Come Monday, we begin the Top 40 albums of 2021, a pain in the ass of a list to put together if there ever was one. It may seem like 40 is a lot, but it’s not enough to get in every record we loved this year, and today’s list of runners up also won’t even cover all of that. But there are 5 records it pained us not to squeeze into the Top 40, and despite that, they’re still killers.

AARA, “Triad I: Eos” (Debemur Morti): For their third record “Triad I: Eos,” Swiss black metal force Aara decided to dig into 1820 novel Memloth the Wanderer by Irish Protestant clergyman and playwright Charles Robert Maturin, and it tells the story of a man who sold his soul to the devil for another 150 years of existence on earth. Good thing is you have time to absorb the text because this album is the first in a trilogy for the band—vocalist Fluss, guitarist/bassist Berg, drummer J—that we assume will continue over their fourth and fifth albums, if they stay on a straight path with the story. The music is another dose of their sharp, fully atmospheric black metal that surges and causes your blood to rush along with them. Fluss’ shrieks manage to get inside of you and swim in your head, bringing you to your own brink of damnation. (March 26)

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/Aara-941630312665011

To buy the album (North America), go here: https://debemurmorti.aisamerch.com/

Or here (Europe): https://www.debemur-morti.com/en/12-eshop

For more on the label, go here: https://www.debemur-morti.com/en/

FORHIST, self-titled (Debemur Morti): Blut Aus Nord mastermind Vindsval never rests, and that’s apparent in his art, the latest coming under the new Forhist banner, resulting in some of the most aggressive black metal he’s made in some time. Yet, there still are stretches of imagination and wonder in what he does on these bone-freezing eight tracks, but for the most part, it’s power, riffs, riveting chaos, and infectious melodies, keeping your insides volcanically hot while your body tries to adjust to the sub-freezing temperatures. The tracks are titled “I” through “VIII,” and the thunder and frost coasted over these songs will make your skull shiver as you immerse yourself in violent disorientation. (Feb. 26)

For more on the band, go here: https://blutausnord.bandcamp.com/album/forhist

To buy the album (U.S.), go here: https://debemurmorti.aisamerch.com/band/forhist

Or here: https://www.debemur-morti.com/en/518-forhist-shop

For more on the label, go here: https://www.debemur-morti.com/en/

MEHENET, “Ng’ambu” (Gilead Media/Stygian Black Hand): Undoubtedly one of the strangest records to come out this year and yet another example that black metal can shape and shift into whatever it wants to be, New Orleans-based band Mehenet unleashed “Ng’ambu,” a spiritual force. According to the band’s bio, Mehenet’s music has a personal connection and dedication to Quimbanda, the Afro-Brazilian diasporic belief system based around magic, rituals, and offerings. It separated from Macumba and at some point took on the darker, more black magic aspects of the religion. “Horse to the Earth,” “In the Garden of Suicide,” and closer “The Mystery of Nations” grab your attention, keep it, and fill you with blackness from which you’ll never fully recover. This music lives in your bloodstream, an infection for which you won’t want an antidote.  (Sept. 10)

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/Abomination718/

To buy the album (vinyl to come in 2022), go here: https://gileadmedia.net/products/mehenet-ngambu-cd

Or here (cassette): https://stygianblackhand.bandcamp.com/album/ngambu

For more on the label, go here: https://gileadmedia.net/

And here: http://www.stygianblackhand.com/

MORTIFERUM, “Preserved in Torment” (Profound Lore): If you want to immerse yourself in thick doom and morbid death blackness, you don’t have to look much further than Olympia, Wash., maulers Mortiferum and their ungoly second record “Preserved in Torment.” This horrifying follow-up to debut offering “Disgorged From Psychotic Depths” maintains that impenetrable density and gloomy violence, battering you on tracks such as “Eternal Procession,” monstrous “Incubus of Bloodstained Visions,” “Exhumed From Mortal Spheres,” and mighty closer “Mephitis of Disease.” You’ll feel like you need a shower to remove the grime afterward. (Nov. 5)

For more on the band, go here: https://mortiferum.bandcamp.com/

To buy the album, go here: https://profoundlorerecords.merchtable.com/

For more on the label, go here: https://profoundlorerecords.com/

PUTRISCENE, “The Fading Flame” (Tridroid): We’ve already hailed San Diego death squad Putrescine in the past, but their first crack at a full-length was a true test, and they came out with disgusting flying colors on “The Fading Flame.” This 10-track, 41-miniute album was one of the more interesting releases in a year filled with killer death metal records, and nine months after it first landed, it remains a formidable power, lathering you with vicious entries including “The Abyss,” “Devourer of Gods,” “That Mountain” (vocalist Marie McAuliffe describes the track about her surviving trauma), “Outsider” (a message about class structure within the gay community), and “In a Setting Sun” that balances technical prowess with gut-slicing power and violence. The fact the band is proudly antifascist is yet another reason for eternal fucking hails and continued visits with this killer record. (March 26)

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/Putrescine-464280534319064/

To buy the album, go here: https://tridroid.bandcamp.com/album/the-fading-flame

For more on the label, go here: https://www.facebook.com/TridroidRecords/

Before we leap into the Top 40 records of 2021, we’d like to honor some of the strong EPs that have come out this year. No matter what form of heavy music is your favorite, there were smaller releases all over the place to either tide you over to the next full-length or give you an introductory jolt from a band perhaps previously unknown to you. We love these releases, we still listen to them relentlessly, and they’re worth your hard-earned money. Or maybe you don’t work that hard but still make money. Capitalism. It’s a fucker.  

GUHTS, “Blood Feather” (self-released): Hey, we can’t cover everything, and we missed on Guhts’ awesome “Blood Feather,” their great debut EP. It’s hard to really pin down the band’s sound as they use doom, sludge, atmospheric dreaming, and Amber Burns’ wrenching, soaring voice that absolutely cannot be denied. The highlight of the four-track collection is the 10-minute closer “The Forest” that is a sonic journey, and it’s preceded by menacing “Eyes Open,” “Handless Maiden,” and “The Mirror.” Really excited to hear where this band goes from here. (Aug. 6)

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/guhtsband

To buy the album, go here: https://guhts.bandcamp.com/album/blood-feather

CULT OF LUNA, “The Raging River” (Metal Blade/Red Creek): A sort of bridge between “A Dawn to Fear” and the upcoming “The Long Road North” (spoiler: it’s fucking awesome), “The Raging River” was a chance for Swedes Cult of Luna to add a smaller portion size to their ravenous audience but do it in a way that absolutely floors you. The four tracks run over nearly 39 minutes, so it’s a full-length offering for many other bands, but somehow they keep you wanting even more after “What I Leave Behind,” “Inside of a Dream” that features Mark Lanegan, and epic closer “Wave After Wave.” (Feb. 5)

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/cultoflunamusic

To buy the album, go here: https://www.indiemerch.com/metalbladerecords

Or here: https://red-crk.com/collections/vinyl/products/cult-of-luna-the-raging-river-aside-bside-clear-and-red-new-pressing

For more on the label, go here: https://www.metalblade.com/us/

And here: https://red-crk.com/

SPIRIT ADRIFT, “Forge Your Future” (Century Media): It was an off year of sorts for Spirit Adrift who did not offer up a new full-length record and also moved to Century Media, a behemoth if there ever was one. Yet they managed to check in with this great three-song EP, further proof that they have their swords sharpened, their magic ready to explode, and their traditional metal chops ready to capture more hearts and minds. Basically, if you already were on board with this band, this EP will feel right at home as they hammer you with the title track, the awesome “Wake Up,” and “Invisible Enemy.” I’m psyched beyond words for their next full album. (Aug. 27)

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/SpiritAdrift

To buy the album, go here: http://www.cmdistro.com/

For more on the label, go here: https://www.centurymedia.com/

GRANDEUR, “Aurea Aetas” (Halo of Flies/Absolute Contempt): Halo of Flies was a favorite label of mine, but when they went dormant a few years ago, it cut off a flow of heavy releases that were exciting and you could feel positive were not made by a bunch of sketchy motherfuckers. So, we rejoiced when they reared their head again with Grandeur’s killer debut EP, 18 minutes of devastating black metal delivered by sole member Erech. The songs are inventive and volcanic, carving out your eyes and moving you with mystical yet melodic violence that hints at the promise of one of black metal’s next great hopes. This EP is still kicking our ass to this day. (June 13)

For more on the band, go here: https://grandeurbm.bandcamp.com/releases

To buy the album, go here: https://haloofflies.bandcamp.com/album/aurea-aetas

And here: https://absolutecontemptrecords.bandcamp.com/

For more on the label, go here: https://haloofflies.bandcamp.com/

Or here: https://absolutecontemptrecords.bandcamp.com/album/aurea-aeta

KATAAN, self-titled (Prosthetic): Vattnet Viskar seemed like the next huge thing in black metal several years ago, but it wasn’t meant to be, and they eventually dissolved. Out of that was born Kataaan, combining Nicholas Thornbury and Brett Boland (also of Astronoid) who served up their self-titled EP that felt like both an introduction and an appetizer into what they intend to do. Their death metal is adventurous and expansive, focusing on depression and dystopian trauma, using these four songs as both a wake-up call to an easily misled public and a quaking surge that art can be a way of breaking out of those doldrums and doing some damage of our own. Very excited for a full-length. (May 7)

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/kataanband/

To buy the album, go here: https://shop.prostheticrecords.com/

For more on the label, go here: https://www.prostheticrecords.com/

Other smaller releases we loved: Thou/Emma Ruth Rundle “The Helm of Sorrow”; Lady Beast “Omens”; Aduanten, “Sullen Cadence”; Witch Vomit “Abhorrent Rapture”; Dawn Ray’d “Wild Fire”; Rorcal/Earthflesh collaboration “Witch Coven”; Myopic/At the Graves collaboration “A Cold Sweat of Quiet Dread”

This is a heavy metal site, but that music isn’t the be all end all. I try to be an adventurous listener, but it’s been a really hard year. The worst I can remember. A lot of my musical choices have centered on comfort because I needed familiar voices and sounds. I needed a way to get out of the pain and hurt that was on my trail the entire time. These are, in alphabetical order, some of the non-metal records that helped get me through.

CIRCUIT DES YEUX, “-io” (Matador): Haley Fohr has been making blunt, imaginative music for years now under the Circuit des Yeux banner, her husky voice something that isn’t always welcoming at first but always finds a way to draw you in. “-io” is her seventh record under this banner, and it contains some of  her most engaging and inventive work ever (“Dogma” has been in my brain ever since I first heard it on vacation in August, the drum beat stampeding me), and it’s all over this amazing record that also peaks on “Sculpting the Exodus” and “The Chase.” (Oct. 22)

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/CircuitdesYeux/

To buy the album, go here: https://www.matadorrecords.com/store.matadorrecords.com/-io

For more on the label, go here: https://www.matadorrecords.com/

CHARLOTTE CORNFIELD, “Highs in the Minuses” (Double Double Whammy/Polyvinyl): Charlotte Cornfield came into my life when the Canadian artist’s song “Destroy Me” came up on a Spotify mix and sunk a dagger in my heart. The simple chorus of, “My anxiety’s crippling, where does it come from, where is it going, will it destroy me?” basically was like a summary of my year. Her naked, vulnerable delivery absolutely selling that dread. Elsewhere on her fourth record, she’s just as impactful on “Pac-Man,” reality check “Headlines,” and crushing ballad “Drunk on You.” (Oct. 29)

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/cornfieldmusic

To buy the album, go here: https://dbldblwhmmy.com/store

Or here: https://www.polyvinylrecords.com/product/highs_in_the_minuses

For more on the label, go here: https://dbldblwhmmy.com/

And here: https://www.polyvinylrecords.com/

SIERRA FERRELL, “Long Time Coming” (Rounder): I can admit when I’m wrong, and I absolutely was when I didn’t pay attention to Sierra Ferrell at first because I knew she was a YouTube star. Well, goddamn if I’m not a fool, because her debut record “Long Time Coming” is a revelation, and her voice is something you need to hear to fully understand. Her old-time country sound is dressed with her West Virginia roots, and she shines on “In Dreams,” “The Sea,” and “Bells of Every Chapel.” I can’t get her music out of my mind, and luckily I can just keep indulging as long as I want. (Aug. 20)

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/sierraferrellmusic

To buy the album, go here: https://store.rounder.com/collections/sierra-ferrell

For more on the label, go here: https://rounder.com/

THE HOLD STEADY, “Open Door Policy” (Positive Jams/Thirty Tigers): I’ve gone on about this before, but 2021 was a horrible year for me that was rife with personal tragedies. So, I tended to fall back into comfort a lot, and the Hold Steady are one of those bands that makes it feel like having beers with old friends and discussing our Catholic guilt. It’s great to hear this band back on a roll the past few years (keyboard player/back-up singer Franz Nicolay’s return was crucial), and they fire on all cylinders on these tracks that sometimes feel like the people in your life who really, truly know you. (Feb. 19)

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/TheHoldSteady

To buy the album, go here: https://theholdsteady.bandcamp.com/album/open-door-policy

For more on the label, go here: https://www.thirtytigers.com/

JAPANESE BREAKFAST, “Jubilee” (Dead Oceans): “Be Sweet” is the best damn pop song of the year, and I won’t hear any other opinions. “Jubilee” is the record that took Michelle Zauner’s great Japanese Breakfast from a steady indie favorite to a force that can conquer much more, and this third album is powered by so many great songs such as “Savage Good Boy,” “Paprika,” “Posing in Bondage,” and awesome closer “Posing for Cars.” This album is a triumph in every sense of the world, and it’s as exciting now as it was the first time I heard it.  (June 4)

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/japanesebreakfast/

To buy the album, go here: https://www.secretlystore.com/dead-oceans

For more on the label, go here: https://deadoceans.com/

MARISSA NADLER, “The Path of the Clouds” (Sacred Bones): A longtime favorite at this site, Marissa Nadler is one whose work has bled into metal’s periphery (she worked with Xasthur and Stephen Brodsky), but her solo work has been so special and haunting, that we cannot help but genuflect in front of her. She focuses on mystery, tragedy, and murder on this awesome record, sweeping in with storytellers such as “Bessie, Did You Make It?” about two lovers dying on an adventure, “Couldn’t Have Done the Killing,” and stunning closer “Lemon Queen.” She has outdone herself again. (Oct. 29)

For more on the band, go here: https://www.marissanadler.com/

To buy the album, go here: https://www.sacredbonesrecords.com/collections/marissa-nadler

For more on the label, go here: https://www.sacredbonesrecords.com/

EMMA RUTH RUNDLE, “Engine of Hell” (Sargent House): Emma Ruth Rundle’s music is no stranger to pain and loss, and that is all over “Engine of Hell,” a record so stripped back and vulnerable, it sometimes feels intrusive to listen to these songs. You know things are different on opener “Return,” an acoustic number with Rundle’s voice scratching for something, letting us know that things are different now. “Blooms of Oblivion” brings back painful memories, trips to the methadone clinic, and hopelessness, while “Dancing Man” actually has some bright points that shine through. “In My Afterlife” is a classic Rundle closer where she throttles you emotionally, admitting, “I have a feeling I might be here a while.” I hope she can find some peace and love she so richly deserves.  (Nov. 5)

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/emmaruthrundle/

To buy the album, go here: https://www.hellomerch.com/collections/emma-ruth-rundle

For more on the label, go here: https://www.sargenthouse.com/

STRAND OF OAKS, “In Heaven” (Thirty Tigers): A few years ago, Timothy Showalter made a Strand of Oaks record that seemed to confound people (I like “Hard Love” but whatever), but since then, he’s been on fire. “In Heaven” is another classic Strand record that feels hard edged but also full of sentimentality and emotion, following in a similar path as a mutual hero of ours Jason Molina. This is a damn great record that highlights with “Jimi and Stan,” a sad but sweet tale of two friends in the afterlife; really great “Somewhere in Chicago”; and “Galacticana” that is one of the catchiest and most positive songs of Showalter’s career. It just fills you with sun, especially when he sings, “I just like hanging out.” Such a great track. (Oct. 1)

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/strandofoaks

To buy the album, go here: https://strandofoaks.bandcamp.com/album/in-heaven

For more on the label, go here: https://www.thirtytigers.com/

TORRES, “Thirstier” (Merge): Mackenzie Scott has made some truly great music under the Torres name, with every record offering something completely different from what came before it. It feels like she hits a groove on “Thirstier,” her fifth record and one of her most confident. She also has some fun, which is nothing new for her, with the title track, the grungy puncher “Are You Sleepwalking?” and the sweet but cautious “Don’t Go Putting Wishes in My Head,” where she jabs her mate with, “I know promising forever’s not your thing, but now if you don’t want me to go dreaming, don’t spend your mornings and evenings in my bed.” (July 30)

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/TORRESMUSICOFFICIAL

To buy the album, go here: https://www.mergerecords.com/store

For more on the label, go here: https://www.mergerecords.com/

FAYE WEBSTER, “I Know I’m Funny Haha” (Secretly Canadian): I’m not sure Faye Webster is capable of writing a bad song or a mediocre song, because she hasn’t done it yet. All she does is turn up with gold like she does on her third record, the affectionately named “I Know I’m Funny Haha,” the title of which originates from a conversational turn in the title track. “Better Distractions” is the perfect doorway into the record; “A Dream With a Baseball Player” is so great and fun; “Cheers” can make your insides quake; and “In a Good Way” is a jazzy ballad that’s classy and heartfelt, turning your heart on overdrive. (June 25)

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/websterfaye

To buy the album, go here: https://www.secretlystore.com/secretly-canadian

For more on the label, go here: https://secretlycanadian.com/

Never make plans. I’ve said that over and over in my life, and for some stupid reason, I keep doing the exact opposite of that, and it always comes back to bite me. Middle of last week, I finally finished my top 40 for the year, which was the most difficult list I’ve done in the history of this site. I was finally feeling good, and then Adam Bartlett of Gilead Media destroyed my world, so thanks!

Actually, for real, thanks. Because he announced a final release for his label for the year, that being “Before the Glinting Spells Unvest,” the second effort from Ustalost, which is helmed by Will Skarstad, co-founder of black metal spirits Yellow Eyes. So, yes, we kind of had to rip up the top 40 sort of, but it was my pleasure to do so as this album is just astonishingly great, which is no big surprise. Ustalost’s 2016 debut “A Spoor of Vipers” was our no 6 album of the year, and this one inhabits the same universe with a little more intoxicating smoke and strange visions that have you on the line between euphoria and panic. These six tracks are a mind warp, and while I’ve been 100 percent sober for every listen in the past week (and there have been many), I’m very curious to see where some minor and wholly legal mind-altering substances take me. Fuck, this is good. I know it’s some time off because of the vinyl plant hell that’s going on, but I can’t wait to hear this thing on my turntable.

“Enough Glass Will Cast a Shadow” get things started basking in a synth cloud that feels almost as if it’s emitting the green and blue from the cover before the track tears apart. The shrieks punish as they echo in the atmosphere, the pace charges with a progressive energy, and the riffs cascade, washing you away with them. Fury is unleashed anew as the shrieks pound away, the guitars glisten, and your mind wanders into the unknown. “Stinging Stone” basks in fog as the tempo arrives under cover of night, and the vocals rip hard, joined by an inhuman clean choral section behind, taking you into the stars. The bass slinks and slithers as vicious cries jolt, and a blinding storm arrives that robs you of sight. The synth simmers as the smoke blankets the horizon, ending in sci-fi heat. “White Marble Column Air” drips in with keys and bells chiming, and then the pulsating action is under way, drilling into your mind as vicious howls envelop. It’s a strange aura that lifts into electric atmosphere, joining with panicked shrieks and synth lines swimming in the eeriness, continually blasting until it sinks into soundscape.

The title track gets moving in a hurry as tricky riffs tangle you in laces and then taunt, encircling you with a gust of chaos. Chilling choral sections cause you to shiver as the guitars confound, the bass tramples, and a delirious push ends in soot. “Spider Tongue, Memory Ester” runs eight minutes and boils in its juices, the guitars spiraling and causing the sky to hypnotize. The shrieks tear into the flesh as the bass bends time, the riffs sting, and you notice your extremities are numb. The synth activates and coats your lungs, the bass chugs, and the guitars turn more sinister, positioning its red eyes your way, building pressure, and melting into 9:08-long closer “Bright Window Closing.” That track muscles its way in with strong guitar work and flooding melodies that work alongside the vocals that carve into your skull. A disarming chorus sits behind and haunts while the pace doubles and blisters, folding in on itself. The bass rivets as the calls echo, the playing melts into space, and the final moments are bells chiming until silence devours everything.

This final entry in 2021 is a welcome one that we’d let disrupt our schedule anytime, so we embrace “Before the Glinting Spells Unvest,” an absolute gem of a record. Ustalost, over just two records, have created an atmosphere and universe that do not seem a part of this reality, yet there it is, bleeding into ours, warping our viewpoint. Leave it to Skarstad to wait until the very last minute to release one of the most engaging and powerful black metal albums of the entire year.

For more on the band, go here: https://ustalost.bandcamp.com/

To buy the album, go here: https://gileadmedia.bandcamp.com/

For more on the label, go here: https://gileadmedia.net/

We end the year hoping that, if only possible, we could look down the line into 2022 and beyond and hope that there’s something in which we can believe. Things have been so miserable for so many, and the depression and fear has been palpable, so any sign that we have a reason to think there are good things ahead of us, or a modicum of safety, would be a godsend.

On this final review of the year (um, see ya next week for one more), we try to look out into the darkness for a hint of a flare, something that indicates moving ahead won’t be full of danger and disappointment at every turn. That’s also a theme of “Distant Fires,” the new record from Heiress that pushes you mentally and physically to try to find that glimmer. If you’re tired of hearing about pandemics and political trash fires, worry not. The band—vocalist John Pettibone, guitarist Wes Reed, bassist Mat Houot, drummer Justin Martinez—obviously lives in the same world as the rest of us and have been just as impacted, but the title and direction takes on a more personal edge. It’s striving for guidance to keep oneself walking upright, trying to survive and thrive in a world that doesn’t seem to want that to happen. That’s applied to their atmospheric doom and sludge that feels both brutal and spacious, giving you room to soothe any lingering burns.

“All Ends” delivers punishment right off the bat, plowing with gritty howls and guitars carving into the earth, with the atmosphere also thickening. The vocals turn to shrieks, the playing slowly crushes, and the leads go from moody to trudging, ending everything in a pile of ash. “Collides” is a quick one that blows through you before you know what hit you, with the track’s guts just bristling. The vocals are harsh and the assault is direct, ending in a howl of echo. “Once Was” buckles into that rich ISIS-style terrain, but in their own way and with their unique personality. The gaze drips heavily, the sounds swell, and spacious destruction is dished out generously, capturing your mind. “One was as thick as blood,” Pettibone howls as the guitars soar, wounds open, and the life forces drain into something new. “Beyond Devotions” is grisly and massive, leaving welts on your flesh before opening a doorway to the mystical. The playing dizzies as the tempo picks up, grime thickens, and the fury melts chains, sending you into a flurry of shots. Things wrench anew, the guitar work crushes, and the final moments blast out.

“Quiet Tension” is anything but gentle as beastly howls explode, the riffs snarl, and the low end bludgeons, opening up your guts. Guitars scorch before a brief calm brings some soothing waters, but that’s short lived as the playing slashes, and everything burns to the ground. “Straying Eye” is lumbering heavy as the growls set the pace emotionally, and the guitar work gains humidity that makes your body wilt. The bands rumbles in place, melodies spread, and the sludge thickens, roaring with power as it fades out. “Unsettler” is cement thick with growls retching, and the playing keeps chipping away at bone. The guitars light up as the heat becomes insurmountable, with Pettibone wailing, “Where I stand, where we began,” as the ending breathes fire. “Surviving You” closes the album, bringing rustling noises and meaty riffs, with Pettibone turning in some of his most ferocious work. The melodies turn dour and darker as Pettibone blasts, “Sometimes you see right through me,” followed by guitars that rip into sinew. The track goes from massive to merciful and back, finally sending its remaining charges as Pettibone howls, “Rejection, staring back at me,” and the pain slithers down the drain.

Heiress’ might is on full display on “Distant Fires,” a record that is a huge, relentless storm hanging over your head, refusing to let you give up on your search. Trying to find signs of hope off in the distance has become a fool’s game of late, and surviving despite all of that has devolved into a game. This music pays off that hopelessness and despair as we cling to whatever we have left, hoping one day that beacon will show itself, and our tense chest muscles finally can relax.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/Heiressy

To buy the album, go here: https://heiress.bandcamp.com/

For more on the label, go here: https://www.satanikroyaltyrecords.com/

So much art is so dark nowadays, a product of our time for sure, and things are only bound to get worse from here. No idea if we’re anywhere near a global apocalypse or just a mere extinction event, but the pain just keeps getting deeper, and the chances of humanity coming out of things unscathed already has been done away with.

That theme of outright destruction bleeds over into the new self-titled record from Torii, the project of multi-instrumentalist Bill Masino, who has seen this venture from its start as a duo to this seventh record where he’s now the sole member. It’s the first record in three years under this banner, and the music here is about as varied as it is anywhere else in the catalog. Black metal remains the spine, though there are elements of death metal, doom, and atmospherics as the eight tracks combine to form a spellbinding adventure that is one of the most immersive Torii albums yet.

“The Second Renaissance” begins with morbid riffs and burly growls that crush before synth folds in, and acoustic guitars add a rustic feel. Strings reach as the center is ripped out all over again, the vocals deface, and everything comes to a pummeling finish. “Synthetic Dust” pounds way as the bass coils and strikes, and the darkness collects, bringing with it stunning power that leaves you reeling. Then the pace comes unglued, the playing chugs massively, and the leads burn and also cut you deeply, making you feel every damaged nerve. The playing fades to dark for a moment before it rises again, delivering gloomy tidings that pull you under for good. “Persephone” is a quick instrumental cut that feels murky and foggy, increasing the dark moods as “Eurydice” arrives and basks in strangeness. A dreary force makes its way toward you, simmering heavily in burly death, trucking slowly but solidly into churning guitars and an unexpected glimmering. Things get confounding and freezing, chilling you in your place.

“Grey Expanse” sinks into heaviness with a punishing aura and a way of making you feel even more uncomfortable. The guitars are engulfed in flames as we tear through a mystical aura that pumps out fog, the voices echo, and the punches land even harder. A bit of a psychedelic strip emerges, and massive hell is delivered, mashing your bones, drowning you in eerie chaos as everything disappears into a space haze. “Void” centers in murky immersion and a sense of hypnosis, increasing the shadows and returning to the stars, paving the way for “Inertia” that enters amid strange melodies and warm guitars that soon enter rocky waters. The playing mangles as the growls roar, gutting you and bringing violence that eats away at your body and mind. “Torii” is the closer, starting with guitars dripping and a bizarre mist increasing, setting up an ambiance that turns into a beast. About four minutes in, the growls arrive, and a mid-tempo hulking makes its way toward you, slashing away and eventually making toward the heavens. Guitars dissolve into warmth as mournful strains bleed, the playing descends into psychological testing, and stardust drops, covering you in mystery.

Torii’s new, self-titled record is one of the most confident and varied in the band’s run, a really strong collection that takes you on a journey beyond this plane and into something else. Each track here builds on that drama, making this a true interconnected experience and not something from which you can just cherry pick tracks and expect to find meaning. This is a late-year gem, an example of black metal that can take chances, eschew rules, and achieve something altogether their own.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/Torii-1453589898219218

To buy the album, go here: https://torii.bandcamp.com/

It’s not been a super easy year for me to stay busy for so many reasons that it would take multiple posts to explain. Tragedy has taken its toll on me, and I’ve delved deeper into comfort and further from exploration than any point in my life. But that’s this year. Others have stayed plenty busy and have found our new reality as a way to be productive and keep grinding away.

That’s a cute way of me getting ready to say OK, Myrdød, we get it.  You had a lot of energy to release, and that came in the form of three goddamn full-length records and four EPs in 2021 alone! All joking aside, that’s really impressive, and their latest “The Mourning Hollow” isn’t arriving until this final month, but shit, what an impact it makes on first listen and subsequent visits. I’m as jaded as anyone who has to sift through 900 black metal albums every year, because they’re not all worth your time. But this duo—vocalist Fractal Creature, multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Søppelskaler—swarms you with chaos and immersive visions, making you feel like you’ve entered a new plane of existence while you’re being ravaged at the stake. It’s a good time.

“Orb Weaver” dawns in cosmic noise as the guitars come to life, and the voices sit beneath the carnage. Demonic shrieks mix with strange synth, things feel woozy and weird, and a gravelly finish pushes cinders into your wounds. “Ritualized Cave Birth” just unloads as the vocals smear, and the playing trudges heavily, turning into a vicious assault. Gargantuan hell is unleashed as the vocals corrode and the thrashing picks up speed, jolting you and icing your brain with strange effects. Industrial-style crushing taxes your muscles, a blackened fury stretches, and the final moments are absorbed by a storm. “Drom” begins with strange gears turning before things gets ugly, and the growls get underneath your skin. The guitars launch an attack with the basslines following behind in a storm, stomping and dragging through soot. Maddening riffs ignite, scrambling your brains, and then the playing chugs forward, blasting out with violent precision.

“Spellbound Tree” has the riffs charging and forming a united front as the melodies rampage, pushing into a blinding terror. Once again, your sanity is tested, the pace blackens, and a synth fog rises, swallowing everything whole. “Elders Cave” blows in with snarling riffs and a lightning pace, smashing away as a ghostly aura forms in front of your eyes. The bulk of the track absolutely batters as the savage vocals crush your soul, and a blanket of synth enshrouds you, making the room spin out of control. You enter into what feels like a fever dream before the pace speeds up, the drums blast with power, and the track bleeds away. “Diabolical Ancient Blessing” closes the record by instantly exploding with the growls decimating and the speed threatening your safety. The riffs lather as hell spills onto the earth’s surface, the pressure increases, and the last shot buries you for good.

Myrdød’s black metal is a heavy stormfront that catapults toward you and spits shrapnel into your exposed face. It’s nasty. But there is a lot of melody and mystery in “The Mourning Hollow,” an excellent display of chaos from what’s becoming a rather prolific band if 2021 is any indication. Black metal needs more imaginative bands to keep the sub-genre moving and vital, and this duo and record are just what it needs to stay savage.

For more on the band, go here: https://myrdod.bandcamp.com/

To buy the album, go here: https://wisebloodrecords.bandcamp.com/

For more on the label, go here: https://www.facebook.com/wisebloodrecs

As a pro football fan, specifically of the Steelers of Pittsburgh who represent the city in which I live, it always sounds dumb to say T.J. Watt had a good game. Of course, he did. As long as he was breathing, I’m sure he was a problem for the other team. It’s just as strange to say death metal had a great 2021 because yeah, that sub-genre has been on fire the past few years. This is not surprising.

The slate of newer death metal bands who have shown up and made a stellar effort has been refreshing, and that continues on this last week for reviews of the year for this site. Portugal’s Phenocryst are delivering their debut EP “Explosions,” and it’s such a satisfying listen that I’m already in line for the full-length. The band—guitarists/vocalists D.S. and N., bassist V. M., drummer P. Tosher—only formed this devastating union at the beginning of our diseased year 2020, but they’ve already rounded into a strong force that’s cutting their teeth but also capable of packing their goods with explosives that’ll leave you wounded and gasping on the floor. Figuratively.

“Fumarole Emanations” starts with guitars awakening and the growls scorching, hammering with infernal power. The track is absolutely monstrous as it increases the darkness, getting vicious before the track boils, growls hiss, and the attack ends in smoke. “Phreatic Explosions” clobbers as it fires up, mashing and unloading, putting on maximum pressure. The guitars tangle as things get foreboding, pummeling the earth and unleashing demonic howls, playing that melts rock, and heavy swarming before the track bows out. “Pyroclastic Flows” is torn apart by horrifying riffs and the thick basslines trudging as the pace is just shredded. Mean growls and a pace that bruises leave psychological wounds while the track blisters with death, bubbling with inhuman growls as the track fades. “Craters” thrashes with guttural growls and even some atmosphere that brings alleviation from the heat. Adventurous guitar work swarms while feral punishment is unleashed, the playing blasts slowly but heavily, and the final moments are trampled. “Igneous Fluids” is an instrumental outro that slithers along and crackles, leaking chemicals and infection, depositing the final drops of your brain.

Phenocryst’s brand of death metal may still be forming, but what they reveal on “Explosions” indicates a bright, albeit brutal future. They have a strong grasp on what they’re trying to do, and these songs form five vicious examples of what they’re capable of achieving. This feels like a dull blade being driven into your guts, pushing past every vital stretch, leaving you writhing in pain.

For more on the band, go here: https://phenocryst.bandcamp.com/releases

To buy the album, go here: https://shop.bloodharvest.se/

For more on the label, go here: https://www.bloodharvest.se/

For some reason, it’s monster week here at the site, a good month and some change after Halloween, but we live in an actual nightmare, so why should we stop the bloodshed? It only seems fitting to end this week with another dose of horror, albeit this kind also packs a lot of fun and great callbacks to classic films, so I guess we can feel good amid a pit of senseless violence.

Canadian death-and-roll crushers VHS are here to splash your holiday fun with endless plasma on their killer fifth full-length record “I Heard They Suck … Blood,” an 11-track mauler that bathes in the fantastic misery of films such as “Lost Boys,” “Near Dark,” “Martin,” and others. Packed with some special guests from notable bands (more on them later), VHS delve right into the vampire horror genre like they’re as thirsty for life-saving juices as the characters they send up on these cuts. The band—vocalist/guitarist Mike Hochins, bassist Curtis Mill, drummer Andy Middaugh—serves up these homages in a disgusting stew comprised of death metal, thrash, grind, punk, and plenty of other heavy elements, pushing you on a breathless surge that can only end in pain and terror that you’ll actually enjoy.

“Vampiric Hemoglobin Suckers” is a strange, blood-smearing intro cut complete with dialog from “Lost Boys,” and then we’re into “Fake Blood and Push-Up Bras” the features guest vocals from Black Dahlia Murder’s Trevor Strnad, which is only right. The track absolutely bludgeons, and strong riffs flex their muscles, adding to your misery. The leads go off as thrashy fun is achieved, and we’re then on to “The Frog Brothers” that also is another “Lost Boys” reference and knifes through with jolting growls and vicious mashing. The leads swelter and saxophone explodes, which makes total and complete sense and made me howl with laughter. Guts are diced from there, and the track ends with a wrenching pace. “Undead Casanova” has punchy riffs and back-and-forth vocals that rupture your flesh, the chorus getting beneath your skin. The playing is catchy as hell as it assaults you, synth blazes, and a “Fright Night” clip takes the track to its end. “Horror of Dracula” also features Strnad and starts with a Krusty the Clown clip (he kinda sorta utters the album title) before catchy riffs begin to chug. The dual vocals create a perfect, violent push and pull while the thrashing gets even meatier, bringing a hammer to your skull.

“A Town Called Purgatory” brings Southern-friend guitar work, maybe not the most expected thing from a Canadian band, and the bluesy stomp makes your insides ache. Death continues to open its jaws for consumption as the vocals mangle, the speed ignites, and everything winds up in dust. “Immortality Comes With a Price” features Dave Ingram from Benediction, and things gets moving after a clip from “Near Dark,” which means your body is compromised by the brutality. The vocals bubble as the track feels like it gurgles blood, ending with terrifying precision. “Martin, Martin” is based on George Romero’s 1976 vampire film named … “Martin.” It’s also fun as fuck as the playing is muddy, and Hochins wails, “Why do you drink blood?” as the band surrounds him with enough grime and filth as one can handle. “I’m Sorry Abby” features a clip from “Let Me In” and brings growls that curdle blood, and the guitar work amplifies the drama. Strange melodies make your brain ache as the playing has a strange Euro feel to it before ripping into your throat and leaving you gasping. “Getting the Gang Back Together” begins with a sample from “Monster Squad” before the riffs work into your mind, and the charging tempo makes it tough to catch your breath. The chorus scrapes, and there are stretches where punk bravado makes the track even tastier, ending with an awesome and forceful rush. “Black Mass” is the instrumental closer that contains clips from “Dracula A.D. 1972” and it’s a way to reset your blood pressure as the guitar glaze, hand drumming calms, and the dark vibe lets you rest. In peace.

VHS’s bloody, campy death metal is both violently perverse but also an absolute blast as “I Heard They Suck … Blood” can be a sure-fire record that gets annual visits each Halloween. But that isn’t to suggest it’s gimmicky and only works in that forum, because that would be selling this band and record way too short. This is a blood-and-guts death metal record that devastates but never takes itself too seriously, which is the same attitude displayed by the films they worship on this album.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/vhsthunderbay

To buy the album, go here: https://vhshorror.bandcamp.com/album/i-heard-they-suck-blood

For more on the label, go here: https://www.facebook.com/wisebloodrecs

Metal has its wells that it commonly dips into, and that’s fine because there are certain things that just work well eternally for the genre. Do a lyrical content search on Metal Archives for Greek mythology, and you will find a treasure trove of bands that have dabbled in the topic from every style from every place on the planet. Metal never will abandon Greek tales as inspirational fodder, rightfully so.

One of the latest to jump deep into that pool is Danish death metal crushers Phrenelith on their gargantuan second record “Chimaera,” a mighty and savage display that’s a marked step up from their 2017 “Desolate Escape” debut. Nothing wrong with that record as it remains a steady first building block for the band, but they find some different magic on these seven tracks that run over 31 minutes. It’s economical in length and packed with power, with the band—guitarist/vocalist Simon David Larsen, guitarist/vocalist David Torturdød, bassist Jakob, drummer Pawel Tunkiewiecz—channeling the great tales that inspired this record to amp up their already formidable game to create something that signals their standing as one of modern death’s more ferocious bands.

“Awakening Titans” dawns cleanly and elegantly before the first punches are thrown, and then we’re into the mouth of hell with infernal growls laying waste. The tempo is beastly as it trudges with a fury with the leads drawing blood, horrific pain being administered, and growls gurgling before the track trickles away. “Chimaerian Offspring – Part I” ignites with steely riffs and guttural growls as madness swirls above your head. Things get dizzying as the band lays waste, though some melody snakes its way in, and you are left suffocating as chaos envelopes you. “Phlegethon” is an instrumental track that burns hard as the slow-driving playing eats into your guts, and the guitars spiral, making you grasp for the walls. A cold, eerie freeze begins to take hold before things come unglued again, the guitars create confusion, and we’re out in a strange vortex that makes you wonder where you are.

“Gorgonhead” stomps hard as the growls menace and the playing eats away at your nerve endings. The track then comes apart as death engorges, and the playing churns dangerously, sending you into a tailspin mentally that’s tough to topple. “Kykytos” is runs by quickly, hammering you before you know what’s happening, riding on a wave of swelling riffs. The vocals are charnel and the growls menace, and the melodies encircle you and threaten your sanity, giving you relentless blistering. “Χίμαιρα” is an instrumental piece with acoustics ringing out, drizzling clouding, and strange fogs clouding your vision, leading into closer “Chimaerian Offspring – Part II.” Guitars get going and flatten you while the growls eat away at steel, and then we’re off to the races. Guitars twist and turn as the band smashes hard, digging its claws into the earth, firing away at you. The drums maul as the playing flattens, ell is unleashed, and all elements disappear into the abyss.

Phrenelith show a ton of growth on “Chimaera,” but that doesn’t mean they’ve smoothed their sharp edges or pulled back on their frightening power. Instead, the band improved markedly from a death metal band with a ton of promise top one that seems violently sure of themselves, ready to eat away at your sanity. This is a really strong statement from this Danish band that is ending the year with a cataclysmic explosion we could feel well into 2022.  

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/phrenelith

To buy the album, go here: https://nuclearwinterrecords.com/shop/

For more on the label, go here: https://nuclearwinterrecords.bandcamp.com/