2021 music releases

[MadTinus]

So folks, what albums/releases are you looking forward to for 2021?

For me:
Steven Wilson - The Future Bites (the new songs have made quite curious, the first SW solo album I'm actually looking forward to hearing)
Endezzma - The Archer, Fjord and the Thunder (strong advance tracks have been released by this Norwegian black metal band)
At The Gates (recordings in full swing)
Unanimated (they started recording earlier this year, let's hope they actually finish and release it sometime in 2021)
Daylight Dies (??)
Cruciamentum (it's been more than 5 years since the release of Charnel Passages)
Eucharist (I really hope Markus will get it released)

 

[DarkGift]

VOLA and Daylight Dies for sure!

 

[MadTinus]

Hopefully we're getting a new In Vain album too!

 

[MadTinus]

So far I am content with all three 2021 albums I anticipated and that have been released so far: Endezzma, Steven Wilson and Tribulation. Not being a huge fan of Tribulation (except the first album), that was the biggest surprise so far, probably my favourite album by them after the debut.

Much more stuff to be anticipated 2021 is looking to be another very interesting year musically, just like 2020.

 

[MadTinus]

January started the year well, but then it went quiet for some time, concerning interesting new releases. But these past weeks two great albums have been unleashed:

VOLA - Witness, Stefan and Joakim had been grooming me for some time concerning VOLA. The new album Witness convincingly won me over, an absolutely great album from start to finish, absolutely love it.

Dödsrit - Mortal Coil, checked the band out before, thought they had an interesting sound, but only with this new album I am fully convinced. Consisting of only 4 songs (totalling some 36 minutes playing time), but delivered with great conviction and sheer quality. Raw blackened metal but with epic meandering melodies woven through it. Captivating.

 

[DarkGift]

^Can't wait for you to go through the other two VOLA albums! Stefan badgered me about their first album, but it never clicked - until their second album did, and when I went back to the first one it was great too.

 

[MadTinus]

Surely I will give the other two albums (and there's an EP ("Monsters") as well I saw) some attention too

 

[DarkGift]

Haven't listened a lot to Monsters, but I've heard good things about it. From what I recall, it was a bit different to Inmazes.

 

[MadTinus]

The new Iron Maiden is actually listenable, which is quite something after the last album.. which to me was the worst thing they ever did.

 

[DarkGift]

Not much into Maiden, so haven't even bothered with the new album. Was kinda funny seeing the album/song lengths though, haha.

 

[MadTinus]

Not much into Maiden, so haven't even bothered with the new album. Was kinda funny seeing the album/song lengths though, haha.

They didn't push it beyond what they did on the last album, thank God. But then, the longest song on that album is 18 minutes long, so that would have been utterly ridiculous.

 

[MadTinus]

Highlights this year so far (it's almost over, but there's still a lot to come actually).

VOLA - Witness
Jerry Cantrell - Brighten
Häxkapell - Eldhymner
Roosevelt - Polydans
Dödsrit - Mortal Coil
Steven Wilson - The Future Bites
Iron Maiden - Senjutsu
Tribulation - Where the Gloom Becomes Sound

Still to be released or need to listen more:
Abscession - Rot of Ages
Unanimated - Victory in Blood
Ofermod - Mysterium Iniquitatis
In Mourning - The Bleeding Veil

 

[MadTinus]

Oh, and the new (Proscriptor McGovern's) Apsû album, also out today, the advance tracks sounded really good.

 

[MadTinus]

And I must definitely add the new Archspire album to the 'highlights' list, that band is absolutely mind-blowing

 

[MadTinus]

A preliminary list:

1. ARCHSPIRE - Bleed the Future (9,5/10)
2. JERRY CANTRELL - Brighten (9/10)
3. VOLA - Witness (9/10)
4. IRON MAIDEN - Senjutsu (8/10)
5. DÖDSRIT - Mortal Coil
6. HÄXKAPELL - Eldhymner
7. UNANIMATED - Victory in Blood
8. ROOSEVELT - Polydans
9. STEVEN WILSON - The Future Bites
10. OFERMOD - Mysterium Iniquitatis
11. DOLD VORDE ENS NAVN - Mørkere
12. TRIBULATION - When the Gloom Becomes Sound
13. ABSCESSION - Rot of Ages
14. ENDEZZMA - The Archer, Fjord and the Thunder
15. IN MOURNING - The Bleeding Veil

A good musical year with some good albums early in the year, then a rather long silence and then a whole bunch of good releases, starting to come out mainly from October onwards.

 

[MadTinus]

And then Funeral Mist announces an album for December 17th, haha, love how they always just drop an album when it's done, no marketing campaign months in advance to build momentum, just, bam! throw it out there.

 

[rj rl]

As awesome as the new Archspire is, I think I like the previous one better still. But it's definitely 9.5 vs 9.0 kinda situation, or even 10 vs 9, both are massive

 

[MadTinus]

As awesome as the new Archspire is, I think I like the previous one better still. But it's definitely 9.5 vs 9.0 kinda situation, or even 10 vs 9, both are massive

Agreed, it's really hard to decide which is more awesome/insane.

 

[MadTinus]

I guess this is coming close to a final list:

1. ARCHSPIRE - Bleed the Future (9,5/10)
2. JERRY CANTRELL - Brighten (9/10)
3. VOLA - Witness (9/10)
4. DÖDSRIT - Mortal Coil (8,5/10)
5. HÄXKAPELL - Eldhymner (8,5/10)
6. IRON MAIDEN - Senjutsu (8/10)
7. STEVEN WILSON - The Future Bites (8/10)
8. ROOSEVELT - Polydans (8/10)
9. UNANIMATED - Victory in Blood (7,5/10)
10. OFERMOD - Mysterium Iniquitatis (7,5/10)
11. TRIBULATION - When the Gloom Becomes Sound
12. FUNERAL MIST - Deiform
13. ABSCESSION - Rot of Ages
14. ENDEZZMA - The Archer, Fjord and the Thunder
15. DOLD VORDE ENS NAVN - Mørkere
16. JARI LINDHOLM - Trajectories
17. IN MOURNING - The Bleeding Veil