1.Archspire - Bleed The Future

2.Gojira - Fortitude

3.Tribulation - Where The Gloom Becomes Sound

4.Aephanemer - A Dream Of Wilderness

5.Beast In Black - Dark Connection

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1.Vildhjarta - Måsstaden Under Vatten

2.Ethereal Shroud - Trisagion

3.Igric - Svet Svetlom Stvorený

4.Aquilus - Bellum I

5.Cân Bardd - Devoured By The Oak

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2021 was the first year when I actively listened to whatever new single or album I found out was coming from a band I like. In the past there had usually been a severe delay between the release and my attention being directed toward it. Because I listened to more music, I found more records which I came to love thoroughly, and it's about 10 or so of such records. The one that didn't make the list was Worship by Hypocrisy. I think overall I'm urged to say the year was pretty damn good.

1.Eximperitus - Šahrartu

2.Stormkeep - Tales Of Othertime

3.Mental Cruelty - A Hill To Die Upøn

4.Lorna Shore - ...And I Return To Nothingness

5.Vildhjarta - Måsstaden Under Vatten

      View entire list ››

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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Metallic World War 2021

2017 champions Archspire want to defend their leadership (strategy: we raze you with more BPM), while Dvne (3rd place in 2017) and Rivers of Nihil (3rd place in 2018) enhance their sonic arsenal by forcefully declaring war on sovereigns; however, the battlefield is filled with loose mines that could explode and blow everything up, ultra-technical mines called Inferi, Deviant Process and First Fragment (brand: Dominic Forest Lapointe). From afar, cautious and silent, veterans named Carcass, Dream Theater and Mastodon lurk. Steffen Kummurer of Obscura (3rd place in 2009, 2nd place in 2011, 6th place in 2016, 7th place in 2018) warrior experienced and reliable, re-sheaths his most powerful weapons (Jeroen Paul Thesseling and Christian Muenzner, champion with the Alkaloid in 2018) and prepares for the final assault on the Throne of Metal. The 2012 champions, Between the Buried and Me, dethroned but never tamed, take the field recalling the glorious colors of the past to regain what is rightfully theirs.

1.Between The Buried And Me - Colors II

2.Dvne - Etemen Ænka

3.Archspire - Bleed The Future

4.Obscura - A Valediction

5.Mastodon - Hushed And Grim

      View entire list ››

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

      View entire list ››

Another boring the best of 2021 list..

Happy new year…,,

1.Exodus - Persona Non Grata

2.Carcass - Torn Arteries

3.Cannibal Corpse - Violence Unimagined

4.Worm - Foreverglade

5.Trivium - In The Court Of The Dragon

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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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When Metal Fusion with Avant-garde, Psychedelic , Prog, Pop, Jazz. Bands outside of regular metal rules. Bands that make something new and different.
An exploration of the metal limits🔥

1.Watchtower - Energetic Disassembly

2.Mr. Bungle - Mr. Bungle

3.Tool - Lateralus

4.Death - Symbolic

5.Dream Theater - Awake

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Last updated on 11 April 2024.

1.Dream Theater - Images And Words

2.Moonsorrow - Kivenkantaja

3.Wintersun - Wintersun

4.Dissection - Storm Of The Light's Bane

5.Iron Maiden - The Number Of The Beast

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So earlier in 2021, I actually finished a nine year old list, and I thought starting this in July and backfilling with previous listens would be a good idea. Turns out not jotting down some thoughts about albums as you listen to them the first time is mistake, so almost every album on here has been heard at least twice - often more.

I'm going to leave it in release date order for now - maybe I'll put them in rating order, but that seems like a lot of work.

And even looking at my own list, I'm convinced there are albums I've heard that aren't on here, so that's great!

Anyway, enjoy reading and hopefully this might point you in the direction of something from 2021 you haven't bothered with yet.

Cheers!

1.Horndal - Lake Drinker

2.Unto Others - Strength

3.Obscura - A Valediction

4.Gatecreeper - An Unexpected Reality

5.Asphyx - Necroceros

      View entire list ››

At around 450 album, I've been averaging something like 75 new albums per month since the start of 2021, not to mention albums I only listen to 1-2 songs of before moving on. It's been intense, and I'm hoping the lifting of restrictions will mean I get through slightly less music in the rest of this year, but let's see what the rest of 2021 has in store musically.

1.Between The Buried And Me - Colors II

2.Year Of No Light - Consolamentum

3.Be'lakor - Coherence

4.LLNN - Unmaker

5.Spaceslug - Memorial

      View entire list ››

My favourite albums of 2021... Seemingly continuing the trend of containing more non-metal content each year.

Includes only albums rated 2.5/5 or higher.

1.Floating Points - Promises

2.Vildhjarta - Måsstaden Under Vatten

3.Black Midi - Cavalcade

4.Between The Buried And Me - Colors II

5.Deafheaven - Infinite Granite

      View entire list ››

Good morrow
This is Prnzo
this list is probably for...
idk, the more adventurous...
jack-of-all-trades listener
lots of apples/oranges here
hopefully this top list helps
at least one MS'er
and if not...
there's always next yr
...unless there's not

update: this list still reflected just releases from earlier in the year - I keep updating my list offline... but I'm never happy with some of the configuration/arrangement (due mostly to indecision or losing track of even a very good release here n there)

1.Between The Buried And Me - Colors II

2.Dordeduh - Har

3.Adjy - The Idyll Opus (I-VI)

4.The World Is a Beautiful Place and I Am No Longer Afraid to Die - Illusory Walls

5.Converge and Chelsea Wolfe - Bloodmoon: I

      View entire list ››

1.Spiritbox - Eternal Blue

2.Mastodon - Hushed And Grim

3.Trivium - In The Court Of The Dragon

4.Rivers Of Nihil - The Work

5.Gojira - Fortitude

      View entire list ››