Things You Might Have Missed 2021

Blindfolded and Led to the Woods – Nightmare Withdrawals [Things You Might Have Missed 2021]

Blindfolded and Led to the Woods – Nightmare Withdrawals [Things You Might Have Missed 2021]

Blindfolded and Led to the Woods, is a band from New Zealand with a bit of a storied past. Originally starting off as a humor-centric deathcore group with bizarrely titled offerings like Armed to the Teeth with Jellybeans or My Vaseline Diaries, the song “Atop the Wings of a Magpie” changed everything. Dissonant interplay, ominous tempos, speedy riffs, and even a guest spot from Nile’s Karl Sanders replace mindless breakdowns and Psyopus-inspired wankery. Nightmare Withdrawals may not be their debut, but it’s their breakout album, and for good fucking reason.” Deliverance to quality.

Take Over and Destroy – Fade Out [Things You Might Have Missed 2021]

Take Over and Destroy – Fade Out [Things You Might Have Missed 2021]

“Like many of you, my allegiances are with my local scene. With Covid taking over bars and venues, it’s been challenging to keep up with the ever-changing scene as new basement bands emerge, and veterans call it quits. Thankfully, my fellow Phoenicians, Take Over and Destroy, didn’t let the pandemic get them down—quite the opposite, really. Earlier this year, they were a band that’s been quiet for almost five years. Later in the year, they surprised the entire metal community by materializing a new record out of the fucking ether. With a kickass, old-school vinyl cover and a straightforward attitude to doom and sludge, Fade Out is the Covid album we all wanted. Drop the needle, and let’s get mad.” Healthy destruction.

Nekromantheon – Visions of Trismegistos [Things you Might Have Missed 2021]

Nekromantheon – Visions of Trismegistos [Things you Might Have Missed 2021]

“Norwegian trio Nekromantheon smashed out a terrific cult hit on 2012’s Rise, Vulcan Spectre. Offering a raw, vicious contemporary take on old school thrash, Nekromantheon draw influence from old school Slayer, Dark Angel and early Sepultura, coupled with a nasty underground edge. Visions of Trismegistos marked the long-gestating and triumphant return from these excellent no-frills purveyors of piss and vinegar fueled thrash.” Nekro mongers.

Heart Healer – The Metal Opera by Magnus Karlsson [Things You Might Have Missed 2021]

Heart Healer – The Metal Opera by Magnus Karlsson [Things You Might Have Missed 2021]

“Following my TYMHM for Seven Spires’s Emerald Seas last January, I continued doing my homework to stay up to date regarding any new projects vocalist Adrienne Cowan took part in. It’s no surprise then that one year later, I find myself writing another TYMHM for a band involving Cowan in a major role.” Hearts conSPIRE.

Mastodon – Hushed and Grim [Things You Probably Didn’t Miss 2021]

Mastodon – Hushed and Grim [Things You Probably Didn’t Miss 2021]

“Yeah I know, anyone who gives two shits about Atlanta’s veteran modern metal/progressive sludge rock juggernaut Mastodon will likely have formed an opinion on their eighth studio album, and first double LP, Hushed and Grim. And I won’t lie, it is selfish reasons for including the album in this traditional end-of-year segment. We missed promo and the album turned out way better than a loyal but skeptical long-time fan was expecting.” Grim tales.

Aquilus – Bellum I [Things You Might Have Missed 2021]

Aquilus – Bellum I [Things You Might Have Missed 2021]

Griseus by Aquilus was the best metal album of the 2010s never reviewed by AngryMetalGuy.com. It is a wonderful, ethereal, expressive, other-worldly experience tied to the metal genre by its atmospheric, blackened qualities, but spending just as much time and energy on its classical ones. It is, in short, symphonic black metal, but is so much more than this implies. This brings us to December 2021 and its long-overdue sequel, a decade in the making.” Music of blackened socialites.

Meer – Playing House [Things You Might Have Missed 2021]

Meer – Playing House [Things You Might Have Missed 2021]

“There’s no formal rule for what non-metal stuff gets covered at AMG. We just look for things that are likely to appeal to metalheads. Sometimes they’re side projects of metal musicians, sometimes things that are heavy aesthetically even if they’re not built on distorted guitars. Meer aren’t either of those, but they do play a lush, complex progressive pop with rock leanings which should delight prog fans of any stripe.” Catting around the house.

Koldovstvo – Ни царя, ни бога [Things You Might Have Missed 2021]

Koldovstvo – Ни царя, ни бога [Things You Might Have Missed 2021]

“Sometimes a thing defies proper indexing or categorization. Tags may be applied to that thing and they may not be incorrect but nor do they properly encapsulate what that thing is. The nominally atmospheric black metal, probably Russian, project Koldovstvo, is just such a thing.” Words fail us.