Horseshoes & Hand Grenades - The Ode (2018)

I'm far from being a bluegrass specialist and don't listen to it very often, but one thing I know is that I really enjoy this album called The Ode by Horseshoes & Hand Grenades and often go back to it when I listen to bluegrass. They excel at writing great songs and breathing emotions playing it, be it happy and inspiring or more melancholic. I suppose their more recent album "Miles in blue" is good as well.

The Bandcamp page.

 

 

Immolation - Acts of God (2022)

Immolation is one of the death metal bands with the strongest identity, you recognize them nearly instantly when you hear one of their song playing. They are also one of the most reliable dealers of quality death metal, releasing a weak album is not their thing, and their new album Acts of God is up to their usual great standards. Like Atonement five years before, it delivers typical Immolation, the crushing mid-tempo parts, the imposing vocals of Ross Dolan, the excellent leads of Robert Vigna. Acts of God is their longest album so far, and maybe one song or two could have been put aside, but there are enough especially good ones to keep you hooked throughout the end. Another excellent album from Immolation.

The Bandcamp page.

Folkstorm - Dödsabnorm (2021)

Folkstorm is the old-school industrial (recorded with only 70' circuitry and a lot of mettalic percussion) project of Henrik "Nordvargr" Björkk. And Dödsabnorm the album he released last year. A fine piece of expertly crafted industrial with strong death industrial and dark ambient elements. Albums like these shows why the guy's among the "big names" in industrial music. Recommended!

 

The BC page.

 

Vile Species - Demo (2022)

This is a four track demo, but Athenians grinders Vile Species have previously released an album (that I reviewed HERE). Those new tracks are maybe heavier and a bit more modern sounding than the album. But still finely done and enjoyable. Good stuff again.

The BC page.

 

 

Wreche - All My Dreams Came True (2021)

Wreche is a duo playing a music that is post... definitely post, but not so easy to say post what. Post black metal? Yes. Post hardcore? Also. But it's much more than that. Their second album All My Dreams Came True released last year is really unique and good. The vocals are a mix of SDBM and screamo and the drummer is doing blast beats, that's for the "normal" part, because the rest is no guitars, only classical piano and synths parts that are somewhere between futuristic and symphonic black metal. The main melodic element is the classical piano, while the synths are adding different atmospheres. It's refreshing and welcome to hear musicians exploring a different kind of intensity.   

 

The Bandcamp page. 

 

 

Eye Flys - Exigent Circumstances (EP 2021)

Like Eyehategod? Like Unsane? Then you'll like Eye Flys, a band with members from Full of Hell, Backslider and Triac, but a lot closer to the two aforementioned bands. The EP Exigent Circumstances is their latest release and those four tracks are as good as their first album. What they do is nothing really  new, but they do it really well.

The BC page.

City Morgue - Vol. 3 : Bottom of the Barrel (2021)

Maybe City Morgue are not really trap metal, but they definitely have plenty of heavy guitars in their songs (from grunge to neo-metal). With Vol. 3 : Bottom of the Barrel the duo (SosMula & ZillaKami) is back with an album that is maybe not as good as ZillaKami "Dog Boy" or as their "Vol.2", but better than the disappointing "Toxic Boogaloo". They keep on establishing as one of the best and more entertaining trap band.

City Morgue official website.

 

Sachtu / Syntax - split EP (2022)

Nerve Altar, teamed this time with 7 degrees and Grindfathers Records, are always good to find new exciting grind bands, and this time we get two of them in a split EP. Sachtu from Madrid deliver some good ol' grindpunk while Syntax from LA are more in a tech/math grind vein, reminding bands like Discordance Axis or Antigama. We get two really different kinds of grind by two bands excellent at what they do. Nice!

The BC page.

My favourite music in 2021 : the eclectic list

So basically what you'll find in this list is my favourite releases from 2021 that didn't fit in the other lists I made (grindcore, industrial, metal), so you'll have punk rock, afro-caribean, hard rock, garage, psych rock, free jazz, neofolk, noise rock, post-punk and hip-hop. In alphabetical order. Click to go to the review.

 

Amyl & The Sniffers - Comfort to Me

 

Anthony Joseph - The Rich Are Only Defeated When Running for Their Lives

 

 Bror Gunnar Jansson - Faceless Evil, Nameless Fear

 

Danko Jones - Power Trio

Dope Purple - Grateful End

John Zorn - Chaos Magick

John Zorn - New Masada Quartet

Night Beats - Outlaw R & B

Of the wand and the moon - Your Love Can't Hold The Wreath Of Sorrow

 

Throat - Smile Less

Viagra Boys - Welfare Jazz

 

Work Money Death - The Space In Which The Uncontrollable Unknown Resides, Can Be The Place From Which Creation Arises

 

 Xon'a’Jazza - Road to Hell

 

ZillaKami - Dog Boy

 

 

 

USA/MEXICO - Del Rio (2021)

Warning : The music of USA/MEXICO on Del Rio (their third album, released by the excellent Riot Seasons Records) is absolutely not warm or feel good. It is bleak and sinister. Del Rio takes you to a journey deep into industrial/noise doom territory. It is funeral slow, noisy, crushing heavy and the few melodies buried in the background are acid and nightmarish. And don't expect relief when it stops, you'll find yourself in shock and begging for more. A truly special and awesome album.

The Bandcamp page.