2021 was such an outstanding year for heavy music releases, I felt it was worth taking a second look at some of the albums that did not make my original year end list. In total, I listened to 102 new albums in 2021, and really enjoyed most of them. Here are 21 more of my favourite heavy music releases from 2021.
The list will include only full-length albums of new material - no live albums, compilations, EPs, or reissues. Comment below with your favourite releases of the year!
Band: LIVL0S
Album: And Then There Were None
2 Favorite Tracks: Mortal Severance; The Purest Black
Denmark metallers LIVL0S (Lifeless in Danish) bring an energetic mix of thrashed-up melodic death metal on their second full-length album And Then There Were None. Right from the starting title track through to the epic closer The Purest Black we get an earful of guitar heroics, a fast and tight rhythm section, topped with the demonic vocals of Niklas Lykke. The sharp attack of Serpentine Supremacy is followed by the more groove-based stylings of Mortal Severance and Pallbearer. With many standouts on the album and excellent variation in the songwriting, And Then There Were None blasts by quickly.
Buy And Then There Were None here
Website: livloesband.com
Label: Napalm Records
Release Date: October 22, 2021
Format Reviewed: CD
Band: Dordeduh
Album: Har
2 Favorite Tracks: Timpul întâilor; Desferecat
I bought this album just because of the intriguing artwork, what an interesting find! Dordeduh have put a big spotlight on Romanian metal with their second full-length, Har. According to the official Bandcamp page, their "name combines the word ‘Dor' (the yearning for something; the lack of something) with the term for spirit ‘Duh' – according to the musicians, this amalgamation represents the struggle to express those meaningful values that make us human by uniting the soul and the spirit". What impressed me most about Har is the interesting variety of musical styles and elements not just between different songs, but within each song. 12 minute long album opener Timpul întâilor begins with an almost spiritual sound before building into modern black metal epic-ness, followed by 7 more songs full of shifting atmospheres and moods. An absolute standout is the sinister-sounding Desferecat, with its dark ambience building to a crushing climax.
Website: dordeduh.bandcamp.com
Label: Prophecy Productions
Release Date: May 14, 2021
Format Reviewed: Artbook CD
Band: Aeon
Album: God Ends Here
2 Favorite Tracks: Just One Kill; Queen of Lies
Aeon's first release in 9 years is a demonic, dirty, soul-stealing beast of an album. Starting with a brief intro, there are only a few breaks from the neck-breaks, so to speak. Just One Kill and Despise the Cross rip and thrash in blackened-death fashion, while album closer Queen of Lies stomps and grinds its way to a hellish conclusion. God Ends Here has many standout tracks, but is best experienced as a whole.
Website: aeon666.bandcamp.com
Label: Metal Blade Records
Release Date: October 15, 2021
Format Reviewed: CD
Band: Domkraft
Album: Seeds
2 Favorite Tracks: Perpetuator; Audiodome
Swedish psychedelic doom group Domkraft return with a masterpiece of stoner metal that satisfies better than a fistful of 'shrooms. Plenty of atmospheric melodies swirl overtop sludgy guitar riffs, while the other-worldly vocals of Martin Wegeland guide you through these hypnotic dirges. Seeds is heavier than their previous album, 2018's Flood, which I also really enjoyed. Highlights for me include Perpetuator, a doomy epic that weaves through droning guitar riffs to spaced-out melodies courtesy of Martin Widholm. Album closer Audiodome is sprawling in its sound as much as the mental imagery if you care to close your eyes and get carried through the journey.
Website: domkraft.bandcamp.com
Label: Magnetic Eye Records
Release Date: April 30, 2021
Format Reviewed: Artbook CD
Band: Amenra
Album: De Doorn
2 Favorite Tracks: Ogentroost; De Evenmens
If I were to ever be remanded to an institution for the criminally insane, I imagine that opening track Ogentroost is how it might sound inside my head whilst slowly degrading to psychosis. The 7 tracks on De Doorn are mood music, for sure, with the lunatic shrieks of Colin H van Eeckhout shredding through the ears overtop a band that ebbs and flows from crushing waves of doom to haunting passages of quiet introspection. Third song, De Evenmens is another sprawling mass that builds beauty in darkness to a mournful lament. The album closes in epic fashion with Voor Immer quietly crawling out of the depths before exploding into an apocalyptic wall of noise.
Website: amenra-official.tumblr.com
Label: Relapse Records
Release Date: June 25, 2021
Format Reviewed: CD
Band: Mastodon
Album: Hushed and Grim
2 Favorite Tracks: Dagger; Gobblers of Dregs
Unpopular opinion alert: I actually enjoy a lot of Mastodon at their more "subdued" and progressive. Their Cold Dark Place EP from 2017 is one of my favourites with its catchy songwriting and many subtle hooks. Likewise with songs such as The Sparrow and Stargasm from 2011's The Hunter. I certainly feel for the critics who miss those good ol' days of romping, stomping, marching with the fire ants or splitting lungs with blood and thunder, and a double album of progressive material can be a lot to swallow from any band. With those criticisms aside, I think Hushed and Grim is a stronger effort than their previous full length, with some of the catchiest songs they've released so far. Lead single Teardrinker has hooks a'plenty, with some great sing-a-long moments and a real earworm of a guitar riff. Dagger, Eyes of Serpents and Gobblers of Dregs are haunting, flowing epics full of atmosphere, while Gigantium closes off the whole affair with more memorable melodies. Haters gonna hate, I for one, have enjoyed Mastodon's continued growth.
Website: mastodonrocks.com
Label: Warner Records
Release Date: October 29, 2021
Format Reviewed: CD
Band: DVNE
Album: Etemen Ænka
2 Favorite Tracks: Towers; Court of the Matriarch
Another album I purchased just because of the cool artwork, Etemen Ænka is my first experience with UK quintet DVNE. Most of the songs are massive in scope and in length, creating a journey of shifting movements that demand more attentive listening to uncover all of the layers and soundscapes. At more than 7 minutes, Court of the Matriarch weaves from quiet, restrained beauty, to frenetic energy, to mesmerizing guitar parts, to bombastic power. Similarly with Towers at just over 9 minutes long, a blend of influences with shifting dynamics that create an entire listening experience. The album closes with the gentle, sorrowful Asphodel which melts into Satuya, a sprawling post-metal song that blends moments of hypnotic melodies with explosions of crushing heaviness, layered and layered to a massive finish. When Etemen Ænka climaxes, so do you. I promise.
Website: songs-of-arrakis.bandcamp.com
Label: Metal Blade Records
Release Date: March 19, 2021
Format Reviewed: Digipak CD
Band: Lord of the Lost
Album: Judas
2 Favorite Tracks: Iskarioth; Viva Vendetta
German gothic metallers Lord of the Lost bring ambition to spare on their sprawling double-album Judas. A concept album based around the namesake's betrayal of christ, offering their own take on the narrative. Lush arrangements and dramatics are punctuated by goth club inspired romps highlighted in songs like And It Was Night and Iskarioth. The blend of retro-styled instrumentation and songwriting are particularly evident on The Heartbeat of the Devil and Priest, while Viva Vendetta is a catchy blend of Depeche Mode and early Moonspell; not to mention that bitchin' guitar solo around the 4 minute mark. Give me a purpose - A light in the sorrow - A life beyond this death. Indeed.
Website: lordofthelost.de
Label: Napalm Records
Release Date: July 2, 2021
Format Reviewed: Mediabook CD
Band: Alustrium
Album: A Monument to Silence
2 Favorite Tracks: Deliverance for the Damned; A Monument to Silence
Sometime last summer, I randomly came across the video for Join the Dead by Philadelphia death metal band Alustrium. I immediately bought the CD. Then, I bought the back catalogue. Naming their album A Monument to Silence is like naming a 120lb rottweiler "Tiny." Filled with mostly longer melodeath songs like Worthless Offers and Deliverance for the Damned, the former track particularly noteworthy for a crushing vocal performance from Jerry Martin. The album ends with its title track, a nearly 11 minute long epic featuring absolutely massive performances from every band member, especially the dual-guitar assaults from Mike DeMaria and Chris Kelly.
Buy A Monument to Silence here
Website: alustriumofficial.bandcamp.com
Label: Unique Leader Records
Release Date: June 18, 2021
Format Reviewed: CD
Band: Humanity's Last Breath
Album: Välde
2 Favorite Tracks: Earthless; Tide
When the zombie apocalypse finally happens and society starts to crumble, I want Välde to be declared the official soundtrack. While there is plenty of technicality on display, it is the heaviness and overtones of DOOOOOOOM that dominates most songs. Earthless is bleak and crushing, I found myself getting absorbed in the disorienting atmosphere and disjointed songwriting. Dehumanize becomes absolutely apocalyptic with the last minute and a half sounding like a chorus of fallen angels accompanying your descent into hell. Tide features dynamics that ebb and flow like, well, a tide. Välde closes out with intense tech-death stylings via Futility and a doom-fueled stomp from Vittring.
Website: humanityslastbreathofficial.bandcamp.com
Label: Unique Leader Records
Release Date: February 12, 2021
Format Reviewed: CD
Band: Failure
Album: Wild Type Droid
2 Favorite Tracks: Submarines; Water with Hands
More hooks than your grandpa's tackle box, Wild Type Droid is a whole package of headbanging riffs and sonic depth. Submarines starts with an immediately catchy guitar groove and lyrics that pay homage to the frustrations felt by so many people during these years of plague. Other highlights for me include Water with Hands which builds to a wonderfully retro-styled conclusion and Mercury Mouth with it's grunge guitar licks and in-your-face drums.
Website: failureband.bandcamp.com
Label: Failure Records
Release Date: December 3, 2021
Format Reviewed: Digital Album
Band: Negură Bunget
Album: Zău
2 Favorite Tracks: Tinerețe Fără Bătrânețe; Obrăzar
According to their official media, Zău marks an end in two ways. It is the final album in their "Transylvanian trilogy" (following Zi and Tau from 2016 and 2015, respectively) and also the swan song for Negură Bunget itself, after the passing of drummer Gabriel "Negru" Mafa in 2017. Zău is a stunning climax to the Romanian heritage and country from where the band hails. Toacă Din Cer is a sprawling epic of dark folk influences and a hypnotically ambient outtro. Obrăzar drips in atmospheric black metal gloom before melting into the haunting Tinerețe Fără Bătrânețe. Rest in peace, "Negru."
Website: negura-bunget.bandcamp.com
Label: Prophecy Productions
Release Date: November 26, 2021
Format Reviewed: Artbook CD + DVD
Band: Green Lung
Album: Black Harvest
2 Favorite Tracks: Doomsayer; Graveyard Sun
London, UK quintet Green Lung craft a cool blend of nostalgic prog-rock and doom metal into songs that are memorable, fun and just straight up rock 'n' roll. Black Harvest opens with the one-two punch of epic intro The Harrowing to the stomping riff-fest of Old Gods. What could be described as a sort of power ballad, Graveyard Sun is an excellent display of songwriting prowess, and became one of my favourite songs of the year. Leaders of the Blind and Doomsayer are also highlights of stoner / doom metal mastery, filled with guitar heroics and a crushing rhythm section.
Website: greenlung.bandcamp.com
Label: Svart Records
Release Date: October 22, 2021
Format Reviewed: Digipak CD
Band: At The Gates
Album: The Nightmare of Being
2 Favorite Tracks: The Fall into Time; The Nightmare of Being
Gothenburg legends At The Gates return with their third album since getting back together in 2011, and second without guitarist and songwriter Anders Björler, twin brother to bassist Jonas. Easily their strongest album of the last three, The Nightmare of Being is also the most musically diverse. Their expert blend of melodeath is augmented by more progressive song structures and instrumentation, which is particularly effective on The Fall into Time and Garden of Cyrus. Of course, we are still treated to plenty of more "traditional" At the Gates fare via Spectre of Extinction and The Paradox.
Buy The Nightmare of Being here
Website: atthegates.se
Label: Century Media Records
Release Date: July 2, 2021
Format Reviewed: Mediabook CD
Band: Tribulation
Album: Where the Gloom Becomes Sound
2 Favorite Tracks: Hour of the Wolf; Funeral Pyre
Operating in the sullen depths of gothic metal somewhere between late-era Sentenced and early Moonspell, Swedish metallers Tribulation hit an ideal mix of gloomy atmosphere and hard rock sensibilities. Funeral Pyre features a memorable chorus and guitar riffs that remind of 80's metal, likewise with Leviathans. For some reason Where the Gloom Becomes Sound ended up being my favourite background music for playing CoD mobile during my holiday break. Maybe it is the many guitar hooks or sing-a-long choruses that demanded such a high replay value, either way, Hour of the Wolf, Daughter of the Djinn, and Elementals all live up to the album's name. Tribulation are indeed Where the Gloom Becomes Sound.
Buy Where the Gloom Becomes Sound here
Website: tribulation.se
Label: Century Media Records
Release Date: January 29, 2021
Format Reviewed: CD
Band: Pharaoh
Album: The Powers That Be
2 Favorite Tracks: Lost in the Waves; I Can Hear Them
"We know our destiny is... FREEDOM!" Fuck yeah! The Powers That Be is a high energy assault of bitchin' gang vocal choruses, awesome dual guitar heroics, and a galloping maiden-esque rhythm section. Get your horns up and mullet flying for the classic metal goodness of Dying Sun and the epic Lost in the Waves. Hit the moshpit with Ride us to Hell and the anthemic Freedom, while closing track I Can Hear Them dares you not to sing along. Led by the charismatic vocal performance of Tim Aymar, the collaboration of songwriters' styles come together perfectly. This is old-school power metal for our current world. "Have our spirits been defeated? No! No!"
Website: pharaohmetal.bandcamp.com
Label: Cruz Del Sur Music
Release Date: June 18, 2021
Format Reviewed: CD
Band: Scar of the Sun
Album: Inertia
2 Favorite Tracks: I am the Circle; Anastasis
Greek modern metallers Scar of the Sun return with their third album Inertia, an energetic romp of speed, precision, and hooks. With a mostly progressive-edged melodeath style you can expect the shredding guitar mastery of songs like I am the Circle and the title track, while album closer Anastasis was a highlight for me in its crushing power. Big choruses, modern metal bombast, and numerous moshpit moments. Tracks 4, 5 and 8 - Torque Control, Transition To Turbulence, and Thrust, respectively, comprise the modern sounding and highly interesting Quantum Leap Zero trilogy - not to be missed!
Website: scarofthesun.com
Label: Napalm Records
Release Date: May 14, 2021
Format Reviewed: Digipak CD
Band: SuidAkrA
Album: Wolfbite
2 Favorite Tracks: A Life in Chains; Resurgence
German folk / melodic death metal band SuidAkrA are full of piss and vinegar on Wolfbite. The entire album is full of energy to spare, with modern metal fury and old school power metal guitar heroics matched to exciting vocal deliveries. A Life in Chains and Vortex of Carnage are two highlights for me that benefit from the LOUD production, making them sound even heavier and grittier. Wolfbite's finale A Shrine for the Ages weaves through multiple melodies and motions, before drifting away into a contemplative quiet that just dares you not to start the whole album over again.
Website: suidakra.com
Label: MDD
Release Date: June 25, 2021
Format Reviewed: Collector's Edition
Band: Thulcandra
Album: A Dying Wish
2 Favorite Tracks: Nocturnal Heresy; A Dying Wish
Down into the grimy darkness with grit and pallor, Munich-based purveyors of gloom Thulcandra remain in fine corpse-form on fourth full length A Dying Wish. Starting off with an instant highlight in Funeral Pyre, the energy and ferocity remain throughout the album's eight full songs (not counting two short interludes). Nocturnal Heresy and Devouring Darkness are particularly strong cuts that showcase the intense atmospheres created by guitarists Steffen Kummerer and Mariano Delastik. Saving the best for last, A Dying Wish closes out with its epic title track, blending a range of influences and more progressive songwriting to create one of the year's best tracks on one of the year's best albums.
Website: thulcandra.bandcamp.com
Label: Napalm Records
Release Date: October 29, 2021
Format Reviewed: Digipak CD
Band: 1914
Album: Where Fear and Weapons Meet
2 Favorite Tracks: Pillars of Fire (The Battle of Messines); ...And A Cross Now Marks His Place
Ukrainian World War 1 concept band 1914 return with another blackened doom portrait of one of humanity's bleakest times. While the typical black metal instrumentation and shredded vocal delivery provide an appropriately grim atmosphere, I found that the little bits of orchestration and ambience behind the brutality really enhanced an oppressive feeling of overwhelming fear and hopelessness. Gothic metal legend Nick Holmes of Paradise Lost, and more recently Bloodbath, lends a guest appearance to the outstanding track ...And A Cross Now Marks His Place. Most of the songs are as epic as it gets. Don't Tread on Me (Harlem Hellfighters) and Pillars of Fire (The Battle of Messines) become heavy in thought as much as music, with historic storytelling in the lyrics and memorable thought-provoking narratives.
Buy Where Fear and Weapons Meet here
Website: x1914x.bandcamp.com
Label: Napalm Records
Release Date: Oct 22, 2021
Format Reviewed: Digipak CD
Band: The Absence
Album: Coffinized
2 Favorite Tracks: Coffinized; Choirs of Sickness
Ah yeah, Coffinized hits a few little guilty headbanging pleasures of mine. Apparently these purveyors of dirty thrashed-up death metal from Florida have been around for quite a while but Coffinized is my first exposure to The Absence. Looks like I have another back-catalogue to dig into! The title track was the one to originally lure me in, reminding me of Witchery in their Don't Fear the Reaper days, and songs like Choirs of Sickness, Aperture Expands, to the album closer Faith in Uncreation provide numerous highlights.
Website: theabsenceofficial.bandcamp.com
Label: M-Theory Audio
Release Date: June 25, 2021
Format Reviewed: Digipak CD
Until next time, keep yer head banging!