My 15 favourite metal released in 2021

Here are my favourite metal releases in 2021 (happens to be mostly death metal and hardcore and a bit of sludge this time). Alphabetical order. Click on the name to go to the review.

 

Altarage - Succumb

 

Antediluvian - The Divine Punishment

 

Botanist / Thief - EP0 Cicatric - Diamond Brush

 

Eyehategod - A History of Nomadic Bahavior

 

Fange - Pantocrator

  

FLUIDS - Not Dark Yet

 

Full of Hell - Garden of Burning Apparitions

 

Mortiferum - Preserved in Torment

 

Obscura - A Valediction

 

Ophidian I - Desolate

 

Portal - Avow

 

Sanguisugabogg - Tortured Whole

 

Section H8 - Welcome to the Nightmare

  

Terminal Bliss - Brute Err/atta!

 

USA/MEXICO - Del Rio

 

 

John Zorn - New Masada Quartet (2021)

After many albums by a brilliant first Masada quartet (Joey Baron on drums Greg Cohen on bass, Dave Douglas on trumpet and John Zorn on sax), Electric Masada, many albums with bands picked by Zorn to play the Masada songbooks, John Zorn returns again to Masada with  a New Masada Quartet, in which he's still playing sax but this time with Julian Lage on guitars, Kenny Wollesen on drums and Jorge Roeder on bass, playing eight songs from the Masada songbook. I wouldn't say it's better than the first Masada quartet, but it's different and definitely excellent as well, and it's exiting and great to listen again to Masada as a quartet with Zorn playing his sax and not just directing. Absolutely recommended!

The Tzadik page.

 

Ophidian I - Desolate (2021)

Desolate is the second album from Icelandic tech death metal band Ophidian I. And it's one of the best technical death metal album released in 2021. The focus is clearly on the speed and melodies, sometimes it's a bit like heavy/speed played faster and with blast beats and growled vocals. The album is excellent overall, but a few songs really stands out as especially memorable and catchy, the first one being a true masterpiece for that.

The Bandcamp page.

 

 

Full of Hell - Garden of Burning Apparitions (2021)

Garden of Burning Apparitions is maybe the most straigtforward and brutal and also most rocking album from Full of Hell. Their blackened hardcore is at its rawer and to the point delivery (with a less black metal and more chaotic noise hardcore feel this time, or less metal more punk), with some diversity and contrast provided by harsh noise, saxophone and noise rock elements. When more extreme and direct is also more catchy. Full of Hell is still one of the more extreme and best hardcore band around.

The BC page.

 

Favourite industrial music in 2021

Here's a list of what I liked the more in industrial music in 2020 (both electronic industrial and industrial metal). Click to go to the review. And feel free to say what you feel is missing in a comment.

 

Electro/industrial

 

8 Hour animal - Resigner

 

Andrew Nolan - Black Creek

 

Bergegas Mati - This is Going to Hurt

 

Droit Divin - Les Nouveaux Moralistes

 

G36 vs JKFlesh - Disintegration Dubs

 

Nun Gun - Mondo Decay

 

Pessimist - All Hope Lost

 

RNXRX - Impreciso

 

Scorn - The Only Place

 

The Bug - Fire

Torn Relics - Burning Injustice

 

 

Industrial metal

Drumcorps - Better Days

 

Ministry - Moral Hygiene

 

Youth Code & King Yosef - A Skeleton Key in the Doors of Depression