We were able to survive the first week of 2022. Even if it’s with a bunch of weird stuff that is still happening, we can focus about all the positive possibilities that the new year may have in store for us. I have made my new year’s resolution be to listen to more music. If you know me personally you may ask “how can you listen to more music?”, well… I ask myself the same thing and I think I can do better. Personally, I’m really looking forward for the new Messa, Into Eternity, and Porcupine Tree albums this year, but before we get talking about the future, let’s delve ourselves on how much of a great year 2021 was for heavy, dark music. Some of the best albums I’ve heard in a while came out in 2021 and, honestly, it was pretty hard to assemble this list since there were just so many great albums to just narrow them down to 20. But I was able to come up with my final list and, after much deliberation, here are what I consider are the top 20 sonic repercussions of a Pandemic that is still at large:
20. Emma Ruth Rundle – Engine Of Hell (Sargent House)
https://emmaruthrundle.bandcamp.com/
Country: United States
Genre: Dark Folk
Favorite track: The Company
19. God’s Hate – God’s Hate (Closed Casket Activities)
https://godshate.bandcamp.com/
Country: United States
Genre: Hardcore/Beatdown
Favorite track: Finish The Job
18. Domkraft – Seeds (Magnetic Eye Records)
https://domkraft.bandcamp.com/album/seeds
Country: Sweden
Genre: Doom Metal
Favorite track: Audiodome
17. Noêta – Elm (Prophecy Productions)
https://noeta.bandcamp.com/
Country: Sweden
Genre: Dark Ambiance
Favorite track: Fade
16. Ghengis Tron – Dream Weapon (Relapse Records)
https://genghistron.bandcamp.com/
Country: United States
Genre: Progressive Metal
Favorite track: Alone In The Heart Of The Light
15. Bend The Future – Without Notice (Tonzonen Records)
https://bendthefuture.bandcamp.com/
Country: France
Genre: Jazz/Rock
Favorite track: As We Parry
14. Swallow The Sun – Moonflowers (Century Media)
https://www.omerch.eu/shop/swallowthesun
Country: Finland
Genre: Doom Metal
Favorite track: This House Has No Home
13. Lucid Sins – Cursed! (Self-Released)
https://lucidsins.bandcamp.com/
Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Stoner/Prog Rock
Favorite track: The Forest
12. Obsolete – Animate//Isolate (Unspeakable Axe Records)
https://obsoleteband.bandcamp.com/
Country: United States
Genre: Death/Thrash Metal
Favorite track: Old Horizon
11. Comatose – A Way Back (Self-Released)
https://comatosemn.bandcamp.com/
Country: United States
Genre: Grunge
Favorite track: Inside
10. Angrrsth – Donikad
https://angrrsth.bandcamp.com/
Country: Poland
Genre: Black Metal
Favorite track: Ostatni Akt
9. ’68 – Give One Take One (Chariot Music)
https://theyare68.bandcamp.com/album/give-one-take-one
Country: United States
Genre: Garage/Math/Fuzz Rock
Favorite track: What You Feed
8. Greenleaf – Echoes From A Mass (Napalm Records)
https://greenleaf-sweden.bandcamp.com/
Country: Sweden
Genre: Stoner Metal
Favorite track: Good God I Better Run Away
7. Leprous – Aphelion (InsideOutMusic)
https://leprous.net/
Country: Norway
Genre: Progressive Metal
Favorite track: Out Of Here
6. Spelljammer – Abyssal Trip (RidingEasy Records)
https://spelljammer.bandcamp.com/
Country: Sweden
Genre: Doom Metal
Favorite track: Abyssal Trip
5. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Butterfly 3000 (KGLW)
https://kinggizzard.bandcamp.com/
Country: Australia
Genre: Psychedelic Rock
Favorite track: Blue Morpho
4. Ionophore – Knells (Self-Released)
https://ionophore.bandcamp.com/
Country: England
Genre: Dark Ambient
Favorite track: Take Its Course
3. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – L.W. (Flightless Records)
https://kinggizzard.bandcamp.com/
Country: Australia
Genre: Psychedelic Rock
Favorite track: Supreme Ascendancy
2. Blackwater Holylight – Silence/Motion (RidingEasy Records)
https://blackwaterholylight.bandcamp.com/
Country: United States
Genre: Doom Metal
Favorite track: MDII
1. Meer – Playing House (Karisma Records)
https://meer.bandcamp.com/
Country: Norway
Genre: Prog/Pop Rock
Favorite track: She Goes
BONUS:
I wanted to add a new category for “Song of the Year” and, even if this album didn’t make it to my top 20, this song is just too good to not talk about it:
Song of the Year: Baest – Genesis
Here’s a Spotify Playlist with my favorite song from each of these albums for your listening pleasure, in case you missed any of these releases:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1BwJ7A1a9aUxeE865vsOch?si=246b552c30a74493