In the state of recovery that most of the world finds itself in, it’s yet again that many of our kind continue to turn to music to help us get through one day to the next, and we’re now at the halfway point in the year with there being absolutely no shortage of bands with tremendous albums as always. These lists are always extremely fun for me to do since I get to shine the spotlight yet again on albums that I feel are particularly powerful to my ears, and I can only hope that many of you will share the same sentiment. With still being tons in the works that will come our way in the latter half of 2021, it’s this first half that was absolutely tantalizing as this list is as fascinating as I could ask for with every offering being something to ooze over.
The vast realms of metal and rock are as bountiful as they’ve always been with glory coming from all corners of the styles whether it be the returning modern masters of Norwegian black metal, German sludge benders that crush all before them, death metal legends coming back for another vicious assault, a need-to-know heavy psych name presenting material in the first of a three-part assault in 2021, bewildering technical death metal that truly boggles the mind, and virtually everything else in between. It’s as eclectic as the ears could ask for, and it’s the talent that comes with it all that makes every single inch of each of these records that something to behold right from the very beginning.
A simple disclaimer as well before diving in – all of these are albums that I’ve reviewed before today, but not all have been released with that being how I’ve decided to do this. Feel free to sue me.
And as always: please support the music, bands, and labels that you love. There are so many people in the vast underground that are worthy of attention and I do my best to cover as much as I can, but I can only do so much as one person on this website. There’s never any shortage of excellence for any of us, and I know we’d all be lost without the hard work and passion that we find around every corner of the scene.
IF YOU WANT TO LISTEN TO THESE FINE ALBUMS THEN (please) JUST CLICK ON THE BAND NAME AND TITLE TO BE TAKEN TO EITHER BANDCAMP OR YOUTUBE!
Cannibal Corpse – Violence Unimagined
“But, it’s with “Violence Unimagined” that we have gotten what could be argued as one of the most potent, capturing, and fleshed out experience that “Cannibal Corpse” has crafted in years.” (read full review here)
Soothsayer – Echoes of the Earth
“…it’s in every excruciating moment of cathartic agony that Soothsayer delivers a performance that knows just how to reel you in perfectly with a devilish concoction of atmosphere, righteous fury, and gripping musicianship.” (review full review here)
Mare Cognitum – Solar Paroxysm
“This is that god-tier black metal that cannot be denied, and should anyone be looking for one of the next albums to talk about from the land of black metal then “Solar Paroxysm” is a shoo-in for the discussion.” (read full review here)
Demon King – The Final Tyranny
“It feels like every week there’s a new name to know that we can’t leave untouched for it’d be a massive crime upon all that the style is, and Demon King more than qualifies!” (read full review here)
Mork – Katedralen
“Do we even need to have the conversation anymore about just how magnificent Mork has become in such a short amount of time? As one of the frontrunners of the latest wave of black metal bands, particularly out of Norway, Mork has been a constant standout act…” (read the full review here)
Eremit – Bearer of Many Names
“Should this record not be hailed as one of the most overwhelming releases of the year, I dare say that Eremit will release the Bearer itself for that is a sin that cannot go unanswered for it is downright heretical.” (read full review here)
Esoctrilihum – Dy’th Reqiuem for the Serpent Telepath
“There is absolutely a thread of constancy throughout every Esoctrilihum creation that fans can keep coming back to and experience some form of familiarity, but it’s the moment that you look away from that thread that you see Esoctrilihum constantly challenging itself to create something new out of both a desire to craft something new…” (read full review here)
King Buffalo – The Burden of Restlessness
” …this is only the first stop that King Buffalo is gifting us with in 2021, but it is in every way, shape, and form that they’ve delivered the exact kind of quality that has been synonymous with their name for years now…” (read full review here)
Devils Reef – Chosen By the Sea
““Chosen by the Sea” is something that must not find itself lost to the depths of the scene to suffer the cruel fate of being forgotten, for if these guys get the proper attention then I know for a fact that Devils Reef will rise extremely quickly to become the next tech-death band to have a devoted cult following.” (read full review here)
Eye of Purgatory – The Lighthouse
“…when the name of Johansson, Nordberg, or Kling are attached you know you’re in for something special, and seeing them together in any form is an experience destined for utter greatness without exception.” (read full review here)
Domkraft – Seeds
“Doom like this cannot be understated in any form as works like this that truly stand the test of time and promise us greatness for the band that produces it, and it’s only fitting that a rising band like Domkraft would release an absolutely dominating release like this!” (read full review here)
Goregäng – Long Live the Grime
“The whole of “Long Live the Grime” is very much a punch right to the gullet as Goregäng doesn’t hold a single fucking thing back in this new material with the energy always comparable to that of a nuclear plant…” (read full review here)
Legends of the Desert: Volume 2 – The Penitent Man & Cortége
“…it is Desert Records with “Legends of the Desert” that is carving new soundscapes out in this massively expansive, talented, and popular scene that grows so much every single week, and it’s with the second volume of “Legends of the Desert” that we see this concept done yet again to a true glory…” (read the full review here)
Head-Banger Reviews 