Time in it’s very nature is relative, but I can’t be the only one to think that 2021 has flown by faster than any other year in our recorded history? It still feels like we should be sitting at the midway point of 2020 - instead we’re knocking at the door of 2022. Thank the gods for great music; which this year has given to us in spades.
With a slew of fantastic albums, EPs and singles cropping up from every corner of the planet, separating the crème de la crème from the rest, and then fitting them into concise lists is a challenging task. A fun task, but challenging nonetheless. The murky underworld of extreme metal never disappoints, while some of the biggest names in the heavy music world released some truly brilliant music.
As a new year dawns, my personal aim moves towards creating a life that is more focused on my passions and happiness, and escaping the rat-race that is retail work. A quick shout out to Browny, Tamara and the Wall of Sound team for welcoming me into the fold with open arms, the sense of community is unparalleled! I’m looking forward to hopefully contributing more in 2022 and beyond.
TOP 10 ALBUMS OF 2021
#10 - Baest - Necro Sapiens
#9 - Distant - Aeons of Oblivion
#8 - Jerry Cantrell - Brighten
#7 - Aborted - Maniacult
#6 - Humanity’sLastBreath - Välde
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMbrq9iQ0Nk
#5 - Darkthrone - Eternal Hails…..
#4 - Deafheaven - Infinite Granite
#3 - Gojira - Fortitude
#2 - Mental Cruelty - A Hill To Die Upon
#1 - Frozen Soul - Crypt of Ice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgQM5BQV3AY
TOP 5 EPS OF 2021
#5 - Knocked Loose - A Tear in the Fabric of Life
#4 - Nightmarer - Monolith of Corrosion
#3 - Impending Doom - Hellbent
#2 - Gatecreeper - An Unexpected Reality
#1 - Creeping Death - The Edge of Existence
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0IVCQKoOL4
TOP 10 SONGS OF 2021
#10 - Darkthrone - ‘Hate Cloak’
#9 - Mental Cruelty - ‘Eternal Eclipse’
#8 - Mastodon - ‘Teardrinker’
#7 - KublaiKhan - ‘Resentment’
#6 - Frozen Soul - ‘Wraith of Death’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOQ1SJPLSEo
#5 - Creeping Death - ‘The Edge of Existence’
#4 - Fuming Mouth - ‘They Take What They Please’
#3 - Gojira - ‘Born For One Thing’
#2 - Deafheaven - ‘The Gnashing’
#1 - Gatecreeper - ‘Emptiness’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bd19LFZS_cg
BEST MUSIC VIDEOS OF 2021
#5 - JerryCantrell - ‘Atone’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F76Vp9ODy6s
#4 - Gojira - ‘Amazonia’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4CcX720DW4
#3 - Vildhjarta - ‘när de du älskar kommer tillbaka från de döda’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlqifH96ZlE
#2 - Cannibal Corpse - ‘Inhumane Harvest’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9l2j3JUKa_M
#1 - Animals As Leaders - ‘Monomyth’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Gi5KtoWY8U
FIRST GIG YOU HAVE LINED UP POST-COVID?
Hopefully either Monolith Festival in Brisbane or one of the Thy Art Is Murder/Justice For The Damnedsideshows!
[gallery type="rectangular" columns="2" ids="https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/monolith.jpg.png|,https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/thy-art.jpg|"]
WHAT BAND/S GOT YOU THROUGH THESE PAST TWO YEARS?
Heaps! All of my old favourites, as well as plenty of new discoveries.
Cathedral, Napalm Death, Van Halen, Suffocation, Alice In Chains, Gatecreeper, Tool, Interpol, Blood Incantation, The Black Dahlia Murder, Loathe, Obituary, Watain, KISS, Soundgarden, Isis, Darkthrone, Meshuggah, Une Misère, Immortal, Faith No More… far too many to mention them all.
WHAT’S DIFFERENT ABOUT YOU GOING INTO NEXT YEAR?
More focus on my overall happiness and quality of life, as opposed to being locked into the 9 to 5, five-day working week.
FAV NEW BAND/MUSICIAN DISCOVERED IN 2021
Frozen Soul
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgQM5BQV3AY
NEXT BIG AUSSIE ACT TO WATCH IN 2022?
Resin Tomb
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sCk12kG7vA
WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO IN 2022?
Hopefully international borders completely re-opening for travel and touring bands.
Written by Andrew Kapper. Twitter: @andrew_kapper
