Noréns top 10 of 2021

[Norén]

10 – Frost* - Day and age
It's good. It's not Milliontown, but it's good.
https://youtu.be/RmiAmW3sgHs

9 – Hanna Enlöf – BareBones
The non prog/metal album of the year. Stefan Altzar from Prehistoric animals recommended this and I fell in love.
https://youtu.be/jdFZw8pW7Zs

8 – Eidola – The Architect
Another great release from them. I have followed the band from the beginning. Good to see more people discover them.
https://youtu.be/IS0556h2_ic

7 – The paradox twin – Silence from Signals
Just love the mood on this one.
https://youtu.be/gKawBRLVgRc

6 – 6:33 – Feary tales for strange lullabies: The dome
Crazy as expected. How can one NOT love this band. 100% entertainment.
https://youtu.be/vhtT7FLIo_g

5 – Jason Bieler and the Baron Von Bielski Orchestra – Songs for the apocalypse
Jason goes prog and its a homerun!
https://youtu.be/lNvZZ6oiX1o

4 – Downes Braide Association – Halycon Hymns
Simply the best albums for years that has come out of the "YES-family"
https://youtu.be/LbacKSi37JQ

3 – Karmanjakah – A book about itself
A lack of good djent releases this year, but this new Swedish band filled the void. "Naustá" is my favourite song of the year. Can't wait to see what will come out of this band in the future.
https://youtu.be/L2SGyBVv6vA

2 – Leprous – Aphelion
Finally a killer release from them again. I love the earlier albums, but I found The congregation and Malina to be pretty weak. On Pitfalls they started to grab my attention again, and now the nailed it.
https://youtu.be/RewhLbJONfA

1 – Vola – Witness
Oh my, how good isn't this band? Heavy, melodic and surprising. Each song has its own identity and I'm blown away. And the fact that one of the best songs of the year would be a rap song is just insane haha. I'm not a person that cares that much about lyrics, but the words in "Freak" is just in a league of its own. Moving stuff. My favourite album without competition this year.
https://youtu.be/ncmxtbrXJfo

[introclaus]

10 – Frost* - Day and age
It's good. It's not Milliontown, but it's good.
https://youtu.be/RmiAmW3sgHs

9 – Hanna Enlöf – BareBones
The non prog/metal album of the year. Stefan Altzar from Prehistoric animals recommended this and I fell in love.
https://youtu.be/jdFZw8pW7Zs

7 – The paradox twin – Silence from Signals
Just love the mood on this one.
https://youtu.be/gKawBRLVgRc

4 – Downes Braide Association – Halycon Hymns
Simply the best albums for years that has come out of the "YES-family"
https://youtu.be/LbacKSi37JQ

3 – Karmanjakah – A book about itself
A lack of good djent releases this year, but this new Swedish band filled the void. "Naustá" is my favourite song of the year. Can't wait to see what will come out of this band in the future.
https://youtu.be/L2SGyBVv6vA

I enjoy these for what they are, but all of them have a tendency to bore me once I'm half-way through the albums. For Karmanjakah I think I've just grown tired of that style of djent, and for DBA I honestly prefer the new Yes.

6 – 6:33 – Feary tales for strange lullabies: The dome
Crazy as expected. How can one NOT love this band. 100% entertainment.
https://youtu.be/vhtT7FLIo_g

5 – Jason Bieler and the Baron Von Bielski Orchestra – Songs for the apocalypse
Jason goes prog and its a homerun!
https://youtu.be/lNvZZ6oiX1o

Both of these are more "interesting" than they are good - to me at least.
We've talked about 6:33 before and I really wanted to like it (since I love Mr. Bungle), but the Devin parts ruin it for me. And same with Bierler (too much Devin, not enough Saigon Kick).

8 – Eidola – The Architect
Another great release from them. I have followed the band from the beginning. Good to see more people discover them.
https://youtu.be/IS0556h2_ic

2 – Leprous – Aphelion
Finally a killer release from them again. I love the earlier albums, but I found The congregation and Malina to be pretty weak. On Pitfalls they started to grab my attention again, and now the nailed it.
https://youtu.be/RewhLbJONfA

1 – Vola – Witness
Oh my, how good isn't this band? Heavy, melodic and surprising. Each song has its own identity and I'm blown away. And the fact that one of the best songs of the year would be a rap song is just insane haha. I'm not a person that cares that much about lyrics, but the words in "Freak" is just in a league of its own. Moving stuff. My favourite album without competition this year.
https://youtu.be/ncmxtbrXJfo

Love these, and yes, thank you once again for having gotten me hooked on Eidola!

[Sir Exar Kun]

2 – Leprous – Aphelion
Finally a killer release from them again. I love the earlier albums, but I found The congregation and Malina to be pretty weak. On Pitfalls they started to grab my attention again, and now the nailed it.
https://youtu.be/RewhLbJONfA

I need to revisit this one a bit more. The opening track might be my favorite song of the year (so POWERFUL as it builds!) but the rest of the album left me a bit flat. I liked it more than "Pitfalls", but honestly they're just moving in a direction that doesn't really appeal as much to me. Still one of the most talented young (Does that still apply?) bands around, and they are shockingly playing Columbus in March so I cannot wait to see them live.

[devomeister]

I also need to revisit the Leprous. I actually loved Pitfalls (which surprised me, as hearing the singles on their own didn't excite me). I really like 'Running Low' from the new one, but the rest of the album didn't grab me enough to keep at it.

VOLA is also my album of the year. It's fantastic, and a perfect example of a band building on the foundations that they laid in the first two albums to create something really special IMO.