1.Beast In Black - Dark Connection

2.1914 - Where Fear And Weapons Meet

3.Duskmourn - Fallen Kings And Rusted Crowns

4.Grima - Rotten Garden

5.Gojira - Fortitude

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After clocking well over 700 albums in 2020, I'm hoping 2021 will be a bit busier IRL and thus slightly less comprehensively covered in these lists, but let's see - with all the new strains emerging, who TF knows when we might return to a semblance of normality. Until then, I'll be trying to make sure that nothing noteworthy passes my radar.

1.Vulgaris - Asundre

2.Dvne - Etemen Ænka

3.Heliocentric - Ishmael

4.Decline Of The I - Johannes

5.Dordeduh - Har

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1.Bleed From Within - Fracture

2.Shadow Of Intent - Elegy

3.Kardashev - Liminal Rite

4.Orbit Culture - Nija

5.Imminence - Turn The Light On

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As is the case with my other lists, this is for my own organizational purposes and is designed purely to help me keep track of all the many black metal bands and albums that I enjoy, since I can't keep all of this information in my head. It has no other benefit whatsoever and will likely result in tantrums should anyone else see it. I'm aware that I haven't listened to every black metal album that I should have. I only went down to the 6s on this list, so it's possible that I have listened to your favorite black metal album that you desperately need to suggest and I thought it was terrible. There are a lot of heinously incompetent black metal bands out there.

On the off-chance that you've found this and actually care about what I think (you shouldn't), be advised that my favorites come first. Some are favorites in the general sense; some are favorites within black metal. The first few of those are in some order and not so much after that.

Because this is for my own purposes and not intended to be a definitive list of pure black metal, there are some black metal-adjacent bands, or albums by black metal bands that may not themselves be black metal. That's why you'll find so much Sigh clogging up the top of the list. I prefer to keep whole discographies together on one list. I used to include Primordial, Forefather, and other such bands, but a while back I created a list for folk and I decided that those artists would fit better there.

I update these lists very infrequently. This was last updated December 7, 2022.

1.Sigh - Imaginary Sonicscape

2.Sigh - Graveward

3.Dissection - Storm Of The Light's Bane

4.Sigh - Heir To Despair

5.The Meads Of Asphodel - The Murder Of Jesus The Jew

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For those interested in suggestions of albums by genre

Removed:
- Trolls
- Limp bizkit outside of Alternative category
- albums already nominated. After the results, I will add the nominated albums that don't receive enough votes to be displayed in the results, as "staff write-ins".
- albums with a release date not in 2021

1.

2.Heleven - Into The Oceans

3.Imminence - Heaven In Hiding

4.Lantlôs - Wildhund

5.Leprous - Aphelion

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This list is meant to be an extensive, but by no means exhaustive, collection of the greatest (modern) metal albums and eps. Running the gamut from avant-garde to trve norweigan black metal. *As someone who is young in age, my tastes tend to revolve around the period of the 80s to the present.* Although certain metal albums from before will certainly be featured, the period of the 60s-70s will be under-represented. I refer you to this excellent list to gain a better appreciation for some of the best metal from that period: https://rateyourmusic.com/list/freis/martin_popoffs_the_top_500_heavy_metal_albums_of_all_time/

1.X Japan - Blue Blood

2.Xandria - Neverworld's End

3.Xanthochroid - Of Erthe And Axen: Act II

4.Xasthur - To Violate The Oblivious

5.Xeno - Sojourn

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Ratings go from:

WORSHIP ❤️❤️❤️: Absolute greatness, a mindblowing album.
LOVE ❤️❤️🖤: Amazing release with very few flaws.
LIKE ❤️🖤🖤: Enjoyable but far from perfect.
DISLIKE 💔: Not very good or maybe not fitting my tastes.

I've decided to stop rating albums with a numerical value as I tend to feel uncomfortable with that. This list has a minimalistic, subjective and visceral approach, based purely on sensations and personal tastes. Mainly for personal use and doesn't pretend to be a serious ranking, but emerges from the need to remember which bands and albums I enjoyed and the ones I disliked. I constantly revisit new releases so first impressions may change over time. It usually takes 8-10 spins for me to get completely sure of a rating.

1.Æther Realm - Tarot

2.Abhoria - Abhoria

3.Acid Bath - When The Kite String Pops

4.Agrypnie - Metamorphosis

5.Allegaeon - Fragments Of Form And Function

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Another year, another list. Huh time flies. First 10 in order I think was best of the best. Last 10 worst of the worst. Rest is in a order as I think they fits (based on todays perspective) , maybe december albums are higher as januari ones and also some middle albums might be 2-3 places higher, lover.
PS If there are duplications, let me know.

1.Thyrathen - ThanatOpsis

2.Black Soul Horde - Horrors From The Void

3.Cult Of Eibon - Black Flame Dominion

4.KK's Priest - Sermons Of The Sinner

5.Icon Of Sin - Icon Of Sin

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My very subjective ranking of all heard metal and metal-adjacent albums 2021.

1.Atvm - Famine, Putrid And Fucking Endless

2.Worm - Foreverglade

3.Noltem - Illusions In The Wake

4.Dream Unending - Tide Turns Eternal

5.Ad Nauseam - Imperative Imperceptible Impulse

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WIP

A selection of music I listened to enough to have an opinion about.

As the title suggests, my year seems to have featured a lot of throwbacks: a new Stereolab compilation of archival material; a glorious Helloween reunion of all things; Sleigh Bells actually making a great album again; and Pearl Charles channeling first ABBA and then Fleetwood Mac like it's 1977. (And that's not including the ABBA comeback which, unfortunately, won't make it to this list.)

1.Low - HEY WHAT

2.tricot - Jodeki

3.

4.Circle - Henki [Collaboration]

5.Pearl Charles - Magic Mirror

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1.Turnstile - Glow On

2.The Armed - Ultrapop

3.Lingua Ignota - Sinner Get Ready

4.Panopticon - . . . And Again Into The Light

5.Thirdface - Do It With A Smile

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2021 Playlist

1.Swallow The Sun - Moonflowers

2.Empyrium - Über Den Sternen

3.Iotunn - Access All Worlds

4.Wheel - Resident Human

5.Between The Buried And Me - Colors II

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1.Aborted - ManiaCult

2.Asphyx - Necroceros

3.At The Gates - The Nightmare Of Being

4.Cannibal Corpse - Violence Unimagined

5.Carcass - Torn Arteries

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"The artwork was created by acclaimed Polish artist, Mariusz Lewandowski, whose art matched LIVLØS’ artistic vision" the band revealed to And Justice For Art..."

1.Gojira - Fortitude

2.Evadne - The Pale Light Of Fireflies

3.Imminence - Heaven In Hiding

4.Vildhjarta - Måsstaden Under Vatten

5.Swallow The Sun - Moonflowers

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My List of the releases made during 2021. Score based on the excel sheet i've made https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Hk_3gkpCfeKtdZNus_z3sxg-U8XJ_MqklfC8tbealaE/edit?usp=sharing

1.Decline Of The I - Johannes

2.Vokonis - Odyssey

3.Between The Buried And Me - Colors II

4.Kanonenfieber - Menschenmühle

5.Stortregn - Impermanence

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