2021 Mid-Year Review

We've reached the halfway point in 2021, and it's time to complete our contractually-obligated mid-year review, as per the guidelines stipulated in section E605 of the PMA Gunnerfeldt Defense of Metal Blog Readers Act of 2003.

Here we present ten albums—in no particular order—that we've been coming back to over and over again this year. Will they survive to see our year end lists? There is only one way to find out: first read this list, then follow us on Facebook and Instagram, subscribe to the RSS feed, and share this list with all of your friends, kindly asking them to remind you to come back in December to crosscheck the bylines in this piece against our individual year end lists. With that in mind, check out these bangers:

BAEST - Necro Sapiens

Br00tal death metal from Denmark with a vocalist who sounds so much like David Vincent (trills ov hell and all) that I had to Google that shit to verify this wasn't a stealth Evil D side project (that's high praise). So yeah, the growls are amazing, and the lead guitar work on this album is melodic without ever diminishing the band's intensity. The whole package sits right in that Slugdge-meets-VLTIMAS sweet spot of thrashy, progressive death metal that's been doing it for me the past few years. - Eric Gmutza

Tribulation - Where the Gloom Becomes Sound

I loved 2018’s Down Below, so I awaited Tribulation’s latest with great anticipation. Upon the first couple of listens, I didn’t rate it. I shelved it and chalked it up as a disappointment. However, a few months later, I pulled it out again and it all made sense. It’s a far darker affair than its predecessor, with more Paradise Lost-y doom elements than ever, but I now can’t stop listening to it. Who knows where the band will head now that Jonathan Hultén has left, but as his swansong, it’s a fitting end. - Brian Gmutza

Genghis Tron - Dream Weapon

Genghis Tron return after a 10+ year hiatus, with a new singer, a living drummer, and a dramatically-different sound. Those expecting the spazzy, whatevercore of the band’s previous efforts might be disappointed as there’s nary a blastbeat (or really anything headache-inducing at all) to be found on Dream Weapon. Instead, we’re treated to blissed-out vocals over dreamy waves of electronica and buzzing, synth-like guitars. Perhaps Genghis Tron will frustrate long-time listeners with Dream Weapon’s lighter touch, but I suspect they’ll gain a lot more fans than they lose. Count me among them. - Eric Gmutza

Gizmachi - Omega Keloid

Omega Keloid is one of those surprise albums that floors you from the very first song. Gizmachi play a style of technical metal featuring huge djent riffs, progressive song structures, and soaring vocals. They've clearly been inspired by Meshuggah but they take the technical metal sound somewhere new and fututristic. This is due in no small part to the brilliance of Bjorn ‘Speed’ Strid on vocals. He's always been an amazing vocalist, whether with Soilwork or the Night Flight Orchestra, but here he's really outdone himself. He bends and twists the vocals with the music to create some truly impressive songs. ‘Paradox’ and the title track really stand out. - Chris Coleman-Peers

Witherfall - Curse of Autumn

Witherfall have been quietly releasing excellent progressive metal since 2017, and this may be their finest hour. The epic final track ‘...And They All Blew Away’ is fantastic, and don’t miss the special edition that includes their cover of Boston’s ‘Long Time’. - Brian Gmutza

Soen - Imperial

I’m sure as we wrap up our EOTY list here at the Ometer, this record will be discussed and debated liberally. Imperial doesn’t necessarily take Soen in a new direction per se, but it does seem to be more ’pop’ orientated and a lot more melodic. Imperial still sounds like Soen though, and it might very well be their best album. When we do get to the end of 2021, I'm sure this will remain one of the very best progressive metal albums of the year.  - Chris Coleman-Peers

Todd La Torre - Rejoice in the Suffering

Amidst all of the drama with Rockenfieldsryche and Toddsryche, not to mention the ever-present spectre of Geoff Tate, you’d be forgiven for missing that Todd La Torre released a solo record in 2021. But you dismiss it at your own peril, as it’s a trove of muscular metal that will have you pumping your fist in time. Whatever happens with Queensryche, Rejoice in the Suffering is ample evidence that Todd La Torre is a metal force in his own right.  - Brian (and Eric!) Gmutza

Teenage Wrist - The Earth is a Black Hole

Touted as ones to watch in 2021, Teenage Wrist have a great mix of that early 90's grunge (particularly Smashing Pumpkins and My Bloody Valentine) sound. Teenage Wrist are a duo but you wouldn't know it when listening to this record, due to all the layering on the guitars. If you love that early nineties sound, then you will find something to love on The Earth is a Black Hole. Kicking off the album with a heavy fuzzy instrumental called ‘Squeeze’, the song segues into the lead single ‘The Taste of Gasoline’ and from there on out it’s like the nineties never ended. The album isn’t as heavy as I was expecting, but the songwriting and the effervescence of the songs make up for that and it is a hugely enjoyable record.  - Chris Coleman-Peers

Flotsam & Jetsam - Blood In The Water

You’d think following up their best album since No Place for Disgrace just two years after its release would be a daunting task, but Flotsam & Jetsam have crushed that challenge with a ferocity that may surprise haters and true believers alike. While I’m not yet convinced Blood in the Water is a better album than The End of Chaos, I’m only getting more impressed with it on each listen. At this point, I rank Flotsam & Jetsam right up there with Overkill, Sepultura, and Acid Reign in the pantheon of grizzled metal veterans showing the whippersnappers how to write a killer 21st century thrash album. - Eric Gmutza

Evile - Hell Unleashed

Evile’s Skull from 2013 was one of my favorite thrash records of the year, but it was unfortunately followed by silence. So I was delighted to hear that they’d gotten the band back together. The result is a punishing 40 minutes of speed-drenched thrash assault that is sure to impress even the most jaded thrasher. - Brian Gmutza

Honorable Mentions:

Hilyard - Division Cycle
I probably listened to this album more than anything else in the six months prior. It’s a dark ambient masterwork that is as unsettling as it is calming. - Brian Gmutza

Dry Cleaning - New Long Leg
An unlikely indie rock gem—imagine Sonic Youth with even less interest in vocal melodies. But the music is infectious and vocalist Florence Shaw’s bizarre poetry is full of surprises. - Eric Gmutza

Wardruna - Kvitravn
Einar Selvik has crafted another work of proper Viking music that will have you peering longingly into the campfire while you sip on your mug of mead. It’s perfect for cold winter nights… let it transport you to ancient Scandinavia. - Brian Gmutza

Demiricous - Fuck it… We’ll do it LIVE
“Time to warm that fuckin’ pit up kids!” For those who needed a reminder of the raw fury of a Demiricous live show, Fuck it… We’ll do it LIVE delivers a blistering fix. Now we wait until the band’s first new studio recording in 14 years, Chaotic Lethal, drops...later this year? - Eric Gmutza

Gojira - Fortitude
Even lesser Gojira is better than most: see our full track-by-track review of Fortitude for the good, bad, and the ugly. - Brian and Eric Gmutza

That's all for now. See you in December, list lovers!