I’ve become quite the picky bastard nowadays. Ten years ago, I listened to multiple albums a day, back to back. Now, faced with an ever-growing list of music, I find myself turning albums off after two or three tracks if I’m not feeling it. On the one hand, I believe in judging an album as a whole, but time is a precious thing. That said, the albums I’ve listed here received multiple listens for one reason or another. I hope you enjoy them as well, especially if you haven’t had the pleasure of listening to any of them yet.
10) Urne, A Feast on Sorrow (Candlelight)
Every year, there’s an 11th-hour pick that creeps into my list. I like to gleam over other end-year lists for albums I might have missed, and I have missed A LOT of albums compared to previous years. Luckily, I made time for Urne’s second LP. The album opens with the best riff Metallica never wrote, and it’s all good from there. The production is crisp, and everything just sounds good. The band changes it up with each song, but the core of their sound and mood is constant throughout, with thudding breakdowns and two killer eleven-minute tracks.
Key Track: “To Die Twice”
09) Blackbraid, Blackbraid II (Self-Released)
What’s better than one Blackbraid album? Getting another Blackbraid album a year later. Everything great about the first album is back, but bigger and badder: more frostbitten riffs, more traditional native instrumentation, just more of all the good things Jon Krieger accomplished on Blackbraid I. “The Wolf That Guides The Hunter’s Hand” had me bashing my steering wheel the first time I listened. You, too, can bash your steering while listening to this killer album.
Key Track: “The Wolf That Guides The Hunter’s Hand”
08) Svalbard, The Weight of the Mask (Nuclear Blast)
Svalbard came out of nowhere and hit me over the head with When I Die, Will I Get Better? in 2020. Their cocktail of post-hardcore, black metal, and shoegaze hit just right, and the band struck gold again on their fourth album, The Weight of the Mask. The band’s fury shines through on tracks like “Lights Out,” but the band still offers weighty, slower tracks like “November” to break things up.
Key Track: “Lights Out”
07) Crown Lands, Fearless (Universal)
Crown Lands are a bit of an outlier on this list in that they fit more in the prog rock category, but this Canadian duo is so good. The band sounds just like Rush plucked from their A Farewell to Kings/Hemispheres era, and that is meant as a high compliment. An 18-minute opener, high-pitched vocals, bright and fun instrumentation, it’s all there. Plus, their music and lyrics are inspired by Canadian Indigenous peoples and their struggles.
Key Track: “Starlifter: Fearless Pt. II”
06) Ne Obliviscaris, Exul (Season of Mist)
One of two bands on this list that made me wait six years for a new album, but worth the wait. Ne Obliviscaris continue their brilliant blend of progressive metal on their fourth album Exul. The signature violin is still upfront and present right from the get go, and it cements the line between harsh and beautiful in all the band’s songs. This release is just another jewel in the band’s crown as one of the best modern prog-metal acts out there.
Key Track: “Equus”
