Best of 2021

As the world ravaged on from the pandemic for yet another year, live music has virtually come to standstill. The very few shows that managed to take place have only been fleeting in nature. It’s almost as if there’s a cosmic game of whack-a-mole wherein the virus whacks our existence back into solitude and isolation. Things get better and then they don’t. For the ones who have fortunately had the means to create new music, have soldiered on! And boy, has there been shit-tons of new music out there!

This post is my annual reflection on the albums that piqued my interest. It’s usually a numbered list but all albums are worth checking out if you dwell in the realms of heavy music. The previous years’ lists are all categorized under the tag - #AOTY.

I’m personally not too satisfied with this list as I feel there are quite a few albums which almost made it to the top 10 but didn’t by very fine margins. Additionally, making an (dis)honorables mentions list would make this blog post much longer. I’ve also been torn to not include late entrants like Phrenelith and Funeral Mist who released new albums in the 2-3 weeks. They’re top-notch but alas without more listens, I cannot justifiably stack them up against the albums that made the cut. Despite my unhappiness with the list, I’m very certain about my top three albums though. So if you share the same musical tastebuds as me, then you might nod in agreement. Without further ado, here is my best of 2021! 🏆

These Texans play a superior brand of deathly thrash metal. It’s raw, fast-paced and seething with venom. Steel Bearing Hand has been categorized as death/thrash on Metallum but the tag doesn’t do the band’s music justice as they’re much more than that! While the foundations of Slay in Hell is thrash metal, the band builds layers over that like the harsh vocals which adds the heaviness and the doomy sections on ‘Tombspawn’ and the epic twelve minute track ‘Ensanguined’. Much like the title, this album slays!

Spider who? Exactly! Spider God is a relatively unknown entity (not uncommon in black metal) and their work on ‘Shadowless Light’ is utterly commendable. They play melodic black metal and the riffs and melodies are so memorable. On one hand they’re simple yet very emotive and on the other they make you headbang furiously! ‘Shadowless Light’ is not a full length but an EP that clocks under 20 minutes. Thoroughly enjoyable and I look forward to future releases by them!

Continuing in the trend of mentioning bands with off-kilter names, I too had a quizzical expression on hearing that this band was called ‘Stress Angel’. The reason I checked out the band was because ‘Bursting Church’ was co-released by the Dying Victims label which is known for putting out high quality releases. ‘Bursting Church’ is a slab of thrashy death metal. It’s rooted in late 80s death metal but also has an equal measure of blackened thrash. I would regard Morbid Angel, Possessed and Autopsy to be big influences. Stress Angel have put out something very catchy and hard-hitting in ‘Bursting Church’ and it’s one of my favorite death metal releases on 2021!

Bonehunter are a Finnish band who have a penchant for all things punk, speed and black metal. They’re also a band who don’t take themselves too seriously. Take a gander at their song titles and album covers and you’ll understand. Musically, they can be mentioned in the same breath as Toxic Holocaust or Midnight. What makes ‘Dark Blood Reincarnation System’ a winner is that each song is crafted beautifully - whether it’s the riffs, the galloping breakneck speed of most songs, the Iron Maiden-esque melodies or the gravelly vocals. A clear warning though for production purists - expect a grimey raw (can be perceived as muddled) production. I feel it only elevates the album but others can disagree. Overall, I believe all these elements come together very nicely to make this album very enjoyable!

I am usually drawn to bands that push the envelope. Call it innovative or “gimmicky”, it is definitely challenging to sound “original” in this day and age. Mefitis does this with their unique blend of progressive death metal and black metal. ‘Offscourings‘ is not technical enough to make you dizzy with notes but there is enough to appreciate the stellar musicianship on the record. While the band showcases their technical skillz, they don’t compromise on carefully structured songs with a ton of great riffs and melodies. The vocals are another highlight wherein they are as varied as the music. There’s a lot of digest in ‘Offscourings’ and it’s not an easy listen. But with patience and repeated listens, the album, as they say, grows on you! If you’re a fan of the early eccentric years of At The Gates or the likes of the Chasm or Demilich, then this is right up your alley.

Mystic Storm hail from St. Petersburg, Russia and they play thrash metal with hints of epic power metal elements. The band plays a version of thrash very reminiscent of 80s bay area thrash like Dark Angel but what sets Mystic Storm apart are Anya’s ungodly vocals. The entirety of the album’s lyrics are in Russian but it only adds to allure and mysticism of the band (as someone who has no clue what they’re singing about). Mystic Storm’s overall musical output is very rough around the edges - whether it’s the production or the vocals. It’s coarse and in-your-face. The epic imagery and the music go hand in hand and often make you go “UGH!”, which is an indication of a great thrash band which can get that out of you. ‘From the Ancient Chaos‘ is a job well done!

Dungeon Serpent took me quite by surprise! They’re categorized as “melodic death metal” but this sub-genre has been bastardized by modern metal that I am always suspicious of this tag being a misnomer. The brand of melodeath that Dungeon Serpent plays is in the vein of Intestine Baalism or the infamous Arghoslent. You can even hear a Swedeath influence too. The guitar leads are very catchy and melodic, and they sit perfectly meshed well and harmonized over the background of tremolo guitar riffs and power chords. ‘World of Sorrows’ culminates in an epic 11 minute instrumental, the album title track. The production is raw on ‘World of Sorrows’ with a very thick and heavily distorted guitar tone. It hits the sweet spot for me though. But the biggest surprise to me was when I learnt that Dungeon Serpent is a one-man band and it’s founded by Arawn who is only 20 years old. The amount of quality in this record is stupendous and it’s quite a a feat to achieve!

Lamp of Murmuur’s 2020 EP ranked ninth on my last year’s AOTY list. It’s not surprising that I eagerly awaited ‘Submission and Slavery‘. Suffice to say, it did not disappoint but it has also elevated my expectations from this band (one-man band) for future releases. Lamp of Murmuur continues with his brand of catchy, melodic and rompy “lo-fi” black metal that he is very known for but the album also incorporates post-punk and goth rock elements. The atmosphere created by this blend is perfect and iti does not feel for once that the band is straying in another musical direction. It sounds like Lamp of Murmuur even if I am listening to the heavily delayed and echo-y post-punk guitar lines or the Christian Death cover. ‘Submission and Slavery‘ takes Lamp of Murmuur to greater heights and they ought to be a more recognized name in the underground!

Let me caveat this blurb with the fact that I’m not a fan of symphonic black metal. For a band to win me over in this sub-genre has to produce something unworldly. Stormkeep is fronted by Isaac (drummer of Blood Incantation) and the other band members are also part of Wayfarer (folk/black metal band). At times I’m in awe when I think of the insane musical talent oozing from the Blood Incantation camp that has spawned such stellar projects. But let’s talk about Stormkeep. ‘Tales of Othertime’ is a magical and majestic symphonic black metal masterpiece with Dissection influenced guitar work and a bit of dungeon-synth to liven (or darken) up the atmosphere. It does sound a lot like the soundtrack to any of the epic fantasy tales like LOTR or Wheel of Time. Overall, Stormkeep have released a great album and watch out for the stellar album art as well. I’ll be sure to get it on a poster when I can!

Herzel are a French band that play traditional heavy metal with epic themes. ‘Le Dernier Rempart’, which translates to ‘the final bastion’, is replete with intricate guitar melodies, very catchy hooks and anthemic singing in French. Whether it’s a pacy song or a slowed down section, the excellent vocals cut right through. You can feel the emotion in every syllable and every word (despite me lacking any knowledge of French). How does Le Dernier Rempart top my list of AOTY for the year? Well, it’s the most complete album I’ve come across this year whether it’s the musicianship, the song-writing, the production or the emotion/atmosphere. With every listen, I notice something new while the rest continue to cement my appreciation for the band. Heavy metal reigns supreme in ‘Le Dernier Rempart‘ and I can easily say that Herzel have put out of the finest heavy metal albums in the past decade! Allez, Herzel!

With that…c'est la fin de la liste. Until next year!