Here at The Metal Observer, we like to make sure the year has revealed all its surprises before passing judgement on the best music we’ve heard, hence why we are a little way into 2022 as we release our yearly Top 30. As ever, the list varies wildly from sub-genre to sub-genre and it was extremely close for some places, which is why some spots are tied on the same number. Many of these albums have reviews available on the main site, so don’t forget to search for more analysis. Without any further ado: TMO’s Top 30 of 2021!
30. Drawn And Quartered – Congregation Pestilence
Nearing 30 years in one form or another, Drawn And Quartered ought to command a bit more respect among the USDM horde. The trio’s often esoteric stylizations maintain a link to Nile and Immolation, yet features like Herb Burke’s tar-thick growls and Simon Dorfman’s technically challenging percussive assault give these guys their own edge. Congregation Pestilence combines tricky playing with memorable hooks, “Oblivion Pilgrimage” opening with a crushing yet catchy potency, while “Age of Ignorance” shocks with hateful battery and intense skill. The eerie solos and sludgy tones aid in conjuring atmosphere too, which makes this a death metal album free from trends and preconceptions – just a riveting, brutal listen. (Edmund Morton)
=27. Swallow The Sun – Moonflowers
On their eight full-length album, Moonflowers, melodic doom masters Swallow the Sun continue to carve their path into sorrow. Drawing inspiration from the same mournful place as the band’s previous LP (the untimely death of Juha Raivio’s partner), Moonflowers tells a pained tale of absence through slow tempos, melancholic atmospheres, and dramatic contrasts between minimalistic sections with delicate string arrangements and clean vocals, and violent accelerations with distorted guitars, blast beats and growls. There is plenty of highlights, from the devastating opener “Moonflowers Bloom in Darkness” to the beautiful ballad “All Hallow’s Grieve”, where Cammie Gilbert’s (Oceans of Slumber) sublime vocals play a perfect counterpoint to Mikko Kotamäki’s forlorn crooning. However, at its core Moonflowers remains a difficult record, filled with dark, dense and desperate music that some may find too hard to revel into. For the darkest of hearts, though, the thick gloom and rage that transpire from Moonflowers can be nothing short of intoxicating. (Daniele Nosenzo)
=27. Suffering Hour – The Cyclic Reckoning
Forest Lake, MN’s death metal enchanters Suffering Hour contributed their distinctive vision of nocturnal, theurgic manifestations to invoke the “eerie dissonances” and “lonely melodies” of Béla Bartók’s night music style on The Cyclic Reckoning, their applaudable follow-up to 2017’s In Passing Ascension (and 2019’s Dwell EP). Suffering Hour transcend extreme metal tenets in search of a higher, atonal truth, envisioning sincerity in a sullenly eccentric outlook on death metal’s expected pièce de résistance. Instead of ferocity, Suffering Hour’s calling lies in utilizing bizarre chord progression, and conjuration of a palpably eldritch aesthetic, that manages to juxtapose melancholic ruminations with infectious, compelling trepidation, achieved through aberrantly anxious guitar tone. The Cyclic Reckoning is an album that leaves you craving for more, reminded once again of Suffering Hour’s mastery of the artform. (Bogdan Hyrych)
=27. Dear Mother – Bulletproof
Some would say alternative metal is a dead genre. Dutch-Russian trio Dear Mother came out of the blue to put that idea under a seriously gigantic question mark with their independently released debut Bulletproof. With some slight metalcore and progressive influences, the band offers the most refreshing alternative sound since early day Linkin Park. The songs are catchy, easy earworms with a strong cathartic component. The compelling vocals, massive fat riffs and metallic groovy drumming is an immediately effective recipe for rewarding bangers and intense emotion. It’s near impossible to find fault with this record. To put it simply, Bulletproof is bulletproof. (George Dan)
26. Stortregn – Impermanence
Swiss death metal group Stortregn set out to conquer the cosmos with their fourth full-length album Impermanence. They put together a superb flow of composition balancing out swirling melody, extreme blasting and progressive intricacy into a phenomenon of majestic evil. The album feels like an unstoppable devastating force and carries a starry aura of grandeur, oppressing and cold but poetic and beautiful. Mixing elements of death as well as black metal into their progressive onslaught, they offered one of the most impressive technical death metal releases of 2021. (Andrei Dan)
=23. The Agonist – Days Before the World Wept
With the previous record Orphans, Canadian melodic death metal force The Agonist set a really high standard for their future releases. Latest EP Days Before The World Wept is evidence that they have no issue living up to the same standard in EP format. The new songs are just as catchy, compelling and creative, but darker, and with a stronger technical death metal feel. Engaging, clever, neck-snapping riffage, intense unpredictable drumming and a vocal delivery so captivating that it gets under your skin, all make up The Agonist’s unique inimitable sound! This band is a force to be reckoned with within their genre and one would be wise not to miss this record. (George Dan)
=23. Rivers Of Nihil – The Work
Following up on their highly acclaimed album, Where Owls Know My Name, Rivers Of Nihil had great expectations to fulfill, but The Work did not disappoint. Growing more progressive in sound, the band found a great balance between their most brutal and most ambient tendencies. The amplified use of keyboards as well as clean vocals allowed them to reach a new level of expressive value, taking the listener through a pressing psychological struggle, deeply emotional and slightly disturbing, but with a light shining in the end. Undoubtedly one of the most surprising releases of the year, The Work solidifies their place even stronger in the prog and technical death metal world. (Andrei Dan)
=23. Powerwolf – Call of the Wild
Another band who stick to the ‘it ain’t broke’ approach to songwriting, Germany’s Powerwolf have become something of a talking point of late, with regards to their similarities to other acts. I mean, that’s just fucking unfair. Powerwolf are now on their 10th album in 16 years and this sounds like no one other than goddamn Power-fuckin’-Wolf! What Call Of The Wild does do, is add a huge basting of symphonic elements to their already bombastic recipe. It’s the same catchy-as-fuck religious parody power metal we know and love, just with a little more pomp and a little less tongues in cheeks. There’s the stirring ballad “Alive or Undead”, the darker-than-usual ode to werewolves in the fist-pumping “Varcolac”, and the traditional dramatic speedy opener “Faster Than The Flame”. Thank Satan for “Undress To Confess”, the catchiest of the lot, for letting us know they’ll never lose their sense of humor. (Larry Best)
22. Spiritbox – Eternal Blue
Spiritbox are a perfect example of when a band gets a ton of hype, but manages to live up to and possibly even exceed said hype. Formed in just 2017 with husband and wife Courtney LaPlante and Mike Stringer, the band just released their debut in the tumultuous year of 2021. Songs such as “Circle With Me” and “Hurt You” showcase the band’s incredible ability to combine polyrhythmic music with angelic vocals and catchy choruses, without sacrificing any intensity or power. There’s a ton of melody, heaviness, and emotions running through this album, making it gripping and memorable, but also feel fresh in a fairly jam-packed genre. The sky appears to be the limit for Spiritbox, and it’ll be great to see where they go from here. (Neill Bird)
21. Blackdeath – Also sprach das Chaos
The tenth full-length out of the Russian trio Blackdeath ventured even further into their world of Anti-Cosmic ideology and frequently surprising black metal. Grounded sufficiently on ‘90s principles to make some of the riffwork and even flashes of stomping brassy might seem familiar, brainwaves like Colonel Para Bellum’s multifarious (yet always unhinged) vocal styles, chaotic keys and samples from Thomas Tannenberger of Abigor, and the “choral fantasia” that rounds off “Paralysiertes Äquinoktium / Мир рухнул” elevate much of Also sprach das Chaos to majestic novelty. Divided into just 2 long songs, the album swells and expands outwards by intriguing degrees until ignoring the ingenuity and power of the performances becomes impossible. A real triumph of chaos. (Edmund Morton)
=19. Wheel – Preserved in Time
Wheel spent a good deal of time between their second and third albums, but thankfully returned with a corker in the form of Preserved in Time. Building on an epic doom template most obviously influenced by Solitude Aeturnus, the Germans take on the more intense, ponderous aspects of the style, reminding of recent work from Doomocracy and even Crypt Sermon. Although solemnity dominates across 48 minutes, Wheel build enough tension through solid riffing and dramatic vocals to make the lead guitar or final chorus pay-offs absolutely worthwhile, not to mention spinning a nice yarn during the creeping verses. A poised sense of melody leads the album by the hand to become one of the best examples of a very satisfying sort of metal in recent times. (Edmund Morton)
=19. Orbit Culture – Shaman
Swedish rising stars Orbit Culture have taken the world by storm with 2020’s LP Nija, bringing a fresh much needed flavour to their scene. Follow-up EP Shaman now shows the band build up on their catchy infectious and mountain heavy melodic death metal. Fusing groove, thrash and metalcore fragrances into their death metal backbone was enough variety already and the genre mash-up has an insane potential to get necks moving. The cherry on top of the cake for the new release is a tribal feeling and sailor-ish vibe bound to take you deep into the jungle. (George Dan)
18. Monochromatic Black – Vicissitude
Following up on their monstrous EP, Pneuma, New York’s Monochromatic Black made a strong return with their pulverizing debut full-length Vicissitude. Having gone darker, more theatrical and even more extreme, they created a torturous concept album dealing with the struggles of freeing oneself from hurtful influences and oppressors. Merging hardcore, deathcore and technical death metal in a supernatural sci-fi soundscape, they make the best of both worlds between ungodly brutality and hi-fi precision. The drums sound colossal, the guitars have a massive roar and the bass slaps as hard as it possibly can. And it is all topped by Tanya Elizabeth’s unhuman range of growls as well as hypnotic, ethereal singing, making Vicissitude a rollercoaster of extreme emotion, imagery and virtuosity. (Andrei Dan)
=15. Within Progress – Inner
If you prog, and you haven’t yet heard Within Progress you are doing yourself a massive disservice. The band’s debut record Inner is one of the most nerd-fitting releases of the year, but it’s not free of easy hooks and catchy melodies. The band borders between the old and new school to create engaging, interesting yet easily listenable songs, varying from hot bangers to soulful cinematic pieces. Nerdy time signatures, well refined guitar and bass tones, piano and synth atmospherics, topped by agile and expressive vocal acrobatics make for a sound that will take you on a journey beyond the mind and the senses. (George Dan)
=15. Helloween – Helloween
I honestly cannot praise this achievement enough. That’s right, it’s not just an album, it’s an achievement. Monumental in stature. Overcoming bad blood and creating an album that manages to make THREE vocalists and THREE guitarists work so well, within the confines of Helloween’s already quirky brand of power metal. It’s almost exhausting listing how many things this record gets pitch-perfect. Not one track drops the energy, and the songwriting is shared among the whole cast – with Deris, in particular, shining in this department. Every member has their voice heard. This (rightfully) self-titled effort honors the legacy of the most influential power metal band ever, whilst celebrating what the future might hold. “Out For The Glory – fists held high, ’bout to rule the eternal skies!” My personal album of the year. (Larry Best)
=15. Enforced – Kill Grid
Holy shit, this is intense. On only their second full-length outing, these Virginian thrashers put pedals to metals and skulls to concrete as Kill Grid absolutely annihilates everything in its path with non-stop grinding riffs. This record is the definition of relentless. Even the brief moments of ambient noise hold a certain tension which you wait to be unleashed upon your poor unsuspecting face. Vocalist Knox Colby sounds truly and sincerely pissed, making hairs stand on end during the album’s fiercest moments; shout-outs to the very final section of “Trespasser” – that’s a riff that knows the LP’s ending, so it crushes like a fucking hammer. Going into too much detail would do this album an injustice – just dive in, get chewed up and spat out by the motherfucking Kill Grid. (Larry Best)
14. StarGazer – Psychic Secretions
StarGazer, Australia’s champions of idiosyncratic, vividly offbeat and nonpareil technical death metal have made quite a resounding splash in 2021 with their latest offering – the singular and moderately bellicose Psychic Secretions. The band substantiated their reputation as technical death metal’s most “polite” and forgiving band by sporadically relenting on the ineluctable brutality, even appropriating clean vocals to antithesize the animosity of the harsher, war metal-inspired material (on the wonderful “Pilgrim Age” closer), which works remarkably well in establishment of a perceptively surreal tone. StarGazer’s idiomatic permutations in navigating the extreme metal domain were inimitable to begin with, but these notions are brought forth even more emphatically on Psychic Secretions, which features a selection of audacious, boundary-pushing material, simultaneously reaffirming the band’s rampant iconoclasm of genre doctrines and giving rise to one of last year’s most memorable albums. (Bogdan Hyrych)
=11. First Fragment – Gloire Éternelle
Uncrowned heroes of tech-death, First Fragment took the extreme metal world by storm with Gloire Éternelle, a 70-minute colossus displaying one of the most absurd mixes of neo-classical shred, blast beats, fretless bass tones and dirty growling. Choosing to write their lyrics in French and fusing influences of classical guitar music into their extreme refinement of speed, they offer one of the most outstanding works of the genre whose aura of majesty simply cannot be denied. The title speaks for itself, this album is a jewel of the genre that will not be forgotten. (Andrei Dan)
=11. Ezra Brooks/Serpent Rider – Visions of Esoteric Splendor
A pairing of 2 relatively new bands, the Visions of Esoteric Splendor split exhibits bold takes on older styles by experienced North American musicians trying new things. Ezra Brooks (aka Shon Vincent of Smoulder) combines the epic heavy metal of Manilla Road with some of the slant of The Lord Weird Slough Feg, resulting in often strange ideas manifested in smart, catchy structures. The oddly long pauses in “When the Future Fails” and the euphoric whirling motif that opens “Am I Just Paranoid?” suggest that a lot more could be coming from this project, as with Serpent Rider, an accumulation of old hands and a fresh, ghostly vocal presence. Kelly Kuciemba (Drawn And Quartered) leaps to the fore with off-kilter leads all across the 4 tracks, which juxtapose Greek black metal influences, doom, and the same epic metal as Ezra Brooks to fascinating effect. Each group contributes a valuable cover song as well as originals, making this split seem both like an album and a rich compilation. (Edmund Morton)
=11. Dream Theater – A View from the Top of the World
Personally, I didn’t love Distance Over Time, it was just okay though it was definitely an improvement over The Astonishing. A View from the Top of the World isn’t doing anything new, but it shows Dream Theater doing what they love, at the top of their form. The musicianship on display is way more impressive than the last two, but more importantly the production and enthusiasm on display lift this album to heights I had thought the band incapable of. The music might not add anything new or unique to Dream Theater canon, it just sounds so fresh and fun, not to mention the hooks are incredible. Songs like “Answering the Call” and “Awaken the Master” remind me of the best parts of mid 2000s DT. “Transcending Time” is yet another love letter to Rush (and my favorite song of the album). The most impressive song though has to be “Sleeping Giant”. The title track is just fine, it’s not a masterpiece, but more importantly it is overshadowed by “Sleeping Giant”. It’s rare that a 10 minute song overshadows a 20 minute song, but here we are. “Sleeping Giant” has the most emotional heft and the climax is just superb. If you were turned off of Dream Theater over their last 3 albums or so, I encourage you to give this album a try, it’s very worthwhile. (Ian Yeara)
10. Lunar Shadow – Wish to Leave
Continuing the development of the melodic power metal of their sophomore effort, Lunar Shadow have returned to continue their fantastic story and Wish to Leave hits all the high points that their previous works did, albeit with more variety and stronger suspense. What they lacked in their debut, they added in their second album. And it’s what they’ve nearly perfected here. Lunar Shadow have shown that, if nothing else, they know how to play to their strengths and this album is the culmination of their years of practice and dedication to the craft of songwriting. Though this latest release is not quite as full of the bombastic bravado that characterised the previous record, it nevertheless possesses its own alluring mystique that is sure to captivate power metal listeners who are fans of all things powerful and melodic. (Dave Hodges)
9. Skepticism – Companion
Finnish funeral doom metal elegists Skepticism made their triumphant return in 2021, with the long-awaited Companion, the band’s first LP since 2008’s Alloy. While the overarching stylistic framework is still the same, Skepticism manage to echo their earliest material on Companion, by noticeably heavier riffing, and a passing adherence to death doom (last seen on the Aeothe Kaear EP), exhibited primarily on “The Intertwined” and “Passage”. That said, the pensive overtones still dominate the aural texture, contributing to a wistful, reflective mise-en-scène that we’ve come to expect from the band at their very best. Companion was a pleasant surprise, a not-so-gentle reminder of Skepticism’s nigh unparalleled songwriting abilities within the funeral doom scene, an exuberant showcase of their perpetual extreme metal excellence. (Bogdan Hyrych)
=7. Rage – Resurrection Day
After a period of stagnation in the 2010s, 2020’s Wings Of Rage was a considerable step up. Then the Germans go and knock it on its ass with the hard hitting Resurrection Day. This was an absolute joy to behold upon first listen, as every single track contained a huge riff somewhere and I was just waiting for it each time to snap my neck. Peavy and co. took great care to be as gritty and grinding as possible with this album, and the result is their typically catchy speed metal refrains being punctuated by elephantine riffs like “Arrogance & Ignorance”. The added symphonic pomp is a lovely touch of flamboyant flair not previously seen by Rage, and even the ballad holds an aura of menace…not to mention that artwork is freaking cool! (Larry Best)
=7. Iron Maiden – Senjutsu
It’s fair to say that Iron Maiden’s discography in the new millennium has experienced both highs and lows, to the point that I often approached their new releases with a mixture of excitement and dread, fearing that they wouldn’t be anywhere near the glory days of the band’s past. Maiden’s seventeenth full-length album Senjutsu definitely belongs to the highs, and it may just be their best album in 20 years. The album’s secret is simple: strong songwriting. Forty-one years on after they started their recording career, Maiden can still write unforgettable heavy metal tunes that are both fun and arousing. From the sublime ballad “Darkest Hour” to the mini progressive epic “The Parchment”, there is plenty of truly inspired songs on the album, with fantastic instrumental sections and great vocal melodies. At over 81 minutes, some may find the double-album a tad too overindulgent, which may be a fair criticism. But the pros greatly overweight the cons here, and with Senjutsu Maiden showed us once again that they can still be a very relevant voice in today’s metal landscape. (Daniele Nosenzo)
6. Seven Spires – Gods of Debauchery
Up until recently, Boston-based badasses Seven Spires seemed to come through as one of the most promising up and coming names in symphonic metal. But with their latest opus, Gods of Debauchery, they broke all genre boundaries and found supreme freedom of expression and creativity. Ranging from poppy hooks and romantic ballads to dramatic symphonic death metal and black metal with even a dose of tech-death, they once again take the listener on an adventure. World building, poetry, inner struggles, triumphant anthems and even heartfelt romance fuse together into a realm of dark fantasy allowing you to fully lose yourself in the album’s grandeur. (Andrei Dan)
5. Archspire – Bleed the Future
Probably the band’s strongest release to date, Bleed the Future was one of the most anticipated releases in technical death metal and it sure did not disappoint. Apart from the absurd technicality and brutality which barely needs mentioning, this album sounds genuinely creative, groovy and even melodic. The tech-maniacs in Archspire have outdone themselves in high-speed brain drilling but also left room for creative composition and even atmosphere. And that’s exactly what balances out a great technical death metal album. It may only be 30 minutes long, but there’s really no need for more. (Andrei Dan)
4. Bewitcher – Cursed Be Thy Kingdom
Bewitcher have done it. Again. If you thought that Under the Witching Cross would have been a hard act to follow, you’d be completely right and yet this one still delivers riff after blazing riff in an unstoppable torrent of black/speed metal. This release isn’t too terribly long, but it is uncannily consistent. The sound lies somewhere between the gritty yet simplistic vibe of early Venom and the maniacal ferocity of Syphilitic Vaginas. There are a lot of things to like here, but to cut to the chase, this album is just a mile-long riff smörgåsbord – every song, every turn, every fill is there to knock you upside the head with yet another riff sandwich, and just when you’re sure you couldn’t possibly handle another bite, yep you guessed it, more riffs in your face. Sure, the howitzer percussion and super catchy vocal rhythms only add to the perfection of this album, but those are just the spicing on the steak. If you like metal, you’re there for the riffs, and Cursed Be Thy Kingdom is a one-stop shop. (Dave Hodges)
3. Epica – Omega
The Netherlands’ finest metal export (big claim, I know, but just try finding another Dutch act quite as impressive as these) are now on their 10th full-length album. And even though I don’t expect them to improve on their already shimmering golden discography, with each new release they find a way to be more grandiose, more diverse, more…fucking brilliant. Omega covers all tempos, all moods, all colors of the metal spectrum – from the tenderest fragility (the beautiful “Rivers”) to blasting extremes (“Manic Manifest”) – and even one song which encapsulates it all in a 13-minute masterwork (“Kingdom Of Heaven Part 3”). Simone still sounds like a freakin’ angel; the symphonics are quite literally second to none; and the riff count is surprisingly high for a record of this style. Simultaneously gorgeous and headbang-worthy. (Larry Best)
2. Need – Norchestrion: A Song for the End
What could ever be more epic than the ending of a trilogy? Greek progressive powerhouse Need have created an undeniable magnum opus in the third episode of the “A Song For” trilogy with Norchestrion: A Song for the End. Commonly known as technical and complex, one would never expect such intense honest emotion from the progressive genre. The band’s tasteful melodies and raw, honest vocal delivery make this record one of the most genuine and expressive pieces of music released in 2021. With no shortage of nerding about though, Need are just on the border between clever intricacy and emotional value, bringing down some sweet riffage and drums as well as top-class sound quality. Compatible with both old-school and new wave listeners as well as listeners outside the prog spectrum, this album may just be the ultimate musical balance. (George Dan)
1. Leprous – Aphelion
Pitfalls was near perfection to me, Aphelion isn’t on that level, but it’s not trying to be. This feels like a band who’s able to just do what they want and not worry about expectations. The hooks are amazing as always, the arrangements and the orchestration are beautiful and the production is probably the best they’ve ever had. It’s kind of a hard album to explain, they touch on every aspect of their career while adding new twists here and there. Most importantly though is the mood; this is easily their most optimistic and hopeful album yet. I know Einar has been through a lot and this just feels like an emotional turning point for him. “Nighttime Disguise” is the perfect summation of their whole career and showing what they’re still capable of and that they still have room for growth. Leprous is a band that I don’t think will ever truly disappoint me, they know who they are and what they want to do. Aphelion may not be their best album, but it doesn’t need to be, it’s perfect how it is. (Ian Yeara)
