Favourite rock and metal albums of 2021

My criteria for this list is albums that I buy or want to buy. I notice that over the last few years the number of albums in the playlist has increased. I don't know whether the music is getting better or whether I've been less selective. There are close to 666 songs in the 2021 playlist, it's a shame I couldn't quite make the magic number.

It was fun re-listening to this entire list from top to bottom. I marked them 'top 5' and 'top 3' as I went along and yes, there are more than 5 in the top 5. I couldn't put them in order.

Here's the full list roughly in release order:

Midnight Spell - Sky Destroyer

Viral - Viral  (very pleased to own this one on vinyl, in the top 5)

Rascal - Headed Towards Destruction (EP)

Bloody Hammers - Songs of Unspeakable Terror  (another top 5)

Steel Sword - The Steel Sword

Helstar - Clad in Black

Kramp - Gods of Death

Crystal Viper - The Cult

Septagon - We Only Die Once

Significant Point - Into the Storm

Witchseeker - Scene of the Wild

Mindless Sinner - Turn On The Power (2021)

Temtris - Ritual Warfare

Blaze Bayley - War Within Me

Full Moon - Night Calls

Flotsam and Jetsam - Blood in the Water (top 5)

Pharaoh - The Powers That Be

Iron Jaws - Declaration of War

Heavy Sentence - Bang to Rights (very pleased to own on vinyl, in top 5)

Lycanthro - Mark of the Wolf

Helloween - Helloween (it's so good to have all the Pumpkins together for a new studio album, but I'm not sure that this is particularly outstanding as a Helloween album. Happy to have it on clear vinyl.)

Generation Steel - The Eagle Will Rise

Gama Bomb - Thunder Over London EP

Sorceress of Sin - Constantine (top 3)

Gaslarm - Future Denied

Queen of Distortion - Checkmate

Thor - Alliance

Roxxcalibur - Lords of the NWOBHM

Dee Snider - Leave a Scar

Rage - Resurrection Day (top 3)

Axxelerator - Heads or Tails

A.D.4 - A.D.4

Malison - Death's Embrace

Portrait - At One with None

Seven Spires - Gods of Debauchery

Tales of the Old - Book of Chaos

Whyzdom - Of Wonders and Wars (Like Helloween, they're here by default, but this isn't my favourite Whyzdom album.)

Imago Imperii - A tale of darkness and hope

KKs Priest - Sermons of the Sinner

Phrenetix - Exuviae

Fallen Lillies - No Master For Lilly

Theatres des Vampires - In Nomine Sanguinis

Death Angel - The Bastard Tracks

Firewölfe - Conquer All Fear

Ültra Raptör - Tyrants 

Eldritch - Eos

Green Lung - Black Harvest

Death SS - Ten

Amulett - Glassbreaker

Thee Final Chaptre - So Let It Be Done

Gama Bomb : Speed Between the Lines on red vinyl

This recently popped up on my Discogs alert email and I managed to buy a brand new unopened copy from a seller in my country. 

I'm very pleased to have it as I already have a clear/splatter copy of the recent Sea Savage and I hope that in time I can score a copy of Untouchable Glory too (which may be my favourite of their full-length albums). 

It's apparently one of 250, it was plastic-wrapped, which I slit to open the gatefold and get at the record. It's such a pleasure to put a virgin record on the turntable and hear nothing but the needle drop. This is a heavy chunk of vinyl too and the sound is amazing. 

A real record like this is a much more special thing to have than a CD and certainly more so than the digital recording (however clean that sounds). It feels so good to be able to buy new and newish records on this format. I hope this isn't a passing fad and that more bands do it. 

If you love their sound (and what's not to love?) then you get 35 minutes of it. They're nothing if not consistent. There are some stand-out songs with quality lyrics; 666teen is my favourite. 

Metal Warriors (1983) and Paradox - Product of Imagination (1987)

A couple of recent additions to the vinyl collection and some observations. 

The first is another of the Ebony compilations which I'm actively collecting. Metal Warriors is EBON 11 (1983), the fourth of their compilations (as stated on the cover). Once again it has around a dozen tracks of varying style but based around the NWOBHM sound that Ebony liked. It has the trademark Ebony studio timbre -  not ridiculously trebley this time but there's something about the sound, particularly the vocals, that you'd recognise anywhere. (I think it may be Daryl Johnston's natural reverb chamber which he was very proud of.)

It has the feel of a bunch of bands getting their first break which is an appealing thing to me. Some of the bands did go on to bigger things, in particular Shy who appear on side one track one.  I have to say that this is probably the Ebony compilation that I have enjoyed the most on first listen, there are some really good tracks. 

I think this album is most notable for its excellent artwork - the best artwork of all of these compilations I think - I mean look at this... look at it!

A shout out to Garry Sharpe (the signature on the artwork appears to say GAZ). I don't know whether he's been responsible for more album covers - I would assume so judging by the quality of this one. I'd love to know more about his career.

According to Discogs, it was re-released on CD in 2002. I don't know whether it was remastered at all. My record plays really well though and I have a really good quality rip from it. 

Bought at the same time (because one UK seller happened to have two albums from my wantlist at the right quality and price) is Product of Imagination by Paradox (1987). They're not a band I was familiar with, although I may at one time have seen this cover while browsing the secondhand traders in Norwich. They're a German thrash metal band that remind me of Megadeth. It's a good listen, I feel that it will grow on me. 

Again the cover artwork is notable. I didn't notice it straight away but the signature is very familiar: 

- that's Joe Petagno, famous for the Motörhead covers among others, and some science fiction book covers. I really don't know what this cover shows. You can see some kind of demon face in there surrounded by horns / claws. There's a figure down in the corner looking very unconcerned, a landscape, maybe a city in the distance, and some celestial objects above. 

Two great records and two awesome covers. The kind that were intended to be viewed on a 12" x 12" record cover and look best that way.

Favourite Rock and Metal albums of 2020 so far

This is my own personal selection. You can read about my music tastes here, if those match yours, then you may agree with my choices. Let me know in the comments.

My entire 'Best Rock & Metal Albums of 2020' playlist is here on Spotify.

This page will grow as the year goes on.

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Rage - Wings of Rage

One of the first real new releases of the year and one of the highlights. Rage have been doing their thing since 1983 (if you count the first couple of releases as Avenger) and this is a very strong album. 

It includes a re-recording of their classic song Higher Than The Sky (known as HTTS2.0)

Read the reviews and buy on Amazon

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Mindless Sinner - Poltergeist

You don't need to see the cutoff-denim-over-leather to see that the cover artwork graces some good old traditional heavy metal. Once again the band have been around since the 80s, but this time with long gaps.

Christer Göransson's vocals remind me of Steve Grimmet of Grim Reaper and the music is of that style too.

It's up there with last year's Riot City and Traveller releases and it's great that there are bands still writing and playing this timeless style of music.

Read the reviews and buy on Amazon

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Annihilator - Ballistic, Sadistic

Geoff Waters has been releasing Annihilator records since the late 80s and I don't understand why he hasn't had greater success.

I don't think this record digs its hooks into you quite as well as the previous album, For the Demented, but it's Annihilator and belongs in this list.

Read the reviews and buy on Amazon

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Hazzerd - Delirium

A newer band but compatriots of Annihilator (Canadian) are Hazzerd. It's no-nonsense, tight, old-school thrash with straight-to-the point vocals somewhere between the realms of singing and yelling.

I was looking forward to this after enjoying their previous and debut album, and it doesn't disappoint.

Read the reviews and buy on Amazon

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Lovebites - Electric Pentagram

There is no shortage of female-fronted power metal. The band looks more like Babymetal than Battle Beast but happily this has great songwriting and a distinctive vocal style I really like.

The opening track (embedded below) verges into the thrash arena

Read the reviews and buy on Amazon

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Verikalpa - Tuoppitanssi

I am partial to a bit of folk / pirate / viking / troll metal and this is somewhere along those lines. The band are from Finland, this is their second album.
Read the reviews and buy on Amazon

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Seven Spires - Emerald Seas

I was also keen to hear this second album from Symphonic Metal band Seven Spires. Their previous album Solveig is an enduring favourite. I'm not sure yet whether this one matches up. But it has a fab cover and is certainly outstanding in this year's releases so  far.

Vocalist Adrienne Cowan has popped up in other places including the recent excellent album Signs of Wings from Sascha Paeth's Masters of Ceremony.

Read the reviews and buy on Amazon

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Burning Witches

This is the third album from the Swiss all-female heavy metal band and by far the most powerful. They've left behind some of the commercialness and headed in a slightly noisier, thrashier direction
Read the reviews and buy on Amazon

This 2020 list is still growing - check back regularly

Favourite Rock and Metal albums of 2019

This post is a little late but I hope you'll find it worth the wait.

You can read about my music tastes here, if those match yours, then you may agree with my choices. Let me know in the comments.

My 'Best Rock & Metal Albums of 2019' playlist is here on Spotify.

Flotsam and Jetsam The End of Chaos

This album, released early in the year, remained and remains possibly my favourite album of the year.

I noticed the band and became a fan when Jason Newstead left the band to join Metallica. I bought their first album, Doomsday for the Deceiver, loved it then and still love it.

Read the reviews and buy on Amazon

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King Diamond - Songs for the Dead : Live at Graspop 

I rarely enjoy live albums as much as studio albums, but once in a while the performances and sound are so good that you can enjoy the album over and over for its own sake rather than acceptable renditions of the studio tracks with added audience sounds.

King Diamond is an extraordinary performer and he can pull it off live as well as in the studio. This is a performance of the entire Abigail album with some classic Mercyful Fate and King D thrown in.

Read the reviews and buy on Amazon

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Witchlords - Demons in the Dark

The sound of this album is a bit thin but it is independently-produced. You could see the tinny sound as reminiscent of the bands and time that Witchlords hark back to. But that's made up for with the quality of the songs. Musically it's fast old-school heavy metal / thrash metal with savage vocals.

It's a bit of a maverick but I love it and can't wait for a better-produced second album.

Read the reviews and buy on Amazon

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Traveler - Traveler

This is a must-have for fans of true, old-school heavy metal.

Read the reviews and buy on Amazon

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Amon Amarth - Berserker

Amon Amarth probably do Viking metal the best. They work hard and their live shows have good production value.

I'm not sure whether this album is as good as the previous alum, Jomsviking, but it certainly belongs in this list.

Read the reviews and buy on Amazon

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Paragon - Controlled Demolition

A new band to me although this German band have been around for a few years.

Not unlike a speedier version of Kreator.

Read the reviews and buy on Amazon

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Candlemass - The Door to Doom

As the name suggests, this Swedish band's music veers towards doom but it often has a bit of melody and groove too. A great mix.

Read the reviews and buy on Amazon

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Diamond Head The Coffin Train

UK Veterans Diamond Head need no introduction. This album rocks.

Read the reviews and buy on Amazon

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Gloryfull - Cult of Sedna

This is Great German heavy metal with hooky choruses and a suggestive cover.

Read the reviews and buy on Amazon

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Invicta - Halls of Extinction

Melodic thrash with growled vocals. First full-length album from this so-far unsigned Canadian band.

Not to be confused with Invictus who have a similar logo and are also excellent.

Read the reviews and buy on Amazon

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Riot City - Burn the Night

Good old-fashioned heavy metal which really drives along digging its hooks deep. For me this is in the top three of 2019 and hasn't paled after repeated listening.

Read the reviews and buy on Amazon

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Kryptos - Afterburner

melodic metal from India, fast in places, with growly vocals.

Read the reviews and buy on Amazon

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Vader - Thy Messenger

It helps that I saw Vader twice in 2018 or 2019 (with Testament and Annihilator. What a line-up) and really enjoyed their performance. They remind me very much of Venom without quite such a focus on Satan.

Read the reviews and buy on Amazon

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Paladin - Genesis

Very much in the mould of Priest / Maiden etc. Some growled vocals but mostly sung, and sung well with harmonies.

Read the reviews and buy on Amazon

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Asomvel - World Shaker

This band could easily do a Motorhead tribute act, they sound and even dress the part, but to their credit the material is original and very good.
Read the reviews and buy on Amazon

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Anthrocene - Nucleation

Another debut full-length from a Seattle heavy / power metal band. A mix of clean and growled vocals, story-based songs.
Read the reviews and buy on Amazon

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Hellfire-Mania

Good old-fashioned heavy metal / thrash
Read the reviews and buy on Amazon

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Destruction - Born to Perish

There's more than a passing resemblance to Kreator and that's not a bad thing. Also from Germany, also on Nuclear Blast.
Read the reviews and buy on Amazon



































Still under construction, check back soon

This One Goes to Eleven :: Episode 24 :: Rock and Metal playlist :: 9 Dec 2018

Welcome back, or just welcome if it's your first time, for Episode 24 of this rock and traditional metal playlist.

There's a text link just below to a playlist that you can and should subscribe to, and it will change and contain the latest selections each week. Below that is the permanent playlist for episode 24. You can find all previous episodes / playlists by exploring the previous posts on this blog.

I think you have to click through to the Spotify app to listen to the songs in full. Underneath all that are my notes from this episode.

(Here is a link to the playlist that you need to subscribe to for the new episode each week )



- Shirley Knott






For all of the best rock and metal new releases, subscribe to my New Rock and Metal Album Releases playlist.

This One Goes to Eleven :: Episode 23 :: Rock and Metal playlist :: 1 Dec 2018

Welcome back, or just welcome if it's your first time, for Episode 23 of this rock and traditional metal playlist.

There's a text link just below to a playlist that you can and should subscribe to, and it will change and contain the latest selections each week. Below that is the permanent playlist for episode 23. You can find all previous episodes / playlists by exploring the previous posts on this blog.

I think you have to click through to the Spotify app to listen to the songs in full. Underneath all that are my notes from this episode.

(Here is a link to the playlist that you need to subscribe to for the new episode each week )



- Shirley Knott


Preaching to the Converted by Artillery from The Face of Fear (2018) New release from veteran thrashers

Evil Within by Hitten from Twist of Fate (2018) Spanish metal

Demolition Man by Flotsam and Jetsam (2018) I don't usually bother with singles and wait for the album. But I'm very excited about the forthcoming album that this is presumably from.

Fever Dreams by Dio from Magica (2000) 

Blade of Cimmeria by Gatekeeper from East of Sun (2018) Swords and sorcery

Spre Vingene by Einjerjer from Norrone Spor (2018) Viking metal

Breaking the Law by Judas Priest from British Steel (1980)

Save Me, ptII by Holter from Vlad the Impaler (2018)  I guess this is a prequel to the Dracula-inspired Swing of Death album he made with Jorn Lande in 2014

In the Walls by Seven Kingdoms from Decennium (2017) This band, as you might guess from their name, is usually singing songs about the Game of Thrones universe, but this one is I believe based on the Lovecraft story.

Death Knell for a King by Satan from Cruel Magic (2018) One of the best albums of this year.

All Hell is Breaking Loose by Blitzkrieg from Judge Not! (2018)

All Hell's Breaking Loose by Kiss from Lick it Up (1983) The title connection is an excuse to include a Kiss classic.

Tranquility by Frosttide from Decadents - Enshrined (2018) melodic death / folk metal

Blood Brothers by Wolfpakk from Wolves Reign (2017) Two guys and lots of guests, this one includes  Biff Byford (Saxon) on vocals

Macabre Procession of Specters by Hexx from Wrath of the Reaper (2017) a great recent album from veteran traditional metal band.

Symptathy for the Devil by Motörhead from Under Cöver (2017) posthumous release, great cover of classic song.


For all of the best rock and metal new releases, subscribe to my New Rock and Metal Album Releases playlist.