01) Epica, Omega (Nuclear Blast)

Epica’s Omega has been in my number one slot since the album was released. I couldn’t be happier with how this record turned out. It is a continuation to 2014’s The Quantum Enigma, and they’ve come in a full circle working together, perfecting what could be their most mature album to date. Not only did they release this flawless record, but they also gave their fans a taste of what it would sound like live in their cinematic Livestream, Omega Alive. Omega was the perfect way to begin this year and an album that remains on repeat from the get-go (check out my interview and review). 

Key Tracks: “Code of Life” & “Kingdom of Heaven Prt.3 – The Antediluvian Universe”

Dedication: Slow Machine, Black Tide EP 

Life is short, shorter than we can ever imagine. Losing someone never gets easier as we grow older. All we can do is find a way to remember. My favorite albums of 2021 list is dedicated to an old friend, Paula Mittelstaedt Kaiser. She passed away unexpectedly earlier this year. She died seeing her dreams coming true, becoming the lead singer in a doom metal band, getting signed, and releasing their debut EP, Black Tide. Paula was a beautiful soul who is dearly missed. Turn this EP up in her honor. 

Key Track: “Sands”

Honorable Mentions:

Insomnium, Argent Moon EP (Century Media)

Key Track: “The Conjurer”

Enslaved, Caravans To The Outer Worlds EP (Nuclear Blast)

Key Track: “Ruun II – The Epitaph”

Iron Maiden, Senjutsu (BMG)

Key Track: “Lost In A Lost World”

Anneke van Giersbergen, The Darkest Skies Are The Brightest (InsideOut)

Key Track: “Losing You”

Laurenne/Louhimo, The Reckoning (Frontiers)

Key Track: “Time to Kill the Night”

Noora Louhimo Experience, Eternal Wheel Of Time And Space

Key Track: “Piece Of Your Love”

Wardruna, Kvitravn (Norse)

Key Track: “Andvevarljod”

Van Canto, To The Power of Eight (Napalm Records)

Key Track: “Dead by the Night”