The Top 10 Indie Rock albums of 2021

This marks the return of the Indie Rock list which split off into the shoe gaze list, but there were many albums that did not rock hard enough to be rock records or fell askew from other lists so they are falling here. Indie rock has been a thing since the days of bands like Television, in the 90s they got commercialized and scooped up by major labels so it lost its charm, so this does not mean bands that are not on mainstream labels but bands that fall outside of pop and rock.   Much like in years past sort through the genre lists before making the overall top ten of the year list. The fact these artists made it on the list speaks to how great these albums are, so it's not a slight that the number 8 album is above the 9th album, there is something that just gives it an edge that makes me want to listen to it more. After all we can try to look cool and pick the hippest bands for a list, but at the end of the day what makes an album the best is that it makes you want more, you look forward to listening to it again. I do hope you can find your next favorite on this list and have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out audio on these guys. Anyways here are the top 10 electronic albums of 2021

10-Penlope Trappes - "Penelope Three" 

The third chapter in Trappes musical trilogy finds her is in the same sonic zip code as Fever Ray, though maybe mixed with Hillary Woods. Production wise there is more in common with electronic music than what she is actually using to write this song. It is minimal but well placed. Her hushed voice flutters over everything like a fall chill in the air

Abysmal Hymns: Penelope Trappes : "Penelope Three"

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9- Genghis Tron - "Dream Weapon" 

I can appreciate what is going down here as the album sounds great. It really depends on what you want from this band in terms of if it will live up to your expectations of what their comeback should be like. It is so different than the more Botch like earlier work they should have changed the name, but on it's own merit the album is an impressive piece of modern space rock.

Abysmal Hymns: Genghis Tron : "Dream Weapon"

 

8-Xiu Xiu - "OH NO" 

After 20 years of creating dark music that falls somewhere between indie rock and post punk, they continue to fuel their legacy with a unique album of duets. TheY are obviously artists that are in the same zip code as Xiu Xiu's brand of weird ranging from Chelsea Wolfe to Drab Majesty, at the best moments of the album they seamlessly blend 

Abysmal Hymns: Xiu Xiu : " OH NO"

 

7-Ryan Adams- "Big Colors" 

This album feels like an 80s adult oriented rock or adult contemporary was one of the marketing genres back then which meant it is pop but more thoughtful than a bunch of party songs for kids. The War on Drugs would also fall under this if they had come out in the 80s as well and this album is in that neighborhood.  

Abysmal Hymns: Ryan Adams : "Big Colors"

 

6-Marissa Nadler-'the Path of the Clouds" 

She is returning more to her dream country sounds, this album drifts away in all the ways you want it to. She was aided by Lightning Bolt producer Seth Manchester who added the distorted guitars that sit back in the atmosphere. You might have read some reviews that lead you to believe she is becoming Chelsea Wolfe and this is more of a rock record which is not the case. She does continue to lure you in with this one. 

 

Abysmal Hymns: Marissa Nadler : 'the Path of the Clouds"

 5-Lantlos - "Wildhund" 

No stranger to us here, this German band is no longer black gaze but now creating a double album of poppy gaze influenced 90s rock. The drummer who has now been with the band for ten years is responsible for some of the more adventurous turns the songs takes. In some ways it is progressive. Not far removed from the likes of Hum or Quicksand, they do not let you hang to comfortably on a groove for long. The guitars replicate tones from that era and the vocals are greatly improved.

Abysmal Hymns: Lantlos : Wildhund"

 4-The World is a Beautiful Place & I am No Longer Afraid to Die - " Illusory Walls" 

These guys are almost progressive in the span they cover and wide cinematic sonics they convey, which is beyond the bounds of hard core or screamo. The first song is sweeping and emotive. The album sounds great I love the guitar tone the second song it is almost more Cure like. I am surprised by the addition of female vocals, but I am not sure the last album I checked out by these guys, as they are courtesy of the keyboardist who is now a member of the band. This brings a more indie rock feel to things. 

Abysmal Hymns: The World is a Beautiful Place & I am No Longer Afraid to Die ;" Illusory Walls"

 

3-Failure- " Wild Type Droid" 

I was a fan of this band in the 90s and they were always grunge for when I was too high to want to hear Soundgarden. The opening track of their newest album, which features a pristine croon that could have come from "Fantastic Planet" also clicks with me that these guys are really into Gary Numan, they just use guitars not synths. They are also great song writers and have not lost that touch

 

Abysmal Hymns: Failure- "Wild Type Droid"

 

 2-Dinosaur Jr - "Sweep It Into Space" 

I first listened to this album at a more moderate volume, and I think cranking through headphones might do the mix more justice. Unless they are going for a rawer almost Neil Young like sound. Overall this album goes to show these guys keep getting better when many of their peers from this era just dial it in. With all the fanfare Weezer has gained over the years, I think if you compared the output of these two bands Dinosaur Jr would be more deserving of praise when it comes to being consistent song writers

Abysmal Hymns: Dinosaur Jr : "Sweep It into Space"

1-Slothrust- "Parallel Timeline" 

Things are different. The mood has changed and matured. Where "|the Pact" was a much more polished effort than their previous albums, this one is another step forward in the refinement of their sound. They are less grunge than their earlier work, but still pack more punch than say HAIM. At the end of the day

Abysmal Hymns: Slothrust : "Parallel Timeline"

What is This That Stands Before Me ? : Sacred Bones Black Sabbath Tribute

This is an easy sell. Sacred Bones a label who has kept the new wave of goth alive , takes the artists on their roster and does a Black Sabbath tribute album. Up first is the Soft Moon, who almost nails "Black Sabbath" , the groove on the "coming round the bend" section of gets lost in the murk though they get heavier at the end. The only artist I was not familiar with was Russian synth wave act Molchat Doma, who gets props for taking on "Heaven & Hell". The bulk of Sabbath tributes neglect anything that is not Ozzy. The guy is no Dio. Singing in his native tongue , well I guess this would be a good way to learn a little Russian since I already know the words. The spoken part is a little meh. I do not see these guys listening to a great deal of Sabbath in their free time as it sounds like the are more into Kraftwerk. Thou is the heaviest band here, so they have to nail "Supernaut" which might be the easiest song here. They guitar tone is pretty mean. They use snarled vocals .

Of course Marissa Nadler is going to knock "Solitude" it seems like an almost too obvious choice. I would have spaced Hilary Woods out from Nadler , maybe had her second to last as their styles are somewhat similar. Though Nadler has more of a country thing going. Woods proves to be more atmospheric, as this song is almost not there. If I was her I would have played the bass line with the left hand on the piano. Zola Jesus doing changes is also very obvious. But she sings the hell out of it. If I still smoked pot I would find Moon Duo's take on "Planet Caravan" more compelling. There is actually more going on than the Sabbath version. Dean Hurley does what he calls the bar band version of "the Warning" . The feel of the song is there.  Not familiar with this guy so I am impressed.

Energy wise I know what I was going to get from Uniform doing "Symptom of the Universe". I that the vocal were going to be more of an issue. He is doing more of a punk shout , yes he is a little flat but it comes closer than I would have expected as the vocals are always a sticking point with those guys. I will give it an 8.5 , as the obvious choices that gave it a mellower mood could have been darker. I should not have to say it could have been darker when it comes to Sacred Bones artists.

Marissa Nadler & Stephen Brodsky : "Droneflower

I was aware this album  was coming out and it kind of flew under my radar. I suppose I did not hunt it down as eagerly as I might have if I had gone into this knowing it was a solo album. I can be skeptical  o these collaborative efforts.  This one finds her collaborating with  Brodsky from Cave-in. He also plays in Old Man Gloom, Mutoid Man and is an ex-member of Converge. His presence is really more on the plodding tension of the guitar in the second song. He back ground vocals are minimal . This gives her more of a Chelsea Wolfe feel. There is a less of a country vibe, even on songs like "Watch the Time " where it feels like the guitar is going for that more. This is interesting because it feels like they are so ware of working with each other that he wants to be more country and she wants to be more rock.

Like the intro the second take on "Space Ghost" seems to be an atmospheric interlude as well, than song focused. This one has more going on and cooler sounds comprising it. "Dead West"  is ghostly and atmospheric , but not unlike the second song in other aspects. Their cover of "Estranged " by Guns n Roses is pretty brilliant.  The Use Your Illusion albums need more props, there is some good shit on there.  I think one big difference is how the acoustic guitars are produced on this album. They are warmed sounded and contrast her voice rather than blend with it's sound so on "Shades Apart " carries sonic echoes of "Watch the Time".  Her vocal placement works better here. "Buried Love" is short it takes time getting to the song then only has a minute and a half to work with from there.

The album ends with a cover of Morphine's "In Spite of Me" . I think this speaks to Axl's songwriting as on "Estranged you can still hear the original songwriting, where this one gets absorbed by the person covering it. The country vibe of feels more like what I want from her.  Brodsky's contributions to this song are not as prominent. This makes it clear to me that I would have preferred just another proper Nadler album.  I will give this one an 8.5. Her normal albums are in the 9.5 to 10 range so that might give you an idea how this measures up again her normal level of work. At least Brodsky had the good sense to not try singing duets with her.  .

Black Metal History Month - Looking Back in Anger at Xasthur 's "Portal of Sorrow"

Continuing to look back at some classic depressive suicidal black metal albums and see if they are as good as I remember them being, which will culminate in our top 10 depressive suicidal black metal albums list. The final album by this project, which might paint frowns on some as it's not the first album of the most overlooked album, but it is more fully realized and sounds better production wise than the bulk of the Xasthur catalogue which goes a long way in my book because it means you care about the songs. That is not to say the tinny bed room sound is not present as it surfaces on the second song "Broken Glass Christening" . The dark angular sonic night mare many of these songs create is displayed even when they revert to the bed room sound. Sometimes this takes a more abstract feel blending into the shadows like the soundtrack from a David Lynch movie is an exorcism suddenly took place.

"Stream of Subconsciousness" almost has a shoe gaze quality. It is not the first time The lines between what was heralded as black gaze and dsbm became hazy. It is so atmospheric until feels more like an interlude than an actual song. I love Swans like feel that hangs in the guitar to "Karma/Death" . The vocals keep at their static squawk. In my mind the disjointed quality to how the instruments are arranged could really only work in this project. What lends credence to this belief is the fact I haven't heard anyone else to it an achieve similar results. "Horizon of Plastic Caskets" and "Mesmerized By Misery" bleed out into one another and while they create a chilling atmosphere, seem more like movements rather  than standing on their won feet as songs. "This Abyss Holds the Mirror" finds the gurgle of lower growls and the dirge like plod giving this one more of a funereal doom feel. "Mourning Tomorrow" is another atmospheric interlude that carries a hypnotizing floating drone. This is solidified by the steadier beat to "Miscarriage of the soul"

"Obeyers of their own deaths' feels like it submerses you under a spectral sea. The riffs are defined and fit the black metal mold. This is not to say this projects sound is compromised. It does black metal it's own way even here. The twisted romantic nature of this album is in full ghostly force on "Released From This Earth". The wail of female vocals continue to drift which gives a uniform feel to some of the songs. These vocals belong to Marissa Nadler who we have covered here in the past. The "Darkest Light" starts off as a a pretty powerful piece of atmospheric black metal before it ebbs down into a lighter shade of gray and ends with the final song that is more of an outro. I'll  round this  this album album up to a 9.5. It's more like listening to a symphonic work that plays of themes rather than an album of songs, but the sound captured here are pretty incredible.

Interview: Marissa Nadler

Folk singer Marissa Nadler rolls is touring she to promote "July", her first album for Sacred Bones entitled July. A review of the album can be found below.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/06/marissa-nadlerjuly.html

I managed to catch  Marissa as she was heading out to discuss both tour and album .

Wil-So how's the tour so far ?

Marissa- It just started . I have already done a few groupings of date here and there, but this is the first show of this leg tonight. It's ever hot so far.

Wil- This is your first album with Sacred Bones, How familiar were you with the label and their artists before you signed with them? 

Marissa-Caleb from Sacred Bones reached out to me a few years ago. They have a very cool roster . I really like Zola Jesus a lot .

Wil- Sacred Bones is known for having artists involved in the whole goth or dark wave revival.How do you relate to that scene?

Marissa Nadler- My music has a dark edge, but I try not to pigeon hole myself . It is not punk or like a lot of the noise elements some of the artists they have use But growing up I think there was fifteen years where I didn't wear color, not that I get decked out in full goth regalia Wil- One thing that really struck me listening to the new album were some of the incredible harmonies , did you already have them written or did that come for playing around in the studio. Marissa- Thank you, I wrote them all before. They are part of the song , in the case of "Drive" the first song , I had it in my head to make them pop. The album was ready to go when I went in to record it. Wil - Anything you learned or discovered during the recording process? Marissa- I don't know. I'm happy with all the hard work.when I wrote this album , I had intense focus. I set out to write an album start to finish rather than it be a collection of songs. Wil-Any lyrical themes that are prevalent ? Marissa- The  record is all written in first person, so most of those aren't hard to figure out. Wil- there is a country undercurrent to the album is that an influence? Marissa- definitely , It cam e later in life as I grew up in Massachusetts so it's not easy to find. One of my best friends is a music writer and he introduced me to country . Tammy Wynette and a lot of those . They influence is that now my vocals are more relaxed. Wil- What other female singers have inspired you? Marissa- Patti Smith , the Horses album and Kate Bush.as far as country goes Connie Francis. Wil- When you play these new songs live are they evolving or staying intact? Marissa- Shows like the Atlanta date tonight, I have a woman who sings with me , because with out the harmonies they feel empty.Rather than use a delay pedal or harmonizer , it's better to use a human voice. She is also a cellist so the songs stay intact the instrumentation changes. So it's me and Janelle. I play a twelve string acoustic and an electric , she's handling harmonies and playing cello. I think for these shows it s ok to be stripped down. Especially in places I haven't played before like Atlanta. I have been touring for ten years , so have learned to keep the overhead low to make it work.

Marissa Nadler:July

On Sacred Bones your first thought might be... they want another Chelsea Wolfe. Words like dark folk are also thrown around ,  leading you to believe they are in the same vein. This is only true in the broadest sense of what they do, but you could also compare Nadler to Lana Del Ray.  Marissa has been at this for some time she released her first album "Ballads of Living and Dying" back in 2004. She also has a metal connection having contributed vocals to Xasthur's final album "Portal of Sorrow".

The opener drive to me feels like dark dreamy country. Her subtle use of melodies grow on you. They hooks are laid back in the flow of the song rather than screaming "Here's the fucking chorus".The delicacy of what she does is spotlit on "1923" , where the chorus reminds me of  Mazzy Star or even Cowboy Junkies. This album sounds really good , most of the time she uses a very minimal accompaniment, but what she does use is very well placed in the mix.

Most of  this album finds her vocals beautifully layer, in a way that solidifies the Cowboy Junkies comparison.Her lyrics are most pronounced in the lower vocal, where the higher head voice floats above it. Her lyrics are more reflective than despondent or tortured. This is great rainy day music or a soundtrack to my first cup of coffee.

"Firecrackers" strikes me more camp fire country than folk, despite the strum of the acoustic guitar. It's an alright song, but I think her talents are better displayed  on "We Are Coming Back" . It carries more of her signature, utilizing the layered vocal harmonies that give these songs their most haunting qualities. The guitar lines are more of often than not pretty simplistic, leaving her vocal chords to the heavy lifting when it comes to holding the weight of the song.

The first single off the album was "Dead City Emily" and I think it paints a pretty accurate portrait of what Nadler does best. It might even lean more towards the ethereal side and away from the country undertones.
The simple guitar lines form drones and the drifting is really amplified by the swirl of sonics that echo into this song.

 
The most movement stirs in the strum of " Was it a Dream", which is a pretty flawlessly penned tune.The strings setting the background are a welcome element that makes this song stand out. The piano on the slightly poppy "I've Got Your Name" takes on a more morose Lana Del Ray or Norah Jones vibe. These are at times weepy break up songs, but not in the teen angst way that makes you feel like it's the soundtrack to a vampire drama on the CW.

The darker echo of  "Desire" returns to the sound that first drew me into this album.The regretful contemplation seems to be lyrically in the same vein. "Anyone Else" brightens it up a tad. This is mainly in the chord progression though her voice does take on a more Joni Mitchell tone until the familial layers of ghostly coat the over dubbed vocals. The lighter tone continues on "Holiday In" this one has a little more of a country twang hidden in it. It has also become evident that what you see is what you get here. There are no hidden surprises that jump out midway into the songs.They never veer into unexpected territory once the mood is established.

Despite the lyrics "Nothing in My Heart" seems to be a sweet note to end the album on. I expected it to get darker as if progressed, but that isn't always the case.It's just her voice with a little piano and organ  sprinkled in sounding like a ballad from the pop days of the 50's. At the end of the day however I like where this goes, it's go subtle songwriting that grows on me so I will give it a 9.5.