Hoooo boy, for all the bad that's been 2021 it sure made up for in terms of the sheer volume of amazing album releases! I didn't even know where to begin to put this AOTY list together but this is my attempt (which I'm sure I won't change in the next few weeks either lol). I could've easily made a top 30 as it just feels wrong leaving out so many quality albums. However, as my pappy used to say "sometimes you've just gotta' make the tough calls in life" and this was such a moment... I mean even my top 5 basically all consist of #1 contenders. It's madness I tell ya', madness!
Top 10
- Silent Planet - Iridescent
- Queen Kona - Lucid
- Darko US - Darko
- Spiritbox - Eternal Blue
- Architects - For Those That Wish to Exist
- Holding Absence - The Greatest Mistake of My Life
- LANDMVRKS - Lost in the Waves
- Vildhjarta - måsstaden under vatten
- Humanity's Last Breath - Välde
- Mastodon - Hushed and Grim
Runner-ups
Volumes - Happier
VCTMS - Vol. IV Numb the Ache
Born of Osiris - Angel or Alien
While She Sleeps - SLEEPS SOCIETY
Brand of Sacrifice - Lifeblood
Honourable Mentions Because Why Not 2021 Edition (Super Not Cheating I Swear Hyper Fighting Deluxe)
Mirrors - The Ego's Weight
Archspire - Bleed the Future
Sentinels - Collapse by Design
Best EP
- Convictions - I Won't Survive
- Rogue - Phantom
- Orbit Culture - Shaman
- DeadVectors - Elemental (They put out FIVE EP's in 2021. Stop releasing so many fuckin' EP's DeadVectors!)
- Bloodlines - Hevel
Best Single Releases
- Cane Hill - Blood & Honey
- Advents - Relentless
- Darko US - Dragon Chaser (Usually I don't like to include artists I've already given the spotlight elsewhere but this track isn't featured on the album they released this year so... there!)
- Don Broco - One True Prince (Orchestral Version Live From Abbey Road)
- Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! - Bitter
Best Surprise
Queen Kona - Lucid
These guys came outta' nowhere for me and they basically sound like if Periphery and I Am Abomination would have made 4 babies together that could all sing and play instruments heavily and
proggily (yes I made that word up). I love this album as it has pretty much everything I would want from the Prog genre: catchy djenty grooves combined with technical riffage that doesn't go overboard, all the while supported by soaring cleans and aggressive lows courtesy of the four vocalists. It's just great and I can't wait to hear what comes next from them.
Biggest Disappointment
Sleep Token - This Place Will Become Your Tomb
While I had them as my "Best Surprise" last year with their Deluxe Edition of Sundowning their follow-up release, while not bad by any means, just failed to get its hooks in me and win me over. It felt formulaic and not as genre-breaking I was hoping it would be. That said, if Sleep Token is my "biggest disappointment" you know it's been a fantastic year for (Metal) music!