Every year I get excited to read everyone's lists online of what they think are the best releases of the year. One of my favorites has always been Decibels Top 40, but thanks to the post office and the pandemic and or whatever other excuse it might be, I am still waiting for that issue.
What makes one list better than another? The truth is: all lists matter and there really is no one list to rule them all! A list is simply one's opinion much like a review or anything else you will come across, unless of course it was a list comprised of polling results which would be a different thing all together.
This year was jam packed with great releases from January to December! I know, because I promoted over 400 of them with my promotional company MDPR! I also interviewed many of the bands in this list, this year and talked about their new releases as they were coming out which undoubtedly created a bond with the music, for me anyway.
Creating a list of favorites or what I think are the best or what really stood out in my opinion, is a daunting task! When I look back at so many great releases, it blows my mind! There is no doubt that after I post this, I will think of something else that should have been added, but it is what it is! As I noted, it's just a list. Almost everyone in today's self-righteous society thinks their list is the only list that matters, hence the sarcastic title of this article "The Only AOTY List That Matters! - 2021".
So, anyway here goes. My top 66 releases from 2021 and yes, I broke a few rules by including a live record an E.P. and a couple splits. Whatever, it's my list damnit! ...Enjoy!
⦁ 66. Aeon - God Ends Here
⦁ 65. Exodus - Persona Non Grata
⦁ 64. Hierarchy - Hierarchy
⦁ 63. The Limit - Caveman Logic
⦁ 62. Timeless Haunt - Dark for Life
⦁ 61. Grief Collector - En Delirium
⦁ 60. A Pale Horse Named Death - Infernum In Terra
⦁ 59. Greybeard - Oracle
⦁ 58. OCULTUM - Descending Live 2021
⦁ 57. NUNSLAUGHTER - Red is the Color of Ripping Death
⦁ 56. Solemn Lament - Solemn Lament
⦁ 55. Tommy Stewart's Dyerwulf - Doomsday Deferred
⦁ 54. Afghan Haze - Nihilistic Stoner Hymns
⦁ 53. l0rd kha0s - MLC: XL
⦁ 52. Sorcerer - Reverence
⦁ 51. Spillage - Electric Exorcist
⦁ 50. Jackpipe - Layin' The Pipe
⦁ 49. TOWER - Shock to the System
⦁ 48. Chris Maragoth - Tales
⦁ 47. Dinnamarque - The Darkside of Human Nature
⦁ 46. URFERD - Resan
⦁ 45. Second Wind - Reclamation
⦁ 44. OTARGOS - Fleshborer Soulflayer
⦁ 43. Unzane - Test Of Time
⦁ 42. Forever Falling - Suspended Over The Immanent
⦁ 41. BLACKHEARTH - The Wrath Of God
⦁ 40. Bloodride - Idiocracy
⦁ 39. Gloves Off - Life...And Everything After
⦁ 38. Demonztrator - Sinister Forces of Hatred
⦁ 37. Vrag - Harcom
⦁ 36. The End Of Melancholy - Nature Unleashed
⦁ 35. Fjøsnisse - Vord
⦁ 34. Valar Morghulis - Among the Ashes
⦁ 33. Holy Death - Separate Mind From Flesh
⦁ 32. Iron Maiden - Senjutsu
⦁ 31. Concrete - Ethereal Atrocities
⦁ 30. Behemoth - In Absentia Dei
⦁ 29. Nexus Imperium - Self Titled
⦁ 28. White City Graves - One Of Us
⦁ 27. Paradoxicide - Savior
⦁ 26. Adarrak - Ex Oriente Lux
⦁ 25. Aporium - Aporium EP
⦁ 24. Cassius King - Field Trip
⦁ 23. Evoking Winds - Towards Homestead
⦁ 22. Evil Spell - Padre Vostro
⦁ 21. Vincent Crowley - Beyond Acheron
⦁ 20. Dark Redeemer - Into the Deep Black
⦁ 19. Excruciating Malformations Of Abhorrent Descent - 4 Way Split Featuring Defleshed & Gutted, Devour The Unborn, Slamentation And Inhuman Atrocities
⦁ 18. Katana Cartel - The Sacred Oath
⦁ 17. VRYKOLAKAS - And Vrykolakas Brings Chaos & Destruction
⦁ 16. Deconsecration/Re-buried - Deconsecration/Re-Buried split
⦁ 15. Goat Sanctuary - Chthonic
⦁ 14. Ironbound - The Lighbringer
⦁ 13. Necralant - Temples Of Ruin
⦁ 12. Vulture lord - Desecration Rite
⦁ 11. 1945 - Heavy Metal Is Not For Sale
⦁ 10. Devoured - The Curse of Sabda Palon
⦁ 9. Brundarkh - Haunted Worlds
⦁ 8. Misanthropik Torment - Murder Is My Remedy
⦁ 7. Okrutnik - Legion Antychrysta
⦁ 6. Lucifist - Goat Slaying Devil Party Music Vol. 666
⦁ 5. Nervochaos - Dug Up.... Diabolical Reincarnations
⦁ 4. Journey Into Darkness - Infinite Universe Infinite Death
⦁ 3. Hellpie - Long Gone Into Oblivion
⦁ 2. Summoners Circle - Chaos Vector
⦁ 1. Gravehuffer - Necroeclosion
Notable mentions must go to White Crone for her insane good single cover version of Ronnie James Dio's Stargazer! Edan H who released a single that totally ripped my head off with Final Wrath ! Byron Nemeth shredding Nashville to pieces with his new solo single "You Know It's True"! And last but not least Mario Rossi with his blues album "Heavy" It might not be 'Metal', but its fucking heavy and worth checking out if you are into blues guitar albums!
P.S. If you feel the need to remind me of hundreds I missed, use the comment section below this article.
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