... music in the time of pandemic.
With each passing week of 2021 we are witnessing tidal wave after tidal wave of new releases in the ever expanding universe of rock & metal! Musicians all over the world, unfortunately unable to tour due to the known circumstances, sat at home writing and recording brilliant music! Intoxicating, thought-provoking creations bloomed and got inscribed for posterity. Progressive rock and metal had sky-rocketed! Thanks to Bandcamp, myriads of home-brewed, indie productions are avalanching weekly upon us, piggybacking on an equally overwhelming number of expected releases from labels represented acts. Please support the acts you love! They need us during these trying times. I know I'm not alone looking ahead at a not too distant future, when we will be able to cheer these bands live once again!
The following are the 10 metal albums released in the first quarter of 2021, that made the biggest impression on me. (Ordered based on release date.)
NEED
Norchestrion: a song for the end
Greece
Released on January 12, 2021
Progressive metal
Studio album #5
CRYSTAL VIPER
The Cult
Poland
Released on January 29, 2021
Heavy metal
Studio album #8
BLEEDING ANTLERS
Stagmata
UK
Released on February 1, 2021
Epic/progressive/psych doom metal
Debut album
STARFORGER
Wreath of Frost
UK
Released on February 5, 2021
Symphonic/melodic death metal
Debut album
IMMORTAL GUARDIAN
Psychosomatic
US
Released on February 12, 2021
Progressive/power metal
Studio album #2
ANGEL MARTYR
Nothing Louder Than Silence
Italy
Released on February 19, 2021
Epic power/heavy metal
Studio album #2
SORIZON
Thanatos Rising
US
Released on February 26, 2021
Progressive metal
Studio album #3
CORPORAIN
Purge // Purity
Italy
Released on February 26, 2021
Symphonic/progressive/melodic metal
Debut album
:NODFYR:
Eigenheid
Netherlands
Released on March 5, 2021
Pagan metal
Debut album
SECRET SPHERE
Lifeblood
Italy
Released on March 12, 2021
Progressive/power/melodic metal
Studio album #10
© 2021 by Emil Chiru