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