Distorted Sound’s Top 100 Albums of 2021
Ah 2021, the year of (sort of) recovery. Whilst the past 19 months have been anything but a breeze, we are still here standing. After the turmoil of 2020 in which the pandemic brought our world to a standstill, this year, we’ve seen steps towards a return to normality. Here in the UK at least, the latter months of the year have seen the triumphant return of live music (which has been nothing short of euphoric) and bands across the board have delivered with quality studio releases. So, as the year draws to the close and the dreaded Albums Of The Year conversations heat up, trying to decide on the year’s best releases is nothing short of herculean.
Whether it is due to the delays of last year or the fact that bands have had the forced time off from the road as the world was at a standstill, the general conversation seems to be that 2021 has gone above and beyond when it comes to excellent releases. Whether it be returning behemoths like IRON MAIDEN, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE or MASTODON that sit atop of the heavy music tree, the wave of truly exciting newcomers such as SPIRITBOX, AS EVERYTHING UNFOLDS and WODE, and a host of truly exceptional underground talent like HOODED MENACE, WODE and GREEN LUNG; across the board, our world has more than delivered. After numerous debate and discussion, our picks for the best of 2021 has been decided. With a full critical analysis of our Top 20 will be unveiled in our final digital issue of the year, now, we proudly present Distorted Sound‘s Top 100 Albums of 2021!
100. Primordial Arcana – WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM
97. The Tritonous Bell – HOODED MENACE
95. The Ides Of March – MYLES KENNEDY
92. A Hill To Die Upon – MENTAL CRUELTY
91. Cursed Be Thy Kingdom – BEWITCHER
90. Undo The Chains – WRAITH
89. A Monument To Silence – ALUSTRIUM
87. Burn In The Flood – OUR HOLLOW, OUR HOME
86. Life In Your Glass Word – CITIZEN
85. Where Fear & Weapons Meet – 1914
84. Black Harvest – GREEN LUNG
83. Lovehoney – LOVEHONEY
80. The Turning Wheel – SPELLING
78. Where The Gloom Becomes Sound – TRIBULATION
77. The Machine Is Burning And Now Everyone Knows It Could Happen Again – BRUIT ≤
76. Sinner Get Ready – LINGUA IGNOTA
74. Family The Smiling Thrush – BOSS KELOID
73. Loss – DEVIL SOLD HIS SOUL
72. Exponent – PATTERNSHIFT
70. Crime and Punishment – REGIONAL JUSTICE CENTER
69. Within Each Lies The Other – AS EVERYTHING UNFOLDS
68. Infinite Granite – DEAFHEAVEN
67. A Book About Itself – KARMANJAKAH
66. All Light Swallowed – CRYPTS OF DESPAIR
65. The Myth Of The Happily Ever After – BIFFY CLYRO
64. måsstaden under vaten – VILDHJARTA
63. Weight Of The World – FLORENCE BLACK
61. Persona Non Grata – EXODUS
59. Alchemical Warfare – DREAD SOVEREIGN
57. La Morsure du Christ – SETH
56. Bullet For My Valentine – BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE
55. A Vast Field Of Silence – OUTRUN THE SUNLIGHT
54. I Lie Here Buried With My Rings and Dresses – BACKXWASH
53. G_d’s Pee AT STATE’S END – GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR
52. Soul Diminished – CELESTIAL SANCTUARY
49. Teatro D’Ira Vol.1 – MÅNESKIN
48. The Nightmare Of Being – AT THE GATES
47. Nowhere Generation – RISE AGAINST
45. Earth Is A Black Hole – TEENAGE WRIST
44. Call Of The Wild – POWERWOLF
43. As Days Get Dark – ARAB STRAP
41. Welcome to Horrorwood: The Silver Scream 2 – ICE NINE KILLS
40. Violence Unimagined – CANNIBAL CORPSE
39. Consolamentum – YEAR OF NO LIGHT
38. Crypt of Ice – FROZEN SOUL
35. The Live Long After – SUGAR HORSE
34. Colors II – BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME
32. Fragments Of A Bitter Memory – DYING WISH
29. Amazing Things – DON BROCO
27. Leave Me The Ashes Of The Earth – MASTIFF
26. Engine Of Hell – EMMA RUTH RUNDLE
25. Sleeps Society – WHILE SHE SLEEPS
24. Hushed and Grim – MASTODON
23. Burn In Many Mirrors – WODE
19. Celestial Blues – KING WOMAN
18. Mære – HARAKIRI FOR THE SKY
15. The Greatest Mistake Of My Life – HOLDING ABSENCE
9. For Those That Wish To Exist – ARCHITECTS
4. Conquering – EMPLOYED TO SERVE
3. This Place Will Become Your Tomb – SLEEP TOKEN
2. In The Court Of The Dragon – TRIVIUM
And that rounds off our Top 100 Albums of 2021! What a year for heavy music, let us know what your favourite records of the year are in the comments below or on our social media pages!
