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The year that just passed was anything but quiet. Sure, for global societies, politics, and culture, it might not have been what we were all hoping to follow the chaos of 2020, but for music, it was absolutely insane. There was not a lot for people to agree on and as a whole, the world got even more divided, yet music found its mysterious ways to unite us all, and heavy music was particularly instrumental for getting us closer than ever through the absolute masterpieces that came out. So, against a gloomy backdrop, if there was one word to really summarize the entire 2021, to me it was unity - of music, of fans, of genres.
The unity in question naturally brought a much-needed balance in a world torn apart by sheer madness. The pandemic broke apart societies apart across the globe unlike anything we have seen in years, but while the variants dived deep into the Greek alphabet, and the governments failed to take adequate measures in time, the communities came closer together. People all over the world were eager to see 2021 return to “normal” but those hopes were immediately crushed from the start by never-ending lockdowns, constantly changing guidelines, canceled events, and postponed concerts. Yet, the troubled souls that have endured isolation, health issues, job cuts, and worst of all, personal losses, all turned their attention to the one thing we all had available without any restriction - the internet, and more specifically, social media. Amongst all the fake news and frequent arguments over what is right and wrong, we connected more than ever before, and experienced music together in ways we never really imagined.
As a nerdy data junkie and spreadsheet enthusiast, I wanted to share some of the numbers and facts that dominated my year, as there are quite a few curious things to point out. First and foremost, we have Spotify to give us a good breakdown of listening habits, and I will have to trust it with 55,057 minutes spent listening to all the brilliant albums that came out in 2021. As a whole, I managed to listen to 94 individual releases, covering albums, EPs, deluxe re-releases, and anniversary reissues, and of all those 65 were full studio records, probably more than I have ever checked in a single calendar year. Sure, I would have liked to push that to 100 or more, and I know I have missed a lot (some willingly), but this is where January 2022 caught me.
At first, that unity I mentioned felt awkward among the chasm opened between various oppositions - pro- and anti-vaxers, democrats and republicans, liberals and conservatives, lefts and rights, and every conceivable polarity in the world. And yet, amidst that fierce digital war, the music fans in general, and especially the metal community, stood together. Look around and you will see people all over the world united in their shared passion for all the amazing music that came this year, all agreeing that 2021 was anything short of epic.
Look, I never really liked the metal community, and I say this fully aware I am probably shooting myself in the foot right from the start. For a very long time, I have been growing increasingly uninterested in the gatekeeping, genre elitism, refusal to move on and denial of everything outside the comfort zone, the awkward arrogance, the ridiculous stereotypes. For a community largely formed by people that, at least at some point in their life, have gone through being socially awkward, bullied, underdogs, misfits, misunderstood rebels, and all sorts of lost souls, we are awfully judgmental, arrogant, and unaccepting. Somehow, I dare say it out loud, 2021 felt like the first time when things were changing and people suddenly became more open, friendly, accepting and, yes, united.
Art has proven many times to really flourish in desperate times and 2021 brought all the frustration to the surface. Music styles and traditions clashed in the vacuum created by isolation. All those bands that had seen 2020 delay their releases, cancel shows and postpone touring, sat back, collected their thoughts, and dug deeper into their pool of inspiration and creativity. Genres, scenes, and subcultures that seemingly had nothing in common, blended into a powerful concoction. The alternative label was adopted on almost every record, and there was hardly any music coming out that could be described within a single genre.
Modern metal became just about the only adequate way to talk about new music, summarising how efficiently most acts embraced contemporary trends, production techniques, and marketing tricks. Electronic influences, synths, atmospheric backgrounds, and sonic scapes have been a part of metal for a few decades now, but they finally found their purpose and became part of the bands’ overall vision and not just decoration. Bravely uniting musical traditions and influences, 2021 brought us a fine balance of heavy and melodic, not just for the sake of accessibility and popularity, but reflecting the raging emotions within us all.
Above all else, I am very impressed by how strong the continental European metal scene was last year. I shouldn't be surprised, considering the immense talent coming out of this region, but I don't remember the last time there have been so many amazing trendsetting records with contemporary production and marketing. Where the USA and the UK have been consistent leaders in modern metal, with Australia making waves in the few decades, Europe as a whole kind of went to the background.
Last year gave us some phenomenal modern-sounding music coming from Germany (Annisokay, Eskimo Calboy, Venues, Rising Insane, Defocus), France (obviously Gojira, but also Landmvrks, Resolve, and ten56.), and the good old Scandinavian region (Imminence, Orbit Culture, Eyes Wide Open, One Morning Left), to name a few. I expect a lot more to come in the following years and one thing to mention here is the clever development and quick rise to fame of the label Arising Empire, which is likely to take center stage and further cement its name as the bastion of European metalcore and alternative metal in years to come.
There is not much point in delving into the heavy music world in the USA as the industry masterminds there have proven time and again they know how to do things the right way, but it is worth saying that many American bands really stepped up and raised the bar, with special credits here going to Lorna Shore, ERRA, Wage War and Darko US, leading a creative surge across modern metalcore and deathcore. It is also quite refreshing to see once again a good wave of new Canadian music across many genres, with this year's sensation Spiritbox, alongside their compatriots Brand Of Sacrifice on the extreme end, and Cleopatrick on the rock front, all likely to set the trends with their stellar releases.
Good old United Kingdom more than delivered, topping charts and getting consistent primetime radio airplay with seminal releases by metal powerhouses Architects, Bullet For My Valentine, and While She Sleeps, and modern rock icons Royal Blood, Don Broco, Biffy Clyro, and Nothing But Thieves. Outside of the established acts, some new names worth keeping an eye for include THECITYISOURS, As Everything Unfolds, Drones (UK), Yonaka, Death Blooms, and the mysterious Sleep Token who hardly need an introduction, and amidst the chaos it was very positive to see Download Festival going above and beyond on it's 'Pilot' idea.
With regards to labels, I have declared my love for Arising Empire and its phenomenal roster time and time again, and I cannot wait to see what is coming next for them. Outside of metalcore trendsetters, Rise Records hit the jackpot with Spiritbox, 2021 was particularly strong for UNFD and SharpTone with a lot more in the pipeline for next year. Few others worth mentioning are Spinefarm for maintaining excellent standards across their releases, Sumerian for never compromising on their heavy throne, and Fearless for covering a lot of ground with their diverse selection. Century Media currently boasts two of the hottest bands in Lorna Shore and Eskimo Callboy and it is interesting to see where this takes them, and one should never rule out the big guns. Interestingly enough, 2021 saw a lot of DIY releases, some fully independent, some in collaboration with bigger labels, and in general, the whole industry saw a lot of changes in regards to production, release schedule, and marketing, which definitely make up for interesting times ahead of us.
Most of the so-called major tastemaking media kept their annoyingly predictable favoritism, cementing the stereotypes and scared to death of change. Whether pushed by certain top labels, caving under public pressure or just gravitating around an old school appreciation of ancient values, many publications, radio stations and festivals remained stuck in their easily maintained status-quo, and you can’t really blame them for embracing certainty and avoiding risks when everything felt so uncertain. However, more than enough people, acclaimed brands and simple fans alike, kept an open mind and led the change. Out of nowhere, YouTube reaction channels became a major hit and turned into a standalone media of its own, playing a crucial part in certain bands’ and albums’ popularity. Random people all over the world with nothing but passionate love for music suddenly became household names with huge followings, moving the dialogue in Discord groups, Twitch channels and all sort of other creative platforms. These are the real heroes of 2021 and for a lot of rising bands out there, they were the catalyst of their quick rise to fame. The world is changing faster than we could perceive, so shoutout to those who embraced the change and were not afraid to get out there and offer an alternative.
For a very long time metalcore, and all its subdivisions, felt like losing its touch. A quick look over my Best of the Year chart below will show how much I love the scene and everything that still comes from it, but it has suffered a long period of boring releases, repetitive song structures, pointless emotions, and general loss of inspiration. Metalcore’s heaviness and speed became overused, the anger was aimless, melodies flowed without passion, emotions appeared forced, the social dialog disappeared, the fire died out.
I could not be happier with what 2021 delivered, with bands finally going above and beyond to bring the metal and the core back in metalcore. Its hardcore roots resurfaced, sending ripples of raw energy, aggressive rants, and raging riffs across the scene, while the true values of extreme and death metal were embraced, merging into a tsunami of monumental sound, atmospheric arrangements, and powerful emotions. Metalcore not only survived the pandemic but also delivered the cure.
If there is one thing I wish for 2022, is more of the same. The world is changing rapidly, and the metal scene, as usual, is adapting extremely efficiently to reflect our passions and fears, offer support, and musical retreat. The ways music is produced, consumed, sold, and advertised are being revisited daily and one could only sit back and enjoy the ride, as usual. I expect a lot more noise from the UK and Europe, and a big storm brewing in Australia.
We already have a new Korn promised, and are expecting to hear more from Bring Me The Horizon, Lorna Shore, In Hearts Wake, Northlane, Thornhil, Sylosis, to name a few. One could only hope for new Parkway Drive, Fit For A King and Kingdom Of Giants but let's not get ahead of ourselves. Here is to a fantastic 2021 and a much better 2022 ahead of us!
Best EPs of 2021:
5. Zebrahead - III
4. Devil Wears Prada - ZII
3. Nothing But Thieves - Moral Panic II
2. August Burns Red - Guardian Sessions
1. Lorna Shore - ...And I Return To Nothingness
Best Albums of 2021:
20. Rumjacks - Hestia
19. THECITYISOURS - Coma
18. Of Mice & Men - Echo
17. Don Broco - Amazing Things
16. Beartooth - Below
15. Bullet For My Valentine - Bullet For My Valentine
14. Rising Insane - Afterglow
13. Mastodon - Hushed and Grin
12. Erra - Erra
11. Wagewar - Manic
10. Darko - Darko
8. Royal Blood - Typhoons
6. Slaughter To Prevail - Kostolom
5. Imminence - Heaven In Hiding
3. Spiritbox - Eternal Blue
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