 | Blog author: Alex Stojanovic Here we are again, folks. Time keeps ticking away, and the years seem like they're passing like days. Yup, we are at the end of 2021. Of course, this year was a continuation of the shitshow that was 2020 due to you-know-what. However, around the second quarter of this year, that's when it started to seem that there was a light at the end of the dark tunnel we've been in since 2020, and we hope it continues upwards. |
Large gatherings were given the green light to return, and that resulted in the return of live shows, tours, and other forms of large gatherings, which is a great sigh of relief. There have been a few hiccups in the road of course, and it looks like we've hit another one at this moment, but compared to last year, things seem to be slightly different, which is better than where we were at this point a year ago.
At the same time, like every year, there was quite the handful of stories, both good and bad. Some of them include the arrest of Jon Schaffer of Iced Earth after his participation in the U.S Capitol Riots, leaving the future of Iced Earth in limbo. There was also Megadeth's controversial split with David Ellefson for the second time after his online masturbation scandal, but he later returned with a new band called The Lucid, which I'm fully behind. Even though what he did was wrong, I felt terrible for him because he had his privacy invaded, and he will always have my support. There was also Tom Hunting of Exodus' cancer diagnosis, which he successfully beat into submission with an iron fist.
Cannibal Corpse had their first lineup change in 16 years when Erik Rutan replaced Pat O'Brien after his legal episode back in 2018 (more on that down below). Speaking of lineup changes, another surprising lineup change came from the Destruction camp, when guitarist Mike Sifringer, who has been with the band since day 1, and remained with the band for 4 decades, announced his departure from the band, leaving Schmier the only original member left in the band. To round out the stories, just a week ago, Danny Carey of Tool was arrested after an alleged drunken altercation that was caught on camera, and made it on to TMZ of all sites.
Let's take a moment and remember all the fallen heroes that we lost this year. Some of the major ones include Alexi Laiho (2020, I know), Joey Jordison, Dusty Hill and Charlie Watts. However, there was also Marsha Zazula, Chick Corea, Lars-Goran Petrov, Mike Howe, Tawny Kitaen, Johnny Solinger, John Lawton, Mary Weinrib (Geddy Lee's mom), Glen Peart (Neil Peart's dad) Jeff Labar, Gary Corbett, Robby Steinhardt, Malcolm Dome, Eric Greif, Michael Nesmith, and Ron Anderson. A couple of the biggest non-musical deaths include Norm Macdonald and Larry King.
Getting down to the releases of this year, it was another year filled with fantastic releases, so whittling down the many great ones down to 10 was hard. However, the albums I listed down below certainly did it for me this year. Here we go!
At the same time, like every year, there was quite the handful of stories, both good and bad. Some of them include the arrest of Jon Schaffer of Iced Earth after his participation in the U.S Capitol Riots, leaving the future of Iced Earth in limbo. There was also Megadeth's controversial split with David Ellefson for the second time after his online masturbation scandal, but he later returned with a new band called The Lucid, which I'm fully behind. Even though what he did was wrong, I felt terrible for him because he had his privacy invaded, and he will always have my support. There was also Tom Hunting of Exodus' cancer diagnosis, which he successfully beat into submission with an iron fist.
Cannibal Corpse had their first lineup change in 16 years when Erik Rutan replaced Pat O'Brien after his legal episode back in 2018 (more on that down below). Speaking of lineup changes, another surprising lineup change came from the Destruction camp, when guitarist Mike Sifringer, who has been with the band since day 1, and remained with the band for 4 decades, announced his departure from the band, leaving Schmier the only original member left in the band. To round out the stories, just a week ago, Danny Carey of Tool was arrested after an alleged drunken altercation that was caught on camera, and made it on to TMZ of all sites.
Let's take a moment and remember all the fallen heroes that we lost this year. Some of the major ones include Alexi Laiho (2020, I know), Joey Jordison, Dusty Hill and Charlie Watts. However, there was also Marsha Zazula, Chick Corea, Lars-Goran Petrov, Mike Howe, Tawny Kitaen, Johnny Solinger, John Lawton, Mary Weinrib (Geddy Lee's mom), Glen Peart (Neil Peart's dad) Jeff Labar, Gary Corbett, Robby Steinhardt, Malcolm Dome, Eric Greif, Michael Nesmith, and Ron Anderson. A couple of the biggest non-musical deaths include Norm Macdonald and Larry King.
Getting down to the releases of this year, it was another year filled with fantastic releases, so whittling down the many great ones down to 10 was hard. However, the albums I listed down below certainly did it for me this year. Here we go!
10. CANNIBAL CORPSE - Violence Unimagined
The last 15 years saw Cannibal Corpse have a really solid lineup, and released five of their strongest albums. However, after Pat O'Brien's legal episode in 2018, it became quite obvious that a lineup change was imminent due to the fact that he was going to be unable to travel internationally for the forseeable future. Erik Rutan filled in for Pat between 2019 and 2020, and became an official member of the band this year, and Violence Unimagined is the band's first album to feature a lineup change since Kill. Even with the lineup change, the album proves that the band have not lost a step when it comes to delivering the limb-sawwing brutality that we've come to expect and love from them. It also marks the return of the grisly cover artwork, and it marks the first time since The Wretched Spawn that they had dual artworks. Simply put, Violence Unimagined shows Cannibal Corpse are still at the top of their game, and sounding just as lethal as they've ever been after 30+ years of brutality.
The last 15 years saw Cannibal Corpse have a really solid lineup, and released five of their strongest albums. However, after Pat O'Brien's legal episode in 2018, it became quite obvious that a lineup change was imminent due to the fact that he was going to be unable to travel internationally for the forseeable future. Erik Rutan filled in for Pat between 2019 and 2020, and became an official member of the band this year, and Violence Unimagined is the band's first album to feature a lineup change since Kill. Even with the lineup change, the album proves that the band have not lost a step when it comes to delivering the limb-sawwing brutality that we've come to expect and love from them. It also marks the return of the grisly cover artwork, and it marks the first time since The Wretched Spawn that they had dual artworks. Simply put, Violence Unimagined shows Cannibal Corpse are still at the top of their game, and sounding just as lethal as they've ever been after 30+ years of brutality.
09. VOLBEAT - Servant Of The Mind
With touring behind their last album Rewind, Replay, Rebound cut short in 2020 due to you-know-what, Volbeat didn't just sit around doing nothing. They got right down to work making another album, because honestly, what else can you do when you're in a band you're at home? Their new album Servant Of The Mind is definitely more along the lines of what old-school fans have been wanting from them, which is a return to more of their heavier and crunchier roots. I'm sure the anger of staying at home during the lockdown had a major role to play in the album's overall heavier sound. There's certainly no reinventing of the wheel here, but it's just another collection of solid songs from Volbeat guaranteed to stick in your head for days. In my opinion, they still haven't topped Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies, and probably never will, but you never know.
With touring behind their last album Rewind, Replay, Rebound cut short in 2020 due to you-know-what, Volbeat didn't just sit around doing nothing. They got right down to work making another album, because honestly, what else can you do when you're in a band you're at home? Their new album Servant Of The Mind is definitely more along the lines of what old-school fans have been wanting from them, which is a return to more of their heavier and crunchier roots. I'm sure the anger of staying at home during the lockdown had a major role to play in the album's overall heavier sound. There's certainly no reinventing of the wheel here, but it's just another collection of solid songs from Volbeat guaranteed to stick in your head for days. In my opinion, they still haven't topped Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies, and probably never will, but you never know.
08. EVILE - Hell Unleashed
After eight years of lineup changes and delays, Evile came roaring back with Hell Unleashed, their first album since Skull. It marks a new beginning for the band, as it sees Ol Drake now in the frontman position, left behind by Matt Drake last year, and Adam Smith on rhythm guitar. Being that it was a new beginning, it felt right for the band to head back to basics and offer up a straightforward, two-fisted, pure thrash metal attack, making it very reminiscent of Enter The Grave. Is it Evile's best album? No. However, it's definitely one of those albums that contains everything a die-hard thrasher craves, which is fast riffs, aggressive vocals, rampaging drums and ripping solos. There may not be nearly as much variety as I hoped there would be on this album, but Hell Unleashed is certainly one of the year's most aggressive releases, and a great welcome back for one of the New Wave Of Thrash's most loved bands.
After eight years of lineup changes and delays, Evile came roaring back with Hell Unleashed, their first album since Skull. It marks a new beginning for the band, as it sees Ol Drake now in the frontman position, left behind by Matt Drake last year, and Adam Smith on rhythm guitar. Being that it was a new beginning, it felt right for the band to head back to basics and offer up a straightforward, two-fisted, pure thrash metal attack, making it very reminiscent of Enter The Grave. Is it Evile's best album? No. However, it's definitely one of those albums that contains everything a die-hard thrasher craves, which is fast riffs, aggressive vocals, rampaging drums and ripping solos. There may not be nearly as much variety as I hoped there would be on this album, but Hell Unleashed is certainly one of the year's most aggressive releases, and a great welcome back for one of the New Wave Of Thrash's most loved bands.
07. POWERWOLF - Call Of The Wild
The wolves of Germany, better known as Powerwolf, returned this year with their eighth album Call Of The Wild. The first rule of thumb when it comes to listening to a new Powerwolf album, especially if you've been a fan for a while, is to not expect any surprises. The only thing expected is a great collection of anthemic metal that is guaranteed to get any club or festival audience up in arms, and singing along to their hearts' content. I mean, all you really need for proof of that is songs like "Faster Than The Flame", "Beast Of Gevaudan", "Dancing With The Dead", "Blood For Blood", "Glaubenskraft" and "Sermon Of Swords". Even though they've only been around since the 2000s, Powerwolf are clearly stalwarts of the German power metal scene, along with Blind Guardian, Helloween, Gamma Ray and Avantasia!
The wolves of Germany, better known as Powerwolf, returned this year with their eighth album Call Of The Wild. The first rule of thumb when it comes to listening to a new Powerwolf album, especially if you've been a fan for a while, is to not expect any surprises. The only thing expected is a great collection of anthemic metal that is guaranteed to get any club or festival audience up in arms, and singing along to their hearts' content. I mean, all you really need for proof of that is songs like "Faster Than The Flame", "Beast Of Gevaudan", "Dancing With The Dead", "Blood For Blood", "Glaubenskraft" and "Sermon Of Swords". Even though they've only been around since the 2000s, Powerwolf are clearly stalwarts of the German power metal scene, along with Blind Guardian, Helloween, Gamma Ray and Avantasia!
06. DEE SNIDER - Leave A Scar
After releasing For The Love Of Metal in 2018, at the persistence of Jamey Jasta (because who else?), Dee Snider released the follow-up Leave A Scar this year. Musically, there really isn't anything different on this one. The only difference, which I think is a major and great difference, is that Dee was involved in the songwriting this time, unlike the last one, which is why I can't really consider For The Love Of Metal a proper Dee Snider album. Both albums contain great songs without a doubt, but I can get behind this album a bit more simply due to the fact that Dee was involved in the writing this time, so it feels a lot more from the heart. With a number of memorable songs like "All Or Nothing More", "Before I Go" and "Silent Battles", and I'll also give a thumbs up to "I Gotta Rock (Again)" for the music, even though that song wins the award for cringiest song title with the cheesiest lyrics. I know it's a play on "I Wanna Rock", but come on Dee, you can be more original than that. At the same time, Dee's voice is still in peak condition, letting people know that he's still got a lot of gas left in the tank.
After releasing For The Love Of Metal in 2018, at the persistence of Jamey Jasta (because who else?), Dee Snider released the follow-up Leave A Scar this year. Musically, there really isn't anything different on this one. The only difference, which I think is a major and great difference, is that Dee was involved in the songwriting this time, unlike the last one, which is why I can't really consider For The Love Of Metal a proper Dee Snider album. Both albums contain great songs without a doubt, but I can get behind this album a bit more simply due to the fact that Dee was involved in the writing this time, so it feels a lot more from the heart. With a number of memorable songs like "All Or Nothing More", "Before I Go" and "Silent Battles", and I'll also give a thumbs up to "I Gotta Rock (Again)" for the music, even though that song wins the award for cringiest song title with the cheesiest lyrics. I know it's a play on "I Wanna Rock", but come on Dee, you can be more original than that. At the same time, Dee's voice is still in peak condition, letting people know that he's still got a lot of gas left in the tank.
05. RONNIE ATKINS - One Shot
Whether you're a fan of Pretty Maids or not, vocalist Ronnie Atkins' debut solo album is definitely worthy of a spot in one of the best albums of this year, not only because it's a solid melodic heavy rock album from one of the best and most underrated voices in rock/metal, but simply the fact that he made this album while battling stage 4 cancer. Now that deserves a whole lot of respect. Time will only tell how much longer he has left on this earth, but while he's still here, he's keeping a positive mindset, and moving forward with continuing to make music. His debut solo album One Shot is his tribute to the fans that have supported him throughout the decades, which is why it has so many moments that can easily be on a Pretty Maids album, and that's certainly not a bad thing.
Whether you're a fan of Pretty Maids or not, vocalist Ronnie Atkins' debut solo album is definitely worthy of a spot in one of the best albums of this year, not only because it's a solid melodic heavy rock album from one of the best and most underrated voices in rock/metal, but simply the fact that he made this album while battling stage 4 cancer. Now that deserves a whole lot of respect. Time will only tell how much longer he has left on this earth, but while he's still here, he's keeping a positive mindset, and moving forward with continuing to make music. His debut solo album One Shot is his tribute to the fans that have supported him throughout the decades, which is why it has so many moments that can easily be on a Pretty Maids album, and that's certainly not a bad thing.
04. ECLIPSE - Wired
While we're staying on the subject of melodic hard rock from Scandinavia, Eclipse released their eighth album Wired this year, which can count as their 20th anniversary album, as this year is the 20th anniversary since their first album The Truth & A Little More. If you've been a fan of Eclipse since Bleed & Scream, you know exactly what you're getting. While a new Eclipse, or W.E.T. or Nordic Union album will be a predictable listen, especially with Martensson at the songwriting helm, I can always count on any album's he's on to satisfy my craving for straightforward, catchy melodic hard rock. The only difference with this new album is the fact that they have a new bass player with Victor Crusner. With straight-up fun melodic rockers like "Roses On Your Grave", "Dying Breed", "Saturday Night", "Run For Cover" and "Things We Love", my craving was satisfied, and these songs always put me in a good mood.
While we're staying on the subject of melodic hard rock from Scandinavia, Eclipse released their eighth album Wired this year, which can count as their 20th anniversary album, as this year is the 20th anniversary since their first album The Truth & A Little More. If you've been a fan of Eclipse since Bleed & Scream, you know exactly what you're getting. While a new Eclipse, or W.E.T. or Nordic Union album will be a predictable listen, especially with Martensson at the songwriting helm, I can always count on any album's he's on to satisfy my craving for straightforward, catchy melodic hard rock. The only difference with this new album is the fact that they have a new bass player with Victor Crusner. With straight-up fun melodic rockers like "Roses On Your Grave", "Dying Breed", "Saturday Night", "Run For Cover" and "Things We Love", my craving was satisfied, and these songs always put me in a good mood.
03. W.E.T. - Retransmission
While we are on the subject of Erik Martensson, he and Jeff Scott Soto are two of the busiest guys in rock, with both having more than enough projects to keep them going until they can't do it anymore. That being said, their band W.E.T. returned this year with their fourth album Retransmission. With Martensson handling the songwriting once again, it can easily be mistaken for another Eclipse album, even with Jeff on it. It was one of the releases that kicked off 2021, and it kicked it off with a bang. If you loved the last three albums they released, and anything that Martensson and/or Soto are a part of, there's no reason not to love this one. There's big hooks, powerful vocals and captivating melodies. Everything one would love about melodic hard rock is present, making for a really pleasurable listening experience. The only reason why Retransmission is placed ahead of Eclipse's Wired, is because the number of quality songs is slightly higher here than on Wired.
While we are on the subject of Erik Martensson, he and Jeff Scott Soto are two of the busiest guys in rock, with both having more than enough projects to keep them going until they can't do it anymore. That being said, their band W.E.T. returned this year with their fourth album Retransmission. With Martensson handling the songwriting once again, it can easily be mistaken for another Eclipse album, even with Jeff on it. It was one of the releases that kicked off 2021, and it kicked it off with a bang. If you loved the last three albums they released, and anything that Martensson and/or Soto are a part of, there's no reason not to love this one. There's big hooks, powerful vocals and captivating melodies. Everything one would love about melodic hard rock is present, making for a really pleasurable listening experience. The only reason why Retransmission is placed ahead of Eclipse's Wired, is because the number of quality songs is slightly higher here than on Wired.
02. EXODUS - Persona Non Grata
Seven long years have passed since we got some brand new Bay Area thrash brutality from Exodus. Since releasing Blood In, Blood Out in 2014 and reuniting with Steve "Zetro" Souza, they have toured around the globe relentlessly, and mainly had Kragen Lum from Heathen filling in for Gary Holt while he filled his touring commitments with a little unknown band called Slayer (kidding), before they hung up the pentagram in 2019. The other big delay surrounding the release of this album was Tom Hunting's stomach cancer diagnosis, which he successfully conquered, as I mentioned above. The new album Persona Non Grata officially ends the long wait for an Exodus album, and it certainly has exceeded all expectations. Even though this album didn't get the #1 spot on my list, it definitely takes the #1 spot for best album cover artwork for this year. Given that Blood In, Blood Out was a great album in its own right, I felt that Zetro was pushing his vocal range to the limit because he was emulating the vocal range that was initially laid down by Rob Dukes, which was higher. On this album, he seems more in his comfort zone in terms of range, while still incorporating some highs and lows for dynamics. The guitar tone from Gary Holt and Lee Altus also has more beef compared to Blood In, Blood Out, and as a result, the riffs seem more menacing on this one. Easily a no-brainer for 2021.
Seven long years have passed since we got some brand new Bay Area thrash brutality from Exodus. Since releasing Blood In, Blood Out in 2014 and reuniting with Steve "Zetro" Souza, they have toured around the globe relentlessly, and mainly had Kragen Lum from Heathen filling in for Gary Holt while he filled his touring commitments with a little unknown band called Slayer (kidding), before they hung up the pentagram in 2019. The other big delay surrounding the release of this album was Tom Hunting's stomach cancer diagnosis, which he successfully conquered, as I mentioned above. The new album Persona Non Grata officially ends the long wait for an Exodus album, and it certainly has exceeded all expectations. Even though this album didn't get the #1 spot on my list, it definitely takes the #1 spot for best album cover artwork for this year. Given that Blood In, Blood Out was a great album in its own right, I felt that Zetro was pushing his vocal range to the limit because he was emulating the vocal range that was initially laid down by Rob Dukes, which was higher. On this album, he seems more in his comfort zone in terms of range, while still incorporating some highs and lows for dynamics. The guitar tone from Gary Holt and Lee Altus also has more beef compared to Blood In, Blood Out, and as a result, the riffs seem more menacing on this one. Easily a no-brainer for 2021.
01. TRIVIUM - In The Court Of The Dragon
When I first heard Trivium's brand new album In The Court Of The Dragon, I had a pretty strong feeling that it would make either #1 or #2 on this list. However, it ended up scoring #1 for a number of reasons. First off, I would call this the best one in the trilogy of albums they released so far with Alex Bent on drums. However, the biggest reason is that there's many moments reminiscent of Shogun. I mean, "The Phalanx" was originally written during the Shogun sessions, so that gives it a little authenticity for being reminiscent of that time. When you have that track, along with a bunch of other standout tracks such as the title track, "Like A Sword Over Damocles", "Feast Of Fire", "A Crisis Of Revelation", "The Shadow Of The Abattoir" and "Fall Into Your Hands", I don't think I really need to prove my point any further as to why this album deserved the top spot on my Best Of 2021 list. Ever since they welcomed Alex Bent into the band and released The Sin & The Sentence, Trivium has been on a tear, releasing some of the best records of their career that can easily sit alongside Ember To Inferno, Ascendancy, The Crusade, Shogun and In Waves. Shogun still remains unbeatable though.
When I first heard Trivium's brand new album In The Court Of The Dragon, I had a pretty strong feeling that it would make either #1 or #2 on this list. However, it ended up scoring #1 for a number of reasons. First off, I would call this the best one in the trilogy of albums they released so far with Alex Bent on drums. However, the biggest reason is that there's many moments reminiscent of Shogun. I mean, "The Phalanx" was originally written during the Shogun sessions, so that gives it a little authenticity for being reminiscent of that time. When you have that track, along with a bunch of other standout tracks such as the title track, "Like A Sword Over Damocles", "Feast Of Fire", "A Crisis Of Revelation", "The Shadow Of The Abattoir" and "Fall Into Your Hands", I don't think I really need to prove my point any further as to why this album deserved the top spot on my Best Of 2021 list. Ever since they welcomed Alex Bent into the band and released The Sin & The Sentence, Trivium has been on a tear, releasing some of the best records of their career that can easily sit alongside Ember To Inferno, Ascendancy, The Crusade, Shogun and In Waves. Shogun still remains unbeatable though.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
| MAMMOTH WVH Mammoth WVH | STYX Crash Of The Crown | ACCEPT Too Mean To Die |
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| HELLOWEEN Helloween | CARCASS Torn Arteries | MACHINE HEAD Arrows In Words From The Sky |
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| BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE Bullet For My Valentine | BODOM AFTER MIDNIGHT Paint The Sky With Blood | ORDEN OGAN Final Days |
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"Hey, where the hell is Iron Maiden's Senjutsu, or Gojira's Fortitude or Spiritbox's Eternal Blue?" Well, I didn't really get around to listening to Fortitude when it came out because I was never hugely into Gojira, but I'll get around to it eventually. Senjutsu on the other hand was quite dull, with the exception of about three songs, and I know Spiritbox is a big deal in the metal community these days, but not for me. With the exception of the fact that Courtney LaPlante has a great voice, I found the music to be quite bland. As I've mentioned many times before, the down-tuned djent-type metal does not grab me, and it has been done to death with so many modern metal bands today, so it's nothing special. Does that mean that I'm a Spiritbox hater? Absolutely not. I think it's great that they're getting all the success that they've garnered over this past year, and they've got a bright future ahead of them, and that's a great thing for metal.
I've never been about pleasing anybody other than myself when it comes to music choices. If it hooks me, I'll get into it. If it doesn't, even after a few listens, I'm not going to bother with it anymore. I'll also never fall into the trap of including albums that don't hook me, but feel that I have to because I'll get crucified if I don't. Music has always been subjective, and there's no right or wrong. The sad part is that there's some people out there that just don't understand that concept.
With that being said, that is my list for 2021. It has been another great year of releases, and we look forward to seeing what 2022 has to offer. There's already a slew of great albums scheduled for release next year, so we look forward to reviewing them when they come out! Wishing everyone a very very happy holidays, and we'll see you in the new year! Stay heavy and healthy!
I've never been about pleasing anybody other than myself when it comes to music choices. If it hooks me, I'll get into it. If it doesn't, even after a few listens, I'm not going to bother with it anymore. I'll also never fall into the trap of including albums that don't hook me, but feel that I have to because I'll get crucified if I don't. Music has always been subjective, and there's no right or wrong. The sad part is that there's some people out there that just don't understand that concept.
With that being said, that is my list for 2021. It has been another great year of releases, and we look forward to seeing what 2022 has to offer. There's already a slew of great albums scheduled for release next year, so we look forward to reviewing them when they come out! Wishing everyone a very very happy holidays, and we'll see you in the new year! Stay heavy and healthy!
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