Top 10 of 2021

So I figured I'd post my top 10 of the year.

1. Asphyx - Necroceros
2. Desaster - Churches Without Saints
3. Unanimated - Victory in Blood
4. Massacre - Resurgence
5. Candlemass - Green Valley Live
6. Suffocation - Live in North America
7. Korpiklaani - Jylha
8. Einherjer - Northstar
9. Darkthrone - Eternal Hails
10. Alcatrazz - V


This was a really hard year for me. Lots of albums released and not much was very good. But those 10 albums really caught me this year!

I don't film videos for my YouTube channel for my "Top 10" until February, because I still have albums that haven't arrived yet or that I plan to order after Christmas.

Right on. Well I look fwd to your list dude!

You beat me to it! Was about to start the same topic.

I still have a couple of 2021 releases on the way, which I need to listen to.

I should have my list ready by January.

Great year for metal

Bewitcher - Cursed Be Thy Kingdom



Black Sites - Untrue



Black Soul Horde - Horrors From The Void



Brainstorm - Wall Of Skulls



Grief Collector - En Delerium



Motorjesus - Hellbreaker



Orbit Culture - Shaman (EP)



Tower - Shock To The System



Trivium - In The Court Of The Dragon



Wraith - Undo The Chains

I haven't picked up the new Brainstorm yet. Will probably do so early next year.

Don't t think I even bought 10 new releases in 2021?

I've been meaning to check out that Alcatrazz album.

nevermore wrote:

I've been meaning to check out that Alcatrazz album.

I practically forgot about it. Will have to include it in my upcoming shopping list early next year.

My Top 30 of 2021

1. Night Flight Orchestra - Aeromantic II
2. Nestor - Kids In A Ghost Town
3. Crazy Lixx - Street Lethal
4. Neal Morse - Innocence & Danger
5. Iron Maiden - Senjutsu
6. Victory - Gods of Tomorrow
7. Wicked Smile - Wait For The Night
8. WET - Retransmission
9. Vega - Anarchy & Unity
10. Eclipse - Wired
11. Greta Van Fleet - The Battle at Garden's Gate
12. LeBrock-Fuse
13. Beast in Black - Dark Connection
14. Spektra - Overload
15. Helloween - Helloween
16. Temple Balls - Pyromide
17. Running Wild - Blood On Blood
18. Houston - IV
19. Ghost Hounds - A Little Calamity
20. Leprous - Aphelion
21. Styx - Crash Of The Crown
22. Dangerous Curves - Summertime Highs  
23. Midnite City - Itch You Can't Scratch
24. Brainstorm - Wall Of Skulls
25. FarCry - Balance
26. The Vintage Caravan - Monuments
27. King Zebra - Survivors
28. Smoke N’ Flame - On Fire
29. Black Diamonds - No-Tell Hotel
30. Big City - Testify X

The rest (in no particular order)

A Dying Planet - When the Skies Are Grey
Poverty’s No Crime - A Secret to Hide
Electric Orange - Psi-Hybrid
Circus of Rock - Come One Come All
Artillery - X
Blackberry Smoke - You Hear Georgia
Ancient Empire - Priest Of Stygia
Trytan - Blood of Kings
Agusa - En annan värld
Creatures - Creatures
Project Resurrect - False Reality
A.C.T. - Heatwave
Dennis DeYoung - 26 East, Vol. 2
Blind Golem - A Dream of Fantasy
Toby Hitchcock - Changes
Sunrise Dreamer - A World To Know
Proportions - After All These Years
Bolido - Against the World
Lords of Black - Alchemy Of Souls Part II
Dion Bayman - Alive
Images of Eden - Angel Born
Antioch - Antioch V
Portrait - At One with None
Between Worlds - Between Worlds
Powerwolf - Call Of The Wild
Silent Winter - Empire of Sins
Big Big Train - Common Ground
Firewolf - Conquer All Fear
Bloodbound - Creatures Of The Dark Realm
Blazon Stone - Damnation
Timeless Haunt - Dark For Life
Project Roenwolfe - Edge Of Saturn
Korpiklaani - Jylhä
The Brave - Evie's Little Garden
Grantz - The Meaning Of Life
Orden Ogan - Final Days
Laced in Lust - First Bite
Inner Siege - Fury Of Ages
Rhapsody - Glory for Salvation
Creye - 2021 - II
Touch - Tomorrow Never Comes
Michael Schenker Group - Immortal
Barnabas Sky - Inspirations
John Dallas - Love & Glory
Knights Of The Realm - Knights Of The Realm
All for the King - Let There Be Light
Dan Barnes Lost Sanctuary - Lost Sanctuary
Todd La Torre - Rejoice In The Suffering
Pantokrator - Marching Out Of Babylon
Memoria Avenue - Memoria Avenue
Nighthawk - Midnight Hunter
Gasoline Guns - Motor Cult
Wig Wam - Never Say Die
The Treatment - Waiting For Good Luck
Agent Steel - No Other Godz Before Me
Stallion - Perspective
Tuple - Welcome to Hell
Michael Sweet - Reborn Again
The LRW Project - Fight & Climb
Sweet Oblivion - Relentless
Steven Wilson - The Future Bites
Proud - Second Act
KK’s Priest - Sermons Of The Sinner
Hawkwind - Somnia
Headless - Square One
Phantom Overdose - Standing On The Edge Of The Night
Stormbreaker - Strike the Match
Gale Force - Subhuman
Brothers in Arms - Sunset and Clark
Debbie Gibson - The Body Remembers
XFears - The First
Legacy Pilots - The Penrose Triangle
Warriors Path - The Mad King
Rian - Twenty-Three
Mac Powell - New Creation
Pharoah - The Powers That Be
Accept - Too Mean To Die
Cruzh - Tropical Thunder
Himmellegeme - Variola Vera
Sinner Guard - War Is the Father of All
Blaze - War Within Me
Labyrinth - Welcome to the Absurd Circus
Nightfox - White Cobra
Robin Red - Robin Red

Working on my list. I should have it ready in a day or so.

Hell of a year for me with 2021 Releases. Have it broken down into two top 20 lists:

AOR/Melodic Hard Rock/Pop Metal (the 80 kind of Sleeze/Glam):

1-Wig Wam-Never Say Die
2-move everything up
3-Art Of Illusion-X Marks The Spot
4-Cruzh-Tropical Thunder
5-Gary Hughes-Waterside
6- Toby Hitchcock-Changes
7- Vega-Anarchy and Unity
8- Temple Balls-Pyromide
9- Hardline-Heart, Mind And Soul
10- Crowne-Kings Of The North
11- Night Ranger-ATBPO
12- Crazy Lixx-Street Lethal
13- Alice Cooper-Detroit Stories
14- Ronnie Atkins-One Shot
15-Sunstorm-Afterlife
16-Eclipse-Wired
17-W.E.T.-Retransmission
18- Styx- Crash Of The Crown
19-Smith/Kotzen-s/t
20-Thunder- All The Right Noises

Everything else: Melodic Meta/Thrash/Power Metal/Death Metal/Progressive Rock/Metal:

1-Brainstorm-Wall Of Skulls
2-Bloodbound-Creatures Of The Dark Realm
3-Helloween-Helloween
4-Beast In Black-Dark Connection
5-Arion-Vultures Die Alone
6--Powerwolf-Call Of The Willd
7-Flotsam And Jetsam-Blood In The Water
8-Running Wild-Blood On Blood
9-Blaze Bayley-War Within Me
10-Rage-Resurrection Day
11-Leverage-Above The Beyond
12-Dream Theater-A View From The Top Of The World
13-Neal Morse-Innocence & Danger
14-Accept-Too Mean To Die
15-Carcass-Torn Arteries
16-Images Of Eden-Angel Born
17-Todd La Torre-Rejoice In The Suffering
18-Gus G.-Quantum Leap
19-Pestilence-Exitivm
20- Detritus-Myths

Top 10 overall:

1-Wig Wam-Never Say Die (technically a 2020 release but didn't hit the U.S. until 2021)
2-Brainstorm-Wall Of Skulls (best since Liquid Monster)
3-Bloodbound-Creatures Of The Dark Realm (I've become quite a fanboy of these guys recently)
4-Art Of Illusion-X Marks The Spot (last minute addition to my 2021 releases, truly awesome AOR)
5-Helloween-s/t (most anticipated 2021 release, did NOT disappoint!)
6-Cruzh-Tropical Thunder (sleeper hit and another amazing pop metal album)
7-Beast In Black-Dark Connection (these guys have yet to let me down)
8-Gary Hughes-Waterside (just like his band Ten, every song sticks in the head like glue)
9-Arion-Vultures Die Alone (a modern power metal album that took me by surprise)
10-Toby Hitchcock (another stellar solo album form Pride of Lions' amazing crooner)

Honorable mentions (albums that rate 3.5-4 stars, didn't hate any them, but liked more than others):

Alcatraz-V
Between Worlds-s/t
Bride-Christmas (Christmas albums aren't considered for rankings)
Brother Against Brother-s/t
Christian Liljegren-Melodic Passion)
Cirith Ungol-Half Past Human (EPs don't rank either)
Deep Purple-Turning To Crime (cover albums ditto)
Evergrey-Escape Of The Phoenix
False Memories-The Last Night Of Fall
The Grandmaster-Skywards
Hammer King-s/t
Heart Healer-The Metal Opera
Helstar-Clad In Black
Herman Frank-Two For A Lie
Sonic Haven- Vagabond
Iron Maiden-Senjutsu (more on this at the end)
KK Priest-Sermons Of The Sinner
Labyrinth-Welcome To The Absurd Circus
Laurenne / Louhimo-The Reckoning
Lords Of Black-Alcamey Of Souls II
Mastodon-Hushed And Grim
Moonspell-Hermatiage
A Pale Horse Named Death-Infernum In Terra
Saxon-Inspirations
ScreamMachine-s/t
Signum Regis-Flag Of Hope
Therion-Leviathan
Timo Tolkki's Avalon-The Enigma Rebirth
Volbeat-Servant Of The Mind
Vulture-Dealin' Death

Biggest disappointment:

Iron Maiden-Senjutsu (My favorite band of all time and it is nowhere near ranking in my lists, as a matter of fact it's my least favorite this year. Maybe I'm out of touch because I see this in top lists all over the internet, but I just can't give much praise to this. Not unlistenable, but highly forgetable)

Still need to finish my list. Covid got me real bad.

Hope to get done with it as soon as i am feeling better.

Gilbert wrote:

Still need to finish my list. Covid got me real bad.

Hope to get done with it as soon as i am feeling better.

I hope you get to feeling better soon!

nevermore wrote:

Gilbert wrote:

Still need to finish my list. Covid got me real bad.

Hope to get done with it as soon as i am feeling better.

I hope you get to feeling better soon!

Thanks brother.

I didn't buy enough 2021 releases to make a top 5, much less a top 10, so y'all are gonna have to settle for a top 3:

Todd La Torre - Rejoice in the Suffering
Claymorean - Eulogy for the Gods
Rage - Resurrection Day

Ashed - Oblivions Edge
Pyrexia - Gravitas Maximus
Vaginosis Bacteriana - Fetishistic Submissive
Spastic Tumor - I'd Like To Kill Somebody
Pro Septico - Human Torture (The Revege III)
Fatuous Rump - Perceptions Of The Dark Ornaments
Cesspool Of Vermin - Orgy Of Decomposition
Grotesque Impalement - Morbid Fetal Creation
Sensor Motorik - Percentage Of Death Rate
Flatus - Thwomp!

DallasBlack wrote:

Hell of a year for me with 2021 Releases. Have it broken down into two top 20 lists:

AOR/Melodic Hard Rock/Pop Metal (the 80 kind of Sleeze/Glam):

2-Reckless Love-Spirit

That Reckless Love album is great, it's also from 2013.

7thSecond wrote:

DallasBlack wrote:

Hell of a year for me with 2021 Releases. Have it broken down into two top 20 lists:

AOR/Melodic Hard Rock/Pop Metal (the 80 kind of Sleeze/Glam):

2-Reckless Love-Spirit

That Reckless Love album is great, it's also from 2013.

A mistake in my Windows Media Player auto fill. The year is usually a year behind and it said 2020.

New list:

Top 10 overall:

1-Wig Wam-Never Say Die (technically a 2020 release but didn't hit the U.S. until 2021)
2-Brainstorm-Wall Of Skulls (best since Liquid Monster)
3-Bloodbound-Creatures Of The Dark Realm (I've become quite a fanboy of these guys recently)
4-Art Of Illusion-X Marks The Spot (last minute addition to my 2021 releases, truly awesome AOR)
5-Helloween-s/t (most anticipated 2021 release, did NOT disappoint!)
6-Cruzh-Tropical Thunder (sleeper hit and another amazing pop metal album)
7-Beast In Black-Dark Connection (these guys have yet to let me down)
8-Gary Hughes-Waterside (just like his band Ten, every song sticks in the head like glue)
9-Arion-Vultures Die Alone (a modern power metal album that took me by surprise)
10-Toby Hitchcock (another stellar solo album form Pride of Lions' amazing crooner)

I can do a top 5:

1. The Brave: Evie’s Little Garden
2. Thee Final Chaptre: So Let It Be Done
3. Trytan: Blood of Kings
4. Angel 7: Victory
5. Brotality: Worldwide Desolation

7thSecond wrote:

DallasBlack wrote:

Hell of a year for me with 2021 Releases. Have it broken down into two top 20 lists:

AOR/Melodic Hard Rock/Pop Metal (the 80 kind of Sleeze/Glam):

2-Reckless Love-Spirit

That Reckless Love album is great, it's also from 2013.

I knew it wasn't just my Windows Media Player! This is where I got the CD on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Spirit-Reckless-Love/dp/B096LWK897/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3JX5SPS6UWCPU&keywords=reckless+love&qid=1641439756&s=music&sprefix=reckless+love%2Cpopular%2C97&sr=1-2

In the details it says 2021. Must have been a reissue that year which is why I mistakenly thought it was a 2021 release.

Ask me in five years.

I bought a total of 28 albums released in 2021. Here's my top 10:

1- Warrior Path: The Mad King
2- UDO: Game Over
3- Manimal: Armageddon
4- Accept: Too Mean To Die
5- KK’s Priest: Sermons Of The Sinner
6- Bloodbound: Creatures Of The Dark Realm
7- Rage: Resurrection Day
8- Iron Maiden: Senjutsu
9- Herman Frank: Two For A Lie
10- Beast In Black: Dark Connection

Several honorable mentions: Artillery, Running Wild, Sunbomb, Blaze Bayley, Todd La Torre, Tentation, Sortilège, Paradox, Exodus, Flotsam And Jetsam, Angelus Apatrida and LA Guns.

these are my 10 albums here.

1. Axewitch - Out of the Ashes, Into the Fire
2. Midnight Spell - Sky Destroyer
3. Carcass - Torn Arteries
4. U.D.O. - Game Over
5. Evile - Hell Unleashed
6. Lucifer's Hammer - The Trip
7. Significant Point - Into the Storm
8. Wheel - Preserved in Time
9. Vulture - Dealin' Death
10. Iron Maiden - Senjutsu

favorite Rock albums from this year for me are
Alice Cooper - Detroit Stories
Dennis DeYoung - 26 East: Volume 2
Greta Van Fleet - The Battle at Garden's Gate
Albert Bouchard - Bombs Over Germany

1. Todd LaTorre - Rejoice In The Suffering
2. Flotsam & Jetsam - Blood In The Water
3. Silver Talon - Decadence And Decay
4. Enforced - Kill Grid
5. Project Roenwolfe - Edge Of Saturn
6. Temptations Wings - Marauders On The Killing Moon
7. Gatecreeper - An Unexpected Reality
8. Cannibal Corpse - Violence Unimagined
9. Wraith - Undo The Chains
10. Khemmis - Deceiver