Metal 2021
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- 2021 metal new releases
unknown
fuck ftagn
no country for old wainds
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- Nov 23, 2002
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January Top 10 (chronological)
Jan 1: Transilvania - Of Sleep and Death
austrian black/heavy metal, in some ways the Krupinské ohne of 2021 in how it revives the first wave sounds of bathory, tormentor and master's hammer, filtering them through the sweeping melodic sensibility of the mid-'90s swedes and expanding it out into these grand mercyful fate-esque structures. heightened, dramatic music that also manages to be pretty primal and physical, and full of killer riffs. i liked the debut but i recall it being more of a straightforward nifelheim-ish thing in comparison (need to revisit), whereas this really stood out to me straight away. i don't have a clear album of the month but this is in the top 3.
Jan 2: Noumenon - From the Depth of Water to the Land
amateur hour garageband BM from turkey which happens to be more weird and expressive than just about any black metal that'll actually get hyped this year. be warned, this is a very wainds pick lol
Jan 5: Thundering Hooves - Vestiges
"Thundering Hooves are a two-man band based in the South of England, who will release their debut LP ‘Vestiges’ in January 2021. Their sound is built on a backbone forged of blackened metal, with prominent streaks of death and doom, as well as classic metal flourishes, resulting in a potent brew of influences. Through their songs, they seek to create a sonic universe where there is a direct continuum between the primeval darkness of early Black Sabbath and the rawness of traditional black metal. Rather than strictly adhering to any genre specific code or etiquette, their intent is to establish an atmosphere of foreboding and menace, whilst placing an emphasis on the ancestral art of the riff, melodic leads, and dynamic song structures. Lyrically, the songs are rooted in folk horror, weird fiction and psychogeography, conjuring images of half-forgotten rituals, desolate and ancestral landscapes riddled with malevolent presences and lurking terror."
Jan 10: Miasmic - Uroborocidal Undoctrination
"Based out of northern California, Miasmic is a black/death metal band inspired by the hoary mists and ancient redwoods of our surroundings."
Jan 12: Belliciste - Deathsworn
"Belligerent NZ Black Metal, with elements of decomposed punk and corroded heavy metal."
Jan 15: Molten - Dystopian Syndrome
"Slithering beneath the primeval, primordial soup lay a darkness known only as, MOLTEN. Comprised of the essential metal elements: death, thrash and doom; the bullshit is left on the cutting room floor."
Jan 22: Asphyx - Necroceros
lots of people were dismissing this as another lazy cash-in before it was even released, and not being familiar with much later asphyx myself i didn't go into it with high expectations. my bad; it fucking smokes. definitely a few generic riffs in there and they worship bolt thrower a little too hard for a band that's legendary in their own right, but there are also a whole bunch of great memorable songs. yeah it ain't the rack, but what it is is my most listened to album of the year so far, so i guess i don't give a shit. you simply cannot deny e.g. the doom epic linked above.
Jan 22: Les Chants de Nihil - Le tyran et l'esthète
BM which is recognisably french but doesn't sound quite like anything else i've heard. there's one song based around themes from stravinsky, while others have an almost power metal vibe. the above track is a good example of their weirdness, with the transitions between the cheesy chanting and the swirling riffs being one of the most badass fucking things i've heard lately. it probably doesn't have much true BM appeal but this might actually be my album of the month.
Jan 25: Dipygus - Bushmeat
was gonna recommend this to CiG but he already loves it of course. it's like a gleefully grotesque stew of everything cool about OSDM. great art, great song titles, and great fucking music.
Jan 30: Mefitis - Offscourings
if the cover art isn't enough of a clue, mefitis have stopped blatantly emulating their betters and gone in proggier direction on their sophomore. the result is an album with less OSDM appeal and i'm not sure there's really enough to hang on to, but i'm glad they're aiming high and they've come up with something extremely fucking surreal and dreamlike, some proper sci-fi shit that really takes me away if i'm in the right mood. the vibe is different but i do think it's best approached in the same way as something like farseeing the paranormal abysm, and there are a few chasmy passages here, although it could just as easily be called their anthems to the welkin at dusk for its relentless surrealistic assault. there are even some still life vibes. hell, the song i've linked gives me chrono trigger flashbacks for some reason. curious to know what prog-leaning weirdos like @Vegard Pompey and @HamburgerBoy would think of it.
just realised there are four bands from california on this list. weird.
Jan 1: Transilvania - Of Sleep and Death
austrian black/heavy metal, in some ways the Krupinské ohne of 2021 in how it revives the first wave sounds of bathory, tormentor and master's hammer, filtering them through the sweeping melodic sensibility of the mid-'90s swedes and expanding it out into these grand mercyful fate-esque structures. heightened, dramatic music that also manages to be pretty primal and physical, and full of killer riffs. i liked the debut but i recall it being more of a straightforward nifelheim-ish thing in comparison (need to revisit), whereas this really stood out to me straight away. i don't have a clear album of the month but this is in the top 3.
Jan 2: Noumenon - From the Depth of Water to the Land
amateur hour garageband BM from turkey which happens to be more weird and expressive than just about any black metal that'll actually get hyped this year. be warned, this is a very wainds pick lol
Jan 5: Thundering Hooves - Vestiges
"Thundering Hooves are a two-man band based in the South of England, who will release their debut LP ‘Vestiges’ in January 2021. Their sound is built on a backbone forged of blackened metal, with prominent streaks of death and doom, as well as classic metal flourishes, resulting in a potent brew of influences. Through their songs, they seek to create a sonic universe where there is a direct continuum between the primeval darkness of early Black Sabbath and the rawness of traditional black metal. Rather than strictly adhering to any genre specific code or etiquette, their intent is to establish an atmosphere of foreboding and menace, whilst placing an emphasis on the ancestral art of the riff, melodic leads, and dynamic song structures. Lyrically, the songs are rooted in folk horror, weird fiction and psychogeography, conjuring images of half-forgotten rituals, desolate and ancestral landscapes riddled with malevolent presences and lurking terror."
Jan 10: Miasmic - Uroborocidal Undoctrination
"Based out of northern California, Miasmic is a black/death metal band inspired by the hoary mists and ancient redwoods of our surroundings."
Jan 12: Belliciste - Deathsworn
"Belligerent NZ Black Metal, with elements of decomposed punk and corroded heavy metal."
Jan 15: Molten - Dystopian Syndrome
"Slithering beneath the primeval, primordial soup lay a darkness known only as, MOLTEN. Comprised of the essential metal elements: death, thrash and doom; the bullshit is left on the cutting room floor."
Jan 22: Asphyx - Necroceros
lots of people were dismissing this as another lazy cash-in before it was even released, and not being familiar with much later asphyx myself i didn't go into it with high expectations. my bad; it fucking smokes. definitely a few generic riffs in there and they worship bolt thrower a little too hard for a band that's legendary in their own right, but there are also a whole bunch of great memorable songs. yeah it ain't the rack, but what it is is my most listened to album of the year so far, so i guess i don't give a shit. you simply cannot deny e.g. the doom epic linked above.
Jan 22: Les Chants de Nihil - Le tyran et l'esthète
BM which is recognisably french but doesn't sound quite like anything else i've heard. there's one song based around themes from stravinsky, while others have an almost power metal vibe. the above track is a good example of their weirdness, with the transitions between the cheesy chanting and the swirling riffs being one of the most badass fucking things i've heard lately. it probably doesn't have much true BM appeal but this might actually be my album of the month.
Jan 25: Dipygus - Bushmeat
was gonna recommend this to CiG but he already loves it of course. it's like a gleefully grotesque stew of everything cool about OSDM. great art, great song titles, and great fucking music.
Jan 30: Mefitis - Offscourings
if the cover art isn't enough of a clue, mefitis have stopped blatantly emulating their betters and gone in proggier direction on their sophomore. the result is an album with less OSDM appeal and i'm not sure there's really enough to hang on to, but i'm glad they're aiming high and they've come up with something extremely fucking surreal and dreamlike, some proper sci-fi shit that really takes me away if i'm in the right mood. the vibe is different but i do think it's best approached in the same way as something like farseeing the paranormal abysm, and there are a few chasmy passages here, although it could just as easily be called their anthems to the welkin at dusk for its relentless surrealistic assault. there are even some still life vibes. hell, the song i've linked gives me chrono trigger flashbacks for some reason. curious to know what prog-leaning weirdos like @Vegard Pompey and @HamburgerBoy would think of it.
just realised there are four bands from california on this list. weird.
Hail wainds, that was sweet!
Good chunk of metal for me to check out here, especially that French band who sound killer. I also agree about Transylvania, I remember their debut being much more conventional, did not expect the sophomore to sound how you aptly described it.
Edit: Also I recommend Mvltifission.
Good chunk of metal for me to check out here, especially that French band who sound killer. I also agree about Transylvania, I remember their debut being much more conventional, did not expect the sophomore to sound how you aptly described it.
Edit: Also I recommend Mvltifission.
Last edited:
Vegard Pompey
ALLY TO GOOD, NIGHTMARE TO YOU
I've listened to the Mefitis once, kinda reminds me of stuff like Timeghoul and Oxiplegatz (angular, narrative sci-fi death metal) which is not what I expected based on the debut! Love the geological lyrics on some of the songs (took a summer class in geology last year and found it deeply interesting, so I'm always excited to see geological themes pop up in metal.) My main issue with it is the mix is too trebly, but maybe I can get over it.
Great list anyway, hope you'll keep this up throughout the year
Great list anyway, hope you'll keep this up throughout the year
Oblivious Maximus
I am the worm
no country for old wainds
Active Member
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Oblivious Maximus
I am the worm
No I knew that I meant Mefitis. Worlds and Worlds and Sidereal Journey rule.
zerostatic
Damned in Flames
Nice review! The only one I have listened to is the Asphyx and I am loving it! 
no country for old wainds
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oh right i'm dumb lol. yeah you may well dig it. check out the debut as well if you can.
Krigloch the Furious
Pants full of poo
Bloopy
Active Member
Vegard Pompey
ALLY TO GOOD, NIGHTMARE TO YOU
Daniel Heiman is doing vocals for a Greek power metal album. 4-song sampler is out, full album releases in March. Heiman sounds to be in fantastic shape.
Krigloch the Furious
Pants full of poo
yeah because he's one of the best ever. Those Lost Horizon albums are fucking classics
EspaDa
Damage Case
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