05) Blackbriar, The Cause of Shipwreck (Unsigned)
Yes, I know – in one breath, I bemoan the “crowded and samey field of symphonic metal,” and yet, here I am listing Yet Another Symphonic Metal Album in my top 10 list. If Finland embodies melodic death metal, then the Netherlands is the Kingdom of Symphonic Metal, with titans such as Epica and Delain originating from that fine country. Appropriately, Blackbriar calls the Netherlands home and has supported the aforementioned bands at shows in Utrecht over the years. “The Cause of Shipwreck” carries forward the formula present in their previous records, but it definitely explores their style; they have something unique, especially with Zora Cock’s unique voice, and they’re keeping the bombast to a minimum and opting for a vastly darker vibe instead. Keeping things in line with some of the other heavyweights of the genre, the production on the record is brought to life by Joost van den Broek (of Epica and Ayreon fame!), who provides the extra level of polish required to make this record absolutely shine.
Key Track: “The Séance”
04) Leprous, Aphelion (InsideOut)
I don’t have much to add here, aside from the fact that Aphelion is a hauntingly beautiful record. As soon as those first piano notes on the first track, “Running Low,” hit, followed by vocalist Einar Solberg’s intensely piercing voice, I get instant chills. You can’t argue much with that!
Key Track: “Running Low”
03) Powerwolf, Call of the Wild (Napalm)
As Sabaton are to tanks and swords, Powerwolf is to werewolves and Christian imagery. This pattern is not touched at all in Call of the Wild, and all is well in the world! There are some tracks off this disc that are going to fit in PERFECTLY being played at the headlining spots on the European summer festival circuit. I honestly can’t wait to be among that crowd, experiencing these new anthems live for the first time; they’ve given a preview of what that might look like with their recent streaming engagement, “The Monumental Mass,” and it’s going to be perfect.
Key Track: “Call of the Wild”
02) Epica, Omega (Nuclear Blast)
Omega, the intensely-awaited follow-up to 2016’s The Holographic Principle, dropped near the end of February, and it’s been the soundtrack to the first half of 2021 for myself – venturing back out into the world after an intense 1.5 years of staying home. Although Holographic still remains my favorite Epica album to date (and considering that Epica is my favorite band, I guess that means that it’s also my favorite overall album), it’s somewhat of a musical dead-end; there probably wasn’t any room to crank up the bombasticness or add any more flourishes. Hence, Omega pares things back a bit, by blending the best parts of The Holographic Principle with the overall style and approach to their music present in The Quantum Enigma. I took a trip to Romania in the fall to catch the band at Maximum Rock Festival in Bucharest, and what could be suspected from the band’s past performance can be confirmed: these songs translate into the live environment fantastically well!
Key Track: “Abyss of Time – Countdown to Singularity”
Bonus Key Track: “Synergize – Manic Manifest”
