Another year of way too many amazing albums and artists. It’s always extremely difficult scaling it down to a top 20ish. The order of this list changes by the day, so have some fun and hopefully discover something new! Hail Raatma!
Seputus – Phantom Indigo
I listened to this album the most this year, Phantom Indigo is disorienting, weird, and unbelievably crushing. I love albums that retain listenability due to how complex they are and this is one of them. There are members of Pyrrhon in this band and it shows and I say that in the best of ways.
Jute Gyte – Mitrealitat
Jute Gyte is a one-man metal magician creating surreal, discordant, uncomfortable, brain-breaking black metal. Every time I hear the naysayers say “metal is dead”, I just want to slam dunk any of his releases into their jaded and lazy ear holes. This album may be my favorite of JG so far.
Tunic – Quitter
So far, every single Tunic release has been an A+. Quitter is another entry of their shrill, aggressive, and pummeling noise-punk/rock that will leave blood on your Q-Tips. They also shred live too so go see them if they play your town.
Humanbeast – Divine Redeemer
Humanbeast continues to expand and change their sound which is part of the reason I get so excited for them to release music. Divine Redeemer maintains their explorations of dark, ambient electronics and noise experimentations complete with Maralie’s intensely gorgeous vocals. They are slowly transcending into their ultimate form and this may be their best album yet. I am also obsessed with this song and music video.
Succumb – XXI
Holy hell this is such a monster of an album- non-stop brutality from start to finish- catchy riffs, non-Cookie Monster vocals (thank fucking god), unpredictable song structures- death metal has become one of my least favorite branches of the metal tree, but when albums like XXI come around, I am all ears.
8 Hour Animal – Resigner
It’s a very safe bet that any album released by Sentient Ruin Laboratories is going to be top-notch and Resigner is one of their best. Harsh, noisy, industrial that shifts in and out of pounding percussion, walls of feedback, and absolute filth machine-gunned into your eardrums. This album is a journey into the sewers of hell- if you’re looking for something terrifying and uncomfortable, this is it.
FACS – Present Tense
Another band with a flawless catalog, FACS has a sound and style that’s disorienting and soothing yet comfortable and cold all at the same time. Present Tense is dissonant, post-punk that chills me to the bone in the warmest of ways.
Strebla – Cemento
2021 has had a huge revival of that driving and blown out, KARP style noise rock. Some do it better than others and Strebla just blows everyone right the fuck out of the water. One of the traps that many of those bands fall into is the lack of variance in tempo and guitar sound, where Cemento is a non-stop sonic attack and beatdown. I am looking forward to more from this band.
Psychic Graveyard – Veins Feel Strange
Definitely, their coldest release yet, VFS is like some pulsating blob of broken machine parts sputtering out some insidious post-punk. As usual, Eric Paul narrates the catchy as fuck weirdness that is getting pulsated into your psyche. Great stuff.
The Flying Luttenbachers – Negative Infinity
Weasel Walter and co. have released the 15th album of their no wave, free jazz, prog metal and as most bands tend to slow down, TFL just gets heavier and heavier. This album is definitely more akin to their previous album Shattered Dimension more so than earlier releases and I recommend all of them
Fitness – Full Well
Early 00’s Dischord Records-esque, noodly, nerdy, whacked-out post-punk. You don’t hear bands like this often and Full Well totally nails it while adding something new. Fun album!
Genghis Tron – Dream Weapon
Such a gorgeous album, GT has done an incredible job blending their cyber grind and space metal into their most cohesive, dreamy, and complex album yet. For as heavy as it is, I could also take a nap to it as well. I highly recommend this album.
Infinity Land – Honest Comedy
Aggressive, sludgy, 90’s style noise rock and then some. Lots of bands trying to do this style right now, but not even come close to Infinity Land. Check them out!
Pupil Slicer – Mirrors
I don’t delve into the metalcore arena that often, but stumbling upon Pupil Slicer may change that. Mirrors are a vicious spattering of math metal brutality. Every time I listen to this album I discover something new. Really well done.
Lalin St. Juste – Behind My Eyes
I usually just try to stick to full-length albums for my end-of-the-year list, but these 4 songs need to be heard. Experimental folk/R&B lullabies dripping with Lalin’s honey-sweet vocals. You’ll be playing these songs in your head for weeks after listening to this. I see nothing but amazing things in her future.
Disimiperium – Malefic Obliteration
Blackened death grind from the bowels of hell. It’s only 3 songs but it’s enough to draw and quarter your brain just in time for church. Looking forward to a full-length from this band.
Flesh Narc – Candy & Weed
I say this every year, but the Denton, TX crew is one of the best things happening to noise rock right now, or music in general. Every band or side project connected to any of the members of this band is just always on another level. C&W is another musical abomination that I am not even sure how they re-create live. But I have seen them and they definitely do it. This music is challenging but always a blast to listen to. I recommend anything by anyone involved in Flesh Narc
Boris & Merzbow – 2R0I2P0
This album really didn’t pick up much press this year and I am not sure why. This is what hallucinogens sound like and for all of you that have never done them, 2R0I2P0 is like chomping down an 8th of mushrooms on a bright summer day and venturing into the woods only to be abducted by aliens who replace your major organs with advanced extraterrestrial machinery that allows you to speak with computers and transcend the space-time continuum. Even if you’re not at all familiar with this feeling, you will still love this album.
Egrets On Ergot – Battle/Choice/Luxe
Rambunctious, Anarcho noise-punk- this album is a total blast from the past- you’ll find DNA traces of Dog Faced Hermans, Destroy All Monsters, The Ex, 8 Eyed Spy, Teenage Jesus and The Jerks, etc. in spatter of blood this band must leave all over their instruments every time they play. I am hoping to see this live, as soon as possible, also, this is one of the best music videos I have seen in a long time.
Full Of Hell – Garden Of Burning Apparitions
Yeah, still not sick of the Full Of Hell and I don’t think I ever will be. GOBA is my favorite release of theirs which is always a good sign when a band just keeps getting better- ferocious and biting grind metal at its finest.
Gloomseeker – The Violet Grim
Is going down a dark tunnel towards that light, but the more you listen, the further away it gets. As this album drones on, it invokes feelings of isolation, terror, warmth, and hope all at the same time. Underneath the plodding percussion and swirling darkness are haunting vocals that illuminate any space remaining. Really great album.
72% – How Is This Going To Make It Any Better?
Bearded Gentlemen’s very own Matt Jamison introduced me to these depraved noise rock ghouls. Crunchy, brooding, and sludgy noise rock that sounds like this album cover looks. You don’t hear stuff like this often these days so this was a treat.
