The top four albums: absolutely stunning. However, looking back at 2021 and the albums I've voted for, there was a lot of stuff which made me say: "what the hell is that?"

A forgetable year? Could be. Surprise of the year? Either a japanese speed metal band that I have never heard of, An Autumn for Crippled Children releasing an album sounding like their glory days or the fact that Korpiklaani made it into the list.

1.Be'lakor - Coherence

2.Tribulation - Where The Gloom Becomes Sound

3.Darkwoods My Betrothed - Angel Of Carnage Unleashed

4.Stormkeep - Tales Of Othertime

5.Duskmourn - Fallen Kings And Rusted Crowns

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Another year, another traditional list of my top ten, or more like top thirty albums of the year. That list probably doesn't interest anyone, or most people anyway, but I like keeping up with the tradition and refuse to give up trying to influence people to give in and start listening to some obscure bands that I manage to dig up from the depths of Spotify. Well, obscure is a thing of perspective, and I am actually quite sure I have at least five people among my friends and acquaintances that are familiar with most of these bands. If you are not.. well, you should be.
I'm not going to do an album-by-album review, just a quick rundown. Two albums in the Hungarian language in the top ten, maybe I should start learning that shit after all... NOT!!! As the years go on, it seems that I delve deeper and deeper into the obscure post-metal, post-black, atmospheric black, doom whatever.. maybe I'm just finally going insane, it was about time. Anyway, surprise out of nowhere, an album that blew me away, Iotunn - Access All Worlds. Is it progressive? Is it melodic death metal? Is it whatever? Who gives a fuck. It was a very schizophrenic year for me, just like this 'review', at least when it comes to music, a lot of albums that I liked, but very few that had that catchy vibe, that I can't really describe but that I sometimes have. My point here is that I could probably take this list and honourable mentions, and write a program that randomizes the places of albums in the list every time you hit refresh, and whatever result it would yield I would say 'Yeah, that seems about right'. Down the list, I have to mention how happy I am with Thy Catafalque finally deciding to go live and do live shows, now I only pray that this pandemic doesn't fuck up another concert plan. Ephemerald is in a way, as generic Finnish melodic death metal as you can get, obvious influence by Insomnium and the likes, but I really dig it. They are not original or inventive, there is no 'one-hit wonder' catchy song that stands out.. and yet it is a fucking awesome album. Yoth Iria is a project of former Rotting Christ members, and it sounds exactly like that, so if you are into Rotting Christ, you know what to do. Beast in Black, it's the same album again, but it's an awesome album again, so... I think I don't need to comment on Swallow the Sun, yeah, the previous album was better, but this one is still awesome. Epica, well I'm a huge fanboy of Epica, make of that what you will, but if you ask me they don't have a bad or even average album. The same can be said of Be'lakor. Dalriada was kinda unexpected, I really like listening to folk metal in languages I don't really understand. I know about this Hungarian band for .. fifteen years I think, I almost went to Senta to watch them live more than a decade ago, yet this is their best album up to date. Well at least according to your ultimate metal encyclopedia, me. Duskmourn is another of that melodic death, folk, atmospheric black, whatever bands that spawn left and right. Narrowly missing out are Therion, Evergrey, and Soen, really, really good albums. I could put any or all of them in the top ten, but I guess I like going with the obscure underdogs or whatever. Stormkeep is another black metal masterpiece that came out of nowhere. Remember how I mentioned that there is a bunch of atmospheric black / folk metal bands spawning left and right. Yes, Cân Bardd is another one. For more honourable mentions, I would like to point out Romanian Sur Austru, as well as Dordeduh... duh. (OK I'll see myself out.) and another Hungarian band, Vvilderness, but this time at least you can understand what they are singing since lyrics are in the English language. I could, and probably should add at least another dozen of bands to this list, like Darkwoods My Bethrothed, Mare Cognitum, Hypocrisy, Leprous but this is too much even as it is, so feel free to give me recommendations, but just bear in mind that the fact that I did not put it into my picks doesn't mean I dislike the album.
P.S. In case anyone knows how to format album names with those strange characters so they link up properly, do let me know.

1.Iotunn - Access All Worlds

2.Thy Catafalque - Vadak

3.Ephemerald - Between The Glimpses Of Hope

4.Yoth Iria - As The Flame Withers

5.Beast In Black - Dark Connection

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1.Harakiri For The Sky - Mære

2.Funeral Mist - Deiform

3.Archgoat - Worship The Eternal Darkness

4.Wolves In The Throne Room - Primordial Arcana

5.Aborted - ManiaCult

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My personal favorite 75 metal albums of the year, this year has been pretty good when comes to heavy metal, especially within black and melodic death metal, also a good year for symphonic metal.

My favourite non metal albums of the year

Spotify playlist:
2021

1.Swallow The Sun - Moonflowers

2.Helloween - Helloween

3.Ethereal Shroud - Trisagion

4.Turnstile - Glow On

5.Havengarth - The Path Through Reminiscence

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Alphabetical
Favourite track in ()

1.Archspire - Bleed The Future

2.At The Gates - The Nightmare Of Being

3.Be'lakor - Coherence

4.Djevel - Tanker Som Rir Natten

5.Doctor Smoke - Dreamers And The Dead

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This year was a very good year in terms of releases, so this year it was very difficult to make a top 10 plus 3 extras. It could probably be another 10 albums or even another 10.

1.Epica - Omega

2.Tribulation - Where The Gloom Becomes Sound

3.Swallow The Sun - Moonflowers

4.1914 - Where Fear And Weapons Meet

5.Between The Buried And Me - Colors II

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Favorite albums from 2021!

1.Iron Maiden - Senjutsu

2.Dream Theater - A View From The Top Of The World

3.Epica - Omega

4.Helloween - Helloween

5.Powerwolf - Call Of The Wild

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1.Be'lakor - Coherence

2.In Mourning - The Bleeding Veil

3.Swallow The Sun - Moonflowers

4.Yoth Iria - As The Flame Withers

5.Iotunn - Access All Worlds

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1.Gojira - Fortitude

2.Trivium - In The Court Of The Dragon

3.Cradle Of Filth - Existence Is Futile

4.Volbeat - Servant Of The Mind

5.Artillery - X

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Alphabetical Order

1.Ablaze My Sorrow - Among Ashes And Monoliths

2.Baest - Necro Sapiens

3.Brand Of Sacrifice - Lifeblood

4.Cryptosis - Bionic Swarm

5.Enforced - Kill Grid

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Be Patient dudes, This List is under Construction

1.Akercocke - Words That Go Unspoken, Deeds That Go Undone

2.Mgła - Exercises In Futility

3.Hail Spirit Noir - Mayhem In Blue

4.Arcturus - The Sham Mirrors

5.Fires In The Distance - Echoes From Deep November

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1.Epica - Omega

2.Bloodred Hourglass - Your Highness

3.Soen - Imperial

4.Iotunn - Access All Worlds

5.Duskmourn - Fallen Kings And Rusted Crowns

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Albums I've listened to released between January - March

1.Soen - Imperial

2.Dvne - Etemen Ænka

3.Empyrium - Über Den Sternen

4.Cult Of Luna - The Raging River

5.Five The Hierophant - Through Aureate Void

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Albums I've heard in 2021 in order of preference.

1.Dream Theater - A View From The Top Of The World

2.Hypocrisy - Worship

3.Bodom After Midnight - Paint The Sky With Blood

4.Epica - Omega

5.Moonspell - Hermitage

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

2.Harakiri For The Sky - Mære

3.Monolord - Your Time To Shine

4.Ethereal Shroud - Trisagion

5.Der Weg Einer Freiheit - Noktvrn

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