparalleled for me.

Antediluvian - The Divine Punishment
Pushing the oddness to new levels with this one. I don't think there's anything they'll do that I won't like. Said that about Mastodon earlier this year and that didn't work out. ha.

Lvcifyre - The Broken Seal
Thought the ship had sailed for Lvcifyre after being unmoved by the last EP but back with a vengeance on this, if you can just look beyond the cuntish artwork.

Suffering Hour - The Cyclic Reckoning
A step up from their great debut. Manage to make very memorable songs from a warpy style where most get lost in the warp. The next release is a fuckin trip as well.

Hexorcist - Evil Reaping Death
No frills old school death metal done right.

Also worth mentioning: Grave Miasma, Azothyst, Clandestine Blaze, Aenigmatum, Ad Nauseam, Black Spirit, Mefitis, Syning. Loads more that I enjoyed and loads more I need to go back to.

Ride For Revenge and Funeral Mist are still to release albums and I'm sure the former will be a highlight.

[Eoin McLove]

Skepticism, Antediluvian, Qrixkuor, Megaton Sword, Unto Others, Ceremonial Torture and Grave Miasma all kicked varying degrees of hoop. The Hinthial demo deserves a mention too.

I can't think of what other newly released albums I got into this year but there are probably a couple more that will come to me.

Edit. Dold Vorde Ens Navn of course, even if I kind of have to agree that the production takes away from it to a degree. More bite in the guitar would add a lot but I think the songs themselves are cool.

[Squigs]

Grave Miasma, Ruins of Beverast, Qrixkuor, Suffering Hour, Mastodon, The Body/Big Brave, Kowloon Walled City and Emma Ruth Rundle prob the ones that I kept going back to from this year. The Mefitis sounds absolutely class, hadn't heard of that at all. Not given the new Antediluvian a go either.

I think the Qrixkuor prob the pick of them all though, it knows exactly what its trying to achieve and it nails it. Precise chaos, a great listen. 

[Caomhaoin]

That Emma Ruth Rundle was a great record alright, much darker than before.

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

Qrixkuor, Mastodon, Kayo Dot, world class albums from all three this year. Couple of other decent albums I've heard, but mainly loads of stuff I haven't gotten round to at all.

Megaton Sword was 2020, I think.

[Slaughterday]

I'm still trying to wrap my head around the Qrixkuor LP. Hopefully it will suddenly click one day like 'Lunarterial' did for me.

[Nazgûl]

Kowloon Walled City

Have seen the name around loads on music websites this year and ignorantly wrote them off as probably just another 'post metal' style band. Listened to the first couple of songs on the album after seeing it mentioned here, and sounds promising. Great guitar tones, kind of remind me of what Earth and Slint were doing with their sparse song arrangements, but in the context of that 'post metal' thing (for lack of a better term). Concise and to the point too, which was their intention from what I've been reading. Nice one. Will be giving this a proper listen now!

[Blackout]

Slim pickings for me this year but I would have to say Akhlys - Melinoë

[Carnage]

That was last year, though I only discovered it in January or February - otherwise it would have been my AOTY last year.

[Thorn]

1. TODD LA TORRE - REJOICE IN THE SUFFERING

2.Hooded Menace  - The Tritonus Bell

3.Carcass  - Torn Arteries

4. Wolves In The Throne Room - Primordial Arcana

5.Tribulation - Where The Gloom Becomes Sound

6. Portrait - At One With None

7.Dread Sovereign - Alchemical Warfare

8.Accept - Too Mean To Die

9.Nervosa - Perpetual Chaos

10.Exodus - Persona Non Grata

11.Worm - Foreverglade

12. The Ruins of Beverast - The Thule Grimoires

13. Cradle of Filth - Existence is Futile

14.Obscura - A Valediction

15. KK's Priest - Sermons Of The Sinner

16. Therion - Leviathan

17. At The Gates - The Nightmare of Being

18.Asphyx - Necroceros

19. Impaled Nazarene - Eight Headed Serpent

20. The Crown - Royal Destroyer.

[Blackout]

That was last year, though I only discovered it in January or February - otherwise it would have been my AOTY last year.

Ahhh ok. Was told that it was released Jan of this year. I'll still count it anyways.

[Floss]

Mastodon, Unanimated, Hypocrisy, 1914... all great releases this year. The Maiden and Carcass albums were decent too I guess.  The Yoth Iria album was a savage release too