PMMetalGuide's Best Albums of 2021
Hello all! Welcome back to another annual list where we lowly authors highlight some of the best musical art to release in the last year and share our thoughts on their sonic impacts! We started off last years list by blather on about many negative things, and while most, if not all, of those issues have not been resolved or, in many cases, worsened, fortunately, music has returned in something resembling full form over the last year. Concerts, festivals, and an abundance of releases were blasted out for consumption, and often we failed to keep up. This, like mentioned above, is our yearly attempt to find what records resonated the most with us from bands we loved, grew to love and found in the most unexpected places. With the return of societal hustle and bustle on a mass scale, so did our musical listening take a hit after the return to normal living, yet through this we managed to pull from a number of sources to sate our every growing hunger for aural satisfaction. With this, we move onto our list. We have decided to switch up the style of our list from last year, borrowing from the ever wonderful HeavyBlogIsHeavy.com, whose articles you should check out for a much better take on this sort of work, categorizing our articles into a number of categories, rather than an ordered list, each representing an important pillar in the PMMetalGuide doctrine. Therefore, we present you with PMMetalGuide's Best Albums of 2021! - Adam Richards
Honorable Mentions
Adam
(Progressive Atmospheric Sludge Metal/Mathcore)
Starting off with one of the heavier of the lot, Lithuania's Erdve channels hardcore's aggression and black metal's atmosphere into a thumping math-sludge opus. Giving the groove genre a bad moniker, the rhythm section boasts ridiculous technicality and stand out as a driving force within the eleven tracks. A surprising amount of melody seeps through the violently shaking cracks, however; the guitars' hateful attack pound the mix along with thundering toms and shotgun snares, challenging the decibel limit of whatever you're listening to it through with a beautiful intent.
(Raw Black Metal)
Black metal with personality! Wonky, angular riffs drive this anonymous Indian one-piece's debut, as incredible color blooms like lotus flowers on the guitar parts, shining through the primal pounding and raspy ghost wails buried under a low wall of static. The trance-inducing tremolos undulate to no end, transitioned seamlessly from the quieter sections lining a majority of (and a portion within) the violent reincarnation. This formless, ethereal LP has incredible performances and a brilliant execution that serves its source material in the most unique way it could.
(Sludge/Funeral Doom Metal)
Atmosphere is critical to the success of any funeral doom album, and Hellish Form have mastered this on their debut. The Body Void/Keeper offshoot takes their sludge metal roots and embeds it with fluttering synthesizers, which wade beneath the glacial rhythms and create an ethereal layer of ambience within the four somber cuts. Building to intense climaxes echoed by the otherworldly electronics, Remains is filled with emotive performances from the vets, and with memorable progressions and cathartic bliss, easily shapes up to be the best in its class for the year.
(Atmospheric/Avant-Garde/Progressive/Folk Black Metal)
Caios Lemos has turned heads in the internet scene for a number of years now, but 2021 may be his finest yet. Exploring three reinventions of the black metal genre, each project takes the Brazilian folk rooted in his previous work and expands it into an entirely new sound brimming with black metal experimentality. Incorporating ambient techno, progressive and psychedelic rock, and avant-folk respectively, each project explores a new limb on Lemos' creative tree. Each record is no more than an hour, and are among the most unique of their class of the year. - A
(Black Metal)
The second LP from side-project of atmospheric metal institution Spectral Lore, like the stunning debut before it, shapes up to be one of the fiercest records of the year. Angular tremolos drives the medieval metal, which, mixed in a sea of distortion, emphasizes the distant concept and the themes it sets up to with ease. The renowned Ayloss continues to shine on all fronts, creating memorable motifs and even more infectious riffs. He even manages to maturely incorporate medieval folk to transition between black metal epics, which only adds to the Greek's pristine musical record.
Sam
Рожь (Rye) - Вечное (Eternal)
(Ambient/Post-Black/Funeral Doom Metal)
As we've addressed many times over the course of this website's existence, there is too goddamn much good atmospheric black metal, making the incredible number of "pretty solid" bands impossible to distinguish. This is not the case with Рожь, who deliver a stunning blend of modern atmo black with touches of immense funeral doom sections. The Russian group's debut record is a touchingly cathartic statement with some of my favorite artwork of the year.
(Midwest Emo/Post-Hardcore)
The 5th wave of emo has really come into its own since the late 2010s, leaving us with a style that can simultaneously deliver on the avant-garde promise of Brave Little Abacus with singable melodic cores and virtuosic technicality. Home Is Where were one of 2021's breakout successes and their latest LP stands out from the horde of 5th wave releases with a Mangum-esque sense of stylistic dynamism and hopelessly catchy, yet crushing, hooks.
Darko (US) - Darko
(Deathcore/Djent)
Victory Over the Sun - Nowherer
(Avant-Garde Black Metal)
Move over Adam Kambalch, there's a new challenger for the microtonal black metal crown! It seems like the broader underground scene is finally catching up with Jute Gyte's innovations and delivering notably great takes on the burgeoning subgenre. The one-woman Victory Over the Sun absolutely smacks with her 2nd full length, harnessing the dissonant power of microtonality and strengthening it with moments of emotional power. The 20-minute closer "Oscines" stands as a mission statement for what this style can accomplish over the course of a touching journey of self-discovery. Perfectly emblematic of future chaotic bm release's potential.
(Deathcore/Djent)
In between the litany of popular react videos to the genre's heaviness and metal journalism's seeming acceptence, deathcore is officially cool again. On their first record, Darko, the duo consisting of Chelsea Grin's vocalist and a former Emmure guitarist, deliver a stunning take on what deathcore should be in 2021. Tracks like "Insects" and "Fiend Dream" showcase the sheer destructive potential of nu metal influence and hypermodern djent riffs. While ballads like album highlight "Donna" take clear influence from modern metalcore and prog greats for a well-rounded experience. This thing is solid through and through and gives me hope for deathcore's popular resurgence.
The Body - I've Seen All I Need To See
(Experimental Sludge/Doom Metal/Noise/Industrial)
A common complaint I have with noise groups is that they don't write songs. I've always respected The Body's unceasing work ethic and unrelenting artistic vision, but most of their albums feel like the duo are just making dissonance for dissonant's sake. Finally, I've Seen All I Need To See delivers on the group's immense promise to provide a selection of incredible tracks which never stray from The Body's aural chaos. I think this is the duo's strongest album and one which imbues its compositions with equal parts noise and entertainment.
Best Albums of 2021
Dad Rock Reigns Supreme
(Great Records From Beloved Bands)
Between the Buried and Me - Colors II
(Progressive Metal/Metalcore)
Producing a direct sequel a well-regarded album is almost always a disappointment. They usually fail to recapture whatever artistic spark which fueled the original and feel bloated as an unnecessary compromise. To my surprise, the modern prog legends BTBAM not only avoid this trap, but actually surpass the 2007 opus in many ways. My biggest issue with the first Colors is the NC group's (often disregard for) songwriting. So many moments of brilliance can give way to superfluous riffing and questionable song extensions. With Colors II, the group finally achieves what they've hinted at since Parallax II and deliver a series of tunes which stand as progressive epics, complete with brvtal rvffs and moments of Canterburian beauty. Tracks like "Bad Habits, Revolution in Limbo and Human is Hell" stand amongst the group's greatest tunes and virtually every song on the album furthers its statement and delivers an uncompromising flow we've missed since The Great Misdirect. I'm a big fan of Colors II as should all members of the progressive metal community. It's rare that a staple band like BTBAM continue to serve up albums which rival their best this late into their career and rarer when they're this great. Best record since TGM and I can't wait to see these tunes live for years to come. - S
(Deathgrind/Power Electronics/Noise)
From their inception, Full of Hell have challenged the metal mainstream by releasing the most/least accessible music of its genre. While their chops in grindcore and powerviolence return in full force on Garden of Burning Apparitions, so does the noise. Easily the heaviest of their three LPs through Relapse Records, this 20-minute jaunt through power noise, mathcore and classic grind aesthetics encompasses their most mature and dense music yet, with blistering performances and consistently engaging songs through and through, proving their staying power once again. - A
(Atmospheric Black Metal)
One could argue that Wolves In The Throne Room truly brought modern atmospheric black metal to America. Where Portland contemporaries Agalloch always had a more varied approach to the style, informed by post-rock, folk music, heavy metal and plenty of other notes, Wolves ushered in a wave of more "traditional" bands. Those early records stull sound fresh to the modern ear, brimming with gorgeous chord progressions and structures even in the relatively overdone subgenre. Diadem and Two Hunters thrive in their simplicity, reveling in the two note progressions which Burzum invented all those years ago. Primordial Arcana feels like the first album to recapture the magic of their earlier straightforwardness in a way which at once feels fresh and natural, in tune with the sprawling forestscapes of the pacific northwest. This is simply atmo black incredibly well done and polished by one of the genre's modern greats. One can't go wrong with this exemplary piece of genre tradition. - S
(Post-Rock)
I can't say too much more about the premier post-rock group that hasn't already been said by myself and many others, but if anyone knows how to deliver, it's GY!BE. Returning in 2021 with a triumphant and powerful release, G_d's Pee sees the band return to songwriting roots with heavy sampling, droning performances and climaxes reminiscent of their golden era. As the eldest band on our list, it's a heartwarming affirmation to the see veterans in the industry maintain the quality of their output and the ideological stance of the band as a whole. - A
Probably Should Appear On Metallum as Genre Examples
(Records Which Utterly Embody Their Perspective Subgenre)
(Black Metal)
At this point, virtually every metalhead or black metal fan has heard endless derivations of the 2nd wave Norwegian sound. Countless groups ape the template set forth by Emperor, Darkthrone or god forbid Mayhem with virtually no innovation. There probably exists enough of this music to kill a whale or something, so bands need to bring something distinct to the table for any hope of excitement. Luckily, Spectral Wound found their niche by upping the intensity to 11 and summoning an unholy level of vitriolic brvtality. Wretched high screams compliment the usual icepick tremelo guitars and ceaseless blasts, yet the whole project is elevated by the animalistic nature of every element. This is an intense black metal record through and through and it's rare that 2nd wave takes on the genre hit so viscerally on every listen. Perfect music to sacrifice a goat to. - S
(Death/Doom Metal)
Forvererglade's memorability comes from its perfect ability to encapsulate exactly what death doom should sound like. Soaring, squealing guitar leads quickly turn to cauldron-churning chugs, and the rhythm section melds from ridiculous double-bass flams to an impressive groove machine guiding us through its own twisted landscape. Worm manages to use every cliché of their niche and still provide a formidable and enjoyable listening experience that makes recent efforts from veterans in the genre bow down. If you love death doom, caveman up, and headbang hard. - A
(Raw Black Metal/Ambient)
Trhä's sound is akin to boring miles deep into a glacier, diving down, and recording an ambient black metal album from the bottom, with the single recording microphone at the top of that hole. Frigid synthesizers and unrelenting guitar lines weave together over a dense rhythm section, and through endlhëtonëg's four tracks dynamics shift between moments of intense black metal fury and serene, otherworldly noise. With a typical blend of despondent melodies and climactic songwriting, this emotional record stands out as some of the best in lo-fi music in 2021. - A
(Progressive Thrash Metal)
It's rare that groups so thoroughly embodies what makes their niche subgenre so great. Swedish outfit Paranorm's debut pick upn where Vektor left off in the realm of progressive thrash and do so by channeling metal greats with astounding ingenuity. The riffs here sound as if forged by Schuldiner in his prime, with equal parts stunning technicality and memorable moments. The group take a page from both prog thrash era Metallica and golden age Cynic for a focused batch of bangers which not only wow the listener upon first listen, but reward repeated ventures into Empyreon's twisted astral journey. - S
The Heaviest Matter in the Universe
(Uncompromisingly Heavy Slabs of Record)
(Mathcore/Djent/Glitch)
(WARNING: Will Probably Cause You Ear Fatigue) To no one's surprise, Frontierer managed to get even heavier on their third full-length, packing another 16 tracks into just 50 minutes of blistering glitchmath madness. Pedram Valiani's production makes its welcome return, driven by seismic altering guitar tones, complex rhythmic interplay (between bass, kit and a digital drum set) and screeching synthesizers, which together to champion the Scots' best impression of a Maximum Overdrive-style Galaga machine yet. - A
(Hard/Metal/Deathcore)
Knocked Loose kick serious amounts of ass. Their infinitely catchy blend of classic metalcore with Cannibal Corpse riffs have made them one of the biggest modern heavy artists. Seriously, a Knocked Loose concert is the equivalent of just poking the dopamine button for an hour while people mosh around you. After the success of their 2nd LP, myself and many fans were left wondering where the arf-arfers would go and the answer is a pleasant--and heavy as balls--surprise. On this condensed 20 minutes of aural destruction, the riff meisters somehow get even heavier than before, imbibing in the charnal liquid of deathcore, sludge metal and even moments of blackened glory. The signature blend of riffing and scream-out-your-chest vocal callouts reach a new level on this thing to make what is probably the group's strongest work to date. Its concept album nature complete with a stunning animated video certainly help, but the tunes here are utterly devastating and should prove suitable mosh fodder for hardcore dancers and crowd suffers until their next slab of decimation. - S
(Deathcore/Post-Metal)
Humanity's Last Breath have been the subject of memes for quite some time now. The Swede's patented "face melting thall with inhuman vocal callouts" have proved suitable fodder for the Youtube react machine gods and for good reason. On the Lewandowsky-adorned Välde, the group finally transcend this status with a stunningly crafted piece of (I'm gonna go with) atmospheric sludge which plays to their prior strengths while delivering surprisingly emotional and considered moments of transcendence. We often joke about the tedium of post-metal here at PMMetalguide, so the fact that a group like HLB can deliver such a memorable and soul-crushing take on the style is nothing short of astounding and should warrant a listen immediately. - S
(Death Metal)
Just as their debut grabbed listeners in 2017, their follow-up has smashed its way onto our list with easily one of the best death metal records of the year. An incredible display of ear-catching riffs, ascendant technicality and visceral performances, XXI takes the Bay Area band's unique take on cavernous death/black and infuses it with mathcore-like aggression, bursting through the master as each track smashes along. The refreshing take on the style is an exciting step forward for the band, and signing to The Flenser, the group has a hopefully long and bold career in front of them, and we're here for it! - A
Advertising Residency for Ear Worms
(The Catchiest Records)
(Noise Rock/Sludge Metal)
In a striking turn of events, PMMetalGuide loves another random underground noise rock EP! Infinity Land's debut EP was actively my most listened to record of the year, and for every great reason. The four brief tracks on display are chonky, noisy jams that bring hardcore aggression, sludgy instrumentation, and influence from pretty much every other subgenre of harsh music you could think off. Across the board, performances highlight every musician’s strength in the mix, and each track has a lead, pattern, or vocal that is thoroughly engrained in my skull. Even amidst the seemingly unbridled aggression brought by Honest Comedy, a poppy number of vocal lines and riffs are rather accessible and easily remembered for the culmination of styles that the band employs. Both incredibly well-crafted and rough around the edges, it serves as a perfect introduction to this blooming band’s sound. – A
(Trap/Post-Trap?)
Viewed through one lens, Playboi Carti's second full length is a laughable disappointment; the horrific baby vocals, the comedically overblown production, the moronic repetition and possibly the worst lyrics I've ever laid ears on. Yet, from another standpoint, these seemingly negative qualities take on a postmodern quality, where each atrocious element coalesces into a self-parody of modern trap music, where each track pushes the subgenre to its absolute breaking point and ushering in a Wiseau level of unintentional entertainment. Whole Lotta Red is astounding in how shamelessly dumb, yet poignant it is. Never before have such infectious earworms been delivered in a high/low brow context where I'm left with 20 or so unforgettable bangers to question whether this was done on purpose. Genius or accidental masterpiece, the mainstream rap landscape will be speaking Cartinese for years to come. - S
(Doom/Heavy Metal)
I tend to strongly dislike more traditional takes on heavy metal. Often the cheese is too strong and I can't enjoy stunning riffage behind walls of instantly dated boomer yelps. Khemmis have comfortably settled into a groove between the longform catharsis of doom and the mammoth tastalicious riffage of trad, managably sidestepping heavy metal's usual pitfalls for an impossibly catchy collection of tracks which stand up to the Denver group's impeccable first 2 records. Deciever feels considered, each song written to maximalize memorability as the freshly 3 pieced mid tempo lords undulate between their primary styles. This album feels like a more melodic version of Hunted and absolutely blasts through its lean 40-minute runtime, begging for repeat listens. - S
(Experimental/Hardcore Hip-Hop)
JPEGMAFIA’s established presence has earned respect far from his genre’s sphere, including within our own. Only recently coming to my own attention, the number of times I find myself quickly muttering “Youthinkyouknowme?” under my breath is comical, but only goes to show how infectious this record is. With each song a kernel of new sonic experimentation for the rapper to embark on, the 18-20 (platform dependent) tracks showcase of a number, for the mainstream, of ambitious genre incorporations, melding the already experimental hip-hop with progressive metal, glitch, hardcore, and a litany of others. What is the most impressive is how over these abstract and avant-garde beats he continues to rap hooky bars that still repeat themselves to this day. Peggy goes all out on this record, and while I was l liked All My Heroes Are Cornballs, after consistently bumping LP!, I’m happy to call myself a real fan. - A
There Must Be Something in the Water
(Records From the New UK Post-Punk Scene [yes this is its own category])
When I heard Black Country, New Road’s debut for the first time (and reviewed), I was floored; one year and another album later, my enjoyment of this record has only bolstered itself. Six iconic tracks established this band’s sound as one of their strongest in their field and has become a favorite of ours and many friends of PMMetalGuide. The departure of Isaac Wood after the release of Ants From Up There brought me back to these tracks almost immediately, and finding refuge in the zany blend of klezmer, Slint-tribute and modern post punk brought me back to the incredible songs contained on the record, and my love for them has only grown fonder. - A
Resident music press hype band black midi stunned with their 2019 debut which landed itself on our yearend list. A younger Sam wrote: "More exciting than any of the obvious elements on display, however, is the impressive promise that Schlagenhiem shows. If this is what a group of green 18 year-olds can accomplish, imagine what a road-hardened collective of extraordinary musicians can conjure. I for one cannot wait to see what these budding Brits have in store, for it will surely be one of the stronger releases of its respective year." Well smack that prediction bell, because the London lads have absolutely fulfilled their potential with an utterly bizarre and enticing work. Where Schlagenheim remained firmly rooted in noise rock and its permutations, Cavalcade is closest to a late-mid period Fripp album, with plenty of avant-garde jazz and classical moments abound. A complete listen to this thing reveals countless surprises across a varied track listing and provide serious SOTY competition with coked-out noise bangers like "John L" and gentle neoclassical in "Ascending Forth." When I saw them in October, the group played almost entirely new material which pulled from disco, 50s big band, techno breakdowns and western ballads so I'm sure their upcoming album will be equally diverse and quantitative. black midi never cease to impress while producing thoroughly enjoyable tunes and Cavalcade is proof of another gem in what's sure to be a catalogue of them. - S
While not as experimental or technically minded as their peers in this category, Shame make up for it with energy and no small shortage of memorable post punk bangers. Drunk Tank Pink feels like a modern classic punk record, with much of the serving as cleverly written punk anthems from another era. Highlights like "Water in the Well" and "Nigel Hitter" scratch the verse-chorus-verse hit and more climax-focused tunes like "Snow Day" and "Born in Luton" provide some incredible musical moments and some much-needed variety in the record's flow. An absolute blast from start to finish and perfect example of the more direct aspect of this explosive scene. - S
Squid’s debut takes wonky melodic ideas and turns them entirely on their heads, often exploding into massive climaxes, or completely switching its genre and primary instrumental focus, Bright Green Field is filled with moment-to-moment spectacle track-by-track. Intensity doesn’t slip through these rapidly shifting cracks, however, and are often rapidly and repeatedly juxtaposed by softer or slower sections throughout the more direct punk tracks. Like their fellow Brits, the number of quotable lyrics, memorable moments, and repeated listens continues to climb, and cements them as heavy hitters in their class. - A
Titilating Aural Massages
(The Best Produced Records)
(Technical Death/Avant-Garde Metal)
Dissonant death metal is a hearty beast to capture on tape, with the genre's atonal trappings often lending themselves to muddied recordings. On their second record, Ad Nauseum utterly refute this premise by providing one of the best sounding metal albums I've heard. The Italians handcrafted instruments and amplifiers for this album and recorded and produced the entire beast themselves. That attention to detail is immediately apparant upon first listen. These aural odysseys to the most outré the genre has to offer is immensely augmented by this aspect, as the angular Obscura riffs on display have never sounded cleaner and the fantastic rhythm section is offered plenty of room to breathe. Imperative Imperceptible Impulse is arguably the best sounding record in its genre and a perfect example of production improving already amazing music. - S
(Atmospheric Black Metal/Drone)
Golden Ashes' third full-length continues, almost impeccably, the aural assault present on their previous works. Boasting harsh, sprawling walls of noise, ALCSHtCoD showcases veteran soloist Maurice de Jong's brilliant ability to obfuscate the already reverb-laden black metal instrumentation beneath sharp synthetic atmospheres filled with fluttering leads and sticky melodies.. Its incredibly dense, violent, shoegazy delivery is unending, unchanging, and impressive in display, droning over its brisk 37 minute runtime in a beautiful, whelming blur. - A
(Experimental/Hip-Hop)
While the record's concepts, performances and songwriting are all also some of the best of the year, what must be first recognized in By The Time I Get To Phoenix is its incredible listening experience. From its first seconds to its last, Injury Reserve evolves the experimental hip-hop genre into a fresh sound no one could have expected. By infusing psychedelic rock, glitch and noise, and overtly woke samples and topics, the trio (R.I.P. Groggs) manage to take their harsh, eclectic sound and navigate it through an obscure and terrifying landscape unlike any other. - A
(Noise Rock/Pop/Post-Hardcore/Mathcore) Sam
With the amount of in-your-face compression on Ultrapop, Rick Rubin might as well be rolling in his metaphorical grave. Kurt Ballou has long been the go-to choice for modern-minded punk musicians for his keen ear and ability to balance and aggressive mix. For metanarrative oddballs The Armed's 3rd record, Ballou throws whatever notions of taste and subtlety he's cultivated over the years for one of the noisiest and loudest mixes I've heard since Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses. Normally, I'd say this is a bad thing which detracts from the music on display, but with Ultrapop, the insane levels of compression present somehow elevate these already solid tunes. This statement of maximalist pop tunes certainly stands taller as a result and marks one of the few examples in modern years of an album being actively strengthened by poor production choices. - S
Man Fears the Darkness So He Scratches at its Edges With Fire (Wubba lubba dub dub)
(Bleakest Records in a Bleak Year)
(Blackened Death/Doom Metal)
After their phenomenal breakout 2018 record, 1914, the Ukraine blackened death metal quintet have scored yet another home run with their brand of emotional, cleverly written and historically nuanced take on the style. The group have survived the jump to a major label and have actually gained a positive level of sheen and polish in doing so. The 8 death metal tracks on display here showcase the incredible range of the group, expertly melding moments of war metal-level intensity with subtler touches in the form of folk sections or timely samples. It's easy to dismiss certain groups on the one note nature of their sound or gimmick and 1914 have not only proved their defiance of this downside, but have also asserted themselves as one of the premier groups of this new generation. A perfect soundtrack to the ever worsening nature of the moment by imbibing in the horrors of modernity's past. - S
(Black/Death/Sludge Metal/Noise)
As far as visceral brutality is concerned, look no further
than the debut from Irish noise-metallers Sermon of Flames. A vicious
culmination of black, death, sludge metal (and just noise), I Have Seen The
Light, and It Was Repulsive throws all of these distinct sounds into a bubbling cauldron and from the brew a truly vile, unruly, and occasionally outright
oppressive, sound, many of these songs using the layer of noise as a striking dissonance
against the already buried and murky swirl. The mixing is incredibly crushing
as well, blasting the brvtal songs with intensity and ludicrous technicality. Its
grimy, destructive and everything a great extreme metal record should be. - A
(Avant-Garde Metal/Mathcore/Spoken Word)
Fawn Limbs’ blistering mathgrind has evolved
massively on their newest record, incorporating avant-folk and spoken word as
integral devices for storytelling and composition; the dichotomy of these
creates an apocalyptic atmosphere driven by the sludging instrumentation and spastic
breakdowns that encompass and surround it. The narrative unfolds wonderfully
because of this, and the record’s relatively short runtime, but tells a callous
and harrowing tale that is as engaging as the music. Through dense, soft, and
all sorts of sonic experimentations in between, the group pulls together truly
unique, albeit disturbing, picture. – A
(Shoegaze/Emo/Post-Hardcore)
I'm Not Crying You Are
(Records Which Bring Happiness)
(Black Metal)
While catharsis means a lot of things to people, the trve form of this is excellently executed atmospheric black metal, and again, Fluisteraars can be read in the tears welled in the collective PMMetalGuide staff's eyes. As with Bloem last year, the Dutch duo channels the forces of nature into an inspiring and moving collection of tracks, but this time, mother's angry. GddGdZ plays a more primal, powerful version of the group's tested sound; one who's folk and psychedelia influence has turned sour, hateful, and even more compelling than the one before it. - A
(Post-Hardcore/Alternative Rock)
In the past year, Turnstile have sneakily achieved the most success of any hardcore band since Black Flag. They've performed on late night, received endorsements from several legitimate mainstream celebrities and played fucking Coachella. All of that was possible because of the unrelenting joy of Glow On. The group's premise of "311 but hardcore" has blossomed into something at once impossibly digestible and somehow cred-bound. The Baltimore boy's succinct collection of party-minded ragers offer the purest distillation of good vibes I've heard all year and after the trials and tribulations of the pandemic, it's easy to see why this record and the group have reached such considerable highs. - S
(Shoegaze)
Since their days as a duo, Deafheaven have always been about outrageous highs, distilling the pure release of 2nd-wave post rock into their towering climaxes. In the context of straightforward shoegaze, this songwriting fact is no different. The Seattle group have stuck the difficult landing in transitioning firmly out of the realm of extreme metal, somehow arriving with more fully formed tunes than ever before. Infinite Granite feels like a lost 90s alt rock classic, albeit with a gorgeously full mix offered by modern innovation. It's that novel sensibility which have kept these tracks in rotation almost a year after its release, offering a plethora of little nuggets and textures after countless spins. At the end of the record, the group return to their black metal roots with a phenomenal maximalized burst of kvlt. It stands as a reminder of what they've been and where they stand now. I for one am a huge fan of this new direction and cannot wait to see what gems it continues to bear. - S
(Post-Rock/Metal)
Perhaps catharsis is actually one's connection to the feeling conveyed by the music itself; This immersion, present in much of Kauan's previous material, transports the listener to its setting, lavishing in transitions that weave each step of the journey told through Ice Fleet. Bouncing from moments of intense doom riffing to serene post-rock bliss, Anton Belov's concepts echo with mature resonance throughout the atmospheric synth pads and emotive guitar leads that guide the ships through the snow. Incredibly memorable and continuously engaging, this one is def a crier. - A
Friendship Ended With Metal, Post-Post-Metal is My Friend Now
(Boundary-Pushing Records)
A massive and dissonant death metal fever dream, the tracks on Phantom Indigo are yet another superb aural exploration of extreme metal from the folks in the Pyrrhon verse. From winding death/doom to rampageous tech black; grooves, riffs, melodic ideas are introduced, distorted, and crushed in a matter of blast beats. Emerging from the swirling chaos is a memorable and commanding sound, which frantic guitar drives the lengthy bouts of technical madness through their lengths with prowess, and are consistently able to turn some of the musician's most challenging music to date into a constantly engaging listen time and time again. - A
(Avant-Garde/Black Metal/Mathcore/Noise)
"Antiquitas eius in praecedentibus et superstitibus posteris tellurianis generationibus: eius praedominantia nocturna: dependentia satellitica: meditatio eius luminaris: constantia sub omnibus gradibus suis ortus et occasus statutis suis temporibus crescens et decrescens: coacta invariabilitas sui aspectus: eius. interrogatio indeterminata ad inaffirmativam responsionem: potentia super aquas effluentes et fluentes: potentia delectandi, mortificandi, circumdandi decoris, insaniae reddendi, delinquendi insti- tuendi: tranquilli inscrutabilitatis visi: terribilitas solitarii sui. dominans splen- dus propinquitas: tempestatis omina et placidi: excitatio lucis, motus et praesentia eius: admonitio craterum eius, maria arida, silentium eius: splendor eius visi- bilis: attractio quando invisibilis" - S
(Experimental Black Metal)
Adam Kalmbach's ever expanding verse of malaise microtonality continues on Mitrealität, whose sludging black metal horror is in perfect company among the plethora of genre-bending releases in Jute Gyte's catalog. The unique brand of twisted revulsion on display is familiar, particularly reminding me of the Form trilogy, but constantly exceeds expectation through each moment of writhing, visceral dissonance. The longer tracks also hold some of the artist's most powerful moments to date, continuously harrowing to hear, like stepping on a swarm of flies. - A
(Avant-Garde/Progressive/Sludge Metal/Zeuhl) Sam
I think basically every modern progressive music listener is a fan of Mastodon and for good reason. Their innovative take on sludge metal in the early 2000s set the stage for heavy music to come with permutations of that style seeping up in various groups since. Never before, however, have I heard a mixture of the Atlanta band's signature sound and "zeuhl," the niche take on prog rock which french group Magma pioneered. Brazilian group Papangu's first record provides us just that and does so with a confidence and cleverness of songcraft which is simply astounding. Classic 70s sensibilities mix with modern innovation for one of the tastiest pieces of prog this side of Coal.- S
These Albums Are Actually Just Untouchable
(The Best of the Best Records for 2021)
(Technical Death Metal)
How does a tech death band from Vancouver establish themselves at the forefront of modern metal despite catering to what's typical a niche within a niche? Well Archspire seem to have accomplished just that through a series of insanely technical, heavy and consistent studio records which have culminated in this year's Bleed the Future. Sure, 9000 notes per minute is impressive and all, but statistics like that mean nothing without rock solid songs, which Archspire have in spades. Every moment of this record's brisk runtime is punctuated with mind-bending riffage and performances which contribute to a greater whole, somehow turning 400 bpm neoclassical monstrosities into tunes both catchy and instantly memorable. So, we here at PMMetalGuide proudly join the ranks of teenagers pouring over tab books for hours a day, prog nerds deconstructing these wild compositions and fans who have proudly emblazoned "stay tech" onto their skin permanently. Archspire are here to stay and Bleed the Future is their best work to date. - S
(Psychedelic? Black/Death Metal)
Suffering Hour flew under the radar for a long time, but with the release of The Cyclic Reckoning, the group has made their presence known, crafting some of the most forward-thinking and dizzying tracks in both black and death metal. Whether the band is either tag is up for debate, but what isn’t are the brilliant technicality and songwriting that are central to the ferocious and billowing compositions, as with almost psychedelic tendencies, wonky angular riffs lead the charge while the pummeling rhythm section jumps between styles without taking a breath. It is jaw-dropping in scope, brilliant in execution, and an absolute joy to listen to. - A
(Atmospheric Black Metal)
Continuing the odyssey left from 2016's Luminiferous Aether, Solar Paroxysm propulses itself through each track, never losing momentum as its cosmic quest grows increasingly dangerous. Buczarski's guitars sound almost synthetic, driving the thunderous tracks with a steady pulse amidst the raging backdrop of percussive whirlwinds and menacing bass. What cannot be overlooked in Mare Cognitum's music, however, is its spewing emotion; for every riff, scream, bass line and blast beat is a passionate testament to the genre itself, and is easily one of the best of 2021. - A
(Psychedelic/Bluegrass Rock/Dark Folk)
I'm always wary of supergroups in modern metal. The promise of some of your favorite artists coming together and producing something greater than ever before is always enticing, but it almost always falls flat. In the case of The Body and Big Brave, the two groups have crafted a work which I believe stands as, if not, taller than either of their individual output. The stunning display of psychedelic drone and stripped down American folk reaches highs never before grasped by either group with Robin Wattie's signature wail complementing layers upon textures of gorgeous instrumentals. This record provides a simultaneous escape from and chilling reminder of our world's ever-worsening spiral downwards - S
-
Another June 1st, another 6 months late yearend list! I believe this is our first proper publication on the website since 2020's best of exactly 365 days ago. Writing consistently about music can be difficult when full time jobs and committed hobbies and god forbid school get in the way. As always, finishing this bad Larry up in a race for the June 1st deadline was a pleasure and revisiting some of the best records in recent memory was certainly wonderful. We seem to be spiraling ever downwards on the national and international level as fundamental rights are slowly stripped away and the onset of democracy's demise looms nearer. That's never a good thing and it's the role of art to provide an escape, consolation and even conduit for the ensuing existential dread and negative emotions. I'm sure myself and Adam will stay active moving forward either writing here, producing and recording original music or delving into a related artistic adventure. Thanks for reading, stay classy and just maybe look forward to next June 1st when we deliver our 2022 list. - Sam Graff
Comments
Post a Comment