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AOTY 2021. Half way there edition


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So it's june, and just like the previous years, it's been a great year for metal. What is on your AOTY lists so far? Here's the strongest candidates for me from the first 5 months.

Full lengths

Malakhim - Theion
Ninkharsag - The Dread March of Solemn Gods
Spectral wound - A Diabolic Thirst
Cult of Luna - The Raging River
The Suns Journey Through the Night - Demo II
Novae Militae - Topheth

Saidan - Jigoku: Spiraling Chasms Of The Blackest Hell
Ancient Wisdom - A celebration in honor of Death
Ferriterium - Calvaire
Mare Cognitum - Solar Paroxysm
Midnight Odyssey - Biolume Part 2 - The Golden Orb
Spectral Lore - Ετερόφωτος

Splits

Mnima / Spider god - Split
Erzfeynd / Rraaumm - Split
Gate Master / Reign - Split   
Celestial Sword / Erzfeynd - Split

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  • 3 weeks later...

Best Black Metal Albums from the first half of 2021

 

Spectral Wound - A Diabolic Thirst  Montreal, Quebec #1 aoty

Åskog - Varþnaþer  Sweden

Wolves of Perdition - Ferocious Blasphemic Warfare  black/death Finland

Øksehovud - Makt, Høyhet, Herredømme  RBM Norway

Diaboli - Awakening of Nordic Storm  Finland

Kirottu - Deity Embers  Finland 

Bilwis - Sagenwelt  Germany  

Armnatt - Eternal Flame   Portugal

Sznur - Dom Czlowieka  Poland

Elegiac - Father of Death  NY  

Pan-Amerikan Native Front - Little Turtle's War  Chicago

Warmoon Lord - Battlespells  Finland

Forhist - Forhist  (Vindsval)  France

Ifrinn - Caledonian Black Magick  Scotland  

Cryptospital - Scythe of the Black Death atmo black  Belarus

Gorgon - Traditio Satanae  France

Svartheim - Black Metal Finland

Valdaudr - Drapsdalen  Norway 

Friisk - ...un Torügg Bleev Blot Sand  Germany

Dodskold - Ödesriket  Sweden

Oriflamme - L'Égide Ardente   Quebec, Canada

Clandestine Blaze - Secrets of Laceration  Finland

Skratte - Akt 1: Ein Feuer Entfacht  Germany 

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On 9/16/2021 at 12:53 PM, KillaKukumba said:

My vote is for anything that's not black metal :)

At the moment mine probably sits with either Helloween or Flotsam, however there is a covers album (which I wouldn't usually rank) by Aussie band Lord that is pretty darn cool.

 

Lord's cover of Maiden's 'Stratego' is actually pretty good.

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The only album I'm able to nominate thus far is Graveland's "Hour of Ragnarok". I just got it a few days ago and as far as Graveland goes, it's the best material that they've ever put out. The production is great, the songs are engaging, and the playing is much tighter than on say, "Thousand Swords" or even the rerecording of "Memory & Destiny". The orchestration is great, and Graveland is no stranger to orchestration in the later albums.

I wasn't really expecting as much as this album delivers to be perfectly honest. "Thousand Swords" used to be my favorite out of the Graveland albums that I have, but "Hour of Ragnarok" has taken it's place.

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  • 2 weeks later...

01 Worm - Foreverglade (20 Buck Spin)
02 Mortiferum - Preserved In Torment (Profound Lore)
03 Rothadás - Kopár Hant... Az Alvilág Felé (Me Saco Un Ojo/Pulverised)
04 Darkthrone - Eternal Hails (Peaceville)
05 Clandestine Blaze - Secrets Of Laceration (Northern Heritage)
06 Carcass - Torn Arteries (Nuclear Blast)
07 Můra - Doom Invocations And Narcotic Rituals (Caligari)
08 Decrepisy - Emetic Communion (Seed Of Doom/Life After Death/Chaos)
09 Old Tower - The King Of Old Witches (Hospital)
10 Inhuman Condition - Rat°God (Listenable Insanity/Spiritual Beast/Black Serpent)

*edit* Vaticinal Rites - Vaticinal Rites and Apparition - Feel should have made this list

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