Unfortunately, I am sad to announce the main Metalised facebook page with 60K followers was deleted by a hacker earlier today (the backup page is still live here: https://www.facebook.com/Metalised-Life-112985154608128 ) .
Facebook still hasn’t replied to any of my messages. In the meantime, I have reached out to the wonderful HackerNews community for help: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30102240. Hopefully someone from Facebook might see the HN post and be able to help out…
Before I present my new list please bear with me for a few seconds. I have been hacked and lost ownership of Metalised page, which is the Facebook page of my Blog (not hacked). I created this page 11 years ago and has been a labor of love. I can still post but I don’t know what the hacker’s intentions are. I have written several times to Facebook about this matter but of course nobody replies. I have created a backup page called Metalised Life so please head on there and follow it: https://www.facebook.com/Metalised-Life-112985154608128
But now, on with the main event.
Each year it seems like it will be impossible to top the previous year, but 2021 yielded another fine crop of incredible additions to the metal canon! Something evident from the exceptional quality of all the albums included in my list.
I have been going through this list for quite some time now (edited & updated throughout the whole year) and the albums, songs, videos etc. that made the list and their final rankings are the result of hard thinking and repeated listening/headbanging sessions! Rankings were determined by the level of musicianship, song writing, creativity, production, artwork, but above all from what I jokingly like to call “The Goosebumps Meter” which is the intensity of goosebumps given to me from each album!
I truly scan the whole planet to find the best new music for you! But keep in mind that, although I have listened to almost 600 of new releases during the last 12 months (I kid you not!), it is virtually impossible for anyone to listen to all the new Metal, Hard Rock & Progressive Rock releases in a year. Furthermore, this list had to be shortened to what I believe were the most essential ones. So apologies in advance, if in your opinion some important albums have been omitted, but feel free to leave a comment with your favorite albums from 2021.
Here are Metalised’s best Metal & Progressive Rock albums and also songs, videos etc. of 2021, presented without boring reviews that nobody bothers to read anyway!
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TOP 20 METAL ALBUMS OF 2021:
Honorable Mention:
Mystic Storm – Из хаоса древних времен (From the Ancient Chaos)
Genre: Epic Thrash Metal
Origin: Russia
For Fans of: Nuclear Assault, Bathory
Listen To: Ночной кошмар – Nightmare
20. Khirki – Κτηνωδία
Genre: Stoner Folk Metal
Origin: Greece
For Fans of: Villagers of Ioannina City
Listen To: Raging Bull, Medea
19. Cryptosis – Bionic Swarm
Genre: Symphonic Sci-Fi Thrash Metal
Origin: Netherlands
For Fans of: Kreator
Listen To: Decypher, Death Technology
18. Kauan – Ice Fleet
Genre: Post-Metal
Origin: Russia
For Fans of: Cult of Luna
Listen To: Taistelu, Raivo
17. Mastodon – Hushed and Grim
Genre: Alternative/Prog Rock/Sludge Metal
Origin: USA
For Fans of: Baroness
Listen To: Pain with an Anchor
Skeleton of Splendor
16. Ice Nine Kills – The Silver Scream 2: Welcome to Horrorwood
Genre: Metalcore/Emocore
Origin: USA
For Fans of: Crown the Empire
Listen To:
Welcome to Horrorwood
Wurst Vacation
15. Poverty’s No Crime – A Secret to Hide
Genre: Progessive Metal
Origin: Germany
For Fans of: Dream Theater
Listen To: Hollow Phrases, Supernatural
14. Alien Weaponry – Tangaroa
Genre: Nu-Metal
Origin: New Zealand
For Fans of: Gojira
Listen To: Tangaroa, Buried Underground
13. Helloween – Helloween
Genre: Power Metal
Origin: Germany
For Fans of: Gamma Ray
Listen To: Skyfall, Fear of the Fallen
12. Dream Theater–A View from the Top of the World
METALISED! 