Harbinger of D.O.O.M.’s Top 13 Albums of 2021

It’s finally time to compile my list of the thirteen best—or rather my thirteen favourite—albums of the year. Why thirteen, you ask? Because it’s been such an amazing year for music that I couldn’t narrow my list down to only ten albums, and fifteen felt like too many, so lucky thirteen it is! For each album, I’ve posted a little comment along with a link to the review I did of it when it was released. In those reviews, you’ll find links to the bands’ Bandcamp pages to purchase their music, if you so desire.

13. Craneium – Unknown Heights – A great album from a brilliant band that had to be on my year-end list. Read my review here.

12. Altareth – Blood – The doomiest album on this list. Powerful from start to finish. Read my review here.

11. Indus Valley Kings – Indus Valley Kings – The first album I reviewed in 2021 that started the year off with a loud bang. Read my review here.

10. Lords of the Opium Church – Lords of the Opium Church – Fellow Canucks! An old school rock/stoner album to have on repeat. Read my review here.

9. Book of Wyrms – Occult New Age – What a trip this album is! Terrific occult/heavy psych record. Read my review here.

8. Kadavar & Elder – ELDOVAR: A Story of Darkness & Light – The collaboration of the year! Pink Floydesque and immersive album. Read my review here.

7. Devil Electric – GODLESS – One of my absolute favourite Doom bands of the past five years releases a stellar record. Read my review here.

6. Wytch – Exordium – The best female-fronted album of the year. Absolutely phenomenal. Read my review here.

5. KISS – Off the Soundboard: Tokyo 2001 – My favourite band of all-time. It may be 20 years old, but this double live album was officially released in 2021 and it’s on par with the first Alive! so it deserves its place on this list. Read my review here.

4. Sleep Moscow – Of the Sun – Probably the album I’ve listened to the most this year. It suits any mood I’m in and it’s a quiet, meditative record. A stunning collection of some of the most beautiful songs of 2021. Read my review here.

3. VAZUM – V+ - The most underrated band of the year. I absolutely love this album! A Deathgaze/goth/new wave/industrial masterpiece. Read my interview with the duo here.

2. Doctor Smoke – Dreamers and the Dead – What a total blast this album is! Feels like a greatest hits compilation so much it’s filled with cool songs. A perfect heavy rock/metal record. Read my review here.

1. Iron Maiden – Senjutsu – A huge surprise from a band I’d lost a bit of interest in. Their best release in 20 years and an ambitious double album that continues to blow me away with every new listen. Up the Irons for my favourite album of 2021! Read my review here.

There you have it, folks! I hope you’ll discover one or two albums to your liking on this list that you hadn’t heard of or paid enough attention to. Here’s to 2022, hopefully another year that will be stacked with amazing records!