Best of 2021// J.C.L.

Hey, I'm J.C.L., and I'm one of the reviewers/enthusiasts writing for this blog, and this is my summary of the previous year's Metal music output.

Well, 2021 was one heck of a year was it? Eh, who am I kidding, it sucked pretty hard. We at Metal-To-Go are sure feeling the effects of this year, demonstrated by our commitments to other projects. Surprisingly, what the year lacked in some aspects was more than made up for by the cornucopia of releases I have filtered through, some of which were even acceptable, and even a few being very enjoyable. Here I have made you a few convenient lists for you to look up when you want to remember the travesty that was 2021, summed up into these categories:

Best Metal Album (Self-explanatory)

Best EP (Any short release goes here)

Best Danish release (Because I am from Denmark, and I am biased)

Best Cover Artwork (Because artists and their artwork deserves recognition)

The Retrospective Apologetic Award for Albums I missed in 2020 (Because I am only human) 

Worst Metal Fad (Because some things are silly and ought to be shamed)

As well as a few announcements rounding things off. With that said, let's dive in!

Best metal albums of 2021

Before we go forth, Here are the runner-ups (In no particular order):

Sol Kia - Zos Ethos
Spire - Temple of Khronos

Fuath - II
Whoredom Rife - Winds of Wrath

Plebeian Grandstand - Rien ne Suffit
Oriflamme - L'Égide Ardente
Gexerott - Hallucinetic Violet Ignition

Monte Penumbra - As Blades in the Firmament

Lifelost - Punitive Damnation

10 - Five the Hierophant - Through Aureate Void

The tenth spot is always one of the hardest to decide for me, because it leaves out a lot of albums which I’d really want to write a bit about, and this year is no different, with at least 5 albums contending for this place. In the end Five the Hierophant won out with Through Aureate Void, a mix of Doom metal, psychedelic and saxophone-laden jazz, which I have completely neglected to write about earlier for some reason. Damn, saxophones are an under-utilized instrument in metal. Feel free to seek out their 2017 album Over Phlegethon as well, equally as good.

9 - Djevel - Tanker som Rir Natten

2021 has been a comeback-year for Norwegian black metal in my book, a scene which has sadly stagnated during the last decade. Fortunately, the Norwegian sound is still being honed and perfected by bands like Whoredom Rife, Nordjevel and Djevel, with Tanker som Rir Natten by the latter being an absolute masterclass in how it’s done.

8 - Inferno - Paradeigma (Phosphenes of Aphotic Eternity)

It's hard to put into words how monolithic this album is. It is like being pummeled through the infinite darkness of cosmos, struggling to fathom it's vastness and mysteries. What's perhaps even more hard to fathom is this is actually my first encounter with this Czech band, which have existed for the better part of two decades, and have released great material before this record. Better late than never to get acquainted.

7 - Fyrnask - VII - Kenoma

The aural experience of VII - Kenoma is something else. Grand, otherworldly and ritualistic, yet at times subtle, taking the time to patiently build layers of black atmosphere, it's no wonder how I instantly fell for this album.

6 - Stone Healer - Conquistador

One record who totally surprised me was newcomers Stone Healer’s Conquistador. Cooked up by the brothers Kaminsky, the first track lulls you into a false sense of security; “This is just a standard clean vocal radio-friendly metal record with some cowbells and relatable lyrics”. Then the blastbeats hits, and suddenly it feels like Chuck Schuldiner himself rose from the grave and gifted another album upon the world, in collaboration with early-era Opeth, you know the one with acoustic guitars, great proggy solos…. I am not kidding when I say this album is an absolute jewel, and it only gets better as the album progresses. 

5 - Mare Cognitum - Solar Paroxysm

Only slightly more epic than the last entrant is this melodic majesty of an album. It’s still hard to believe this is all composed by a single individual, this is truly a travel among celestial bodies. The ever-flowing stream of guitar-leads would have you to believe that this was the bastard child of power and black metal, preparing you to either conquer the universe, or slay dragons. Either way, Solar Paroxysm is one high relentless ride.

4 - Emptiness - Vide

In the opposite trench, Emptiness proves with Vide that it doesn’t have to be all about extremes, majesty and high notes. You will find little of that here. Instead it is the sheer emotional weight of this album which hits you, seeping through the unreal, almost fever dream-like music and especially the pained and constrained vocals, which delivers a tone of anguish and hopelessness that will probably resonate with many during these times. For me, Vide was the album that helped me cope with the realities of 2021, and for that alone it deserves such a high spot.

3 - Valais - S/T

If anything bad can be said about this album, it is that it is hard to search for, and always leads me to pages promoting tourism in francophone Switzerland. Valais is about as far removed from idyllic Alp-meadows as possible; This mystery Irish act is oppressive as a totalitarian regime, has a weight measured in displacement tonnage and one of the most hateful sounding drumkit I’ve heard in at least a decade. This is an album you turn to when you have declared war against your neighbors, and only their imminent hearing loss is sufficient. There is not much technical about this album, it is just blunt, unfiltered malice, and it's hard not to stand in awe of it.

2 - Balmog - Eve

Only narrowly beaten by the top spot, Balmog’s Eve was 40 minutes of no fucks given, grit, sweat and contempt. Eve feels tailor-made for my tastes; The base is black/death, but with heavy avant-garde influence and a surprisingly gritty post-punk vibe to it all, which results in a hard-hitting and uncompromising experience (Not unlike certain Polish black metal bands), this became my go-to for work and breaking up some gray monotony in my daily life.

1 - Noltem - Illusions of the Wake

One of the major reasons I regret not having enough energy in 2021 to review more albums, is Noltem’s first full-length Illusions of the Wake, because it deserves more praise than I have room or time to do here. This album is a journey, through high peaks and low chasms, a smorgasbord of emotions overwhelming the listener, and fantastic treats along the way. An excellently produced layered soundscape, which further enhances an album clearly written by mature and talented musicians, this is a thing of immaculate beauty from album cover to the very last second. Another regret is that I can’t hear this again for the first time. It truly is worthy of the top spot.

Onwards to the next category:

Best EPs of 2021

2 - Teitan - Vákuum

This EP is amazing back to front, from the first kick through black holes and colorful nebulae. Chaotic and monumental, this is one astral travel, which feels all to short, but leaves you hungry for more.

1 - Infants of the Afterlife - S/T

The absolute king of EP’s this year. Infants of the Aftlerlife's debut deserves much more praise than I have given it here, and more attention than it has gotten. I am a sucker for the dodgy chords, the deathrock-influences, the crazed vocals, the odd time-signatures which surprises you... My play-count of this EP puts it among some really heavy company.

Best Danish releases of 2021

2 - Stikkersvin - Kælderens Barn (demo)

I’ve praised Stikkersvin’s demo in an earlier Under/Current, and my words still stand in that regard. This black/punk release has me coming back for more listenings, and I am only happy to oblige and enjoy the sometimes weird vocals, it's chainsaw riffing and the straigthforward no-bullshit songs… I mean, every track stands out in their own way.

1 - Temple of Scorn - Preliminary Mass (EP)

It's kinda be a lame year for danish releases (Hence only two I can talk about). Fortunately this Danish Supergroup delivered a release which aspires to be bigger than the sum of the combined parts, and succeeds doing so. Truly cavernous and crushing material.

Best Cover artwork of 2021

Esoctrilihum - Dy'th Requiem For The Serpent Telepath (Painted by Dhomth)

Runner-ups (In no order):

Noltem - Illusions in the Wake (by Anthony Hurd)
Papangu - Holoceno (by Ars Moriendee)
Plasmodium - Towers of Silence (by Adam Burke)

Oryx - Lamenting a dead world (By Ettore Aldo Del Vigo)

The Retrospective Apologetic Award for Albums I missed in 2020

Wolvennest - Temple

Granted, in my defense, this album came late last year, and didn’t have a physical release until spring this year, but Temple would easily have entered the top-10 last year had I known about it. Wolvennest channels an almost primordial and ancient energy through its brooding melodies and mystical rhythms. The truly dark, ethereal mood on this album is one of the most unique soundscapes captured, so, with apologies to Wolvennest..

Worst metal fad of 2021

Lamp Of Murmuur

If you by chance never have heard of Lamp of Murmuur, then good, keep it that way.

If you are one of the insufferable bandwagon-jumping wankers roaming the underground, insisting this is the best current Black metal band out there, then this is for you.
Lamp of Murmuur is what I’d expect a band of 14-year old “satanists'' to sound like; little more than sub-mediocre riffs and melodies, packaged with “trve kvlt”-imagery and way too much hype to justify the rage. There is a time and place for “kvlt” and distorted noises, but you can do so much better than this audio-culinary bag of empty calories.
They are not the worst band, true, but the way this band has been hyped over the last 2 years, you’d think it was the next Mgla. It isn’t. Get off the hype train, and start listening to something with actual talent and/or depth.

__________________________

Congratulations, you have reached the end of this list, well done!
Before you write in your disgust and disagreements to my opinions, I have one more announcement to make;
This is my final writing for Metal-To-Go. I have decided to re-prioritize my life, and leave reviews and lists behind for a time. I wish you all the best, it has been a pleasure to write for you and to recommend some great metal for you!

Yours

- J.C.L.