Ryan Dyer’s Top 15 Metal Albums of 2021
15. Archspire – Bleed the Future (SoM)
When listening to Archspire, I sometimes check to see if I forgot to turn the playback speed back to normal. Yeah, this is life in the fast lane – some people still snort white contraband to feel that certain rush – while others, not wanting to risk jail or wasting money, simply turn on Archspire. So, Bleed the Future: did all that happen in just 30 minutes? Indeed, it did, boy.
14. Kandarivas – Blood Surgical Death (Obliteration Records)
Japan’s Kandarivas presents a glimpse into the front lines of the medical systems fighting COVID-19. Band leader Tomoki, a real respiratory doctor (general thoracic surgeon), brings the usual Taiko drums to the mix along with blood-curdling screams from inside the deepest bowels of the emergency ward.
13. Perversity Denied/Fatuous Rump – Perpetual Devouring of Splattered Putrid Organs (Pathologically Explicit)
Sometimes I just want to turn my brain off and listen to something foul, repugnant and butt-ugly. Well, here we get a Perverse Rump – a split between Colombia’s Perversity Denied and Taiwan’s Fatuous Rump. Any number of slam albums could be listed here and are an entertaining slog, though Larry Wang of the Rump has quite the ear for producing catchy, though nasty shit.
12. Karmantic – Lethality (self-released)
Within Ulaanbataar, Mongolia, the one-man black metal shaman Karmantic has dragged spellbinding DSBM into sunlight with the release of this hour-long foray into a melancholic snowstorm, Lethality. Overlooked, underrated and worthy of every minute of your time.
11. Horror of Pestilence – Illiterate Construction // Inaudible Deterioration EP (Chaser Records)
Deathcore mixed with symphonic elements equates to a monolithic entity which looks and feels like it came out of 2001: A Space Odyssey. If the apes in that film are listening to basic deathcore, then you could assume the star child has Horror of Pestilence on its listening device.
10. Exodus – Persona Non Grata (NB)
Gary Holt must have had a lot of riffs stashed away during his tenure in Slayer, as Persona Non Grata is a 60-minute splooge-fest of built-up aggression that couldn’t wait a second longer to come out and stain the bed sheets. This album proves that society didn’t need to move past 1989 and the lame music which was produced later didn’t need to happen.
9. Converge – Bloodmoon: I (Epitaph Records)
Of Wolfe and Men: Converge, Chelsea Wolfe, Ben Chisholm, And Stephen Brodsky have created jams straight out of the black lodge on this remarkable album. Wolfe lulls a false sense of security for much of the songs, but just wait. Raging dissonance will always find a way to erupt out of the band like black oil seeping out of Windom Earle’s orifices, and on Bloodmoon: I it’s done with an Oscar winning screenplay to guide them.
8. John Carpenter – Lost Themes III – Alive After Death/Halloween Kills Soundtrack (Sacred Bones Records)
With every release, Carpenter puts out at least three songs you’ll be putting on repeat if you have ever considered yourself a fan of synth-based spooky music. For Halloween Kills, opinions are mixed on the film, but there is no denying Carpenter’s songs drive the mood of the movie – with songs like “Michael’s Legend” becoming new classics in their own right – whether you loved the film or not.
7. Danny Elfman – Big Mess (Epitaph Records)
What’s this? What’s this? A big fucking mess, everywhere! Mr. Elfman is a composer with a lot going on in his mind, obviously. Big Mess reminds me of the crazier compositions by one Devin Townsend – perhaps they are separated spiritual siblings. Fearless, vulnerable, hilarious and captivating – inspect the debris of this mess before you start to clean it up.
6. Perturbator – Lustful Sacraments (Blood Music)
Synthwave seems to have taken a turn into the goth clubs of the 80s – with Gost also going in the direction Lustful Sacraments mapped out. While songs sounding like “Future Club” are missed, this new direction for Perturbator is just as sexy – just wearing black velvet instead of purple plastic. For more of that stale incense/cold sweat sound, check out James Kent’s Ruin of Romantics debut album too.
5. Zombi – Liquid Crystal (Relapse Records)
Like the blue-faced zombies in Dawn of the Dead slowly lurching towards tasty necks in the shopping center, Liquid Crystal is the sound of an uneasy future lurching towards us in the year 2021. Ride the stingrays as seen on the cover of Zombi’s latest into nights of self-reflection, and prepare to land in an ambiguous 2022.
4. Human Instrumentality Project – The Brutal Angel’s Thesis EP (Brutal Reign Productions)
The Brutal Angel’s Thesis represents a new direction in death and grind via the aid of anime. Much like the characters in Neon Genesis Evangelion connecting their bodies to the mechs to create something more powerful, the same could be said for the combination of brutal music and anime, and Human Instrumentality Project represent a high point in this new wave of content.
3. Nine Treasures – Awakening From Dukkha (self-released)
The Hu are the most popular Mongolian metal band, but honestly, I think Inner Mongolian band Nine Treasures do the sound better. This is a best-of collection of re-recorded songs, which are beefier than the originals. It’s a shame “Wisdom Eyes” didn’t make the cut though – certainly one of the band’s best tracks.
2. Carcass – Torn Arteries (NB)
Just like not being sure if the doctors can pull off the complex surgery to fix your mangled body after getting into a scuffle with a mountain lion, you should put some faith into those doctors to sew you back up just as you should have put faith into Carcass to slice up one of the greatest albums of this year, and their career.
1. Black Kirin –
Qian Nian (Pest Productions)
If you have slept on Chinese black metal – let Black Kirin and their new live album, recorded in Nanjing with a full orchestra, be your introduction. It doesn’t get much better – they are almost worth going through all the red tape to get to China to see them live.
Honorable mentions (if I wasn’t limited to 15): Genghis Tron, Impure Injection, Mastodon, Gojira, Cannibal Corpse, Poppy, Ministry, Evile, Cradle of Filth, Band-Maid, Rectal Wench, Necronomidol.
