2021's best and brightest

10. Void - The Hollow Man

After a decade long absence between full lengths, these Brits return with a fun and funky rifftaztic take on avant-garde black metal. I remember really enjoying their previous albums, especially 2003's "Posthuman", but this might just be their best to date.

Hollow Inside

9. Midnight Betrothed - Dreamless

Feels like Summoning making eyes at you across an intimate candlelit dinner...the very definition of romantic black metal that will absolutely seduce you with infectious hooks and ivory twinkling. Liberace eat your heart out.

Wine Me Dine Me

8. Diskord - Degenerations

A jumbled cacophony of prime-time Atheist fretboard erosion and Spike Jonze outbursts with the odd-morbid groovin' crawl of countrymates Cadaver. Degenerations constantly feels like its about ready to tumble down that looking glass before pulling back just enough to allow sanity to gain a tenuous pinky hold. Oh, and if you're a fan of cowbell, this album does for that fine piece of percussion what Jackyl did for the chainsaw.

Loitering in Grime

7. Stargazer - Psychic Secretions

Just Stargazer doin' what Stargazer does best...delivering a perfect slab of progressive death metal that sounds occult, ferocious, and enticing! I will never tire of The Great Righteous Destroyer's beyond godly fretless bass tone!

Stargrazing

6. Wormsblood - The Wildness

Another enigmatic group back after nigh on a decade dormancy between full-lengths, with a concoction that can only be described as Comus and the Butthole Surfers escorting Furze to a whirling Potawatomi Rain Dance. Vibes of Wicker Man and Manfred Mann...my kind of muzak.

something Wild

5. Vitrail - Les Pages Oubliées

I saw this one described as a black metal Husker Du...and I might add that shades of the German group Todtgelichter shine through as well. Needless to say this is a winning combination.

Vital Vitrail

4. Fire-Toolz - Eternal Home

Vaporwave + Extreme metal sounds absolutely disgusting on paper, but in practice it is exhilarating at times breathtaking....and with song titles like "Odd Cat Sanctuary" and "guardian angel bear" how could you possibly go wrong?!

Odd Kitties

3. Creature - Eloge De L'ombre

The zaniness continues from last year's Ex Cathedra, but it's just a little more polished this time. A bit more Ihsahn and a bit less Pensées Nocturnes if you get my drift. The musicianship and inventiveness is amazing and even more impressive when you consider that this is a one-dude band (with considerable help from Baard Kostad on skinz). Mr. Creature (Fournier) my hats off to ya!

all Creatures great and small

2. Thy Worshiper - Bajki o Staruchu

Avant-Pagan madness from one of my favorite Polish groups, this time coming at you with a slight math-rocky "pop" edge to their tribal ululations. The abundant female vocals add a really nice Andrew's sisters vibe which just adds to the outre atmosphere.

gather round thy drum circle

1. Bríi - Sem Propósito

Kraut psychedelic black metal invocations with galloping epic guitar lines and sprinkler system drumming. Like VHK jamming with DHG. Epic, twisting and turning, and truly the highlight of the year for me.

Deez Brazil Nutz

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