2021 End Of Year Top 20

Another December, another end of year Top 20. With so many good releases it’s been hard to rank them in any reasonable sort of order, and because some artists squeezed out a couple of albums during the year this list has been limited to one album per band. But if one release stood out for me this year it would have to be INSOMNIUM’s imaginative and breath-taking ‘ARGENT MOON’ EP (Century Media) – four tracks of innate and almost unimaginable beauty.
The rest of the 20 looks something like this...

A Dying Planet – ‘Where The Skies Are Grey’ (Lifeforce Records)
Amorphis – ‘Live at Helsinki Ice Hall’ (Nuclear Blast)
Beast In Black – ‘Dark Connection’ (Nuclear Blast)
Cradle Of Filth – ‘Existence Is Futile’ (Nuclear Blast)
Dream Theater – ‘A View From The Top Of The World’ (InsideOut Music)
Epica – ‘Omega Alive’ (Nuclear Blast)
Anneke van Giersbergen – ‘The Darkest Skies Are The Brightest’ (InsideOut Music)
Hanging Garden – ‘Skeleton Lake’ (Lifeforce Records)
Esa Holopainen – ‘Silver Lake’ (Nuclear Blast)
Krashkarma – ‘Storm’ (Spitnail Records)
Leprous – ‘Aphelion’ (InsideOut Music)
Lord Of The Lost – ‘Judas’ (Napalm Records)
Rhabstallion – ‘Back In The Saddle’ (Golden Core / ZYX)
Smith / Kotzen – ‘Smith / Kotzen’ (BMG)
Swallow The Sun – ‘Moonflowers’ (Century Media)
The Ocean – ‘Phanerozoic Live’ (Pelagic Records)
The Unity – ‘The Devil You Know Live’ (SPV)
Trapped In Purgatory – ‘Damned Nation’ (independent release)
Vardis – 100MPH @ 100 Club (SPV)

Happy New Year, one and all

John Tucker December 2021