Death is June - The Top 10 Metal Albums of 2021 ...so far

Yes it is that time again, since there is plenty of cross over into death metal with many of these bands and some outright death metal bands I decided to include it as part of Death is June , after all lets face it this imy blog so I can do whatever I want to. Still waiting around for some of the bigger names in metal like King Diamond , to drop albums, so things can still change in the next 5 months , no one really puts out anything in December, I think I have heard everything coming up between now and August at this point , just starting to have September albums show up in my in-box. There are less death doom albums coming out and not seeing any really prevailing trends when it comes to metal. You would have thought all the death and dystopia from 2020 would have carried over into the music coming out now, but would say the influence of that on these albums is marginal at best , so any ways here are the top ten metal albums of 2021 so far.  

      

10-Plagueweilder  - "Covenant of Death" 

Black Metal 

These guys have expanded their sonic range and now find themselves in a place no unlike Tombs. This is a good thing as this is the most mature and polished song writing I have heard from them yet. It is both more melodic and darker,

Abysmal Hymns: Plaguewielder : " Covenant Death"

9-Withered - "Verloren" 

Death metal / sludge 

As this Atlanta band grew from wanting to be a black metal band into a death metal band they have improved with each album. 'Grief Relic' being my favorite to date.  This album finds the death metal mutating into something more sonic and sludge like. 

Abysmal Hymns: Death is June -Withered : "Verloren"

  8-Hundred Headless Horsemen - "Apokalepsia" 

Progressive Death Metal 

Of all the Finnish death metal bands coming out this year, and there are a lot of them , these guys are the most original, they also only use death metal as one color in their dynamic range , making them the least death metal of the Finnish Death Metal army, but one of the best. 

Abysmal Hymns: Death is June -Hundred Headless Horsemen : "Apokalepsia"

7-Wristmeetrazor- "Replica of a Strange Love" 

Metal core 

Metal core is not normally my thing, but these kids make it dark enough for it to work for me. The vocal trade off might reek of Myspace but over all the songs deliver. 

Abysmal Hymns: Wristmeetrazor : " Replica of a Strange Love"

 6-the Flight of Sleipnir- "Eventide" 

Black Metal

 A black metal album that remembers it is rooted in the metal of old and brings a healthy dose of melody with it.

Abysmal Hymns: THE FLIGHT OF SLEIPNIR : " Eventide"

 

 

5-Bridge Burner- "Disempath"

Death Metal 

 This New Zealand death metal band is influenced by hardcore enough to provide some really punishing break down grooves while still giving a shit about songs

 

Abysmal Hymns: Bridge Burner : "Disempath"

 4- Noctambulist- "Elegieen" 

 Atmospheric Black Metal

 Yes, there is some killer black metal coming out of the Netherlands and it sounds like this. They are not jumping on Deafheaven's band wagon but in a similar sonic zip code.

Abysmal Hymns: Black Metal History Month -Noctambulist -"Eiegieen"

 

 

3-Bloody Hammers - "Songs of Unspeakable Terror " 

Horror Punk meets Metal 

The current state of Danzig's voice is sad, this scratches that itch while still being original enough and full of infectious songs . 

Abysmal Hymns: Bloody Hammers : "Songs of Unspeakable Terror"

 

 

 

 

2-Angkor Wat - "Worst Enemy" 

Thrash 

The most under rated thrash band comes back to show they still have it . Full of older but wiser songwriting, yet they never lost the youthful rage. 

Abysmal Hymns: Angkor Wat : "Worst Enemy"

1- Portrayal of Guilt - " We Are Always Alone" 

Grind -core / power violence / screamo / Metal core

This album is many things all of them are dark, ugly and disturbing in the best ways possible. The broadened their songwriting and only 3 of the albums 9 songs are under the two minute mark, This gives them time to expand the range of sounds the hit you with and work some hooks into your ears and under your flesh  

Abysmal Hymns: Portrayal of Guilt : "We Are Always Alone"