Top albums of 2021

Punishing and yet extremely polished, Poland's Hate continues to refine their sound without compromising on their heaviness and atmosphere/p>

Powerful sendoff for this highly influential and forward thinking outfit, one hell of a goodbye release from Gabriel Mafa and company

Elegantly layered with plenty of unique and engaging influences paired with the sultry voice of Marjan Welman, this release is quite enjoyable and offers high replay value

Carrying Dissection's flame, Thulcandra perfectly delivers a familiar sound with a more modern vicious edge

The revival of Accept has been a long lived one with crazy good releases and "Too Mean to Die" adding to that tally

Hailing from Tunisia, Omination unleashed one of the most crushing and intense aural experiences of 2021. Make sure you don't miss out on this release

Brain child of Lars Are Nedlan, this release perfectly combines warm and fuzzy pscyehdelic/proggy guitars alongside Lars soaring vocals

Perfectly mixing technicality with goofiness, The Beast of Nod unleashed one of the best crafted releases that are both interesting and yet fun

Refining their nightmare-inducing sound over the years, Decline of the I is one of those memorable bands whose music will haunt your dreams

Extreme guitar wizardry and superb guest vocalists are two staples of Timo Tolkki's latest effort with Avalon

Dreamy and melancholic, "Aurora" features Daniel Änghede bringing together a killer group of singers like Sylvaine and Gogo Melone (and others) to create a truly trascendental release

With a very raw and yet emotional sound, this North American outfit delivers one hell of a powerful release that should not go unnoticed

Incisive and catchy Black Metal filled with memorable moments, definitely one of the most refined releases in the genre in 2021

Progressive/Tech Death Metal keeps getting better and better and Burials in the Sky are one of those bands that kick ass and take names with their technical prowess

Evergrey surprised us again with another brilliant and heartfelt Power/Progressive Metal release this year, easily topping most of their previous efforts

Jeff Walker and company continue to age like fine wine, and with "Torn Arteries" they show that any amount of time we wait for their new releases is definitely worth it

Expertly crafted and extremely polished, "Vergezicht" is one of those releases that combines all kinds of elements to perfection while being harsh and punishing at the same time

Purposefully trying to make an album full of "hit songs", Therion overdelivered with "Leviathan" and its unparalleled catchiness, pleasing all fans of the band in one single release

Superbly catchy, dark, and engaging, we found ourselves really enjoying how the band's sound continues to evolve while keeping its moody gloominess

Darker and more melancholic than their previous releases, "Hermitage" is another fine addition to the ever changing, but consistently good, Moonspell career

The wolfpack is back with another bombastic experience filled with epic moments and humor in "Call of the Wild", if you think you know what to expect, think even bigger with this one

Truly pushing the boundaries of Metal into other territories, Lantlos produced one of the most unique and engaging releases of the year, that while it might not be for everybody, it deserves to be heard

As one of the most expected releases of 2021, Epica delivered the goods with a heavy hitting bombastic Symphonic Metal release filled with intricate details and elegant arrangements

Hypnotic and primal, "Temple" is one of those magical albums that transported us during the pandemic. This release is as impressive played live as on the LP

With nearly 8 years between releases, Seth unleashes their best album to date with an intense barrage of crushing riffs and melodic aggression unlike no others in 2021

While the band has been quite consistent over they years, "Existence is Futile" shows a more inspired, bombastic, explosive, and very bleak side of the band, marking one of their best efforts in their storied career

Perfectly balancing the Empyrium of old and 'new', this release showcases both Metal elements and a hefty dosage of Folk details, showing the band's different musical periods in a cohesive and engaging package

Nine years after their debut release, "Har" showcases a very well rounded sound filled with magical instrumentation, catchiness, and memorable atmospheric elements, propelling it to the top of our list! This was also the album we played the most during the year