Best of Progressive Rock 2021


Progressive rock is one of my great loves, from Yes (the old Yes) to Spock’s Beard to… today’s contenders, I listen to a lot of prog. And, if you’re here, you’re probably like me!


Number Five: The Ranch – Together to Get Here to Get Here Together


That album is good, and I mean, so good! First off, it’s not every day you get to talk about a band from Malta, that little island in the Mediterranean, and I guess it’s even rarer to talk about such an incredible one! With a perfect blend of prog rock and jazz fusion, … Read more

Best of Progressive Metal 2021


The “progressive metal” category casts such a wide net that I had to subdivide it into several subcategories. So, instead of making a top 5 for every one of them, let’s see only the best concept album, the best experimental album, the best instrumental album, the best vocal album, the best prog-power album, and the best prog-thrash album from 2021!


Best Prog-Power: Æphanemer – A Dream of Wilderness


It’s got the cheese, it’s got the shredder, it’s got the pasta.


Best Prog-Thrash: Cryptosis – Bionic Swarm



Throughout the many really cool thrash metal albums the year gave us, Cryptosis’s stood … Read more

Best of Post-Rock 2021


Plug all the effect pedals at your local music store into one another and record an album with that, you’ll end up on my list.


Number Five: Voids – Who Needs the Words When There Are Stars Above?


Let’s start with an underground act: Voids, from Russia! Who Needs the Words […] was late to the party, coming out in late December, but it truly deserves to be on this list; vast, expansive, atmospheric, and a little heavy side makes for a great experience!


Number Four: Maybe She Will – No Feeling Is Final


UK’s Maybe She Will released a … Read more

Best of Post-Hardcore 2021


Best of post-hardcore!


Number Five: Dead Lights – The Uncanny Valley


The new Dead Lights album is high production and high profile, The Uncanny Valley borders on metalcore with its heavy riffs and harsh vocals, but I made the choice to include it in the post-hardcore list. Whatever you choose to tag it, it remains an incredibly strong album from 2021!


Number Four: A Secret Revealed – When the Day Yearns for Light


Blackened, sludgy, noisy, and filthy, A Secret Revealed’s When the Day Yearns for Light is an amazing and disgusting album, one of the strong points of the … Read more